Hey everybody,
I am just about to leave on an 800 mile road trip, and the headliner dropped on my car today (talk about timing!). Anybody have a tip or trick to hold the fabric up for the trip? I was thinking thumbtacks or upholstery tacks, but i don't know if the material underneath will hold them or if it is just a plain bad idea. I don't think i will have enough time tomorrow to take everything apart. Thanks!

 

Assuming a coupe -- tacks would be a terrible idea on a convertible.

I temporarily used screw-in upholstery tacks when the headliner came down on my 2001 XJ8. Worked quite well. The material underneath was a fiberboard -- wouldn't trust it long term but mine held up for several months (or more, the transmission underwent catastrophic self-disassembly soon after, so I had to replace it).

 

As I learned the hard way... If you use tacks to hold up an original drooping headliner, the tacks do make noticebale holes that can be seen if you plan on using the material again (which I did). It becomes a mad rush to repair the headliner, as it's impossible to drive while it's covering your face. If you plan on reusing the existing material, be careful with the tacks. Finding a reputable shop to install the material is another huge formidable task!

 

Thanks guys, i will see if i can get those twist pins tomorrow. I picture myself hitting a bump and being covered in thumbtacks!

 

I used twist pins as well, many years ago, but didn't intend on a salvage so it didn't matter.

 

Go to a paint store and get a paint syringe. Fill with a decent fabric adhesive that isn't too thick, take a finish nail and poke a tiny hole about every 8", poke the syringe through the hole and squeeze a drop of adhesive out and press and hold the headliner to the ceiling for about 30 seconds. I did this to mine about 2 years ago and it's still in place.

 

Temporary fix. Double sided adhesive tape. Assuming you have the proper access.

 

The structure is fabric, a layer of foam, then fibre board. Above the board is a space of variable size and then the aluminium roof. What fails is the join between the fabric and the foam, mainly because the foam degrades. I'd expect that tacks or injecting adhesive would work. I'd advise against what I've been doing for the last few days. I took the headliner board out - not a small job as you have to take most of the interior out first. Pulled back the fabric and then scraped all the foam off the board. To replace the foam I glued Calico to the fibre board. The white Calico also obscured the black surface of the board. Up to this point, all went acceptably well. Next, using the same contact adhesive, I started attaching the fabric. It was difficult getting it to hold on the concave areas. In the end I accepted that it wasn't going to happen, so it's glued to the flat areas. For the concave areas, I've resorted to stitching the fabric to the board with polyamide thread. I also added a few stitches to vulnerable areas and places I don't want it to sag, like just above my head. It's now sitting in my workshop. If there are no visible sags tomorrow morning, I'll start putting it back in my car.

Next time, first sign of sagging, I'll order a complete new covered headliner board from Myrtle (in the UK). Though as you wrote, one day it's fine, next it's hanging like a hammock. Myrtle make them in GRP and they seem to be better than OE. I've got one for my Daimler. But I thought the XK would be easy to fix ... 😂

 

As illustrated in this thread... replacing the XK headliner is NOT a DIY fix. Finding a reputable and skilled upholstery shop these days has become increasingly difficult. It's best to shop around as this skill is a rare commodity.. As our cars age, shortcuts are taken, and the results are obvious. Replacing the XK headliners is not a cheap repair. Finding the right shop is the only way to go if a proper headliner installation is warranted.

 

Different strokes for different folks, of course, but I would argue that headliner replacement is definitely a DIY fix, although not something that can be rushed. There are dozens of descriptions of owners doing a first rate job and I will be doing ours in due course.

If a quick fix is needed, personal experience illustrates that the spiral transparent upholstery tacks work really well whereas conventional straight pins will work loose and fall out.

Richard

 

Tomorrow has arrived and I'm about to put the headliner back in. Is it DIY? It's tricky taking the thing out of the car. There's major dismantling of the interior, which isn't standard work for an upholstery shop; they'd at least need a copy of the workshop manual (the manual is good for the locations of screws and clips, but not for the order in which parts should be removed/reinstalled though most of that should be obvious). But, I imagine after you've done it once, you know which way to pull the different pieces to remove them. Recovering the board isn't too bad, but I'd advise not trying to re-use the old fabric. It's very difficult to get it clean enough to stick well, plus it's an artificual fibre that probably doesn't attach well to adhesive, and, finally, it takes quite a bit of lining up. If you can find some good quality felt of the right colour, it would be easier and better. Moreover, if you live in the UK and the three week turnaround time is acceptable, it's simpler to buy a new ready covered GRP headliner from Myrtle (there may be other sources). The GRP is a lot stronger than the glorified carboard of the original.

For a quick fix, I'd agree with Richard and others who have used plastic spiral screw in tacks. In retrospect, that's what I should have done and then waited for a permanent replacement. If you do use a quick fix, be careful as there's a little air space the other side of the board and then the roof of the car. Headliner sag is bad, but don't compound it with little dents in the roof or internal scratches that lead to corrosion.

 

A quick update on my headliner:

The headliner went back in and so far is looking good and not sagging - fingers crossed, it stays like that. There's a rear-centre plastic clip on the liner holding it to the roof that broke off during reinstallation, but, so far, everything is staying in p!ace without it. Lining up all the clips isn't easy and they need a good thump to push them into place. Don't thump until you're certain on the alignment! Also, the C-pillar cover shouldn't be pushed completely into position until the back of the piece over the door is clipped on to it.

Finally, I mentioned Myrtle as a supplier of headliners. It should have been Headliner World. They are the supplier that's been recommended to me. I thought they were the same company (both based in Kent, UK), but it seems they aren't. If there's a next time, I'll order a replacement from them.