Damn headliners.

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Phoenyx

Royal Smart Person
Jun 27, 2007
2,392
7
0
Alberta, Canada
So my headliner started to sag this weekend. I don't think I've ever owned a GM vehicle that this didn't happen to me within a year. WHy? I really hate headliners. I think I'll just rip it out and go without. I'm so sick of dealing with these things.

What have any of you done to help this problem?
 

outsider_27

G-Body Guru
Mar 23, 2009
680
3
0
Aberdeen, SD
This Cutlass is the first GM vehicle I had with a sagging headliner. I have had many, only 4 of the 13 vehicles I've owned in my life have not been GM. I had an 83 Lincoln Mark VI that had a badly sagging headliner. To me, it is the way they are made. The adhesive only lasts so long against the foam. Not sure why, but they are not made well, IMO.
 

SLICK79WGN

G-Body Guru
Nov 6, 2008
707
7
0
LaPorte,Tx
I just redid mine and it was the original and what happens is the fabric is releasing from the foam. and with out it it will be a lot hotter / colder in your car. On mine we dont really get real cold but we do have really hot summers so I stripped the factory tar paper off the roof put in some peel and stick stuff (like dynamat just cheaper) the on top of that I added a layer of radiant barrier for houses then put my recovered headliner back in. It is easy as hell to do your self and I only used 2.5 yards to do my wagon and the material is only like 14 bucks a yard plus 3m 90 hi strength adhesive was 9.99 so it is still alot cheaper than having it done
 

Wolf001

Greasemonkey
Jun 5, 2007
132
0
0
SLICK79WGN said:
I just redid mine and it was the original and what happens is the fabric is releasing from the foam. and with out it it will be a lot hotter / colder in your car. On mine we dont really get real cold but we do have really hot summers so I stripped the factory tar paper off the roof put in some peel and stick stuff (like dynamat just cheaper) the on top of that I added a layer of radiant barrier for houses then put my recovered headliner back in. It is easy as hell to do your self and I only used 2.5 yards to do my wagon and the material is only like 14 bucks a yard plus 3m 90 hi strength adhesive was 9.99 so it is still alot cheaper than having it done

can you put pics ??
 

SLICK79WGN

G-Body Guru
Nov 6, 2008
707
7
0
LaPorte,Tx
I will see what I can do tonight I am at work right now
 

Phoenyx

Royal Smart Person
Jun 27, 2007
2,392
7
0
Alberta, Canada
With a black roof and non-working A/C maybe taking it out isn't such a good idea. But redoing it and adding some insulation might be a good idea. I just hate doing headliners lol.
 

SLICK79WGN

G-Body Guru
Nov 6, 2008
707
7
0
LaPorte,Tx
yep and expect to replace the clips because I have not found a way to get them out with out breaking them
 
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[email protected]

Greasemonkey
Jan 9, 2009
101
4
0
Wisconsin
I did mine in my last Cutlass, I recommend having 2 or more cans of adhesive on hand. I used only one can...and it sparingly covered it...before I sold the car 2 years later it was starting to sag again in spots. I used Headliner adhesive by 3M. I had great initial results, just wish I would have had more glue on hand when I was doing it(that was one of those 3:00am projects).

When I get around to doing my headliner in my T-top Monte I will do a write up similar to the "console repair- various problems solved" thread I did. Unfortunately that won't be for quite some time(floor boards need repair first...maybe I will do a write up on that?).
 

SLICK79WGN

G-Body Guru
Nov 6, 2008
707
7
0
LaPorte,Tx
first thing I did was to remove the headliner board then tear out all the factory tar paper on the roof and put in a layer of "Quickroof" it is like dynamat just way cheaper 15.00 for a 6" x 16' roll
doors_quiet_1.jpg


and here it is in my wagon I used 2 rolls of the stuff for complete coverage
normal_DSCN0895.JPG

the put a complete layer of thermal barrier
normal_DSCN0896.JPG

normal_DSCN0897.JPG

then stripped the headliner board down with a hand wire brush to remove all the old foam then used 3m hi strength adhesive and alot of it to put up the new headliner material
normal_DSCN0906.JPG


Now I am waiting on the clips that I ordered to come in to put up the second section of headliner and the garnish moulding
 
Sep 1, 2006
6,687
31
0
Tampa Bay Area
I too am to the headliner stage, and I will share the secret of the trim clips. I salvaged mine from a junkyard and had to figure out how to remove them without breaking them, lest I have to pay for new ones. So, what I did was to take a small flat bladed screwdriver and work them out SLOWLY. The rears splay out to the sides and are stepped where they go in. To get them out, you need to push the sides in while applying gentle pressure downwards, which you will be doing anyhow to be able to see them. The clips will walk down the "stairs" a step at a time as you gradually do one side, then the other. The fronts have a clip that moves front to back and not side to side. To get those, you need to either push or pull the center tab. Work slowly, and you can get them all out without breaking one. The sides are by far the easiest. You just push on them from the inside to the outside of the car and they will unhook at the outer edge. Then, they just come out once you slide them out of the A pillar molding. You may wish to practice on a few junkyard cars first, just to get the hang of it. Plus, if you succeed in the junkyard, you will have spare clips to do your car.

To reupholster the headliner board, you need to first clean off all the old foam from the shell. I use a small scrub brush and a shop vac for this. Just work gently so as not to damage it. Now, lay out your headliner fabric on the board and make sure you have a lot of overlap over all the edges. Next, fold the material in half. You will now need to coat BOTH the material and the shell with 3M General Purpose Upholstery Adhesive. DO NOT BUY DURO BRAND!!! It will fall in 24 hours. Once the glue becomes tacky, put your hands inside the center of the fold and work out to the edges. You will gradually unroll the material onto the board this way. DO NOT just flop it over all at once unless you want to ruin it. After the first half is done, you can fold back the other half and repeat the procedure. Once you are done, wrap about an inch or two of the excess around the back of the board and glue it there.

As for what to put above the headliner, I will share what I did with my truck. I used some cheap imitation Dynamat off E-Bay and cut it in strips. I then put the strips on the roof, spacing them apart. This helps cancel the vibration waves in the metal while using less material. As for insulation, I used some of that rebonded jute stuff (fiber scraps like in a G body door) that has a metallic backing. I cut it to size and put it on top of the headliner and then put the headliner back up. It isn't glued on in my truck as I didn't think it necessary. I also suggest replacing all of the old sound deadening jute in your car if you gut it. This stuff usually holds water and mold, and over time contributes to the "old car smell". Just don't do it if your car still has any water leaks or it will be wasted money.
 
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