1995 850GLT Cabin Roof Cloth Coming Undone

viper69 · Post by **viper69** » 08 Aug 2015, 18:17

Nothing lasts forever, w/that said, the grey fabric on the roof of the cabin right at the windshield has started to un-adhere to the roof of the cabin.

The material is very thin, and remains in one piece, ie it's coming up in a straight line, from left to right across by the top of the windshield.

What's the best way to adhere back to the cabin roof, and what material/s should I use if I do it myself? The cloth is so thin that I have no idea what one uses that won't seep through the cloth.

I'm sure if I take my finger and slide it under and across the hanging material, the unadhered region will continue to spread across the full width of the passenger cabin.

Ideas appreciated, thanks in advance.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 08 Aug 2015, 18:47

You have a couple of options. The first is to use some 3M interior adhesive and just try to spray it in where it is loose and then stick it back up. The headliner material has a foam backing and what typically happens is that the foam starts to disintegrate and that method won't last terribly long. Chances are it will bleed through the fabric a bit as well but it is less of an eyesore than the drooping fabric.

The second option is to replace the cloth on the entire headliner. It is a fairly big undertaking but we have a good writeup on it in the repair database.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=26848

...Lee

viper69 · Post by **viper69** » 08 Aug 2015, 20:51

Ozark Lee wrote:You have a couple of options. The first is to use some 3M interior adhesive and just try to spray it in where it is loose and then stick it back up. The headliner material has a foam backing and what typically happens is that the foam starts to disintegrate and that method won't last terribly long. Chances are it will bleed through the fabric a bit as well but it is less of an eyesore than the drooping fabric.

The second option is to replace the cloth on the entire headliner. It is a fairly big undertaking but we have a good writeup on it in the repair database.

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=26848

...Lee

Hi Lee- always appreciate your advice.

You are correct on the foam. I looked at it, and it basically will just fall if you breathe on it, it's a burnt orange in color, some is on the cabin roof, some on cloth itself.

I will look into this.

wjhandy850 · Post by **wjhandy850** » 08 Aug 2015, 20:52

I used the 3M headliner spray and it has repaired the front and back edges that had started to drop/peel back. The spray is really easy to work with, even if you get some on the glass it will come off easy. My last 850 started to droop in the middle over the back seat. I had it crushed. I don't let anyone touch the headliner in my current 850.

viper69 · Post by **viper69** » 08 Aug 2015, 21:00

wjhandy850 wrote:I used the 3M headliner spray and it has repaired the front and back edges that had started to drop/peel back. The spray is really easy to work with, even if you get some on the glass it will come off easy. My last 850 started to droop in the middle over the back seat. I had it crushed. I don't let anyone touch the headliner in my current 850.

Thanks, I saw this 3M can on Amazon. I don't know which way I will go. I also have a lot of leather that needs to be replaced on the driver side, beyond my skills. I may just have it all done by an expert that knows how to color leather, not that spray on stuff for coloring leather, I heard that doesn't work so well over time.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-38808-Headline ... B004MEBENM

Post by **dosbricks** » 08 Aug 2015, 21:46

There is one other option. The headliner rounds up toward the windshield at the front edge, and because of the upper tint band, that edge can't be seen from the outside. A very thin bead of Elmer's glue right at the edge of the underlayment will come through the fabric, but it won't be seen from the seated driver/passenger position or from outside.

I'm talking about using a small pointed applicator like a empty Visine bottle or similar. Let the glue set for a few minutes to thicken before very lightly pressing up the material so it's held only at the very edge. This has proven to be a permanent fix for my 850 which is only noticeable if one were to bend down to look for it.

That coupled with having forbade my wife from touching the headliners even when the cars were relatively new has left them looking good, even if very fragile.

Post by **jreed** » 09 Aug 2015, 06:14

In know my solution isn't the prettiest thing, but so far one year in it has been holding up well enough: upholstery twist pins --quick and cheap. I posted a photo of what it looks like over in this thread:
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=65233

Post by **rspi** » 09 Aug 2015, 07:31

Man, replace that stuff as soon as you can. I'm sure breathing that foam in EVERY TIME YOU HIT A BUMP will contribute to your dementia in the years to come.

viper69 · Post by **viper69** » 09 Aug 2015, 16:05

Thanks again people. I will look into replacing it as well as what I saw above posted by others. Appreciate the links. When I have time, I will post some more questions I suspect.

obayha · Post by **obayha** » 10 Aug 2015, 09:42

I had a slight problem with my headliner the other day when the A/C wasn't working and I drove home with windows open.
The agent orange was blowing everywhere. As you can see it was remove and the fairly new one for my '98 was installed. Having a parts car 10 feet away is great when you break a lot of plastic clips. The spray 3m will not work to good on the powder orange.