1994 Volvo 850 Headliner Material

[E Showell]

Auto parts store for the adhesive. 3M in a spray can. Make sure you get it for headliner application since the headliner is subject to temperature extremes that will cause non-specialized glues to let go. Get the right stuff. You only want to do this once.

[Baptiste1106]

How many cans per yard ?

[E Showell]

Pretty sure I did a wagon headliner with one can but buy two and return one if you don't use it.

[wheelsup]

If only you could buy carpet for our cars as well.

Here is an OEM supplier so maybe it wouldn't be as "tan" colored:
http://www.headlinerexpress.com/headlin ... b5a9dcec79

[polskamafia mjl]

How many cans per yard ?

If you take the time to read the other threads on MVS about doing the headliner you'll find most people need 2 cans of 3M medium adhesive.

[E Showell]

Might have taken me two cans as well. Can't remember it was so long ago (and I'm trying to block it out). It is not a difficult repair, but scraping the old stuff off of the headliner board is a real bear and makes a huge mess. Be careful, take you time and it is very much a DIY job. Get the sharpest detail paint scraper you can find. I like the professional grade ones with the blades that screw on at right angles to the handle. You draw the scraper toward you to remove material. Works really well in this application. Have your vacuum close at hand.

[rubyvette]

I found a newer model year sedan at my local pick & pull and swapped it with mine. That gave me the experience of taking one out before I did mine. Had to fully recline the right seat and remove the right front door to slide it out. Wagons are easier, they go right out the back.

[JimBee]

I also found a replacement in the junk yard for my '93 850. I discovered that you can fold them a bit to arch it over the front seat head rests and out through the trunk (with a helper ).

The most challenging part is the plastic perimeter trim around the sun roof opening. Like someone said, they get brittle and can break with too much bending.

I demoed a couple at the junk yard (accidentally) before I got one off in tact. From the broken ones, I could see the catches that hold them in place. They are small protrusions that snap-lock over the sheet metal when its installed. Working from the back edge, there will be two (if I recall correctly) spaced at about 1/3 and 2/3 of the distance side-to-side. If you try to twist the piece to release them, you'll probably break it—likewise, if you try to remove it from one of the short lengths along the sides.

What has worked for me a couple of times:
Sitting on the back bench seat, I used a plastic upholstery removal tool with a wide, flat blade (sturdy, thin and not too sharp). The one I used is from a set I found at Harbor Freight. I just tried to look it up, not sure what it's called, didn't see it on their site. Mine is about 3 inches wide, which is good because you can't see those little catches you will try to knock loose and you'll want the tool's blade to be on the catch, not beside it. The tool I used is like a chisel, so it has a handle with a flared head you can tap. A broad putty knife could be used if you don't have a plastic tool. Or you might be able to use a 3 or 4 inch wide gypsum knife used in sheetrocking.

Assuming you have the tool, from the back seat, I used a 2x4 block about a foot long which has enough weight to knock the catch free of the roof sheet metal. I had to whack it fairly hard to dislodge the catches, one at a time. The piece will need to bend a little along that long edge as the catches dislodge. It can without breaking if you don't bend it too much.

With those long-side (rearward) catches free from the sheet metal, then from the front seat, you can hold the free edge and gently pull the piece away from one corner near the free long edge, then the other. From there, it can quite easily be worked away from the front corners and the front-more long edge. It's a lot easier reinstalling it.

Good luck.

[northernlights]

Here's a long rambling post from me a while back, with an excerpt:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... er#p305452

Something else probably different - I bought two yards of headliner from Miami Corp, color code MH1912, which is listed as 3/16" foam backed, in 'Buckskin' color. When I measured my original material I came up with 5mm, which is neither of the typically available 1/8" or 1/4". The 3/16" measures close enough to 5mm that I think it is actually 5mm. The color match is pretty good for my interior code 3950. Not exact, but pretty good. They have a great selection of colors. I did not recover the sunroof

This stuff is currently $8.90 a yard based on the web page I referenced in the above post, it's made for auto use, and is the right thickness.

It is worth seeking out commercial grade materials if you want the repairs to last. That also goes for the adhesive.

[E Showell]

I also found a replacement in the junk yard for my '93 850. I discovered that you can fold them a bit to arch it over the front seat head rests and out through the trunk (with a helper ).

Jim -- Wouldn't it help to simply remove the front seat head rests? Then you wouldn't have to arch the panel so much.