Headlining replacement guide, repair, replace fix, DIY.

[E Showell]

Cut w/single edge razor blade after gluing. Get "headliner cloth" from a chain fabric store -- Jo-Ann Fabrics in my area. They usually have three colors, tan, gray and one other (leopard?). Trim it oversize so you have a good overlap all around the edges then trim after the headliner adhesive has fully set. I did it on a wagon and the whole repair took most of the weekend. A lot of that time was gently scraping the old headliner off the headliner board with a razor sharp scraper.

[Ben850]

I have a small problem, as someone else mentioned- an 850 sedan. I see no way of getting the headliner out without the windshield also coming out. Is there a solution? Cut it in half?

I'm thinking of taking this one on in my sedan as well. It will be about the last interior piece I haven't taken care of.
I do remember a thread suggesting to fold down the back seats, and maneuvering it out through the trunk.

Let me know how things worked for you.

[alexk243]

"After spraying 2 coats of Nashua 377 primer to help seal the fiber board that is very flimsy and sanding it down may have removed some strength. I let it dry for a day"

Is the primer your referring to just a spray adhesive? or is it actually a primer? I am doing the same with my 850 and I am trying to gather the supplies now.

Also any thoughts on Suede headliners?

[electech]

Nashua 377 is an adhesive resin. If nothing is applied, the resin cures and it hardens to form a polystyrene film. It is basically the same formula as a liquid adhesive primer, it is just not labeled as such. (for comparison, look at Polyken 1027 primer - but I wouldn't use that on a large surface because the naptha solvent base will gas you out with the high VOCs)

Max working temperature of 377 if used as an adhesive is 120F, so I don't recommend it for the adhesive for automotive headliners. However, it does dry somewhat faster and harder than the rubber based adhesives like 357 (see below).

For the final bonding adhesive Nashua also makes 357SA spray adhesive. It would be a decent adhesive since it is good to 180F. Maybe even better than the 3M ones, which are only good to 160F.

Of the 3M adhesives, the original poster used 08088 General Trim Adhesive. I would suggest 08074, Spray Trim Adhesive, because it has better bonding to polystyrene (which you are using for your base if you use 377, and is on the back of the fabric).

Hope this helps

[electech]

Hmph...I just read my post above and realized I am using work language. Time to get off the clock

377 is labeled a glue but can be used as a primer, just let it air dry.

377 is not the glue you want for the headliner, but it works for a primer.

Nashua 357 or 3M trim adhesive are good glues to high temperature.

I can't help you with suede...sounds expensive to try to get suede with foam backing. Without the foam you will get creases.

[polskamafia mjl]

Sorry to dig up an old thread but the Nashua 377 is still confusing me.

This is my first headliner replacement and I'm pretty unfamiliar with all of these sprays.

The adhesive (3M in this case) is used to bind the headliner fabric to the headliner board.

What is a primer and what is it used for? Is the Nashua 377 the same thing as a paint primer?

[northernlights]

I did this project over the summer. I used 3M Foam Fast 74 low VOC because it's rated for -30 to 200 F, and I only want to do it once!



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.

http://www.miamicorp.com/default.aspx?page=item%20detail&itemcode=MH1912



The project was annoying. Twenty year old trim pieces want to break and the board itself is fragile. The sunroof trim completely disintegrated and needed to be replaced, which wasn't cheap. But it does come out, and if one is willing to completely clean the board and carefully apply the new material is comes out nice.

Using a small trim paint roller seems to be the best way to apply the headliner into the corners/curves. I put the clean board out on a piece of plywood on two sawhorses, laid out the material on top, and then folded it at the mid point so that I could apply the adhesive to one half of the clean board while rolling out the new material. After I finished the back half, I folded the fabric the other way and did the front half. All trimming was after the foam bonded, and I took some pictures of the old board to remind myself how much overlap the factory used in different places. The first photo below is the old board.

The others are interior shots taken today. It's been there since July, and it looks like the adhesive and foam are not going to fail anytime soon.

[polskamafia mjl]

Can anyone explain what the Nashua 377 primer is and what it's purpose in this project is? I haven't found it in any stores near me and I'm trying to decide how critical it is to the whole project.

[alexk243]

I ended up just using Spray adhesive and no primer. Used to cheaper spray adhesive as a "primer" to harden up the board in weak spots then used the good spray adhesive to adhere the fabric. Its holding well and its been over a year now.

[polskamafia mjl]

Thanks homie, appreciate it. Since I can't find any Nashua 377 here I'm probably going to follow your lead on this.