Headliner Backing/Pad
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 403
Likes: 0
From: Huntsville Alabama
Headliner Backing/Pad
Last year I replaced my headliner and used LOTS of velcro to hold it up. Unfortunatley the velcro gave and the liner came down. I then used the 3M adhesive but again it came down. What I noticed was the pad no longer had a solid surface (i.e. the original carmalized coating)for the adhesive to hold to. Instead it is like an insulation that is layered thus the pad did not have the support. I gonna try to use a clear spary paint to try to coat the pad to give the adhesive something solid to hold the liner up. Any comments or suggestions?
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,328
Likes: 15
From: Jacksonville FL
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 403
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From: Huntsville Alabama
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 91
Likes: 1
From: Raleigh NC
I just pulled that pad off mine this weekend because it was drooping and making me crazy. I had a large piece of black vinyl left over from another project so I cleaned the surface and glued the vinyl down with contact cement. I did get a few air bubbles but it should be hard to tell with black interior. Now I have extra headroom, I just hope I don't hit a big bump and my head hits the roof
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,227
Likes: 697
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
I tried fixing a corner with a quality Scotch (3M) product and it didn't last 1 summer. great idea about creating a "surface" 
I was so proud of myself too (watch failed video at your leisure) hahahahaha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53N0jIhTknE&t=5s
I was so proud of myself too (watch failed video at your leisure) hahahahaha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53N0jIhTknE&t=5s
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,336
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From: Minnesota
I had a lot of faith in 3M 
I've switched to my glass top (i like the dark contrast anyways) but I will eventually look back into repairing this so just like anything...constantly learning! and I like this thread, it's thinking outside the box and also a bit of logic thrown in!
Last edited by mark970; Aug 30, 2019 at 11:04 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 4,648
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From: N.E. Ohio OH
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
Did all of you remove the crumbling soft foam that forms a layer on top the harder foam ? My wife did ours that way back in 2016 (removed the crumbling foam) as did my buddy (also 2016).
She got that stuff off before reglueing the fabric back on and we also used velcro to hold it it place.
Both our cars have held up fine. This is through all the wet weather, cold winters and humid summers Ohio has.
She got that stuff off before reglueing the fabric back on and we also used velcro to hold it it place.
Both our cars have held up fine. This is through all the wet weather, cold winters and humid summers Ohio has.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2014
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2023 C4 of the Year Finalist- Modified
2022 C4 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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C4 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
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I just pulled that pad off mine this weekend because it was drooping and making me crazy. I had a large piece of black vinyl left over from another project so I cleaned the surface and glued the vinyl down with contact cement. I did get a few air bubbles but it should be hard to tell with black interior. Now I have extra headroom, I just hope I don't hit a big bump and my head hits the roof
I did something similar. A couple yards of suede from a fabric store with 3M 90 adhesive and I have a nicely fitting suede headliner that seems to be holding up well. And I have the extra headroom. I think it cost me $30 total to do
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 42
Likes: 16
If you pull it out completely and paint like I described above, you gain an extra 1/2" of headroom as a side benefit too ;-)
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 79
Likes: 14
I have just completed removal, repair and reinstallation of my pad and headliner on my C4.
I had read these posts indicating that the pad's connection to the top would fail eventually/again but I thought I'd give it a shot.
Did all the surface prep protocols, removed all loose material from all surfaces to be glued. I used 3M 77 aerosol adhesive, liberally applied and cured for 5-10 mins before attempting to stick anything together. I glued the cloth to the pad first, speed cured that with an old hair dryer (thought a heat gun might have started a fire!) And let it set inside the upturned top, set on two chairs over a heat vent in my house.
I let the top cool back down to room temp then applied adhesive to both the top and the underside of the pad, again curing til very tacky. Installed pad on the top then put it back over the heat vents. I took a bunch of coffee table books and placed them on the headliner and let that "cook" for the rest of the day before installing it.
Maybe that will work for awhile longer. If it doesnt, reproducing an insulating pad and covering it with some black cloth won't be expensive or difficult.
I had read these posts indicating that the pad's connection to the top would fail eventually/again but I thought I'd give it a shot.
Did all the surface prep protocols, removed all loose material from all surfaces to be glued. I used 3M 77 aerosol adhesive, liberally applied and cured for 5-10 mins before attempting to stick anything together. I glued the cloth to the pad first, speed cured that with an old hair dryer (thought a heat gun might have started a fire!) And let it set inside the upturned top, set on two chairs over a heat vent in my house.
I let the top cool back down to room temp then applied adhesive to both the top and the underside of the pad, again curing til very tacky. Installed pad on the top then put it back over the heat vents. I took a bunch of coffee table books and placed them on the headliner and let that "cook" for the rest of the day before installing it.
Maybe that will work for awhile longer. If it doesnt, reproducing an insulating pad and covering it with some black cloth won't be expensive or difficult.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,207
Likes: 311
From: Lino Lakes MN
Years ago my 1st C4 headliner was sagging. I removed the material and backing with a putty knife and scotch brite pad. Bought some headliner material at a local craft and fabric store and 3M spary adhesive. Applied the adhesive and headliner per directions and tucked the perimeter into the the metal surround using a plastic putty knife.
The headliner material is still available online
https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/3-...hoCKREQAvD_BwE
The headliner material is still available online
https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/3-...hoCKREQAvD_BwE
Last edited by yaknow; Dec 7, 2019 at 02:54 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,227
Likes: 697
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
I have just completed removal, repair and reinstallation of my pad and headliner on my C4.
I had read these posts indicating that the pad's connection to the top would fail eventually/again but I thought I'd give it a shot.
Did all the surface prep protocols, removed all loose material from all surfaces to be glued. I used 3M 77 aerosol adhesive, liberally applied and cured for 5-10 mins before attempting to stick anything together. I glued the cloth to the pad first, speed cured that with an old hair dryer (thought a heat gun might have started a fire!) And let it set inside the upturned top, set on two chairs over a heat vent in my house.
I let the top cool back down to room temp then applied adhesive to both the top and the underside of the pad, again curing til very tacky. Installed pad on the top then put it back over the heat vents. I took a bunch of coffee table books and placed them on the headliner and let that "cook" for the rest of the day before installing it.
Maybe that will work for awhile longer. If it doesnt, reproducing an insulating pad and covering it with some black cloth won't be expensive or difficult.
I had read these posts indicating that the pad's connection to the top would fail eventually/again but I thought I'd give it a shot.
Did all the surface prep protocols, removed all loose material from all surfaces to be glued. I used 3M 77 aerosol adhesive, liberally applied and cured for 5-10 mins before attempting to stick anything together. I glued the cloth to the pad first, speed cured that with an old hair dryer (thought a heat gun might have started a fire!) And let it set inside the upturned top, set on two chairs over a heat vent in my house.
I let the top cool back down to room temp then applied adhesive to both the top and the underside of the pad, again curing til very tacky. Installed pad on the top then put it back over the heat vents. I took a bunch of coffee table books and placed them on the headliner and let that "cook" for the rest of the day before installing it.
Maybe that will work for awhile longer. If it doesnt, reproducing an insulating pad and covering it with some black cloth won't be expensive or difficult.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 6,314
Likes: 508
From: South-central Missouri
Following along - same issue with long-term solution.
However, in my researching, I read where applying a second coat of the (3M) contact cement to both surfaces and then pressing the two surfaces together before the cement becomes tacky - i.e., still pretty "wet", IOW. So far, so good! It has been several season now and the headliner has stayed put. So...for what it is worth, maybe worth a try?
Good luck! (mine is still working. NOW for the sagging visor material... I'll ask on a separate post.
However, in my researching, I read where applying a second coat of the (3M) contact cement to both surfaces and then pressing the two surfaces together before the cement becomes tacky - i.e., still pretty "wet", IOW. So far, so good! It has been several season now and the headliner has stayed put. So...for what it is worth, maybe worth a try?
Good luck! (mine is still working. NOW for the sagging visor material... I'll ask on a separate post.
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 79
Likes: 14
I re-used the original cloth but it was cleaned of the loose backing pad material and in good shape.
A few other things I forgot to mention:
Similar to Mr Workman, I applied a "misting" of wet adhesive onto the surface of the pad with the cured adhesive before sticking the cloth to it. I didn't apply any to the cloth however because I was afraid the adhesive might bleed through and ruin it. I secured the cloth first to the middle and let that dry before applying adhesive to the edges, doing those one edge at a time and allowing it time to cure before moving on to the next edge.
i also forgot to mention that my only cost for this project was a $2.00 4" plastic putty knife that I used to both make sure the cloth was firmly bedded in the adhesive on the pad and to help smooth out any wrinkles, though I found "chasing" the wrinkles out to the edges by gently tugging unsecured fabric toward the edge with one hand and smoothing the surface with the other was effective.I had no such reservations with applying a mist of glue to the pad and the underside of the roof. I think that placing some flat weight (books) on the headliner and curing it with heat will improve it's chances of staying secure.
A few other things I forgot to mention:
Similar to Mr Workman, I applied a "misting" of wet adhesive onto the surface of the pad with the cured adhesive before sticking the cloth to it. I didn't apply any to the cloth however because I was afraid the adhesive might bleed through and ruin it. I secured the cloth first to the middle and let that dry before applying adhesive to the edges, doing those one edge at a time and allowing it time to cure before moving on to the next edge.
i also forgot to mention that my only cost for this project was a $2.00 4" plastic putty knife that I used to both make sure the cloth was firmly bedded in the adhesive on the pad and to help smooth out any wrinkles, though I found "chasing" the wrinkles out to the edges by gently tugging unsecured fabric toward the edge with one hand and smoothing the surface with the other was effective.I had no such reservations with applying a mist of glue to the pad and the underside of the roof. I think that placing some flat weight (books) on the headliner and curing it with heat will improve it's chances of staying secure.
Last edited by 92C4Vette; Dec 8, 2019 at 09:41 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,227
Likes: 697
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
I re-used the original cloth but it was cleaned of the loose backing pad material and in good shape.
A few other things I forgot to mention:
Similar to Mr Workman, I applied a "misting" of wet adhesive onto the surface of the pad with the cured adhesive before sticking the cloth to it. I didn't apply any to the cloth however because I was afraid the adhesive might bleed through and ruin it. I secured the cloth first to the middle and let that dry before applying adhesive to the edges, doing those one edge at a time and allowing it time to cure before moving on to the next edge.
i also forgot to mention that my only cost for this project was a $2.00 4" plastic putty knife that I used to both make sure the cloth was firmly bedded in the adhesive on the pad and to help smooth out any wrinkles, though I found "chasing" the wrinkles out to the edges by gently tugging unsecured fabric toward the edge with one hand and smoothing the surface with the other was effective.I had no such reservations with applying a mist of glue to the pad and the underside of the roof. I think that placing some flat weight (books) on the headliner and curing it with heat will improve it's chances of staying secure.
A few other things I forgot to mention:
Similar to Mr Workman, I applied a "misting" of wet adhesive onto the surface of the pad with the cured adhesive before sticking the cloth to it. I didn't apply any to the cloth however because I was afraid the adhesive might bleed through and ruin it. I secured the cloth first to the middle and let that dry before applying adhesive to the edges, doing those one edge at a time and allowing it time to cure before moving on to the next edge.
i also forgot to mention that my only cost for this project was a $2.00 4" plastic putty knife that I used to both make sure the cloth was firmly bedded in the adhesive on the pad and to help smooth out any wrinkles, though I found "chasing" the wrinkles out to the edges by gently tugging unsecured fabric toward the edge with one hand and smoothing the surface with the other was effective.I had no such reservations with applying a mist of glue to the pad and the underside of the roof. I think that placing some flat weight (books) on the headliner and curing it with heat will improve it's chances of staying secure.
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 79
Likes: 14
Because you simply re glued existing damage, it's not likely to last very long and probably doesn't look as nice as new cloth would have. New cloth has a 3/16 in foam on the back. Thats what you glue to the backer board. You're lucky the glue didn't soak through you foam less old cloth
Looks fine, perfect really, and cost 2 bucks. There was no "damage" to include in the repair, as my prep work was thorough. "Luck" had nothing to do with my taking care to not let the cloth get soaked with adhesive.
I understand how some folks might not be comfortable doing a repair like this. I'll explore more expensive solutions if they become necessary...I've successfully restored several car interiors using original materials (and being careful), so I'm comfortable with rolling the dice with my 2 bucks. If this fails, remedial measures are still inexpensive and not time consuming
Last edited by 92C4Vette; Dec 8, 2019 at 12:21 PM.