sagging headliner
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
sagging headliner
I have a 1987 Vette with a sagging black headliner. The foam disinigrated and allowed the cloth liner to seperate and sag. I want to glue on new foam with 3M adhesive and reuse the old liner if possible.
Does anyone know where to buy the thin foam and headliner material?
How do you remove the welch plugs that hide the screws for the side mouldings?
I would like to remove them without damaging the plugs or drilling them.
Can I freeze them out using freon?
TIA
Does anyone know where to buy the thin foam and headliner material?
How do you remove the welch plugs that hide the screws for the side mouldings?
I would like to remove them without damaging the plugs or drilling them.
Can I freeze them out using freon?
TIA
Pro
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 688
Likes: 0
From: Concord NC
freezing out plugs woah there buddy. This is a C-O-R-V-E-T-T-E not a riced up Honda here. No go to ecklers.com or mamotorworks.com and get the kit from them for about 45 dollars. Same thing happened to me. My opionion is just rip the foam out and leave the top as is its black underneath and it tells you about when your C4 was made lol. Its not worth it but if you insist, good luck with it and if you have anymore quiestions please post them. Good luck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,212
Likes: 694
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
Originally Posted by JETSET
I have a 1987 Vette with a sagging black headliner. The foam disinigrated and allowed the cloth liner to seperate and sag. I want to glue on new foam with 3M adhesive and reuse the old liner if possible.
Does anyone know where to buy the thin foam and headliner material?
How do you remove the welch plugs that hide the screws for the side mouldings?
I would like to remove them without damaging the plugs or drilling them.
Can I freeze them out using freon?
TIA
Does anyone know where to buy the thin foam and headliner material?
How do you remove the welch plugs that hide the screws for the side mouldings?
I would like to remove them without damaging the plugs or drilling them.
Can I freeze them out using freon?
TIA
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 6,097
Likes: 0
From: High Plains Drifter Fayetteville, AR
Originally Posted by yellow dragon
you can purchase some of the black headliner material at Ben Franklin or any other fabric store
Pry out the backer board and glue the new material to the backerboard, glue the backer board to the top.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 981
Likes: 0
From: Anderson South Carolina
Take the top to a headliner shop and they will have the correct material to replace the sagging headliner.
Our '84's headliner was sagging, that is what I did to fix the problem.
vettmike
Our '84's headliner was sagging, that is what I did to fix the problem.
vettmike
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,188
Likes: 13
From: Wallingford Vermont
Even worse, I went to wallymart picked up some black micro suede (hey it matches the corbeaus) for like $5. 
A can of 3M spray adhesive (cost more than the clothe) applied to the backer board and (lightly) on the fabric. Just don't saturate the cloth though, it WILL soak through if your careless. Once it dries some, trim off the excess leaving about an inch+ flap all around IIRC. I sprayed the alittle on the back of the board and under targa. Pushed it in straight, then used a putty knife to tuck the excess inch of material under the trim.
The factory material is really thin and it was trimmed, near impossible to get it back on the backer board straight/flat.
A can of 3M spray adhesive (cost more than the clothe) applied to the backer board and (lightly) on the fabric. Just don't saturate the cloth though, it WILL soak through if your careless. Once it dries some, trim off the excess leaving about an inch+ flap all around IIRC. I sprayed the alittle on the back of the board and under targa. Pushed it in straight, then used a putty knife to tuck the excess inch of material under the trim.The factory material is really thin and it was trimmed, near impossible to get it back on the backer board straight/flat.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
OK Thanks
OK thanks guys.
I see that I don't have to remove the frame moulding around the edges and can pry out the backer board.
It would be easier to get a putty knife under it with one side of the frame removed but I think I can use an angled device to slowly seperate the glued board.
Is that board easy to crack and bend when removing it?
How hard is it glued on?
I plan to scrape off the old foam if possible and reglue new thin foam so I get that soft plushy look. The cloth material is seperated from the foam already so a reuse of the original cloth is possible. The old foam is uneven so i need to scrape it off or I will have a bumpy fix.
Thanks for the glue saturation tip.
I want to keep the car as original as possible by using the same material so I will try to reuse what I have. The cloth is only faded a little and is in perfect shape other than the sagging.
I would replace it with new cloth if someone knows where to buy the exact same material to keep it original.
Thanks again!
I see that I don't have to remove the frame moulding around the edges and can pry out the backer board.
It would be easier to get a putty knife under it with one side of the frame removed but I think I can use an angled device to slowly seperate the glued board.
Is that board easy to crack and bend when removing it?
How hard is it glued on?
I plan to scrape off the old foam if possible and reglue new thin foam so I get that soft plushy look. The cloth material is seperated from the foam already so a reuse of the original cloth is possible. The old foam is uneven so i need to scrape it off or I will have a bumpy fix.
Thanks for the glue saturation tip.
I want to keep the car as original as possible by using the same material so I will try to reuse what I have. The cloth is only faded a little and is in perfect shape other than the sagging.
I would replace it with new cloth if someone knows where to buy the exact same material to keep it original.
Thanks again!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
Velcro
I checked Ebay for headliners and I see there are many types from many people. I noticed someone used velcro to reapply.
Has anyone tried using velcro to reattach the backer board to the targa top?
I was wondering if that will work better than glueing it back to the top.
Has anyone tried using velcro to reattach the backer board to the targa top?
I was wondering if that will work better than glueing it back to the top.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 981
Likes: 0
From: Anderson South Carolina
Originally Posted by JETSET
I checked Ebay for headliners and I see there are many types from many people. I noticed someone used velcro to reapply.
Has anyone tried using velcro to reattach the backer board to the targa top?
I was wondering if that will work better than glueing it back to the top.
Has anyone tried using velcro to reattach the backer board to the targa top?
I was wondering if that will work better than glueing it back to the top.
vettmike
