Installing your headliner

For the days when you don't want to be totally exposed. Get help here for the top.

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Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
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Installing your headliner

Post by Briano1234 »

Installing a Cabriolet Headliner.

To remove the head liner there are a few things that you need to know up front.
DO NOT CUT ANYTHING LOOSE.
Most of the straps and such have to be re-used.
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There are a couple of hidden screws that are in the corner of the cable tray behind the plastic piece.
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It has a collar on it and holds the edge of the head liner to the frame.
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Remove all the staples on the rear bow. Pry them out and get all the little bitter ends.
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Unscrew the straps.
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If the rubber band is missing, you can use one off the "Egg" Crate that is under the hood.
Or one that holds the spare tire case.

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You don't have to remove the rear straps.
You do have to remove the 4 stables that hold the rear edge of the headliner to the strap.

From inside the trunk bend the fingers back that hold the headliner and then remove the headliner from the fingers.
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Remove the screws that hold the window strap at the bar.
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Drill out the 2 pop-rivets that are at the front corners by the handle.

Peal the headliner off the bars where it is glued.

Wad that sucker up and throw it away.

Clean all the Glue off the Bars as you want a clean surface to work with. Brake-Kleen on a rag works well.

Lay the Headliner out in the car.
Here is the trick that I learned AFTER I had started to install it, and not before...

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Are you ready....

Hang the rear corners

Using a Snake through the corner holder.
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Affix it to the strap and pull the strap back through.
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Feed it ove rthe bar, into the rubber band, and screw it with a washer to the bar.
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Do the same for the other rear corner....

Here is the Trick, wish I would of learned it prior...well my pain is your gain.
Feed the headliner over the roll bar

Open the top.
Find the corners of the front of the headliner, and poke a hole in the corner.
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Pop rivet that corner (I used 1/2 inch 5/16 steel pop rivets.) BE SURE that you have the "Pop-Rivet inside of the Trim washer".
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Go to the other corner and Pop that corner in place. BE SURE that you have the "Pop-Rivet inside of the Trim washer".

Open the frame and now the headliner is centered and Held at the corners.
Getting the other thing on is going to be easier...

Trick number 2.

On the second bar from the rear bow, it was just glued in place. Well over the years the glue will give out and
the headliner will sag, and not fold up correctly.

Drill 4 holes with a 1/8 inch drill bit . You will drill 2 in the front, and 2 in the back, about 6 inches from each other
that is 2 holes on one side of the car and 2 on the other side of the car. Do it now.

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Fold the material over the rear bar, ...
Spray glue on the bar. Spray glue on the back side of the headliner material allow to dry
Now wrap the rear bar make it look pretty... When you are happy with the fit. Staple that sucker in place
about every 4 inches. Just like you took it off.

(sorry no picture)

Find out where the window strap feed through is and cut the headliner in that slot.
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Feed the rear window frame strap through the plastic collar and into the slot and screw the
trim in place. Be careful of the strap that it isn't twisted. Now that it is fed through let it hang for another minute. Do both sides.

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Now we are going to set the middle bars.

Spray the bars, and the headliner tabs with glue and let it tack dry.
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Now remember the holes that you drilled Well wrap the headliner tab over the bar and get it evenly pulled.
then stick it to the glued bar and smooth it out.

Now poke the holes that you drilled.
Into the holes you are going to insert a 1/8th 1/4 inch pop rivet and "Pop" that thing in place so that over the years, if the glue fails, the rivets won't.
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(Neat Trick even the Factory didn't know about... :) )

I figured this one out after I had the headliner installed and had to have a good center punch and nerves of steel.
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Now place the rear window straps in place and screw the retainer mounts. The Strap goes over the bar and around it.
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Spray wrap and replace the screws and straps on the other bars. You can cut the material for the rear window strap if you want but it isn't needed.
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Open the top as we are going to work on the front edge.
Spray the metal bar and the material with glue, if you have a good nozzle on your glue, then you can be careful of the direction otherwise be mindful of over spray.
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Lay the material over the lip and get it smooth. It needs to be even with the "hump".

Poke the holes for the re-enforcement bar and attach it with the 10 screws. You are going to let it
support the glue and the glue will dry.

Open the top back up and latch it.

On the rear corners, you will find that you will need to pull them and get them to fit, then staple them at the top bow
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For the rear corners you are going to adjust the fit of the head liner at the padded nylon web strap, and then carefully fold it back and apply glue to the padding and the back of the head liner.
Then fold it over. Don't spray the glue until you get the fit right, that the sides look good, and that the edge at the cable tray can be folded up of too long.
Screw in the hidden screw.
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The rear was also stapled for added protection, you can skip this as most all of up don't have a box stapler, but you can shoot a Staple through the web.
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From underneath you have to bend the legs of the staple over and crimp them flat.
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Now what are those side wings....
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Where do they go, and how do I attach them.
Well I took a 4 inch piece of 5/16 radiator hose and cut it lengthwise.(split it)
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Use it to Secure the wings to the back of the plastic corner panel. (This prevents crap from rolling in the patching mechanism with the
top is up and things are on the parcel shelf.
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Now you are done save for trimming the front bow cut even with the re-enforcement bar on the "a" pillar.
and wrapping the bottom edges of the headliner on the fingers under the parcel shelf after you get the padding and top on.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
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