'94 LeSabre headliner falling off

[sebaz]

A few months ago the fabric on the ceiling (that's called headliner for what I read) of my LeSabre fell off almost completely except for an area at the front. Back then I bought a fabric glue at a car store and it held it for a bit but then it starting coming off again and now it's like a bubble in the middle coming down, which I don't know how much longer it's going to hold. So I've been thinking about taking the board off, buying the headliner and whatever material goes between it and the board, and glue it neatly on the garage floor until it dries well.

I've never done this, so I was wondering how hard it is to take that board out of the car. How is it attached to the roof of the car? I know I would have to pull out a couple of plastic parts and unscrew the sun visors, but what else would I need to do? I can't afford taking it to a shop right now, and I prefer not to glue the headliner to the board as it is since the way it is now it would be easier to remove the headliner.

[HotZ28]

If you do a search, you will find several threads on this subject. Search for "headliner" to find. Click Here for one.

[Tech II]

A brand new headliner would cost you 300......

Your best bet is not to remove it......peel it back, get a 3M spray adhesive......follow directions......just reattach in sections, rather than try to do the whole thing at once(you can pin in place the loose sections)....otherwise, see if you can find one in a junkyard....

[sebaz]

Originally Posted by Tech II

A brand new headliner would cost you 300......

You think there's a big chance I would break it? I found this page and it seems easy to do, especially since my LeSabre seems to have less lights than the model shown there:

http://www.wlsheadliners.com/tutoria...placement.html

[Blue Bowtie]

A new piece of headliner at a fabric store would set you back a whopping twenty bucks. A good spray adhesive would soak you for another $6, and a wire brush would be another $5. That's a lot less than $300 for a new headliner.

[sebaz]

Originally Posted by Blue Bowtie

A new piece of headliner at a fabric store would set you back a whopping twenty bucks. A good spray adhesive would soak you for another $6, and a wire brush would be another $5. That's a lot less than $300 for a new headliner.

Yea, I already got the headliner, I ordered the adhesive and I'll get to it as soon as I get it.

[sebaz]

I got a problem, the 3M headliner adhesive I ordered on Amazon is backordered and I don't want to wait several weeks. Last year I got this "Permatex 27828 Body Shop Carpet & Headliner Spray Adhesive" that I tried to use with the board in place and it didn't work very well, and the few places that remained glued now came undone. But maybe I didn't let it dry correctly or the fact that I was trying to use it with the board in place didn't help. Is Permatex as good as 3M's headliner adhesive or is 3M much better?

[enslow]

Originally Posted by sebaz

I got a problem, the 3M headliner adhesive I ordered on Amazon is backordered and I don't want to wait several weeks. Last year I got this "Permatex 27828 Body Shop Carpet & Headliner Spray Adhesive" that I tried to use with the board in place and it didn't work very well, and the few places that remained glued now came undone. But maybe I didn't let it dry correctly or the fact that I was trying to use it with the board in place didn't help. Is Permatex as good as 3M's headliner adhesive or is 3M much better?

The glue is fine. The foam backing is disintegrating and that's why your headliner is falling down. The only real solution is to remove the headliner and replace the foam and fabric.

[Blue Bowtie]

The process requires removal of the headliner core. Once it is out and on a good work surface, peel all the old nylon facing, then use a stiff wire brush (by hand) to brush off all the foam backing material that you can without damaging the compressed fiberglass backer.

Apply the adhesive per instructions and set the fabric in place from the center working outward to avoid wrinkles. You can roll it lightly to get adhesion but heavy rolling should be avoided as it can force the adhesive through the foam and onto the facing, ruining the new headliner.

If you can't find the proper adhesive, try looking for this:

[sebaz]

I have a problem. I took the headliner board off and it's broken in some places, with a few small areas even missing. I thought about patching those with pieces of thin cardboard, but what type of glue would be best for that? I tried PVC cement and wood glue, the only two I had at hand, and they don't seem to work, so what would be the best choice? Note that I'm not talking about the glue for the headliner fabric, that I have, but first I have to glue cardboard to the back of the headliner board.

[Tech II]

At this point, I'd be looking for another headliner in a junkyard....

[sebaz]

Originally Posted by Tech II

At this point, I'd be looking for another headliner in a junkyard....

Even if I found one, chances are it would be just as bad, not to mention I could break it trying to get it out and have to pay for it anyway. Plus different LeSabres even from that time seem to have some differences. The picture from the tutorial I posted above has some fixtures that mine doesn't have, with holes in different places. Mine is not broken to the point of being unusable, it just needs some patching.

So what glue works best for cardboard and fiberglass?

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by sebaz

So what glue works best for cardboard and fiberglass?

Wow.

I'm a duct tape kind of guy at times and have found PL Premium polyurethane adhesive/caulk good. It's in a caulking tube at Lowes ($4.58)--it has a use like liquid nails only the polyurethane base stays slightly flexible. My son and I used it to adhere balsawood fins to a a plastic two-liter bottle for bottle rockets in Science Olympiad. It requires over an hour to dry to a tacky solid and 24 hours for a good solid drying, so it's not 5-minute epoxy.

Here's a picture on an Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Henkel-828472-.../dp/B0002YV81Y

[spinne1]

I got a complete and clean and good headliner at a pick and pull and installed it successfully. It was not EASY, but not impossible either. You have to remove all the trim and panels blocking it. Dome lights or front light assembly. Then disconnect all the wires. Then it pops down if I remember right. Then you have to jimmy it around to get it out of the car without bending it too much (seats down, etc.)

A good way to learn? Go to a pick and pull and find a headliner already destroyed and dig into the exact way each component is attached to it and how it is attached to the car. Then use your knowledge on a good one.