shoez

I've been searching online over the past few days for more information about wrapping headliners. I'd really love to score a few yards of suede/alcantara/ultrasuede fabric to re-do the headliner of my LS400.

Do any of you all have any experience in this field? How difficult is the process? What adhesives would I need? (I'd suspect that more than a few VW guys on here would be able to lend some advice )

92hondadriven

i didi mine on my civic with the fabric from the store and went to walmart and used the spray glue worked great

Fabrik8

You should get some vinyl top and headliner adhesive from an upholstery shop, or find some professional grade spray adhesive specifically for what you need to do. You want something high temperature so that the adhesive won't release in the summer sun when your roof and interior get hot, and pretty much every product that I've seen really sucks for this except specialty headliner adhesive. Forget trying to find something at Lowes or Wal-Mart; mass marketed general purpose adhesives won't work well for fabric or won't hold up to the temps you need. I've heard of people using 3M Hi-Tack 76 and whatever 3M model of foam adhesive but I'm not convinced they're good solutions based on past experience using both of those.

The stuff I've mostly used for vinyl, carpet, tweed, etc., was a green professional grade adhesive for vinyl tops. We used it with a spray gun and thinned it down a little bit, and it came out in a beautiful web that stayed in place perfectly. That stuff worked incredibly well.

Oh, also try paint and body supply places.. I've seen some headliner adhesive in spray cans, can't remember the brands though.

I'm a huge nerd when it comes to adhesives and stuff, but I really believe in using pro grade stuff because it actually works. It's usually nasty, smelly, and will probably make you sterile and have cancer, but it works. I just don't like most stuff you can get off the shelf at some DIY store, because it's usually aimed to be user friendly and not kill people with chemicals. My motto is: If it comes with an MSDS (material safety data sheet, for chemicals) when you buy it, it's probably pretty good.

nftuatn

i did one in a bmw i sold with the 3m hi tack 76...that worked great...and i saw it about a month ago.(6 months after i did it) and it still holding up fine...BUT the hot weather hasnt arrived yet...who knows what may happen..

shoez

I appreciate the info, +rep to all of you.

...but I have one other question: How the hell do you remove the headliner from the car? My roof is built in two large pieces, but I can't see how they can be maneuvered out of the car through the doors. Would I have to pull the rear glass and "slide" it out?

Fabrik8

The beautiful thing about headliners is that they are usually flexible, so you can twist or bend them to get them out. Other than that, I fucking hate them, and pretty much all upholstery projects.

You have a lot more room than you probably know, especially if you go diagonally across the front door openings.

Do yourself a huge favor and remove the front seats, it takes only a few minutes and it's amazing how much easier you can work in and around the interior that way. It turns a car into a room. Try it, you'll love it.