sagging headliner repair

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

Peter Hoare asks about fixes for sagging headliners- glue, hypodermics, etc.

I have seen staples and thumbtacks, and heard about glue fixes, but the basic
problem is usually that a knitted stretch fabric is backed by a plastic foam
which in turn is bonded to a fiber and/or plastic shell, which provides the
form and is held in place by a few fasteners which secure grab handles,
sunvisors, etc., and that the plastic foam has disintegrated into a powder
with age and heat. Injecting glue into the rotted plastic foam dust is
unlikely to do much good.

Places like Pep Boys usually carry kits of generic fabrics in generic colors
and textures for DIY fixes: remove the fasteners, remove the headliner shell
(which may require removing the seats), discard the old headliner, scrape away
any remaining foam and glue, and glue in the new material, trim, and
reinstall. The quotes I have received from trim shops for doing the work if
one brings in the shell have been quite modest; my vague memory is of about
$35 for a DIY kit and about $100 for a local trim-shop redo. Getting an exact
match for a Milano headliner from either Pep Boys or a trim shop is another
question.

I have heard of (but have not seen) ostensibly acceptable jobs done on a DIY
level by removing and inverting the shell, peeling back half the fabric,
scraping the debris, gluing the prepared half back with a spray cement, and
then doing the same to the other half.

I have also considered the possibility of installing a DIY kit and then
bonding the scraped-clean original surface to it. I also assume, however, that
the original material, or something very close to it, would be available from
ReOriginals or one of the more helpful overseas Alfa dealers - Highwood,
Hurtienne, etc. The cost (and the quality) would probably be higher than a pep
Boys and/or local trim shop solution, but should not be outlandish. For
something like Peter's Nissan I would certainly ask around local shops before
going for the hypodermic glue gun or stapler.

John H.
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