Sagging ABS headliner
 

As the title says, my headliner is sagging. But not like it detatched from the ABS, its like the ABS melted... Anyone else have this problem? I spent all that money on that nice kit and it is all sagging in the middle now. How did everyone secure it in the front along the windshield? Thats the part thats hanging down.

EDIT: I finally got some pics to show.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14.../ttopwack1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14.../ttopwack2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14.../ttopwack3.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14.../ttopwack4.jpg


This headliner makes me so mad!! It looks like crap when I drive with the tops off. As some of you might see, I tried to put a lot of double sided tape under it. Not gonna happen. That headliner is so stiff, it just unsticks from the tape back to its sagging position. Is this a unique problem? Or does this plauge all ABS headliner owners. Well, at least the sail panels, and the sun visors look good.

Please can someone help me out here!

I dont know but I'd like to , as I am getting ready to replace mine. I think someone mentioned..double sided tape or velcro. wish someone had some pics of the install

2 white clips if i can find my old ones i will put some pix up

I edited my first post, but it never bumped the thread, so disregard this post.

i would try calling whoever you got it from and tell them you want another one....

My ABS survive the summer and as do most others. This may be a rare occurance

Warranty time.

Well I got it from Hawks Third Generation, but I am not sure if they would just straight up replace it. I guess I will give them a call and find out. This is just BS. It doesn't follow the lines of the roof anywhere. Thanks for the help so far guys, I will keep you guys updated to see if Hawks will understand and take pity...

that sucks

did you let it sit out in the sun for a long time to take its shape?

i bought one except it was a hardtop and it fit with very little fighting

sorry to see your having so much trouble with the t-top version

just give hawks a call and see what they have to say and maybe they'll show some pity

good luck

almost looks melted. its probably a little warm in arizona

I live in Phoenix and it is really hot. But my car is always parked under the shade of our pine tree. When I go to work, it usually sits in the direct sun for about 4-5 hours until the sun goes down. If this headliner can't take it, then wtf? My car gets just as hot inside, just like everybody else in other citys. This shouldn't be a problem, but I guess it is. If only they designed something to hold the front part up by the windshield. The factory headliner had metal hook type things that latched the headliner to the roof. I wish this had them. Thanks for the help!

I have had no probs with my ABS headliner and I got mine from Hawks about 4 months ago, but then again im in minnesota were temps reah a high of 2 F. LOL but its prob. from the heat down south there and melts it.

I ordered one of those things from classicic ind. and I sent it back when I saw it folded in a box. after it sits like that for a while the plastic starts to take on that shape. I think yours is trying to fold back up maybe. BTW they would not refund my money cause they said it was damaged witch is funny cause I sent it back for being damaged. I guess they don't need my business anymore anyway.

I was just thinking of buying one of those headliners, might not now.

Just got off the phone with Hawks, BJ told me that she would contact the manufactuer to see if I could get it replaced. She is going to also show them these pics to show what it looks like. So thats some good news! I should hear from her soon.

They all come like that. What you do is take it out of the box and lay it flat on the ground in the sunlight and let it sit there for a few hours or so and it should return to its normal shape. Like I said I have had no probs with mine.

All right, good news! BJ told me that the manufactuer is going to replace it free of charge! Thank you Hawks!

hurray hawks!

FYI on velcro - I used "industrial" velcro and it still didn't hold headliner up tight. Visors actually do a better job (as most everyone knows). Someday I'll probably put some kind of push-in fastener that'll be hidden by the visors (never lower them anyway). They really do need that clip that's found in the original headliners.

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

I have the same problem with my ABS headliner. I let it sit in the sun for almost an entire day, then installed it into the car. Next day, sagging off the center of the roof between the visors. Now the fabric is seperating....ugly mess. I bought it off an ebay seller, so since I already left feedback, good luck right, LOL.

I attempted the heat soak a second time, with the same results. Also industiral velcro as mentioned above tore the adhesive right off, not even close.

I am going to reglue the material and lay in some fiberglass cloth underneath to make it hold shape, after letting it heat soak one more time of course, LOL.


My buddy has the fiberglass one and it has been flawless, although he spent twice as much money.


hhhmmmmm

...Jim

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

i actually just got an abs headliner...took forever to put in...i had to cut out the holes for the center console on the ceiling and then when i finally got done with that and i had it all set in the console, i noticed that the holes for the visors didnt even line up right, they were too short spaced....after the 4 hour ordeal of putting this one in, im noticing now that in the back it is starting to sag, not much though....i'm thinking about getting automotive strength double sided tape, i have been told that it works wonders...i'll also have to think of some other idea too lol

.

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

I am not having the sagging problem, but I had the same problem with the sun visor holes on the ABS I ordered from Classic Industries. If I lined it up and put the screws in for one visor, there was at least a half inch space between the headliner and the center bar on that side, and the other side the hole would come up at least an inch short of lining up with the bracket.

I ended up having to cut the material away a bit to expand the size of the holes a half inch or so towards the outside. I ended up getting it to fit, but there's actually a space with no fabric about a half inch wide or so that shows from under the passenger's side visor because the holes are a little too big now. It's hidden under the visor, and not even noticeable unless you know it's there and look for it, but it's just annoying after spending over $200 on the thing once you include shipping.

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

this is why im having my stock one redone . I cant believe all these probs with these piece of shi t headliners

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

well i mean, mine was a half inch off aswell for the visors...we just made up the difference and did it that way, the center console was a beeotch to get in too....but its still sagging, i dunno what else to do, i'm about to just get some sorta heavy duty glue and glue that sucker up there haha

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

Mine did the samething even after leaving it out two days to take form. Putting a new or a good set of visors in helps some but what I did was to lower it back down and spray the hell out of it with spray adhesive then prop it up with a stick.

It was easier for me since at the time the car was just sitting in the driveway so I left it propped up for about 3-4 days. It's been perfect ever since.

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

They're not as bad as it seems. Don't forget that you rarely hear anything from the 99% who didn't have problems. I put one in my car, and I will openly admit that it doesn't fit as well as stock. However, the fit isn't that bad if you have the patience to screw with it when you're putting it in. If you just put it up there and start putting the car together, by the time you get to the end, it probably won't fit right. If you get it up there, position it properly, and start re-assembling everything loosely while adjusting the headliner, you will get everything to fit. I found the fit tight around the visor openings, but after fooling with the headliner, I was able to reinstall both visors without any additional trimming to the visor holes, and I have no gaps around any of my plastics. The only place that I experienced a less than stellar fit was around my t-top openings.

These headliners don't fit as well as stock. If your original headliner backing is in good enough condition to be recovered, you should definately consider that option. However, there's no free lunch. Most of the headliners that I've taken out of cars needed repairs in order to be reused. This is not the type of thing that your average joe will be able to do. Likewise, recovering a t-top headliner requires some experience when it comes to making the t-top corner areas look good. This is experience that most people don't have, and very few will achieve the first (or even second) time they attempt to re-wrap one. If you've got the talent to recover your headliner, or you're willing to shell out the cash to have a pro do it, then it's certainly a good option. For the other 95% of thirdgenners who want to improve on their dirty, sagging, or trashed factory headliner in their daily driver, the ABS headliners are well worth the cost.

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

I can see you still have the orig white clips up there, use ABS glue for plastic plumbing on those. Glue them right on to the ABS headliner. They will not come unglued.

Re: Sagging ABS headliner
 

I made two modifications to my ABS headliner the last couple of days. First, I used a small torch I have to soften the material and slowly, gently, reshape it, so there is a rounded edge all the way accross the front. This added some rigidity, but since I have no intention of taking this thing out a 4th time, I also did one other mod. I used a steel wire, 5/32 indiameter, bent slightly more then the shape of the cars front inside roof is, with more of an arch. I used plastic sleeves around the wire to allow it to float and I fiberglassed the sleeves to the headliner. This will act as a spring in the front of the headliner and will allow the visors to actually support the entire headliner in front. The way the stock headliner is designed is forcing the 1/8th inch soft ABS to support the weight of the entire front of the headliner. Since I live in Florida, the heat lets it sag.

Bottom line, they are poorly designed and could easily be fixed if someone who made them knew what they were doing, rather then looking for quick easy money, perhaps some fabrication experience might have helped.

The truth is most customers don't have the attention to detail to know it doesn't fit right, if "not many are complaining". But on mine, the front corners had to be reshaped, since there was a 1/2 inch gap on EACH side, the entire center was spread too wide, the front sagged, the visor and dome light holes were off, the fabric came unglued.

It will be fixed now though. :)




...Jim