T-Top Headliner Repair

Ok first things first. This is my first attempt at any kind of cosmetic repair to fabrics. Mine came out good so its not that difficult. I am sure my methods can be improved upon but I was learning on the job.

Materials needed:

Headliner fabric available at Jo-ann Fabrics ~2yds (mine cost $26 and I got too much)

3M Spray Adhesive 77 (1 can should cost about $7)

Fiberglass Cloth available at Auto Zone (about $3 for this)

Phillips Head screwdriver (to remove trim and panels)

Optional equipment

Rubber gloves (this gets really sticky once you start spraying the adhesive)

Case of beer (Youre gonna be doing a lot of waiting)

Removal of Headliner from car

Take your t-tops off and stow them in the bag.

Use the Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screws on the A-pillar(2 screws), sunvisors(3 screws each), sail panels(1 each), and plastic trim along the edge of the hatch area (4 screws).

Take the cover off of the dome light, remove the bulb **Careful this thing stay hot for a while, I learned that the hard way** There will be two little clips in there holding the rest of the plastic on, take them by wiggling them out little by little.

Remove the A-pillars by sliding them up and out, take off the sail panels

OK, that should be all of the plastic pieces that will hold your headliner in place. Now Be very careful and separate the headliner from the car by pulling down on it starting at the front corners. **Mine was VERY brittle so take your time.** There will be two or three clips that slide into the metal to keep the headliner in place up front make sure not to break these. You can rest the headliner on the rearview mirror to keep it from folding and breaking in the middle.

Ok, so you have found yourself at the back of the car and now comes the area where the seatbelts stick through. Slide the clip off of the headliner and let it hang wherever. Pull down on the trim piece and slide the seatbelt through the slit that goes all the way down. (It may help to have an extra set of hands here, I managed to do it myself) Now you are going to shift the headliner forward and slide it out of the trim pieces. If you have rested your headliner on the rearview mirror, make sure it is off the mirror at this point. You may have to move it around to get it completely out but be patient.

Congratulations your headliner is out of the car. Go celebrate and have a beer.

Repairing the Headliner

Find a place that you will be able to make a mess (there will be over spray from the adhesive) and leave the headliner protected for a few days (away from pets to step on it, kids, etc). I did mine on the basement floor. Remove ALL of the fabric and old glue from the backing. I just rubbed the glue and it came off. Sweep this stuff out of the way b/c you dont want it getting on your new headliner and making it look bad.

Rest the headliner on the ground with the part that shows (when installed) downward. Take the fiberglass cloth and open it all the way. Figure out what part needs to be fixed. Mine was cracked all along the sides that show when the t-tops come off.

Cut off a piece of cloth that will have about 3 inches more on each side than you need. (This is the part that will show when the t-tops come off)

Put on the rubber gloves. Once it is measured out correctly spray the backing with the adhesive. Then separately spray the cloth. Make sure the adhesive is tacky (usually takes about 15-20 sec to get REALLY tacky) and apply the cloth making sure it is not wrinkled or folded over. Continue to do this anywhere you need to make repairs to. I suggest doing the entire part that will be showing with the tops off so it will not look uneven. Once everything is smoothed out, spray adhesive over the entire area that is being repaired. This will make the cloth and backing really strong ( I was amazed how much sturdier it really was)

Allow the adhesive to dry completely. I just let it sit overnight. Once dry, flip the headliner over so that the part that shows is now face up. Apply adhesive to anywhere that has fiberglass cloth in the same manner as before. Smooth out, spray entire area, and allow to dry.

That should be it for repairing. Next step is to put the fabric on.

Applying the Headliner Fabric

If you are going to take the most time doing it should be this step because this will be what everyone sees.

Spread the headliner over the backing to get a rough estimate of where to cut, make sure you leave enough room to fold over (about 2 or 3 inches should be good)

Make your cuts with a pair of sharp scissors.

Flip the headliner back over with the cloth still on top of it. You should be looking at the backside of the cloth and headliner now. Fold over one of the end edges (front or back, you decide). Spray adhesive on the backing and cloth. Press down firmly and spread smooth.

Allow this to dry for a minute, keep an eye on it to make sure it stays on.

Flip the setup over again so that you should be looking at the fabric. Roll the fabric to the edge you just sprayed. This will allow you to do sections of fabric and smooth it out as you go along.

Spray the backing with adhesive and roll the fabric over it. Every couple of inches stop and make sure everything is tight, smooth and even. Pay special attention to the sides that are going to be next to the driver and passengers head, this section likes to not stay glued.

Once you get everything glued down allow it to dry completely before you go onto the next step.

Lean the headliner against something sturdy. Take a look at the back of the headliner and fold the edges of the fabric over. If necessary, trim the fabric to fit. Now spray the edges of both the fabric and backing. Allow the adhesive to become really tacky or you will spend some time holding it there.

Use your judgment as far as trimming the fabric goes. I took extra care to make sure there was no overlapping in the back to make sure it will fit.

Cut out the areas where the seatbelt assembly will go as well as the light fixture.

Make sure everything is smooth and in order and YOURE DONE!

Congratulations, you just saved yourself upwards of $160 for a new headliner board and fabric.