Hi Folks:

This is for an '87 Fiero SE, without a sun roof. So it's simpler.

I've removed the inner roof panel, taken off the old fabric, and am about to sand the panel and put on the new fabric.

I am wondering if anyone has tips on keeping the new fabric smooth, and the best way to permanently glue it to the roof panel to avoid hitches?

Thanks,

Wayne

I have used the 3M "Heavy Duty" spray glue without problems for years. Just make sure both surfaces are debris free. The #M is sold at parts stores and I think Walmart. Just be sure it is the heavy duty one (bottle specifically says so). The regular strength one looks almost the same.

I recovered mine as well there is some good threads about this in the search area.I went and got my spray glue from a place that does car interiors and recovers seats,it has been 2 years and it has not moved any.Good luck,

With the non-sunroof top I would start from the center line and spray out to the door edge. Finish one side before you start the other....... and don't pull much because you have to follow those contours. Make sure your hands are clean. Glue on the wrong side does not come out easily.

I always use brush on contact cement. that way there is no chance of it not sticking. (Also good if you have to make repairs to the "Back Board") spread the glue on the board, fold the headliner in half, apply glue to half, lay down the half you glued, then glue the other half. work from the center out. don't try to stretch it.

I wont even bother with it unless I use DAP Weldwood Contact Cement. Make sure you use the one marked 'Original Yellow' ..... new and improved white is junk. Thats all I use for permanent upholstery work. It will not come down ever. All the other special spray glues all fail. Its what I use from headliners to carpet and door panels. I also only use it for van conversion interior work and rebuilding or remodeling motor homes and custom buses. Ive even used home carpet on a custom $1,000.000 bus ceiling and it hasnt fallen down in 15 years. Thats just my recommendation, but you can take it or leave it.

I agree - use a high quality glue (DAP is probably the best, I buy it by the gallon at my local upholstery store - they also sell it in an areosol can) and follow the directions. If you apply the fabric to the board and the glue is still wet, you may get finger depressions in the fabric. I like to brush the glue on the board and lightly spray it on the fabric - reduces the chance of getting finger marks in the fabric when you apply it to the board. As others stated - start in the center and work toward the door edge. Do not stretch it allow the fabric to "flow" into the head recesses - it may take a little stretching/adjustment towards the door edge. If you pull it too tight across the head recesses, it may pull loose and sag once it is installed in the car. One trick I have found on the Fiero headliner board is that no matter how clean you get it, you still run the risk of it pulling the actual headliner board apart and the fabric sags. Once I have the board as clean as I can get it, I give it a coat or two of fiberglass resin - once the resin sets, I use 80 grit sandpaper on a Mouse sander to scuff it up - one to remove any wax left behind by the resin and two to give the glue something to bite to. I have done several both ways and the only ones that have lasted were the ones that I put resin on - plus the resin will reinforce the board. It's worth the 20 bucks in resin and supplies to do. Cheap insurance in my book when you consider what it takes to remove the headliner.

Hi All:

Thanks very much for the tips, particularly about reinforcing the clean panel after sanding it clean, which I had wondered about.

I'll read these all again as I work through this.

Will be back at a future date to say how it went...

Thanks & regards,

Wayne

When I did mine, to reinforce the board I used fiberglass cloth and regular resin/hardner. I just cut the cloth to shape then brushed some resin onto the board, laid the cloth on it then brushed more resin into the cloth and worked it into the cloth/board with the brush. Once it had set I used a flap disk on an angle grinder to smooth out any high spots etc. Much easier than doing t by hand. The secret is a LIGHT touch.
Once I had done that I use the heavy duty 3m glue as already described. I cut the headliner material to shape but a couple of inches larger so I could wrap it around the edges of the headboard. I laid the material over the headboard, then folded half of it back (lightly so as not to crease it), sprayed on plenty of glue to both the material and the board, let it try then just worked the folded half onto the board, smoothing it out as I go. Once that was done, repeat for the other half (lay newspaper or something over the 'up' side of the headliner material so you don't get glue on it).
Smooth it all out with the flat of my hand so as not to cause depressions in the headliner material then wrap the excess around the edges of the board and glue into place with more adhesive.

------------------
Dave

www.ltlfrari.com

You will find the material they use for headliners very forgiving going into nooks, crannies and curves. It either stretches or shrinks to fit into almost anything. Thats why manufacturers love to use it. The new fabric customizers love is the tweed stuff. Its even more accommodating than the headliner fabric. You can cut designs in the foam and it will follow every contour without wrinkles.

I agree on the contact cement as mentioned above.
I found that the easiest way to clean the board was with steel wool rather than sand paper. Steel wool cuts that old foam residue right off.

I have not had much luck finding any glue that will stick fabric to fiberglass, which is what I was going to do to my headliner, since it has started to droop.
I think I will just order the pre-covered ABS one from the Fiero Store.

quote Originally posted by TXGOOD: I have not had much luck finding any glue that will stick fabric to fiberglass, which is what I was going to do to my headliner, since it has started to droop. I think I will just order the pre-covered ABS one from the Fiero Store.

Did you scuff up the resin w/ 80 grit before applying the glue?

EDIT: did you mean fiberglass resin or the fiberglass board?

I resined mine to the point it was solid plastic, scuffed/smoothed all glue surfaces and used industrial strength spray adhesive (the kind that can handle high"er" temps) and its been holding great so far...

One thing to make note of when resining the board; put something under the corners of the board to keep the contour. The weight of the resin may deform the bord and make it harder to fit back in...

[This message has been edited by ALJR (edited 09-02-2011).]

I have experimented with different kinds of contact cement, spray adhesive, etc.
I have found that fabric sticks to foam better than it does fiberglass.
In the initial application I have found that it sticks pretty well, but my big test is when I leave it out in my parts car in the direct heat I have come back out 2 days later to find all of the fabric has come loose.
What I`m using now, to attach the foam to my cupholders and console doors is Loctite spray adhesive and it actually works pretty well.
That`s why when possible I make my projects with a wood base or a wood insert because with staples you never have to worry about the material coming loose.
The dash I made before I fiberglassed wood along the edges so that when I pulled the material around the edges I had something to staple to.
The headliner in my car has been fine but it finally let go after about 40 straight days of 100+ temperature and the last two weeks of 106+ temperatures.

[This message has been edited by TXGOOD (edited 09-02-2011).]

The DAP contact glue sticks anything to anything. About the only time you can get it back off is if its used to put a vinyl top on a steel car roof. Even then it has to set in the sun for hours and take 3 or 4 guys pulling. Id almost bet if it wouldnt rip, you could lift a car off the ground by the vinyl top. I use the same stuff (only commercial) to put on new sides on 38' motor homes.

I've done 3 of them..... I agree with everyone else......use a quality glue....I really didn't have a lot of luck with 3M Spray Trim Adhesive...but didn't know they made a "heavy duty" one. and a nice trick is to have two people.........one to hold it up and "drape" it down as you press it into the coves.....don'try to stretch it to make it fit...let it lay naturally, then dry overnight.

quote Originally posted by fastbackrick: I've done 3 of them..... I agree with everyone else......use a quality glue....I really didn't have a lot of luck with 3M Spray Trim Adhesive...but didn't know they made a "heavy duty" one. and a nice trick is to have two people.........one to hold it up and "drape" it down as you press it into the coves.....don'try to stretch it to make it fit...let it lay naturally, then dry overnight.

pretty much what he says. I learned to do everything by myself when everyone I ever hired to help just screwed up whatever they were doing And the 'heavy duty' isnt much better than the regular. The spray can glues are fine for covering small trim pieces like windshild pillars, etc.

I learn something every day just by reading. If I ever do my headliner again, I will use the DAP glue as Roger and others suggested. Another small suggestion, if you have a sunroof: Don't cut too close to the edges when you trim the headliner and tuck it into the headliner gasket retainer whatchamacallit. (Don't ask me how I know)

I used a putty knife to tuck in the fabric to the headliner retainer. Also, my headliner backing was brittle and I was in a hurry to finish so I unintentionally and promptly broke it into several sections by using that time worn phrase, "Haste makes waste." I fiberglassed it from one end to the other--front and back and it was much better than when I started but the thin strips on passenger and driver's side on each side of the sunroof were broken. I used my wife's laundry detergent box top and made a backing strip plus I fibered it in as well. Other than the stupid mistake I made by cutting too much fabric on the round curves, it looks very, very nice.

Thus far, I've had no problem with the material falling off. I found most, if not all, the information I needed here and printed the instructions.

I have kind of an interesting question that will throw a wrench into the clockwork. I have always used a specific headliner adhesive that sprays in a spider web fashion and I have always been very generous in the application. The headliner material as well as the speaker boxes that I have done have NEVER come unglued.....even the boxes that are in direct sunlight. How do you use DAP contact cement with a thin headliner material without the chemicals eating through the top layer? Headliner material is generally a very thin foam backing with a thinner material bonded to the top. Using a chemically harsh glue like DAP on the material would dissolve the backing and then absorb into the top material causing it to be ruined. I have applid the DAP to speaker box carpet and had it absorb through the fabric which ruins it.

I have the same project to do sometime soon, been reading all the suggestions, thanks for all the tips....

quote Originally posted by IMSA GT: I have kind of an interesting question that will throw a wrench into the clockwork. I have always used a specific headliner adhesive that sprays in a spider web fashion and I have always been very generous in the application. The headliner material as well as the speaker boxes that I have done have NEVER come unglued.....even the boxes that are in direct sunlight. How do you use DAP contact cement with a thin headliner material without the chemicals eating through the top layer? Headliner material is generally a very thin foam backing with a thinner material bonded to the top. Using a chemically harsh glue like DAP on the material would dissolve the backing and then absorb into the top material causing it to be ruined. I have applid the DAP to speaker box carpet and had it absorb through the fabric which ruins it.

You want it to spray out in the think silly string type of consistency. You DONT SOAK it in anyplace. I use just a very little bit of paint thinner and spray it right out of a regular paint spray gun (siphon type). I spray the fabric back and the headliner board till both are covered good with the 'webbing'. Its nearly dry when it hits the surface. Depending on temp, I let them just dry to the touch and put them together. You have to be careful not to let fabric touch itself or a spot you dont want it. You will not get it back off if you place it wrong...so take great care aligning it. Ive never had any problems with DAP doing any damage to material or board unless i got a thick glob or drip of glue somewhere (just dab it back off). The spray can stuff is generally too thinned down to able to spray thru the can nozzle to hold up to much heat. If you park all day in the sun, Ive seen them fall in just a few days before. Granted a sunroof car MAY stay up because it has the trim to hold it up better.

Hi folks:

Here's a summary...

I thoroughly cleaned the roof panel and while doing so, the bonded layer of foam started to come off of the fiberglass. In other words, the fiberglass itself was showing through in a large patch. In hindsight I should have not scrubbed so hard, and left the bonded layer intact. Reason: it results in a slightly uneven area when the new lining is glued over it.

That said, the results were satisfactory, as the vast majority was smooth. I let it dry for 24 hours, then trimmed it and taped the edges to the backside. I put it back in, and re-installed the trim and interior lights. For my first effort, I was pleased.

I did use DAP Weldwood. I'll be interested to see how long it lasts, particularly the portion over the fiberglass. However this is Canada, so summer temperatures are a lot milder than mid-south U.S.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Cheers,

~W~