dn010
02-09-2016, 06:37 PM
I think there is another thread here regarding recovering headliner but I thought I'd add my own with more detail.
Tools used:
--Door upholstery remover tool (search door upholstery tool will yield results):http://www.amazon.com/uxcell%C2%AE-Plstic-Handle-Upholstery-Remover/dp/B00A14H3TG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455057115&sr=8-1&keywords=door+upholstery+tool
--Contact Adhesive:http://www.lowes.com/pd_142569-68-00272___?productId=3819177&pl=1&Ntt=dap+contact+adhesive
--6 or 12 1" or 1/2" paint brushes (get the cheapest wood $1 brushes as you'll be discarding them after use. Don't get foam brushes as the foam goes mush with the chemicals)
--Metal or plastic scraper
--Nitrile gloves
--Respirator if you've got poor ventilation
--Razor blade or similar tool to cut upholstery
**Headliner material/upholstery - I have gray interior but I wanted to change the color of my carpets as well as my headliner to something other than stock. I went with Medium Gray headliner material from "onlinefabricstore.com". This could be a close match to black interior cars, I'm not sure but I love the way it looks. https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/3-16-inch-x-58-inch-medium-dark-gray-foam-backed-cloth-headlining-fabric-.htm
I went ahead and ordered 3 yards and have about a yard or so left. It is good to have extra in case you cut something wrong or saturate the cloth with too much adhesive, or you just don't like ripple or etc in your headliner board you can rip it off and do it again.
Obviously you'll have already removed the headliner in order to recover them. I used the door trim tool in order to pry the fir tree clips out of the door so it doesn't rip the cardboard back. For the main headliner board you need to remove your sun visors which may be somewhat of a chore if your roof is leaky and the screws rusted inside. Once you unscrew them and remove the inner weather strip from the roof area, you need to shift the whole board forward to remove it. Peal back the old headliner - if you use a metal scraper as you're pealing the headliner back you have a better chance of getting the foam up with the headliner instead of it staying on the board. Once you get the old headliner off work on getting as much foam that may have stayed on the board off. Once that is done and you want to epoxy etc the boards now is the time - I didn't do that this time.
The old foam is off and you're ready to cut the new material for the board - lay the board over the material and leave a few inches extending past the boards so you have something to fold over and glue - doesn't matter how much you overlap since you can trim it down once it is adhered to the board or fiberglass lip of the roof but always try to leave excess instead of too little. Once you have a piece cut, I started at the front edge of the headliner on the side that faces the roof structure - I put a 1" or so line of adhesive and adhered the front of the upholstery down first. I then flipped the board over and put the contact adhesive on the whole board where the material will go. All you do is paint it onto the board, wait a few minutes and put another coat, I think I did 3 or 4 coats. I did not apply the adhesive to the foam, I didn't want it to seep into the foam and ruin the material. Once the adhesive is tacky, starting from the already glued front, lay the headliner over the board pressing it down into the contours. If you screw up you can pull the material off, put more adhesive and try it again. Once you have the upholstery on the board adhered down, flip the board over and put adhesive around the rest of the parameter of the board, again, I did 1" or so. Once that is tacky pull the upholstery over the board and press it down - since this side of the board is not seen it doesn't matter if it seeps through. Do the same thing for the dome light, cut a slit (I did a double Y as pictured) in the material and adhere it down. Trim all excess material off and you're done. DONT FORGET TO LEAVE ENOUGH MATERIAL FOR THE ROOF TO GO UNDER THE SEAL! Repeat with the rear headliner boards as well as the door boards. Door Boards are harder, start from the center outward, you'll have to manipulate the material so you don't have any ripples or creases etc.
For the main headliner - once installed in the car I used the same contact cement to adhere the material to the fiberglass lip of the car, I trimmed the material pretty level with the top of the fiberglass lip but left some material to extend over the lip where the lip curves - corners of the roof.
Here are some pictures to go along with the story:
I originally replaced the headliner in November 2002, replacements came from DMCH. My door gaskets leaked obviously:
39633
Pealing the old off:
39634
Trimming material to size:
39635
Cement applied:
39636
Trim adhered and board ready to flip to do the back:
39640
Trimming and gluing the sides:
3963739638
Dome light:
39639
Recovery complete - note the extra material for the roof:
39641
Completed and installed - hard to really see the contour in this picture, I just took this with my crappy cell phone so it isn't the best picture.
39642
**Please do not recover your headliner boards on top of your DeLorean.
EDIT: I have some of this material left if anyone wants a piece of it to check out the color etc, just PM me and I can mail you a piece.
Tools used:
--Door upholstery remover tool (search door upholstery tool will yield results):http://www.amazon.com/uxcell%C2%AE-Plstic-Handle-Upholstery-Remover/dp/B00A14H3TG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455057115&sr=8-1&keywords=door+upholstery+tool
--Contact Adhesive:http://www.lowes.com/pd_142569-68-00272___?productId=3819177&pl=1&Ntt=dap+contact+adhesive
--6 or 12 1" or 1/2" paint brushes (get the cheapest wood $1 brushes as you'll be discarding them after use. Don't get foam brushes as the foam goes mush with the chemicals)
--Metal or plastic scraper
--Nitrile gloves
--Respirator if you've got poor ventilation
--Razor blade or similar tool to cut upholstery
**Headliner material/upholstery - I have gray interior but I wanted to change the color of my carpets as well as my headliner to something other than stock. I went with Medium Gray headliner material from "onlinefabricstore.com". This could be a close match to black interior cars, I'm not sure but I love the way it looks. https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/3-16-inch-x-58-inch-medium-dark-gray-foam-backed-cloth-headlining-fabric-.htm
I went ahead and ordered 3 yards and have about a yard or so left. It is good to have extra in case you cut something wrong or saturate the cloth with too much adhesive, or you just don't like ripple or etc in your headliner board you can rip it off and do it again.
Obviously you'll have already removed the headliner in order to recover them. I used the door trim tool in order to pry the fir tree clips out of the door so it doesn't rip the cardboard back. For the main headliner board you need to remove your sun visors which may be somewhat of a chore if your roof is leaky and the screws rusted inside. Once you unscrew them and remove the inner weather strip from the roof area, you need to shift the whole board forward to remove it. Peal back the old headliner - if you use a metal scraper as you're pealing the headliner back you have a better chance of getting the foam up with the headliner instead of it staying on the board. Once you get the old headliner off work on getting as much foam that may have stayed on the board off. Once that is done and you want to epoxy etc the boards now is the time - I didn't do that this time.
The old foam is off and you're ready to cut the new material for the board - lay the board over the material and leave a few inches extending past the boards so you have something to fold over and glue - doesn't matter how much you overlap since you can trim it down once it is adhered to the board or fiberglass lip of the roof but always try to leave excess instead of too little. Once you have a piece cut, I started at the front edge of the headliner on the side that faces the roof structure - I put a 1" or so line of adhesive and adhered the front of the upholstery down first. I then flipped the board over and put the contact adhesive on the whole board where the material will go. All you do is paint it onto the board, wait a few minutes and put another coat, I think I did 3 or 4 coats. I did not apply the adhesive to the foam, I didn't want it to seep into the foam and ruin the material. Once the adhesive is tacky, starting from the already glued front, lay the headliner over the board pressing it down into the contours. If you screw up you can pull the material off, put more adhesive and try it again. Once you have the upholstery on the board adhered down, flip the board over and put adhesive around the rest of the parameter of the board, again, I did 1" or so. Once that is tacky pull the upholstery over the board and press it down - since this side of the board is not seen it doesn't matter if it seeps through. Do the same thing for the dome light, cut a slit (I did a double Y as pictured) in the material and adhere it down. Trim all excess material off and you're done. DONT FORGET TO LEAVE ENOUGH MATERIAL FOR THE ROOF TO GO UNDER THE SEAL! Repeat with the rear headliner boards as well as the door boards. Door Boards are harder, start from the center outward, you'll have to manipulate the material so you don't have any ripples or creases etc.
For the main headliner - once installed in the car I used the same contact cement to adhere the material to the fiberglass lip of the car, I trimmed the material pretty level with the top of the fiberglass lip but left some material to extend over the lip where the lip curves - corners of the roof.
Here are some pictures to go along with the story:
I originally replaced the headliner in November 2002, replacements came from DMCH. My door gaskets leaked obviously:
39633
Pealing the old off:
39634
Trimming material to size:
39635
Cement applied:
39636
Trim adhered and board ready to flip to do the back:
39640
Trimming and gluing the sides:
3963739638
Dome light:
39639
Recovery complete - note the extra material for the roof:
39641
Completed and installed - hard to really see the contour in this picture, I just took this with my crappy cell phone so it isn't the best picture.
39642
**Please do not recover your headliner boards on top of your DeLorean.
EDIT: I have some of this material left if anyone wants a piece of it to check out the color etc, just PM me and I can mail you a piece.