I am preparing to replace the headliner in my 88 wagon (with sunroof) I have studied the FAQ on this subject but have a couple of questions. Hopefully someone who has done this before can help me out.

The FAQ said to get 1/8 inch material as opposed to 1/4. I got what I was told was 1/8, but when I measured it it turned out to be 3/16. Is this too thick? I can take it back if necessary, but it wasn't the easiest thing to find. Any suggestions. (don't want to pay IPD's price---it's more than twice what it costs to buy the materials locally, plus shipping)

How many cans of 3M spray trim adhesive will be needed?

Any other tips/suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

I replaced my headliner a year ago, and let me tell you, it is not an easy or fun project! I wouldsay that a helper is almost a must! I still broke the board in 3 pieces around the sunroof hole where the board is the thinnest on the sides and the front. I used some epoxy glue and cardboard to put it back together. As I recall, I only used 1 or 2 cans of adhesive spray. the end result is very nice...

good luck,
JJ

I don't have an answer to the first part but the kit I just got from IPD for the Sedan came with three. My guess is you will need at least 4.

I did my 1987 740 sedan not long ago. The hardest thing was getting the headliner board out of the car. I removed my front windshield, since it needed replacing. I will NEVER do this again, as I am still finding glass shards in my butt.

I got 1/8" headliner, the biggest concern is for the sunroof clearances. Make sure you get the right 3M spray for light trim and NOT heavy duty.

I used 2 cans for the board and another for the sunroof. Because you install the liner on the board in halves, I used 1 can per half. Also, get some 2-sided clear tape from WalMart for when you are installing onto the sunroof hole and sunroof.

When I had my headliner board out, it broke, so I bought a fibreglass repair kit and custom cut cloth pieces and reinforced all of the breaks, corners, weak spots with the firbreglass. It was bullet proof when I was done.

One piece of advice, let the glue dry for a day or so before you reinstall. When you are hanging the board, don't support the weight of the board with your fingertips or you'll have indentions all over. They'll go away evenutally, but they aren't pretty.

Good luck!

Scroll down to the headliner pics. The job actually came out better than it looks in pictures:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jamiebabineaux/album?.dir=81b3&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

Jamie

Thanks for the headliner info. I have a wagon so getting the board out isn't a problem, but breaking it is more of one, as it is a lot heavier and more awkward. It's possible to get it out of a sedan through one of the door openings. It may be necessary, or at least helpful, to remove the front seats so you have more room to maneuver.

Was your windshield broken? If not, why the glass shards? I removed one from a parts car with little difficulty by using the following method:

Obtain a guitar string. One of the wound ones, not the plain kind. The smaller sizes work best, D or G, something in the .020-.030 range. Remove the moldings on the outside. Poke the guitar string through the adhesive, and with a sawing motion work your way around the edge of the glass. You will probably need a helper to get the bottom edge. Guide the string so it doesn't damage the edge of the dash pad or other interior moldings. After you have gone all the way around, go around again, as the adhesive will be trying to re-stick itself. Then tilt the glass forward at the top, slowly and carefully. Once again, a helper makes things a lot easier.

At the time I needed a new windshield and it would have cost me a lot of money out of pocket to have one installed. So, I just put on a pair of heavy duty gloves and ripped it out. No Guitar string. Hindsight would have said to use one.

It turned out OK in the end. The main weak spots are around the sun roof because that's where water can soak into the board.

G'Luck.