13 replies to this topic

[Daniel]

I'm in the middle of finnishing my interior - my headlinging is ok but i'd prefer it to be perfect.

Has any one changed there headlining ? Id it an easy job ?

[Bungle]

Its the hardest job ever
Both front and back screens have to come out and the rubber on the side glass + door frames .
try and clean it first its i real pig to change

[Daniel]

when it comes to any thing technical i'm pritty s~~t.

Are there any wires in the roof ?

[Jordie]

paint it in vinyl emulsion, get it at B&Q homebase etc

[Guess-Works.com]

Replacing the headlining is a pain in the *****, took me a week to get it right. but very satisfying when it's done...

my advice is get the car in a garage, all windows and doors off, and everything else out of the car, seats, steering column, and gearstick. You will need as much movement as much room to move as possible.

Start by removing the old one in one piece if possible, and also mark the order of the rods, as all bar two are different lengths and shapes. Then when all out clean the contact areas throughly of old glue etc.

At this point if you ever intend on installing ICE or auxillary components in the boot, subs, amps rear screen washers etc.. then this is the time to fit either speaker wires, some power cables ( suggest a couple of meters of 7 core trailer wire ) or even a roof mounted aerial. The all the wires will be out of the war and not under your carpet.

Fitting the new one, I have found is better done back to front., firstly get some nice smellling talc , and dust the rods, this will help them slide through the loops in the headlining and aid installation. if the sleeves are not cut then use the original headlining as a guide.

With all the poles fitted, in the lining, offer the first one up to the holes in the cant rail (?) at the rear and get it approximately upright, and then using some small bulldog clips clip the headlining to the lip of the rear window, 2 or three will do..

Now slowly moving forward, keeping tension on the headlining, insert the next, and next and so on until you have the last ( front ) pole insterted, bull dog clip at the fron t too...

It is now fitted approximatel fron to back, now work you way backwards, side to side, clipping as you go.. you will no have an approximately fitted headlinging.

The trick now is to sit in the car and slowly adjust each slip, pulling and stretching the headlinging into shape. Under no circumstance heat it to fit, as over time it bag and droop..

If at any point a pole twists, you must undo and remove the poles to one end of the roof and reset...

When you are happy, which will take some time, you can then think about permenatly fixing the headlinging, for which you will need a strong impact adhesive, either spray on or brush. Simply undo a couple or three clips ( by now they will be every couple of inches or so ) splat on the glue on both sides of the panel you are attaching to, leave to go off (as per the instructions on the glue), reattach headlinging and clips and leave for as long as you can ( a day is good )

Refit glass and seals, and trim the excess ( I find if you can lift the edge of the seal a little and hide the cut under there, but leaves planty of contact area for the lining, and also a good chance of being able to remove and refit at a later stage if necessary )

Look back and admire your handy work, Job Done

[lewis]

that is amazingly put guessworks, someone put this in the faq section :smartass:

Aernt the poles tabbed a diffrent colour too so you know where to put each one?

[Turbo Phil]

Arent the poles tabbed a diffrent colour to so you know where to put each one?

Yes ! :grin:

[Guess-Works.com]

Only the modern ones, MK2/3 and possibly 4 I think all have white ends... I did have the colour order somewhere, but can't quite put my finger on it.. but I know it's in the depths of the minimania forum as I put it on there a couple of years ago...

[Dan]

Don't use glue, use double sided tape around the openings. Rover changed to tape in the last five or eight years of production for several reasons. Glue always drips on to the back of the lining (the dodgy brown stains on the edges of white headlinings are glue). Glue is really messy to deal with when you are trying to keep the lining taught. Tape graps well but you can still peel the lining off to chase creases out which you can't with impact glue. No brushes. If you get the tape in the wrong place you peel it off and start again.

[lewis]

Arent the poles tabbed a diffrent colour to so you know where to put each one? 


Yes ! 

good good, mines a mk5 and i need to change my lining, il take a pic and post it tommorow its f***ed

[Jackman]

Can anyone recomend somthing to clean the lining. Mine is really mucky, could do with replacing but too much hastle really just for that.

[Guess-Works.com]

soap and water is about the best...

[Boab]

Try the Vanish solution in a spraybottle sprayed onto a cloth.

[Jammy]

He he, when I cleaned the headlining in my Clubby (hadn't been done in over a decade, easily) I used all sorts of C**p, vanish solution, fairy washing up liquid, detergent, lil bit of bleach, some other stuff I found in the garage. I just kept adding stuff till it cleaned with ease!!!