How To Take Headliner Out of RT Hardtop?

[Vipuronr]

I recently purchased a hardtop for my RT, which I really like now that its on the car. The one place where it needs a little "help" is with the headliner. It seems that the adhesive on the passenger side has dried out somewhat and headliner is sagging. I know 3M sells an adhesive specificlly for headliners, but I don't know the procedure for taking the headliner out. I don't want to make a mistake and mess anything up.

Thanks!

 

[CEJ]

The sagging is where the foam backing on the headliner has deteriorated. Take it to a good auto upholstery shop for an estimate. I would think they could install a new headliner (not sure about the nets) for a pretty reasonable amount.

 

[Vipuronr]

So, to keep the original headliner, it isn't possible to use the spray adhesive to stick it back up...even with the foam deteriorating?

 

[LifeIsGood]

I haven't had to mess with the headliner on my viper, but I have tried in the past to fix sagging headliners on other cars...all were FAILs. I will never try a DIY with this again...professionals only for me.

 

[Vipuronr]

Point well taken, would rather have original that sags a bit, than have a new non-factory original....call me silly!

But, that said, is there anywhere on the site that shows what has to be done to take out the headliner? I can't imagine I am the only one who ever wanted to do that!

 

[CEJ]

I'm guessing you could use the spray adhesive on the original liner, but the material shops have today may be an exact copy of what was used long ago. Case in point: I once owned a '67 Shelby GT350 and some vinyl on the driver's seat was cracking. Sure enough, someone was manufacturing vinyl with the exact same texture and pattern as the old stuff. So once the bad panels were replaced with the new vinyl, you couldn't tell what was new and what was old. I think all that cost me about $70.

So, take the top down to your local auto upholstery shop and see if they have anything that can match. If not, see what they can do for a fix using the original stuff. Personally, nothing looks as lame as a dangling headliner. Well, maybe a dolphin painted on the hood is worse...

 

[Vipuronr]

LMAO.....yah, dolphin on hood, there's a real "look". Okay, I guess it can't hurt to try, I'll look around to see if there's a decent upholstery shop that's local.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[pgbeek]

I just had my head liner done on my hard top too. I was going to try to do it my self but opted to take it to a professional.
He said it would cost about $125-$150. He showed me what happens to them and how they fade over time.
Hope this helps, I'm picking mine up this Friday.

 

[Vipuronr]

If you don't mind, let me know how it comes out.

Thanks.

 

[eucharistos]

you guys are scaring me, i hope mine doesn't find out and starts sagging

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Just remove it and throw it in a corner if you want to keep it for the collectors. I see no need for it on the car. The underneath side of the hard top is already black but might need a little touch up and you're good to go. The piece you're talking about weighs nearly 5 lbs, which may not sound like much but it is considering the awkwardness of installing/removing the top by yourself. You will notice the difference in weight when you go to install it.

I'll try to get around to taking some pics of mine.