89 GT Headliner Replacement
Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:40 am
After 23-1/2 years, we finally had enough of the sagging headliner fabric, so with a few days off from work, we went ahead and redid the headliner in the 89 GT. I know that this topic has been covered here before, but I wanted to share some lessons learned that may be of benefit to others.
Grey foam back fabric, exact color match, was found at JoAnn Fabrics, 1.5 yds @ $14.99/yd, use 40% off one-item coupon from Sunday paper, $13.50 final cost.
Headliner Adhesive, also at JoAnn, $19.99/can, use 25% off order coupon from Sunday paper in separate order, ~ $15 final cost. Used in moderation, one can is just enough for the job. Follow directions on the can, namely to let the adhesive set up and get tacky, and it works great. There are Loctite adhesives at JoAnn for about 1/2 the price, but topics on the Chrysler forums said that the JoAnn adhesive was the more reliable choice.
Bottom line, if you are planning to do this job, keep an eye out for the Sunday paper coupons, as it saved us some nice money. Also, doesn't hurt to take a significant other into the store, as I had no clue how to get fabrics cut to custom sizes.
"Goo Gone" was a key item, as it cleanly removed some inadvertent adhesive over spray. It also helped to have two people work to smooth out the fabric on the backer board. We did the headliner in three parts, backseat part first, then sunroof / console area second, then perimeter edge work last. Sharp scissors were a big help.
Things I would do differently next time:
-- Remove courtesy light fuse, which I blew removing the courtesy light fixture.
-- Use a finer brush to prep backer board (possibly even use a vacuum cleaner brush), I used a wire brush and it was a bit aggressive.
Took about 1/2 hour to remove, ten minutes to clean and prep old backer board, about an hour to reupholster, and about 1/2 hour to reinstall. I did let the headliner sit 24 hours in order to allow the adhesive to fully cure. Effort well worth it, made a HUGE difference to interior appearance.
Grey foam back fabric, exact color match, was found at JoAnn Fabrics, 1.5 yds @ $14.99/yd, use 40% off one-item coupon from Sunday paper, $13.50 final cost.
Headliner Adhesive, also at JoAnn, $19.99/can, use 25% off order coupon from Sunday paper in separate order, ~ $15 final cost. Used in moderation, one can is just enough for the job. Follow directions on the can, namely to let the adhesive set up and get tacky, and it works great. There are Loctite adhesives at JoAnn for about 1/2 the price, but topics on the Chrysler forums said that the JoAnn adhesive was the more reliable choice.
Bottom line, if you are planning to do this job, keep an eye out for the Sunday paper coupons, as it saved us some nice money. Also, doesn't hurt to take a significant other into the store, as I had no clue how to get fabrics cut to custom sizes.
"Goo Gone" was a key item, as it cleanly removed some inadvertent adhesive over spray. It also helped to have two people work to smooth out the fabric on the backer board. We did the headliner in three parts, backseat part first, then sunroof / console area second, then perimeter edge work last. Sharp scissors were a big help.
Things I would do differently next time:
-- Remove courtesy light fuse, which I blew removing the courtesy light fixture.
-- Use a finer brush to prep backer board (possibly even use a vacuum cleaner brush), I used a wire brush and it was a bit aggressive.
Took about 1/2 hour to remove, ten minutes to clean and prep old backer board, about an hour to reupholster, and about 1/2 hour to reinstall. I did let the headliner sit 24 hours in order to allow the adhesive to fully cure. Effort well worth it, made a HUGE difference to interior appearance.