The roof covering is a fabric with a foam rubber base that sticks to the "ceiling" of the passenger compartment. It is not uncommon for it to come off and give way when exposed to too much moisture or when the car gets old. It is not necessary to go to a professional to repair a sagging or dirty cloth; you can replace it yourself by following the simple instructions in this article.
Steps
Step 1. Remove the old cover
- Pry along all the side moldings that hold it in place;
- Detach and remove all covers covering seat belts, courtesy light, speakers, jacket hooks and sun visors. It may be necessary to remove some of the vertical posts to drop the trim from the various roof segments. Maybe you need to unscrew some bolts and / or pry some components with a flat or torx tip screwdriver;
- Remove all the clips that secure the cover to the base;
- Slide the base out of the vehicle and place it on the work surface; a large table or even the floor is fine;
- Peel the lining material off the base. You shouldn't have much difficulty.
Step 2. Scrape off any remaining foam that has stuck to the surface using a brush or fine-grit sandpaper
Proceed gently so as not to damage the base. The smoother the bonding surface, the better the finish appearance of the coating.
Step 3. Lay the replacement fabric over the base
Smooth it out by smoothing out any creases or wrinkles.
Step 4. Fold half back leaving half the base exposed
Working on only half a roof at a time the process is much easier to manage.
Step 5. Prepare both surfaces for bonding
Brush some quick-setting glue on the underside of the coating and on the visible part of the base; alternatively, you can use a spray adhesive which is very easy to spread.
Get the strongest product possible; due to the location of the coating, weak glues may not withstand heat
Step 6. Pull the glued fabric over the half base treated with the same adhesive
As you put the two surfaces in contact, apply pressure with the palm of your hand.
Step 7. Fold back the free half of the cover and repeat the same procedure by gluing, pulling and pressing the fabric onto the base
Step 8. Wait for the glue to dry
Times should be noted on the product packaging.
Step 9. Cut out the holes for the courtesy lights, seat belts, sun visors and jacket hooks
For this operation use a cutter.
Step 10. Remove excess fabric from the edges before installing the upholstered base in the cockpit
Leave a fabric edge about 1 cm wide along the entire perimeter of the roof to be able to fit it during assembly.
Step 11. Return the "ceiling" to its place in the car
- Fit the excess fabric to get well-defined edges;
- Secure the liner with clips (if applicable).
Step 12. Restore the accessories and moldings that you removed to disassemble the trim
Advice
- If you don't want to purchase all materials separately, there are upholstery replacement kits available.
- Turn to online retailers, auction sites, fabric outlets and special sales to save money and find the replacement upholstery.
Warnings
- Be very careful when gluing the cover to the base of the roof. Quick-setting products set on first contact, which means the coating adheres as soon as it touches the surface and there is nothing you can do to peel it off.
- Proceed carefully during the removal and assembly phase, some cars are equipped with curtain airbags which are located just behind the upholstery.
