DIY:Removing the headliner

[txaviator]

just did mine today. taking the headliner down was relatively easy. didnt even need to take the B pillars off.

the HARD part was getting the fabric on...

I highly reccommend to use a fabric that has a good amount of stretch in it...as the complex corners around the sunroof controls are pretty tricky.

I'll post pics of mine in the morning but it came out pretty good... definitely better than saggy/pinned up.

only downside being that i had to have a seam in it because the fabric i picked wasnt QUITE wide enough, so i did a crossbody seam at the back edge of the sunroof. not noticeable unless youre looking for it.

We'll see how it lasts. I used a full 1.5 cans of permatex heavy duty (orange can, blue top)

[koteles]

did u paint it black ? like the e46 m3 ?
if so what kind of paint did u use ?

[LuvMy328is]

just did mine today. taking the headliner down was relatively easy. didnt even need to take the B pillars off.

the HARD part was getting the fabric on...

I highly reccommend to use a fabric that has a good amount of stretch in it...as the complex corners around the sunroof controls are pretty tricky.

I'll post pics of mine in the morning but it came out pretty good... definitely better than saggy/pinned up.

only downside being that i had to have a seam in it because the fabric i picked wasnt QUITE wide enough, so i did a crossbody seam at the back edge of the sunroof. not noticeable unless youre looking for it.

We'll see how it lasts. I used a full 1.5 cans of permatex heavy duty (orange can, blue top)

That's what I used and I already have some spots that have come loose
~Phil

[bergerac]

I have just replaced my headlining in my early 325i thanks to the info here... The fabric sunroof shuttle and the vinyl that sticks to the actual sunroof was annoying me though.. After reading this and the fabric shuttle guide I used the guide from 'Brunp' that he posted above.

It's so easy when you know how! Took no time at all.

For the little vinyl piece you see when the sunroof is tilted I masked up and sprayed the sunroof while it was out of the car with some Hycote Satin Black Acrylic automotive paint. I think it's for plastic bumpers etc. I got it from my local motor factors (in the UK)

http :// i27.tinypic.com/15ew8qb.jpg
Please excuse the grey seal around the sunroof, the seller forgot to give me the black one - it's in the post!

I also used the same paint to do my faded purple parcel shelf:
http :// i27.tinypic.com/244u1wj.jpg

I'm not very good at spraying, so I'm amazed at the results, my interior looks great now.

Thanks to all!

PS - sorry I can't link to the pics, it's because I have a new account.

[brunp]

thanks for the reference, glad it worked out for you....

paul

[lonniecle]

This is now my weekend project

[cupcake]

again, nice write up! redoing my headliner today :]

[Dash01]

Replacement fabrics:

JoAnn Fabric micro-suede?

WalMart?

Do these have 1/4" foam backing already?

Other sources that do?

My car has "hellbeige" or sand/camel color headliner. Found any fabric source that matches this well?

[soraix]

Thank you man, your post really help me out, I could remove and fix my headliner, the only thing that really complicated me where some little thins that are stuck to the rear glass to hold the solar curtain when you uplift it. It was a pain in the ...

[bremmere36]

Ahhh this helped me so much. I have to do mine very soon. I'm going to do black plaid and the pillars are gonna be black plaid too!

[brengaz]

Replacement fabrics:

JoAnn Fabric micro-suede?

WalMart?

Do these have 1/4" foam backing already?

Other sources that do?

My car has "hellbeige" or sand/camel color headliner. Found any fabric source that matches this well?

Very good questions: I'm wondering the same.
Does anyone have experience or a good source??

EDIT:

just found this:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1089555

Very helpful

[dOMEmE]

hello, so i just read all of this thread and even looked for another thread and couldnt find an answer to how to replace the fabric that is on the actual sun roof portion...

i removed my headliner and am in the process of replacing it with black suede but my sunroof is still going to be greyish =[

any help or links?

[brunp]

hello, so i just read all of this thread and even looked for another thread and couldnt find an answer to how to replace the fabric that is on the actual sun roof portion...

i removed my headliner and am in the process of replacing it with black suede but my sunroof is still going to be greyish =[

any help or links?

I have managed to make one DIY that explains all of this here:

http://www.pbrun.net/MyGarage/2009/04/

on my blog.

If you need details on the sunroof fabric shuttle itself, visit this link:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=344546

Paul

[divey]

Hi man.. I have the same problem.. the rear edge is not hanging on the metal lip. I am thinking of putting some clips to hold it.

[brunp]

Hi man.. I have the same problem.. the rear edge is not hanging on the metal lip. I am thinking of putting some clips to hold it.

Was this message directed to me? I guess the new fabric edge doesn't wedge in like mine....you may need to put in some clips there.

Paul

[e36alpineM3]

I had a questions my cars headliner needs replacing but I'm not near my car to measure the lenghts and widths (getting rear camber kit installed at buddies shop out of town) But anyways I've seen kits that have lenghts for up to 54" or pay extra for 60". ANd to those who have installed my car is 96 m3 alpine white dove interior. Should I go with [IMG]file:///C:/Users/Meg/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]Black suede or gray suede?

http://www.yourautotrim.com/suhekit54inb.html

[e36alpineM3]

hello, so i just read all of this thread and even looked for another thread and couldnt find an answer to how to replace the fabric that is on the actual sun roof portion...

i removed my headliner and am in the process of replacing it with black suede but my sunroof is still going to be greyish =[

any help or links?

Hey how much did you have to purchase? Fabric wise? Getting ready to replace mine as well? What website or company you getting your suede fabric from? I found this website for about $50.00 shipped 48 states. http://www.yourautotrim.com/suhekit54inb.html

[c0lin46and2]

Does anyone know if you need to remove the metal frame that's attached to the headliner backer at the sunroof/map light part?

[thabarman]

usefull but gave my headacke headackes!

[chicaneS54]

Complete overkill. You do not have to remove the rear panel and C-pillar cover in order to remove the headliner. You should remove the seats, as it will make life easier and then just pull the top of the C-pillar cover out and around the headliner. You don't need to remove the A-pillar also (same deal). You should also provide a link to your b-pillar removal for users reading your thread.

[DonM3Z]

Thanks for the great post Old Skool! I just redid the headliner on my M3 sedan yesterday and it makes world of difference not having to worry about that old foam dust all over the interior of the car anymore. A local shop quoted me $375 to redo the headliner, but I did it for under $60 on a Saturday.

I followed the instructions from this thread along with some visuals from the following link from Pelican parts.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/tech...-Headliner.htm

I used a headliner kit from yourautotrim.com which included 90"x60" of foam backed fabric and two cans of adhesive spray for $42.28. The whole project took me about 9 hours from start to finish. As others above have mentioned, the process is messy and lots of patience is required. I would say that removing the liner was the easiest, while reinstalling the finished liner was the most time consuming for me.

The finished product.
[IMG][/IMG]

[MsE36]

Great thread! Decided I was going to reupholster my interior myself since I have background in fashion design.

So glad I came across this thread

Thank you!

[jmo69]

Just finished mine up this weekend, wasn't able to match the original color, went with a darker gray micro suede, but I should have gone with non foam backed. I didn't do the pillars and used fabric paint on the sunroof and its trim. That's even darker but it still looks better than the flappy old one.
WIN_20170715_141606.JPGWIN_20170715_141628.JPGWIN_20170717_135847.JPGWIN_20170715_145952.JPGJOHN_TABLET - WIN_20170715_145948.JPG

[Sammyzuko]

At the rear of the car along to top of the rear window, there is a metal rail that holds a bent lip of the headliner. You will need to release this to take the headliner out.

*Bump* After reinstalling my headliner it won't stay in the "metal rail" where the headliner meets the rear window. Are there clips that hold it in, or is the curve of the headliner supposed to hold the rear up and mine is just too flimsy now?

[brunp]

*Bump* After reinstalling my headliner it won't stay in the "metal rail" where the headliner meets the rear window. Are there clips that hold it in, or is the curve of the headliner supposed to hold the rear up and mine is just too flimsy now?

It could be that the curve on the headliner maybe broken. There are no clips, it simply hooks into the back and then the rest is held up with the various handles and the visors.

Paul