Skip navigation

Fitting the inner roof on a Cab

Post

Back to the top

Fitting the inner roof on a Cab

The inner lining on my roof ain't fitting so well …



This isn't the original roof, but does anyone have any suggestions on how to make it less … baggy?

Possible options are to punch some holes in it and cable-tie it tidily to the frame, or to get some white duct-tape and tape it (tidily again) to the frame upright?

Does the original roof have this problem?

White 1989 Golf GTi Cabriolet - sold!

Post

Back to the top
look under the parcel shelf supports, see if pulling it a bit tighter down there helps?

Hello my name is John and I'm a dub addict.



My wiring diagrams and other documents have moved here:

VAG Documents & Downloads

You'll need to sign into google/gmail for the link to work! (its free!)

Post

Back to the top
wen pulling the material pull it  diagnal instead of straight dwn and also wat may help to get it tighter is heat it up with a hairdryer it makes the material mre supple then pull it

Post

Back to the top
a per rubjonny,  pull the material down to get a bit more tension, there should be clip/tags to bend out, pull the material onto the clips and push it back in, job done, might be easier to do it with the back seat down as the boot access is tight (i know ive done 2)



Chris


Banner

Post

Back to the top
First of all you need to inspect carefully why it's in the position it is. As pointed out the pulling down over the spikes and glueing with a high temp adhesive. Have a look at things like where it fits to the car body corners, the corner straps as the headliner flaps go round this, also it's glued usually to the rear cable channel lip. Check the corner hanging straps are ok.

Cheers

Chortle

"Making Cabbies More Beautiful One Roof at a Time" 

Post

Back to the top
Thanks so much, will do.

Last question … what are corner hanging straps??

White 1989 Golf GTi Cabriolet - sold!

Post

Back to the top
The corner straps go to the corners of the car body.
These give the slope shape at the back of the hood.
The headliner is wrapped around these, have a look and you'll see. Is the headliner secure at the centre rails and the rear rail?
These are stapled in to place there also.
Corner straps you can see the long wide straps in the diagram.
Also showing the corner plates that attatch to the car body.

"Making Cabbies More Beautiful One Roof at a Time" 

Post

Back to the top
The corner straps help keep the quarter panels in place, if the headliner has come unglued it could be a part of the sagging.

Cheers

Chortle

"Making Cabbies More Beautiful One Roof at a Time" 

Post

Back to the top
Top corner hanging straps keep the upper corners suspended on the frame.

If you look at the piccy follow the big corner strap to its positio where it's connected to the frame corner.
There is a small length strap between the two frame sections the headliner has a sleeve in the corner which the strap passes through and is then fixed in place with screw and washer..

Sending you a pm to make it easier to explain.

"Making Cabbies More Beautiful One Roof at a Time" 

Post

Back to the top
Turns out that the sides of the headliner were held firmly in place, but have stretched. I've re-fitted them at the bottom and they hold their shape much better now.

So tempted to remove the outer roof and get at it properly, but I won't. Almost back on the road now … down to the last few urgent jobs.

Still thinking about taping the liner to the frame upright though … anyone done this before??

White 1989 Golf GTi Cabriolet - sold!

Post

Back to the top
If your looking at taking  the roof off then it's the best time to look at the top pad and Interliner.
These usually deteriorate.
You would need to take these off in any event to get to the headliner anyway.

I wouldn't strap or fix the headliner anywhere than factory.
You run the risk of trapping the material in the frame damaging both.

Cheers

Chortle

"Making Cabbies More Beautiful One Roof at a Time" 

Post

Back to the top
Yeah, that's a good point. I'm going to leave it. One less thing to do :lol:

White 1989 Golf GTi Cabriolet - sold!

Post

Back to the top
A bit off subject, but could anyone tell me if I need to remove the outer roof if I was putting a new inner lining on.

Post

Back to the top
To replace the whole thing? Yes, definitely.

White 1989 Golf GTi Cabriolet - sold!

Post

Back to the top
My headliner has come away from the front edge of the hood.  Can this be fixed without me having to buy a new healiner? 2018-08-07 22.30.43.jpg 2018-08-07 22.30.57.jpg

Post

Back to the top
Yes possibly and no.

The way I install the headliner is to take the tie bar off, fit and glue it then cut it off on the flat of the frame.

Yours looks to be cut short and the glue didn't hold.

You can try to take the tie bar off, then 8 screws and the two corners 10 screws in all IIRC, carefully peel back the vinyl outerskin and pull stretch and try to re-glue it.

I think whoever installed it cut the outer skin even with the bar knicked the headliner as I Always trim the outer from the headliner out and use a piece of tape to keep blade from the headliner.


Give Chortle a shout.

You have to remove the outer skin, Padding and coverlet to hang a new headliner….

What do Divorces, Great Coffee, and Car Electrics all have in common?

They all start with GOOD Grounds.

Where are my DIY Links?

Post

Back to the top
That is exactly what has happened - the headliner has got cut by who ever fitted the new outer skin (prior to me buying the car).  I can stretch the headlining about 20mm by hand so I may get enough to get it under the tie bar again.  I will need a good glue as I will be relying on it holding until I get the tiebar on again?

Post

Back to the top

Fitting the inner roof on a Cab

Yep whoever fitted the hood is a doughnut.

The hoods are left long at the front and once fitted and the clamping strip in place are trimmed off.
They’ve sliced through both hood and the headliner.

You’re issue is though if you try and pull the short bit forward you’ll go out of shape.
You can’t pull the whole thing forward as the 2 side pieces are riveted to the sides.

Other option is to undo headliner from the front and place some material behind the 2 cut areas to join them together.

Not likely to be pretty.
Or fit a new one.
Which brings its own issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Making Cabbies More Beautiful One Roof at a Time" 

Post

Back to the top

chortle said

Yep whoever fitted the hood is a doughnut.



You are being too kind to the fitter….. ID10T is more apt, or unable to follow Directions from you or I on the install guides….. which leads to RTFMsquared.

Drilling out the rivets to remove the strain may help with the re-alignment, and you would have to sew the material together along with a good glue and tape tape…. your right it may not look pretty…  Which leads me back to my Original thought of using Snaps on the headliners to install it :)  I figure with my last 3 layer install on my Blue Cabbie, that I will be DEAD long before I have to renew the top or the headliner.






What do Divorces, Great Coffee, and Car Electrics all have in common?

They all start with GOOD Grounds.

Where are my DIY Links?

Post

Back to the top
I bought the car like this. The last guy fitted a new outer to the roof and I think with a bit of work I can tidy it. 

Regarding the headliner, I have an idea of fleeing my wrinkled front edge and then fitting a 15 strip of plastic and then screwing this with short self tappers. The new plastic strip would need to be back far enough so as not to interfere with the windscreen frame when closed. 

Would something like this work?
0 guests and 0 members have just viewed this: None.