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MG MGB Technical - GT Headlining

It has probably been asked before, but how can you remove the headlining from a GT without damaging it??

Thanks

Colin
Colin Parkinson

It's not easy. It is a loose panel made of some sort of fibreglass matting that has all the strength and consistency of a Weetabix. I found that if you can move it and slide it right over to one side you can get hold of the opposite edge and gently ease it from the cant rail. You have to do the same fore and aft as well. I snapped the edges doing this, and as yet haven't had to put it back. I've repaired the edge with fibreglass resin and matting and will recover it before attempting to put it back. I don't know if it can be slid in from the back when the tailgate is off - I must have a look as my car has no tailgate at present.

Mike
Mike Howlett

I tried, I broke the blasted thing. It really is the most awful stuff, and if you cough on it it'll disintegrate. Be careful, move slowly, and send the kids out of the house for when you start cursing is my advice.
Adam Birnbaum

It's been a long time since I've pulled one out, but it IS possible to remove without any damage.

Pull off the cover just in front of the tailgate - the one with the interior light attached. Slide the headliner side to side to make sure it is free. There is a 'sweet spot' where it will just slide back out of the hatch opening - with no room to spare!

Don't force it or try to bend it too much. It is easily creased and if it does then that will telegraph through the vinyl for all to see.

Good luck.
Tom
Tom Sotomayor

How were they originally installed in the factory? No doubt they were more forgiving prior to any aging effect on the material.

Barry
BJ Quartermaine

When I did mine, I removed the headliner by first removing the hatch hinge cover as Tom has mentioned. That cover (at least in my case, a 68 GT) was a very flimsy and thin affair and even 20 yrs ago very susceptible to breakage if you were not careful in removing it.

Once that cover was removed, I found it much easier to deal with by removing the hatch altogether, hinges and all. That allowed me to then work it out of the roof relatively easily ~ more easily than with the hatch in place.

As an aside, the hard vinyl rail cappings often get broken when attempting to take the headliner out. Mine shattered rather easily and so I removed them completely and simply reupholstered them with the same material I used on the headliner. (see attached photo, ignore sunvisor mounting)

Note that when you do reupholster the bonded headliner mat you salvage, use a heat resistant automotive contact adhesive (at an autobody supply or use 3M Super 90, HD, Lowes) to bond the new covering to the mat and to the headrails. Temps inside our cars can get well over 140F in summer and the heat of the roof metal hotter than that and will cause ordinary contact cements to fail, and then you would be doing this job all over again. The installation in the attached photo was done with heat resistant contact cement almost 20 yrs ago, and as you can see, I have had no problems. FWIW.

Bob Muenchausen

Well guys, particularly Tom, I found the sweet spot!

So I have now got it out, undamaged!!!

Does anyone want it, complete with all the other roof trims, also undamaged, apart frome one v small crack.

You will have to collect from West Yorkshire and pay good money!

Colin

PS it is from a low miles 78 GT
Colin Parkinson

I got mine out using a method similar to Bob's. I had the hatch off anyway as part of my restoration. With the hinge cover off, it just slid out back without incident. In fact, while it was out, I added a pad of "Space Age" insulation and two more dome lights over each seat and it all slipped back in with no problems.

But I was really disappointed in what I got with the new headliner kit. I was hoping for new rail covers and hinge cover. In particular, the hinge cover is structurally fatigued. I don't want to cover these items; I want to replace them! Are repro replacements available anywhere? If not, what would it take for a bunch of us to pool some resources and make them?

FWIW,
Allen
Allen Bachelder

Mostly, Allen, you'd need to make a form to lay up fiberglass, if that were your method, or a pattern (probably wooden) to form plastic over it for materials like ABS or Vinyl sheet.

Remaking them in fiberglass would likely be the easiest as the finished units could be made much stronger by using only incrementally heavier fiberglass matting than the factory used, and because they are upholstered anyway, you would not have the finish issues you might have if it were to have a grained gel finish.

ABS or vinyl could, of course be made from grained sheet and then painted to match the headliner. In any case, these OE covers are flimsy at best, and as you say, don't age particularly well.
Bob Muenchausen

Colin

How much good money do you want for it?

Andrew

75 Jubilee BGT in need of a new headlining!
A I McGee

Andrew, phone me 07831 397250, or 01422 823570
Colin Parkinson

This thread was discussed between 04/11/2007 and 17/11/2007

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