So I decided to do a test fit before I bother to put the fabric on this thing. I still have no idea how to get this thing in without breaking it, and it's starting to get a bit frustrating. I've heard some people say to use the front passenger door, but others have told me the rear passenger door. I tried all four doors, seats slid forward and fully reclined, seats fully folded forward, seats back and reclined, you name it. With the seats reclined back, the headliner board flat out won't fit through the rear door, it's about 8" too wide. With them folded forward it goes in the door but runs into the center console with the other corner touching the roof. Going through the front door it hits the door even with it fully open, with the seat back all the way it goes in the door at one angle but hits the center console. How are people getting these things in?? Are they magicians or something? Even if I completely remove all the seats and the console I'm still not sure it'd fit. Help!
740 sedan headliner installation
May 30, 2004
11 Replies
It takes two people and some careful, judicious bending to squeeze it back into the car. I've always used the front passenger side door, seats all the way reclined. Helper is on opposite side of the car.
Bob
So insert it back end first into the front-right door with the cloth side facing the back of the car?
My friend who's done this a few times takes out the front seats and center console.
I think that's gonna be my best bet, uhg, what a pain in the butt, wish I had a wagon instead...
Well, you could always have the glass man come and pull the rear vision, stuff the headliner inside real quick, and have him put the glass back in. You could probably find someone to pop the glass out and back in for about $60US.
Bob
Is the rear screen bonded? If it is installed with an old fashioned rubber seal, then this might not be such a bad idea. You could even do it yourself if you are careful, though it is more difficult to get a screen out than to put it back in.
The rear screen is bonded. The ones with the fine defogger wires are PUR (polyurethane resin) bonded, like newer windshields. The older ones are held in with butyl tape, like older windshields.
Pulling out the back window is the method in the Volvo manual. I guess if you needed a new windshield, this would be a good time to have it done.
Yeah, the only headliner I've ever done (actually a swap) was in a wagon... No problem taking the liners in and out.
It's bonded, I've tried a couple times to remove one in a junkyard, broke one of them and just didn't have any luck on the next.
It feels a bit desparate persuing this, but I found these:
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632
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3265 Bound to be something similar on your side of the Atlantic.
But getting it out is only half the story, and as a bonded screen adds to the rigidity of the body shell it's prolly not worth persuing - there could even be insurance issues in the event of a crash if they found you'd fitted it yourself. Nonetheless, this site details how to fit a bonded screen (to a custom car in this case):
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But I think the best advice is (you won't want to hear it) - it came out, so it must go back in the same way. (I told you you wouldn't want to hear it).
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