# mkv jetta headliner wrap



## elliott18t (Apr 2, 2008)

so this project is proving difficult...

not only do i want plaid but I cant seem to find a good stretchy material as I assume that's what I should use. The current progress just got worse and worse as I went since there was little to no give to the fabric i chose.


Any tips or pointers? :beer::thumbup: 

I also didn't like how the 3m super 90 came out, is there a better adhesive to use?


----------



## KJSloan (Dec 29, 2013)

I rewrapped my headliner and pillars a few months back with black suede. Difficulty of the work is dependent on material used, and suede is a b#*$h. Fabric stretches pretty easily. The same steps apply to anything you use though. I used black onyx suede with 1/8" foam back from here: http://www.yourautotrim.com/suheobl.html. The foam backing, especially with the suede makes a WORLD of difference. It despises stretching without wrinkles, and the foam makes a night and day difference. If I were you, I'd go the extra mile with suede - everyone who's ridden with me since doing it loved it/commented on it. If you've got deeper pockets, automotive grade microsuede or alcantara are said to be well worth it as they'll never fade but at $100ish/sq yard for alcantara, I went cheap and the cheap has held up well for months now (garaged).

First make sure the old adhesive on the headliner is scraped off and the mating surfaces are clean. This is a big one, because heat and sunlight will cause the adhesive to lose adhesion and the headliner will start to sag (again). I used scotch-brite pads (green and red) to scrape off the old foam and ahdesive then cleaned surfaces with 3M's spray adhesive remover: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/3M-Adhesive-remover/_/N-259z?itemIdentifier=189453_0_0_. This is a lot of work, so doing it right the first time saves a LOT of grief and money. Once it's clean and whatnot, you'll be ready to spray. The adhesive I used is specifically for headliners from 3M: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...-adhesive/_/N-259v?itemIdentifier=110464_0_0_. It works great, and after 3 months in summer heat (2 parked outside in mostly direct sun) it hasn't shown any sign of sagging. 

For pillars and headliner, I used 4 cans of spray adhesive and 2 cans of the remover. I was extremely liberal with the adhesive.

The 3M adhesive spray suggests spraying liberal coats on both surfaces, two in the same direction, left to right, and then a third from right to left. I let the adhesive spray sit for about 10 minutes until it got tacky (can suggested 5-60 min wait time before mating). Once it's tacked, mate the fabric to headliner. A person to help you lay and mate the fabric evenly helps a lot, because you wanna do it right the first time to have both surfaces clean. If you get wrinkles, a steam gun helps the material stretch without damaging it. I used one meant for clothes and I think I paid $30 or so for it at Target, worked fine for me. Also an extra pair of hands makes a HUGE difference in correctly mating fabric without wrinkles. I started from the front which had the most bends and did very small sections at a time, letting the mated spots fully dry before I continued gluing it on until I got past the sunroof. I also had my partner or held it myself at about 45 deg angle and used a dynamat roller for flat surfaces and a wedge or simply my hands on curvy spots in very, very small sections. In spots such as the ohsh!t handle insert, it's best to do one side and continue straight over to the other side without passing over the length of the area, mate material to the curves cleanly and always mate it with fabric held very tight and wrinkle free. (Obv this is where the partner makes the difference). Attention to detail and taking one's time doing it is very worthwhile, so if I were you, I'd take the time and labor (for me it was a lot) to do it right even if it means riding headliner/pillar-less for a week or two. It took me two weeks working on it here and there to get mine looking svelte. 

Good luck!


----------

