740 sedan headliner installation

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!

 

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

 

I agree with using the front door passenger side. Two people - less risk of
braking it. TAKE YOUR TIME and be patient. I have a 86 automatic and if I
remember correctly the shift lever was in 1 and it had to bend the headliner
slightly. With two people you can control the bend towards the rear so that
it doesn't brak at the sunroof points. Bill

 

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.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

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.
--

Stewart Hargrave


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name

 

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.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

Yeah, the only headliner I've ever done (actually a swap) was in a
wagon... No problem taking the liners in and out.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

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:

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=15632

http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=113265

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):

http://www.uk-hotrods.co.uk/technical/bonded screen/tech_bonded_screen.htm


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).
--

Stewart Hargrave


For email, replace 'SpamOnlyToHere' with my name