Hey all, I finally got the fiberglass "kit" to fix up my headliner. I got a large mesh fiber cloth, and a "Fiber glass resin jelly". Both are Bondo brand. First off, did I get the right stuff? Secondly, could someone give me a brief briefing (hehe ) on ho to do this?

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Are you just reinforcing weak spots from the back side, or trying to make a smooth painted headliner from the visible side ?

For repairs just cut some cloth to fit across the broken areas to be reinforced, Mix your resin/catylist according to directions, "paint" it on the area the cloth will be placed, place the cloth on, and use a cheap paint brush that you never want to use again and with a stabbing motion keep poking at it till the cloth all "wets out" you want as little resin as it takes to wet out the cloth, too much resin will be weaker, but wont really hurt in this application.

If you are going for the entire headliner to be smooth and painted its a bit trickier !

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: Are you just reinforcing weak spots from the back side, or trying to make a smooth painted headliner from the visible side ? For repairs just cut some cloth to fit across the broken areas to be reinforced, Mix your resin/catylist according to directions, "paint" it on the area the cloth will be placed, place the cloth on, and use a cheap paint brush that you never want to use again and with a stabbing motion keep poking at it till the cloth all "wets out" you want as little resin as it takes to wet out the cloth, too much resin will be weaker, but wont really hurt in this application. If you are going for the entire headliner to be smooth and painted its a bit trickier !

No paint, just strength. I saw a guy on youtube just soak the mat. Would that work better?

One thing about Bondoglass, the resin sets up very, very quickly so you have to be real careful that you don't wait too long to apply it or it will heat up and gel right in your mixing cup before you even have a chance to get it applied.

quote Originally posted by grkboy707: No paint, just strength. I saw a guy on youtube just soak the mat. Would that work better?

You can do it that way, but usually end up with more on your fingers that way, and more resin then needed.

Okay, thanks everyone... I'll be starting the fix at 0-300

Just did mine a month ago... I did not need the fiberglass mat after all... I first used a disposable paint brush and brushed on the resin (only mix small quantities of about 2 cups or less). I brushed the resin on both sides. The first coat soaked in quickly and really made the liner rigid. I then did a second coat on both sides to give it a nice smooth coat. Do not get to crazy with the resin as it will drip off the edges (which you will have to sand smooth later, kind of a pain to do)... The side that the headliner fabric attaches to, I hit with some 80/100 grit sandpaper to give the spray glue something to bite onto...

Use the best spray adhesive you can find (usually high-temp stuff). DO NOT cheap-out on the spay adhesive! If it costs $20.00 a can, then pay it (think the stuff I used was $15 a can)... The 3M super 77 will not cut it, especially when the interior heats up; nor will the $7.00 HD/Lowes specials... I used LocTite Spray Adhesive (blue can) Heavy Duty High Temp... This stuff is sticky! Make sure your cloth is positioned very close to where you want it. It is very difficult to reposition once it sticks (you don't want to damage your nice new headliner cloth trying to reposition it)...

Leave as much as possible overhanging the edges (you want at LEAST 2")... Spray the board generesally and the back of the cloth (foam backed fabric) with a light mist, DO NOT spray the cloth to heavy or it will soak through and stain the visible side... Spray the top side of the board as well, so when you fold over the head liner, it will stick real good... Use a razor to cut off and excess fabric off the back side (leaving about 1.5-2" glued down)...

If you have a sunroof, DO NOT cut the opening until the headliner is installed. It is much easier to see how much fabric you need with it in place. The opening in the headliner board is larger (in some areas) then the opening for the sunroof. Cutting the fabric before the headliner is in place MAY not leave you enough cloth to tuck back into the channel... Also cut slits where the sun visors attach; it is easier to do this before the board is installed...

Also, it is a good idea to test fit the newly resined board (before covering it with fabric) into the car. This way, if the resin built-up in an area, you can knock it down with a dremil or sandpaper. You do not want the board to fit so tight that it will not fit once the fabric has been glued on...

I was VERY pleased at how nice my headliner came out! The gray fabric I purchased off the shelf from JoAnn Fabrics is almost a dead-on match. You would need a very bright light to tell the difference between the headliner and sun visors colors; it is probably a 98% perfect match!

[This message has been edited by ALJR (edited 12-15-2009).]

Okay, I did the first area! It looks horribly sloppy, but that doesnt matter... Also, the "jelly" is more of a putty, than what I thought it would be... This is gonna make it easy to build up.

You did it IN the house ?? You must be single....if not maybe soon to be !!

quote Originally posted by Mike Gonzalez: You did it IN the house ?? You must be single....if not maybe soon to be !!

HAHA!! Way to warn me guys!!!

quote Originally posted by grkboy707: Also, the "jelly" is more of a putty, than what I thought it would be... This is gonna make it easy to build up.

Are you refering to the fiberglass resin? Mine was simmilar to warm maple syrup... Are you sure you got the correct stuff? you should be able to pour it on the headliner board and spread it out w/ a paintbrush (after adding the appropriate amount of hrdner of course)...

quote Originally posted by ALJR: Are you refering to the fiberglass resin? Mine was simmilar to warm maple syrup... Are you sure you got the correct stuff? you should be able to pour it on the headliner board and spread it out w/ a paintbrush (after adding the appropriate amount of hrdner of course)...

Thats the stuff I was expecting, but this was the only "fiberglass resin" that Advance had. This stuff is bondo brand, and now I see why. Its probably not made for headliner repairs, but hey, it gets the job done.

The jelly is more for repairing auto fenders or anything on a vertical surface so it won`t drip.
If you do any fiberglass again you probably wan`t to get regular resin as it`s thinner.

quote Originally posted by grkboy707: Thats the stuff I was expecting, but this was the only "fiberglass resin" that Advance had. This stuff is bondo brand, and now I see why. Its probably not made for headliner repairs, but hey, it gets the job done.

Ya, thats too bad... Did it soak into the fiber headliner board? I hope so, because thats what really stiffins it up! Seems like the stuff you used is going to make the job allot harder. The thinner resin is basically self-leveling for the most part. Meaning you have to do very little sanding once it cures...

I know Bondo also makes the thin resin, as I have used it in the past... The stuff I used on my headliner was purchased from Lowes for $13 qt...

FYI, no resin out there is "made for" headliner repair. It just happens to be a really good product to use on our fiberglass-board headliners, as the resin soaks in nicley and makes them really rigid and durable.

quote Originally posted by ALJR: Ya, thats too bad... Did it soak into the fiber headliner board? I hope so, because thats what really stiffins it up! Seems like the stuff you used is going to make the job allot harder. The thinner resin is basically self-leveling for the most part. Meaning you have to do very little sanding once it cures... I know Bondo also makes the thin resin, as I have used it in the past... The stuff I used on my headliner was purchased from Lowes for $13 qt... FYI, no resin out there is "made for" headliner repair. It just happens to be a really good product to use on our fiberglass-board headliners, as the resin soaks in nicley and makes them really rigid and durable.

I know, that stuff would have been ideal, but this stuff will do