Headlining on Mark 2

[Jake]

Hi All, I'm looking for a bit of help on what I think might be a rather obscure subject for you all, but if you can assist i'd be most grateful

I have a 2500 i'm "restoring" well mostly reassembling. It's been in bits for about 20 years and there are plenty of opportunities for me to learn. What i'm currently learning about is the headlining. I bought the car earlier this year and the previous owner had removed the original headlining and half fitted a new one. Rightly or wrongly he's started at the back, all the stays were in the lining and the rear screen fitted. Looking at it the lining doesn't appear long enough to reach to the front screen which still needs to be fitted. On closer examination is appears that the stays may not be in the right order. (there are 5 of them and apparently they are all different!)

There is very little difference between the stays to look at them and they are not marked with part numbers but should have a colour code. Front reading the factory manual I have it appears that the sequence for a Mark 1 saloon from the front is Green, Brown, White, Orange, Blue. For the mark 2 it says replace in the same order as removed, which doesn't help me as someone else did that 20 years ago.

Does anyone know the correct colour order for a Mark 2 saloon??? What I have seen is that the mark 2 stays do not appear to be the same colours as the mark 1 though I have only removed 2 so far, as I think they will be rather difficult to re-insert!





Quote Edit

[Tinsmith_Skippy]

It is a job which I’ve only just finished today! Having never done it before I can only give you advice from my experience.

If you have to start again use the hair dryer to heat up any applied glue and it will release.

Make a relief cut where the bars come out, cut a slight angle about 10mm @ 30 degrees this just helps the material round when you stretch the rail material.



There are two welded tabs on the roof which the first rail rail clips into, these clips allow the following rails to be installed and stretched without movement at the first rail. If the first rail isn’t clipped, could be why your short At the front!

I then glued rear window flange, just the inside face and only at the top using contact adhesive and a round sash brush from tool
Station.

Decant small amounts of glue required into a bake bean tin as leaving
a 1 litre tin open will soon go snotty.


Then grab the rear head liner section at its middle point and install this working from the middle outwards to the rear panels not requiring to much tension this I found causes more ripples.

Then apply a line of glue just below where the rails clip in, And apply to the seams on the material this allows stretching the seam on the rails at either end to sort any ripples. Glueing both metal and headliner will give a strong bond. I would then leave this to dry overnight.

Then stretch out the front section and glue the roof edge you only have 10mm where the window rubber covers. Again from the middle and work your way outwards.

I then let this dry overnight

Then glue the door apertures on the inside flange faces only then fix the side headlining parts then allow to dry. Then cut all your excess material and make relief cuts around the window curves ( cut vees.)

Then glue door and window frame flange outside faces and lap material over the flanges.

Then do the rear panel sections last you need to gather the bottom where the parcel shelf goes neatly as it is seen slightly.

Its hard to explain in detail but I found useful use the hair dryer it can get slight ripples out and glue one side if you want to be able to move it or make adjustments. Glue both metal and material for when you want to stick and not go anywhere.

Oh nearly forgot if you don’t like playing pin the tail on the donkey try and mark where the holes for you bits and bobs rear view mirror etc sky hooks don’t work unfortunately.

It has taken ages and patience.

I have a set of rails numbered 1-5 you can have them if your really stuck but the colour indentification are right for both mk1 and mk2

[Jake]

Hi that’s very interesting (sounds like it’s going to take awhile). I’ll remove all 5 rails tomorrow to check colours but I have already removed the front 2. One is marked in Red the other appears unmarked. If as I suspect they are not correctly colour coded I will take you up on the offer of the spare rails.
Many thanks Jake.

[Jake]

Today I have removed 2 more of the roof stays so I now have the first 4 out.
There is a marking scheme, the first bar is unmarked, the second has 2 red bars, the third has 3 red bars, the fourth has 4 red bars.

I don't know if the marking is standard, or if it something whoever removed them originally did. I have noted that they are differing lengths especially in the vertical part.

Is it possible for you to photo the spare bars you have for comparison?
The other thing I noticed is that the restraining tags from the header-rail were "flat"

From what you said and from a very dim and distant memory of striping a few Triumphs about some 30 plus years ago i'm guessing that is should be hooked like this..

I've not taken the rear stay out as that one is clearly longer that any of the others some i'm guessing that one is right (Please no let me know if you disagree)
I've removed the rear window and unfitted the rear part of the head lining. I've cleaned up the stay that was at the front with "scotch-brite" to remove the "frosting" I then filed some French chalk to get enough "dust" to rub over the cleaned up roof stay. It was then easy to reinsert the stay in the headlining much to my relief. Using the front and rear stays only it looks like the lining is plenty long enough now
I just wanted to sense check with you before i reinsert the other stays and have a go at fitting the lining again. Feedback greatly appreciated on this one

[Tinsmith_Skippy]

I’ll measure them rails tomorrow for you and let you know. Yep the first rail is hooked into them.

[Jake]

Thanks great

[Tinsmith_Skippy]

Hello Jake have some measurements and pictures of the rails for you.



1 @ 1210mm
2 @ 1220mm
3 @ 1220mm
4 @ 1212mm
5 @ 1230mm





The paint indentification is very faint.

This picture I’ve just pushed the rails up against the ply to meet the curve. Hope it helps.

[Jake]

Hi, thanks that’s helpful.
I’ve measured my rails at;
1220
1212
1220
1214
1226
Based on your rails I’m tempted to swop my numbers 1 & 2 over.
I’ve tried them in position on that basis and they seemed fine I’ve threaded the rails back into the head lining ready to fit. Just need to restick some of the sound deadening to the roof before I start refitting the headlining.
I’m planning to use Evostik contact adhesive unless anyone knows better. I would also use the same glue for all the edges.
Did you use a tool to pull the rails upright and tension the headlining?
I’m minded to make a flat bladed tool with a hook on the end (a bit like the tabs on the header rail)
Looking like a job for next weekend now as I’m running out of Christmas holiday
On the plus side I’ve achieved a fair bit over holidays, all brakes changed and working, electrics gone though. New fuel line and filter fitted.

[Tinsmith_Skippy]

Hello Jake I used everbuild contact adhesive on my Valencia Blue, it was ok but further reading I opted for alpha high temperature contact adhesive for the current car. I went for a higher temperature it has been suggested a standard adhesive caused the brown bleed through the material. The alpha adhesive was less aggressive on the paint giving a better bond. Can’t vouch for evo stick but I did use there adhesive cleaner which was very good. Good to hear your making good progress on your project. Let know how your getting on.

[Jake]

Well I’ve tried to fit the headlining but after I’ve “clipped” the first rail and start to try fitting to next one there is a fair bit of tension. I can get the second rail in and vertical but when I move to the third rail it’s very tight to get it vertical so much so that while I’m trying to get the fourth one in the third is pulling forward so that I don’t seem able to get the fourth rail vertical at all. If I try to fit the last rail the fourth one drops forward and swings down before the last rail is in due to the amount of tension...
Am I missing anything or anyone got any tips?
I’m wondering if the headlining has shrunk? It’s “new” but possibly several years old as it came with the car.