glassing headliner

my friend wants me to make him a fiberglass headliner for his cavalier. I was just wondering if people have any pics of this and how hard it would be to do. Of couse i would take the headliner out of the car first.

nah, dont bother taking the headliner out, just get about 10 people, and roll the car onto its roof, then start glassing it. Make sure you strap pillow to the top of the car though so that when you roll it over you wont dent or scratch any panels. : D

Depending on the headliner material (I think it is just cloth in the cavaliers) you should be able to just throw some resin on it, then some cloth for stregth without adding much height, then filler, then bondo, sand bondo sand bondo sand... paint

That woudl be the easiest way to do it, some people will most likely tell you not to do that, but meh...

Usually headliners have a hard back board to them. You can remove all the upholstry from it, and just fiberglass over top of the existing fiberboard back piece. That would be the best way to do it.

thats funny roll it on its roof .

thats what i was thinkin of doing just using the material on the roof allready and glassin gover it.

that is what i would do as well, the only thing that i would add to that is mix all of your resin and fillers so they dont harden fast at all or it will warp. if you do add mat to it, you may want to resin it while it is out, then when it starts to gel, put it back in the car and let it sit over night in a warm place......that way you are sure it will still fit and keep its shape......make sure to cover the interior with some plastic incase it drips.


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I dunno, I havent done much fiberglassing with headliners at all... but I have to say, I don't see how it could warp. I might be wrong, but from what I have seen of headliners, they arent extremely flexable. They are a hardboard material are they not? It isn't just cardboard is it?

I mean, even if you just put the resin over the existing cloth, and it is slightly warped, then before adding any mat, after it cures, put it back in the car. If you have a corner that really doesnt fit as well as stock (if it were to warp, I cant see it being out by more than an 1/8 of a inch) just heat it up a bit with a hair dryer or lightly with a heat gun, and then mount it back in place. Then let it cure completely in the car like that. Then you know it will be prefect.

To me, if you put a still tacky headliner back in the car, putting plastic over the seats, carpets, dash and such is the least of your worries. I would be more worried about smearing resin on the windows, all over the headliner trim, if the back window has defrost srtips, getting resin on those.... not to mention, jsut the fact that a piece that big, soaked in resin, will nto be fun at ALL to handle.

I would say, to still mix the resin a little on the cold side. Make sure the resin itself is a little above room temp before adding the catalyst, so it isnt as thick, then add the MEKP a little ont he cold side, so then when spread around the material it will soak in better.

Also, if you put it int he car, when still wet, gravity will pull the resin away from the hardboard, stopping it from soaking in as easy. This will cause less adhesion than if it were layed out on a table or on the floor to set. Def don't let it completely cure though before you put it back in teh car. But make sure it is barely tacky.

Just want to add, I coudl be wrong, I am not trying to say you are full of crap in the least, just trying to give the best advice I can... so if I am wrong for sure, please post and say so.....but if your headliner is the same type of material door panels are usually made of, then I don't see how I am wrong. If it it looks like a woodship or cardboard/resin mixture (looks like.. not sure what is really is made of) then it shoudl nto warp at all. I ahve done door panels, and I have done other interior pieces very similar to what I think your headliner would be made of, and never had a problem with warping. I have even fiberglassed paper for creating flame cover for speaker grills, and the paper didnt even warp.

cut the roof off a cav at the scrap yard, flip it over and use it as a template to hold it in the correct shape. it will still only cost you probly 1/4 or less what a shop would charge you to glass you're headliner. might not be the most cost effective solution, but will definitely be the easiest.

im not really shure what the headliner is made of but the material is kinda thin so i dont know if it would work. also trying to find a cool way to incorporate his neom light into it.

resin shrinks as it cures and again over time. mixing it really lite will help with the initial shrinkage. and putting it back in the car will also help in keeping its shape. the reason i stated to put it back in the car when it is geling is that it takes a little bit for it to go back in. yes you may get some on the windows, but that will clean up with adhesive remover or acetone, or orher thinners. the material its self will not pull away from the backining or base it is mounted. another option to putting it back in the car is to flip it over and lay it face down on the ground, this will help keep it stretched out. it may bow down in the middle tho. i have molded many monitors, gauges and other things onto the headliner. it does take a little patience for some things, but it can be done..... and also keep in mind that the headliner is a large mostly flat area so it will not ne that strong when it is glassed, even when mat is applied.

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Ok thanks for the info. It dosen't need to be really strong anyway its just for looks, I live in a small town so trying to do somthing different than the other people.