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The headlining on my Rover 25 started sagging. Not only was it unsightly, it also was annoying when it brushed the top of your head. Although I’d stuck up patches before near the hatch, I decided to replace the fabric as the sponge layer behind the material had disintegrated and a tidy repair would be impossible with the old fabric.

When sourcing the fabric I chose Martrim, as they had the right colour (brushed cotton, oatmeal) and came out with the best price (1.5 x 1.8m ordered). I was advised to buy 2 x 500ml cans of headlining adhesive. Good advice as I did start the 2nd. I also bought a set of panel removers from eBay to avoid damaging panels. Materials/ panel removers cost around £50 in total.

I did the job as follows:

1) Removed sun-visors and clips – Philips screws

2) Removed roof light and disconnected wires – unclip transparent panel to get at 2x bolts

3) Removed and disconnected motion detector on drivers door pillar – held in by metal clips

4) Unclipped the plastic trim panels all around the proof panel.

5) Removed 2x push clips at rear of panel.

6) Removed hidden 2x push clips at front, sides of panel.

 

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7) Eased the roof panel out of the rear hatch with the help of an assistant.


8) I tore off the old fabric, scrapped the remaining yellow sponge off the panel making it smooth and clean. This is messy, so best to do it outside.

9) I cut out a section of the new fabric, larger than the roof panel.

10) I laid it onto the panel in position, sponge side down, and folded the front half over the card tube so the panel could be treated.


11) I sprayed adhesive on the panel and back of the roof lining, and carefully folded back into place, rubbing with a clean cloth bundle from centre out, avoiding wrinkles out rubbing them off the edge. Continuing until all was smooth. You need to be quick and accurate as the adhesive, which comes out like strings, dries quickly, and will not allow adjustment.

12) I then folded over the rear half, put adhesive on both surfaces, folded back and rubbed down.

13) When I was satisfied it was glued down smoothly I flipped over the panel and trimmed around the edges. I left 5cm around the edge to fold over and glue onto the back. The original seemed to be cut flush with the edge, but had tended to lift in places at the front and back, so I choose to wrap around the edges. I put some cuts in the fabric where it needed to fold around corners. I spread on the adhesive and carefully stuck it down.

14) I cut out the light hole, folded that materiel through and stuck down.

15) Then, with the help of an assistant, eased the panel back into place through the rear hatch. I refitted the rear and front push clips to hold it in place, using a screwdriver to punch the holes first. I re-clipped on the plastic trim panels all around the roof panel. This was quite tricky, and the seal around the window needs to be re-pulled over the panel edges to allow the panel to clip back into place. I reconnected and refitted the movement detector, roof light, refitted the sun visors.

 

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16) Job done, looked great and took me around 3 hrs, not rushing.