Head liner sag is such a drag

How-to's and repair secrets for your 4WD can be found here. Have a question? Ask it in here!
Post Reply
gnarnold
Top Notch Member
Posts: 325
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 7:28 am
My tercel:: 1983 SR5 4x4 with a tummy tuck and a nose job and now a pace maker!
Location: jordache ,ca

Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by gnarnold »

My head liner droops about 4-5 " in the center right above the e brake . I've tried squirting glue in there and then propping it up with a stick no luck anybody got any ideas on how to get it to stick back up there I'm tall so the extra four inches would really give me some more Headroom and not make me feel so cramped. thank you
I used to laugh at the man with a pinto :lol: , until I became a humble servicer of a tercel :|
User avatar
rer233
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1013
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 1:49 pm
My tercel:: Multiple

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by rer233 »

Never seen that in one of our cars- what happened??
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by Petros »

there are some plastic buttons or fasteners that hold up the head liner in the center, are yours missing?

Seems like adhesive caulk would be the way to go if the plastic fasteners are not holding it. It can be bought at any big box or hardware store. comes in a large tube and you use a caulk gun to push it out the nozzle. It is flexible and sticks to anything, make sure it is adhesive, not just caulk.

If you want serious adhesive, use construction adhesive such as polyurethane, it is brownish tan, like peanut butter color. If you ever have to remove the headliner you would have to rip it up to get it out. It is a serious permanent adhesive, unlike the latex type adhesive, which can be scraped out if ever necessary, but not the polyurethane (it is permanent)
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
gnarnold
Top Notch Member
Posts: 325
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 7:28 am
My tercel:: 1983 SR5 4x4 with a tummy tuck and a nose job and now a pace maker!
Location: jordache ,ca

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by gnarnold »

Well I think it was when I had the roof rack it leaked.and that's what separated it I dont feel any clips in there
I used to laugh at the man with a pinto :lol: , until I became a humble servicer of a tercel :|
User avatar
Ace
Top Notch Member
Posts: 104
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:57 am
My tercel:: '83 DLX 4WD Tercel wagon 3AC

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by Ace »

Suggestion: cut/slit the headliner in an "X" pattern across the sagging part. Fold back the corners to see what's in there. Use a construction-grade contact cement to glue it back up. Follow the glue instructions to let it dry, then stick the parts together. Not the most aesthetic repair but it should be relatively easy and effective. Otherwise you may have to pull out the entire headliner to replace it as a complete assembly.

If there is a loose insulating material above the sagging area you'll need to take that out first and maybe use a different firmer filler material to provide a solid surface to glue onto.

I used contact cement to glue a rubber-backed carpet headliner into a different older vehicle 35+ years ago and it stayed put.

Or you could put a small machine bolt through the roof with big fender washers top and bottom, and silicon caulk to seal it. Expedient and less surgery on the headliner. Good enough for an older car?
User avatar
Mark
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 883
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 9:49 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Automatic, 1981 sedan
Location: Victoria, B.C.

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by Mark »

I've tried using a few brands of spray adhesive a few times (including 3M, which is supposed to be the good stuff) on another Tercel's headliner that was sagging. It worked fine for 2 or 3 months and then it would always sag again. I ended up drilling small holes in the headliner board and pushing up some small plastic automotive retainer things to hold up the headliner. If you colour-coordinate the colour of the fasteners and the colour of your car's interior and you install them symmetrically, it looks like they belong there.
User avatar
BaileySims
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 626
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2014 6:52 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Tercel SR5 4WD
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by BaileySims »

Mark wrote:I've tried using a few brands of spray adhesive a few times (including 3M, which is supposed to be the good stuff) on another Tercel's headliner that was sagging. It worked fine for 2 or 3 months and then it would always sag again. I ended up drilling small holes in the headliner board and pushing up some small plastic automotive retainer things to hold up the headliner. If you colour-coordinate the colour of the fasteners and the colour of your car's interior and you install them symmetrically, it looks like they belong there.

Image
WAGON MAFIA.
Blood, sweat and beers.
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by Petros »

'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
User avatar
Mattel
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1788
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:11 am
My tercel:: 1988 Corolla 4wd Wagon (AKA Corolla All-trac) 5speed, AC, Power Sunroof, Windows, Mirrors, Steering, Locking, Diff Lock, 14" Corolla SX Alloys with Silica Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, 210,000kms
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by Mattel »

I thought you guys in the USA got the pressed headliner like us? I have never seen these sag. I'm sure they would be fairly easy to get hold of?
Previous: 83 Tercel SR5 4wd, 84 Tercel SR5 4wd
88 Corolla 4wd Wagon 5speed, All power options, Fact Sunroof, Diff Lock, 14" SX Alloys, Hankook Tyres, 4afe, King Springs, Upgraded Headlights, Full Synth oils, Tow Bar, 210,000kms
User avatar
ARCHINSTL
Goldie Forever
Posts: 6369
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:52 pm
My tercel:: Goldie is a 1986 SR5 attualmente con Weber/also owned the first T4WD in STL in late '82
Location: Kirkwood, a 'burb of St. Louis

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by ARCHINSTL »

@ gnarnold: This link might help some. I thought there was a thread about fixing the same prob you have, but I was wrong.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6508&hilit=headliner
@ Mattel: That is not a Tercel.
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
User avatar
rer233
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1013
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 1:49 pm
My tercel:: Multiple

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by rer233 »

Glad you cleared that up Tom- I'd never seen the headliner sag in one of our cars either. Just one of the many things I love about 'em!
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
oldfaithful
Top Notch Member
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu May 21, 2015 2:06 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Tercel 4WD

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by oldfaithful »

Maybe his car has a factory sunroof, the headliner is different than the non sunroof headliner as they are a vinyl material clued onto a moulded material, and my car has a sunroof and I have junked a few with a sunroof, but they were still perfect with no signs of sagging, I wonder if water has gotten into it somehow and caused the problem.
User avatar
Mark
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 883
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 9:49 pm
My tercel:: 1984 Automatic, 1981 sedan
Location: Victoria, B.C.

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by Mark »

My '84 4WD wagon has some kind of fabricky headliner (maybe the "pressed" that you are talking about) that doesn't look like it could sag. My '81 and my old '83 hatchback had foam-backed vinyl headliners that tend to sag (at least it did on my '83).
User avatar
BlackStraw
Member
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2015 10:42 pm
Location: BC Canada

Re: Head liner sag is such a drag

Post by BlackStraw »

The headliner in my 86 hatchback was also drooping down about 3"....and I'm six feet tall, so it kept feeling like someone was rubbing a staticky balloon on my head every time I drove it. It's a very thin fabric, and then feels like cardboard between that and the roof metal...rather than mess around with adhesives I just have a large paper clip poked through and wedged in there now to keep it up.
Post Reply