THE ROVER SD1 FORUM

yonexsp · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:42 pm Post subject: Headling question

The headling on my car is sagging at the back. But on checking, it is not the material that has come away fromt he board, but the board with the lining still firmly attached that has come away from the roof.

Does anyone know the easiets way to reaatch the board to the roof? I guess the board has warped slighty. Can it be spreay underneath and glued to the roof?

If it can then the headling will be good to go. Any advice greatly appreciated.

Ken./

ramon alban · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject:

Hello Ken. I think you have a condition known as "Droop".

The board is weakened due to years of damp conditions so eventually gravity takes over and the board warps into its new shape.

There is no internal midpoint fixing but people have variously tried glue, metal stiffening bars across the board and Velcro. Never spoken to anyone who succeeded as the board shape is not affected and gravity is relentless.

However you could try:

St. Alban's Magic Droopy Headlining Warp Reversal Process

Fill the car with steam from a continously boiling kettle for several hours.

Remove the kettle and use several T-shaped props and soft cushions push the headlining back into shape.

Introduce a gentle heat source such as a fan heater on low setting, leave the windows open a tad to let any moisture escape and cook for two days.

Bingo! Droopless Headlining!

All donations to the "St. Albans Droop Recovery Fund" a National Charity for solutions to all kinds of "Droop"

Ramon

Punx0r · SD1 Regular Joined: 05 Nov 2006 Posts: 252

Very interesting!

yonexsp · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:05 pm Post subject:

Ramin, does that work?

ramon alban · Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:00 pm Post subject:

yonexsp wrote:

Ramin, does that work?

Ramin? Who He??

Well, lets just say that, although I invented this theoretical process without recourse to, or consultation with, any other human person, I have not actually tried it out.

That does not mean I dont have great faith in my theory, much the same as Stephen Hawking was eventually proved to be correct about Black Holes (after I explained it to him).

However when I mentioned my Droopy Headlining theory to some people in a parallel universe (Rover SD1 Club Forum) one of them said he used the system and it worked fine, but he did not get it from me - so there are at least two great thinkers around - how weird is that?

Oh Yes! regarding Professor Hawking and his "Brief History of Time" if he had stayed a little longer I would have shared my other theory with him about that subject.

Time, according to Professor Alban, is the mechanism that prevents everything happening at once.

And to answer your question - I dont know, but its got to be worth a try!

Ramon

Flange · SD1 User Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 8

I've used a slightly less magical process to fix a headlining that had drooped without separating, but along the same principle.

Removing the headlining totally (it's really not that bad a job, just awkward to draw the thing out through the tailgate on your own), I set it up on the lounge floor when the Mrs was away, upside down at first to clean it with a soft brush and mild detergent - amazing how dirty it was despite being a non-smoking car, just use gentle strokes in the direction of the cloth weave.

I then turned it right way up and gradually wet the deformed area with warm water, and once it had softened set it up into correct shape, on a pile of cushions and pillows.

After it had thoroughly dried out I painted the back of the card with a couple of coats of fibreglass resin and some reinforcing bands of single layer fibreglass matt.

As far as I know (sold that car) it was a permanent fix.

ramon alban · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject:

Flange wrote:

I set it up on the lounge floor when the Mrs was away, upside down at first to clean it.

I then turned it right way up and gradually wet the deformed area with warm water, and once it had softened set it up into correct shape, on a pile of cushions and pillows.

After it had thoroughly dried out I painted the back of the card with a couple of coats of fibreglass resin and some reinforcing bands of single layer fibreglass matt.

And on her return, Mrs Flange said "Have you been at the Frankincense or is it that damn Waccy Baccy again?"

It's amazing what a fertile mind can achieve to cover up strange habits!

Something new the club technical archive Methinks? Otherwise I'm gonna have to collect all this innovative headlining and sunroof stuff onto my own website!

Ramon

Flange · SD1 User Joined: 30 Apr 2008 Posts: 8

ramon alban wrote:

Flange wrote:

I set it up on the lounge floor when the Mrs was away, upside down at first to clean it.
I then turned it right way up and gradually wet the deformed area with warm water, and once it had softened set it up into correct shape, on a pile of cushions and pillows.
After it had thoroughly dried out I painted the back of the card with a couple of coats of fibreglass resin and some reinforcing bands of single layer fibreglass matt.

And on her return, Mrs Flange said "Have you been at the Frankincense or is it that damn Waccy Baccy again?"
It's amazing what a fertile mind can achieve to cover up strange habits!
Something new the club technical archive Methinks? Otherwise I'm gonna have to collect all this innovative headlining and sunroof stuff onto my own website!Ramon

There's no copyright on the method - fill yer boots!
I think I posted something similar before as 5000SE, but I was away a couple of months and my account along with every post I'd ever made has disappeared - just a tad disappointing.