How to remove and replace the headliner on a Porsche 944

THE WHY?

If you've owned your 944 for a while and like me searched the internet to discover the pros and cons of owning one then you've probably discovered that the sun roof mechanism can become a little troublesome after 20 odd years of use. This often requires investigation of the gears and worm wheel mechanisms behind the rear headboard where the lifting arms are located. Unfortunately this also requires you to either peel back the headliner or cut holes in it so you can get at the mechanisms. Inevitably the headliner often tears leaving the inside of the car a little less than perfect (See below).

THE TASK

Philips screwdriver

Flat head screwdriver

Fat & thin rolls of double-sided sellotape

New headliner material

Lots of small bulldog clips (I used about 24!)

Scalpel (or craft knife)

Hair dryer or heat gun (optional)

THE HOW TO

(Amateur mechanic Job time: Approx. 1 day)

(Part 1 - Removing the headliner)

Start by picking a nice sunny break in the British weather and start as early in the day as you can, you'll need it to do a proper good job. It may be worth noting that if your sun-roof isn't working and you plan on fixing it then I'd do it before you install a new headliner. My sunroof repair guide will be up shortly.

Firstly completely remove the sun-roof from the car, this won't be going back on until the very end. Now unscrew the dozen screws that hold the rear headboard on and remove it.

Beneath it you should see headliner material stretching all the way to back window seal or like mine you will see the sunroof mechanism because the headliner had already been previously messed with.

Now turn your attention to the screws securing the sunvisors, remove all of them along with the sunvisors.

 

Next unclip the rear view mirror from the windscreen and prise out the cabin light that sits above where the rear view mirror was and disconnect the blade connectors and tape them up with insulation tape (We don't want any cabin fires). Tip: Use a flat-bladed screwdriver to prise the side out opposite to the switch first.

 

Now you're ready to remove the sun roof wind deflector. Start by prising out the microswitch button in the centre mount as shown in the photo below.

Here's the underside of the button once removed, you can see the two tabs at the longer end that hold it clipped in place.

Here's what the centre mount looks like with the button removed, note the screw in the centre and remove it.

Now you're ready to remove the mounts at either end of the wind deflector. Unscrew them and be careful to support the weight of the wind deflector as there are two fragile wires attached to the microswitch beneath the centre mount.

You should find that the only thing keeping the wind deflector attached to the car is now the two wires, either cut them and connect them back together later like I did or spend ages trying to prise the delicate microswitch out of it's housing. (Wind deflector completely removed below)

Now unscrew the two recessed mounts where the sun roof would usually clip into and you're ready to remove the front headboard.

To remove the front headboard get your fingers in along the edge that is closest to sun roof opening and gently but firmly pull down. It feels like you are going to break the headboard but it's just because it's been stuck there for 20 odd years. There is a little adhesive underneath it so you will just need to tug and wiggle it free. You may find it is really sticky along the the windscreen edge, just be careful and patient. (Photo below shows front headboard removed)

With the front headboard removed you can now carefully lift up the rubber trim that goes all the way around the hole left by the sun roof, being careful not to bend it.

After that it's time to remove the rear quarter windows. From the inside of the car start by getting a flat bladed screwdriver underneath the lower corner (nearest the rear of the car) of the rubber around the window. Once you have enough lifted to get your fingers underneath then do so. With your other hand begin to push that same corner outwards whilst peeling back the rubber further around the window. Once the window is half out move to the outside of the car where you can pull the window out. Be careful of the rubber running down the side of the doot pillar as it hooked over a lip of sorts on the outside of the car. 

Now go back inside the car and remove the little clothes hooks that are attached to the door pillars. You can also pull away the rubber seals around the edge of the door openings. You don't need to do the whole door, just enough so you can expose the edges of the headliner.

Now you just need to roll down the lining that is wrapped around the door pillar just enough expose the end of headliner, as we will be reusing this as it is not damaged.

Finally pull away the rubber seal around the top of the rear hatch opening.

You can now finally pull away all the old headlining from inside the car (Photos below show the headlining completely removed).

 

 

Depending on the condition of the headlining you may be able to salvage it and use the template to make your own headliner. Here's what the old headliner looked like once removed, pretty shabby.

And the now the new one I bought from ebay.

(Part 2 - Installing the new headliner)

Being the first headliner I've ever installed it was pretty much trial and error, but the end result was well worth it for the cosmetic difference it made to the inside of the car.

To begin with you will need to gather a suitable pile of bulldog clips (clothes pegs may even work), the more you have the easier it will be. Get 1 wide and 1 narrow roll of double-sided tape and a craft knife.

Step 1.

Start by loosely clipping the new headliner around the inside of the sun roof opening.

Step 2.

Make sure the parts of the headliner that go around the door pillars are sitting central on the pillar, remove and adjust the clips until you have got this spot on.

Step 3.
Remove the clips along one of the shorter edges of the roof opening and apply a strip of the narrow double sideed tape over the lip. Stick the headliner to it and re-clip. Repeat on the other side.

Step 4.
Now along the longer edges of the roof opening one at a time do the same as step 3 with the double-sided tape and re-clip. If the material doesn't seem to be fitting at the corners, don't cut or trim it just yet as you want to leave it until the last possible moment. You can always peel back the liner and re-adjust as you go along.

Step 5.
Stretch the headliner towards the back of the car around the rear hatch opening. Again clip it along the entire length until you are happy with the fit.

Step 6.
Move onto the liner around the door and quarter window. Depending on the material you have you may need to use a heat gun or hair dryer to get it to stretch around the door pillar.

Step 7.
We are going to leave the front section right until the end as it takes care of itself when the front headboard and fittings go back in place, so leave it for now. Instead concentrate on getting the fit and stretch right all the way around the rest of the car re-adjusting where necessary and adding double-sided tape as needed. Once you are satisfied with the outcome you can begin to trim some of the excess material away and reattach the rubber trims. Begin by re-applying the sun-roof rubber trim as everyything stretches away from it making sure you fold a little of the excess headliner over the trim lips and edges.

Step 8.
Re-apply the rear hatch rubber.

Step 9.
Roll up the lining on the pillars before re-fitting the quarter windows. Make sure the pillar edge of the window pushes in first starting with the bottom corner. Use a screwdriver to pull the rubber over the lip from inside the car (work your way around from pillar edge bottom corner to hatch bottom corner to top hatch corner and finally to pillar edge top corner) until the window is back in place.

Step 10.
Make two holes in the headlining so that the wires for the sun-roof switch and interior light can poke through.

Step 11.
Trim the headlining around the windscreen pillars and tuck behind the the trim on these where necessary. Now take the headboard and manouvre it into place. Take one of the sun visor clips and screw it into place. Do the same with the other. Re-attach the sun-visors completely.

Step 12.
Re-connect the wind deflector microswitch wires and re attach the wind deflector.

Step 13.
Re-attach the sun-roof clip housings.


Step 14.
Re-attach the clothes hooks to the door pillars.

Step 15.
Re-attach the rear headboard making sure you've trimmed enough of an opening for the sun-roof lifting arms to poke through the headlining.

And now the finished article.