Look out my brand new project.....

[the capitan]

here we have a mission i chose to accept it and its going to take a bloody long time probably break even ejenners time delay on this one,i have just aquired a black c900 carlsson its in need of a little tlc but here we go any way i will post some pics as soon as they have finished loading.......

[unkleG'sif]

2 CARLY'S!!!!!!!! :o

you really know how to wind people up mate ;) :lol:

G

[StormCrow]

Lucky sod!

I guess you'll need rid of the old one - I'll take it in for you if you want... :lol:

[Honkey]

2 carlssons???!?

You have no idea how many people must hate you over the internet right now :lol:

Cant wait for the pics mate hurry up now!

[the capitan]

well technically i have four!!! i have 2 x black c9000 carlssons and 1x red c900 carlsson (h reg) and now 1x black c900 (g reg)carlsson!!!!

haha
no its not that great......
1 of the classic 9000 (f reg)is all there but every panel is damaged and its never going back on the road its got the abbot suspension and exhaust wood trim and really good leather.. it came free with the other (g reg)one its is nearly back on the road it just needs an mot now, looks ok needs a bloody good clean and a headlining but its got to go as i have no room for them
the red one well most of you have seen some pics its not really finished but id have to agree with the girl friend i canrt keep both!!! so a black one is what ive craved for so i will have to start again with this one, the red one is loverly and goes like a scolded cat when you put your foot down if i could keep them both i would but i can only drive one at a time so its a waste really.........

i will be sorry to see it go the black one has got a bit of work to do so there sholud be some major surgery shots comming soon....a long old thread this will be!!!

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000958.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000959.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000960.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000965.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000961.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000966.jpg

[the capitan]

as i said got some work cut out for myself but hey it keeps me out of trouble....

and the pub!

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000971.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000972.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000973.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000974.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000969.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000963.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000978.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000976.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000979.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000980.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000967.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000957.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000955.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000956.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000962.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000964.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000970.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000968.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000984.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/rearnsarch.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/rearosarch.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/rearquarter.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/squarefront.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/osfcorner.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/bubble.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/osf.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/nearside.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/interior.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/front.jpg

[the capitan]

so there we have it, my new project, its got a lot of work to be done on it but i think that it is worth salvaging as there arnt to many of these cars left ,and the fact is ive always wanted a black one . i would like to take my time on this one and get everything done.... but that is going to cost massivly and i would probably retire before i would get to finish it!!!!


im thinking of same treatment first with the polishing ,just so i can see what its really like under all the road tar etc etc ,then when its not looking as bad im going to strip the front end down take engine out and sort the engine bay, as the battery tray area needs attention and quick as does the crossmember and front wings, but that is it ,the rest of the car appears solid i have ear marked for the car 16"aeros and a lovley grey leather interior new carpets and headlining, of corse im going to be fitting clear corners a full 3" exhaust and on this little chap i think a fmic would be a good idea as im going to play with the engine ...a lot on this i think a full rebuild because i would like to run some serious horsepower....325 bhp is my target and its going to take a lot of time and money methinks!!!

that will all come later though firstly i want to concentrate on the job in hand which is sorting the rotton area's... speak again in about 10 years then!¬.............

[philjohnhb]

Well, the red one won't be looking for a new home anytime soon! Serious project that one - good luck.

[RWElphinstone]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1000969.jpg


"You're a Wizard, Harry!" :cheesy:

[the capitan]

Well, the red one won't be looking for a new home anytime soon! Serious project that one - good luck.

so its not good enough to sell then??????

[philjohnhb]

so its not good enough to sell then??????

Noooooo EASE UP Neddy - meaning, the black one is going to take some time.

See my post in your RED THREAD!

[philjohnhb]

If it's any consolation, by the way, I sold a grey 'vert with much lower miles and in better condition mechanically just so that I could have a black car. It's taken me ages to get it up to the same or better standard as the last one.

[the capitan]

ahhh i see ..... sorry didnt understand....

im thinking of selling the red one to fund the resserection of the black one......

plus my laday friend is goin gmad over the fact ive bougft another one, need to ease the pain im getting by selling the red one!!:cry:

[philjohnhb]

As I've said before, sadly it's easier to change cars than women - and cheaper.

[Naranto]

Nathan

You like a challenge - from a distance it does look good though.


Tell Louise, Anne said she is not alone :roll: :lol:


We will all be at Wroughton this Sunday if you fancy a SAAB 'fix' - Zaphod has some tickets ;)

[the capitan]

ok i didnt even realised this time of the morning existed and i have just got back from picking the black carly up!!!!! very tired....:o

well first impressions..WOW!!!
it drives beautifully i mean beautifully it really does it is incredably smooth the gear change is effortless and the turbo is strong the actuator must be good doesnt seem to back off on the boost at all!!!
brakes , steering, the ride everything is extremly good to be honest i cant believe it i know its rough but bloody hell it drives so so so good!!! hahaha im so chuffed!
and ive got the added bonus that everything works everything cruise, both windows,roof,electric aerial central locking all perfect well the drivers window is slow but im going to fix that easy!!!

it certinally feels as though it has done 116000 miles very pleased
no squeaks form the dash no rattles its just solid.
ok ive got to get some shut eye
update soon folks!

[the capitan]

picked up a buffalo grey interior for the carly today it was abit rough but i have cleaned it up pics waiting to load......


the seats now they are cleaned just smell of new leather it is gorgeous!!! took the car for its first wash tonight and that has made a big difference ive just got to do the engine bay then i will start on the paint correction if it doesnt rain!!!!!!!

[the capitan]

while washing the car last night i quickly blasted the engine bay this morning i have sprayed gunk all over it and let it soak so when i go hom ethis evening i will reapply some more gunk and pressure washer it off hopefully taking the smell with it!!!!and revealing a nice spanking new shiny engine bay!! apart from the rusty bits!!!! hahah pics to come..

[Matthew]

Do not let Gunk dry on the paint.

[the capitan]

??? why wouldnt i want it to dry on the paint??


i have always gunked my engine bays and let them soak.... ive never had any probs.... does it do something????

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010260.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010261.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010262.jpg
a couple of the seats just before te big clean......

[ejenner]

why does it have the wrong front engine mount?

[the capitan]

??? how did you see that from those pics???

ummm dont know i noticed that too! but then i have another friend who has a mount the same asthis fitted to their carly my other carly has a hydraulic mount??? weird or what?

[ejenner]

I guess it depends on if you have a replacement gearbox or not and furthermore whether or not the guy replacing the gearbox got the gearbox from a 900i or from a turbo and also if he decided to swap the front cover or swap the front mount.

[the capitan]

here is my attempt at the roof needs a bit more but not bad i think?!!!!!



http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010303.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010311.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010306.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010304.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010309.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010308.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010307.jpg

[ejenner]

I always try and avoid taking pictures of my reflection. But you seem to really go for it! ...I wanna see my face in that bodywork...

[the capitan]

:lol: you like???


ive only done the roof!!!
cant wait to do the rest!!!!!!

[ejenner]

Here's me taking a picture of the door handle on my carlsson. Not too bad. But was the last time I
got a picture of my camera and my face in the reflection. I just avoid doing that now.

http://www.red-green.co.uk/web/photos/gallery/images/full/door_handle_002.jpg

[the capitan]

hahaha well i was trying to get the letters of the lens in the reflection my big sweed just got in the way!!!


oh and you just cant keep posting old pics of your carly emmet you have got to give us an update of the dash that you were bulding i really want to see how its going!!!!!!!!!

[ejenner]

I'm really not that far off getting back to the project. Maybe next month I'll start back on it. Really hate the summer for not being better than it was though. I remember a couple of days spent indoors which should've been time spent working on the cars. Never mind. I'll see what I can get done over the winter and then when next summer starts to kick in I should be flying along. I'm really serious this time! :lol: I'm gonna do it!

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010365-1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010358-1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010314-1.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010357.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010369.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010377.jpg

[Saab-Daniel]

Looks AWFUL!
Just kidding, wonderful looking black carlsson!!!
Daniel.

[Jokke A]

Oh my god! Those pictures make me seriously consider polishing my t8. Your black Carlsson is stunning.

[the capitan]

??? :o wow guys ummmmm ok


i have only polished it quickly and havent detailed it yet!...........
haha i havent polished the passenger side yet! i just had to see what it looked like with the 16"aeros on....
as soon as the weather pics up i will finish it off and get the interior in trhanks for your comments its nice to hear them!!

i was a little dubious as to what this car is going to turn out like but i think it might just be ok.....

[philjohnhb]

I'm not so much worried about seeing the mug shots as those bare legs, have you got a licence for them?

The car's starting to look good btw.

[StormCrow]

Looks fantastic so far...!

Can I ask what you're using to polish these cars up?

I've just bought myself a Porter Cable polisher - I have a red '89 900 that needs restoration (it's faded a little but overall its good).

What products are you using and in what order?

Cheers!

[the capitan]

yeahs of course
i use a hammach rh20 polisher
i use farecla g-mop compounding foam
farecla polishing foams
i use farecla g-3 compounding liquid
1 x spray water gun thingy
and royal carnuba wax -wax

and thats it!!
oh i polish off the wax with the micro fibre cloths you can buy and thats what gives the finish!!!
hope this helps

[the capitan]

sorry the order is :-

1 pressure off with hot water in all rubbers etc etc
2 apply wash n wax tyr stuffall over with soft brush
3 rinse off with hot water
4 wait to dry
5 apply cutting compound with soft clean cloth
6 apply water spray
7 cut area with machine
8 apply wax with soft clean cloth
9 rub in polish with machine
10 polish off by hand with micro fibre cloth
11 go around all rubbers and door stops etc etc with same wax and wipe off after this makes hell of a difference

and thats it!

[ejenner]

what about a picture of both Carlssons next to eachother...!

[the capitan]

ok heres one for you emmet



http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010404.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010403.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010402.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010401.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010400.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010399.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010398.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010397.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010395.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010396.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010394.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010393.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010392.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010391.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010390.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010389.jpg

[StormCrow]

Absolutely stunning!

I actually got round to polishing mine today too... not quite as effective as mine isn't black (well this one isn't anyway!!)

LINKY (http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1035857&postcount=25)

[the capitan]

well the outside is getting there this car is going to take a lot of effort to make right this is definatly a rolling project,

i will require at a later date
1 front carlsson bumper
2 rear carlsson arches
1 bonnet
1 pair of wings
1 front carpet in grey
some lowering springs
1 exhaust complete
a full service as hasnt been done for a while
and a new battery as this one is flat....



the paint has come up ok though, i will give it a couple of weeks and cut it again if the weather is ok

[the capitan]

thanks storm crow , your is looking very shiney too!!

ive never heard of those polishers are they easy to use??

i would be thrown a little as im used to using an orbital sander but not on paint! :)
i think i would get carried away in one spot!!

[StormCrow]

thanks storm crow , your is looking very shiney too!!

ive never heard of those polishers are they easy to use??

i would be thrown a little as im used to using an orbital sander but not on paint! :)
i think i would get carried away in one spot!!

They seem to be the weapon of choice for most home detailers - its supposedly easier to burn paint with the more traditional rotary polisher than this one...

Have to say, it's very easy to use and foolproof (which applies to me!!)

[the capitan]

i forgot to mention as i have prob already mentioned i sourced a buffalo leather interior for this car i have just fitted the back seats and carpet i have also cleaned to boot properly it looks now as if its never been used....

the seats have come up superbly i just need to get a plate welded in the front before fitting the carpets back and the interior will be complete...
i have ripped oput the headlining and will be posting pics of do it yourself headlining repair!!
watch this space

[philjohnhb]

I hope you're really chuffed with that, she's starting to look very good indeed.

[the capitan]

welllll yes and no its not bad but its far from showable and that what id like to do with her. but hey i suppose rome wasnt built in a day!!!

damn it i want it right now!!!!!:D

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010405.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010412.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010413.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010415.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010416.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010417.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010418.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010414.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010411.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010408.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010409.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010410.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010420.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010421.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010422.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010423.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010424.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010425.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010428.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010430.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010429.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010431.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010432.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010434.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010435.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010436.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010437.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010438.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010439.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010440.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010441.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010442.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010443.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010445.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010447.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010448.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010449.jpg
httphttp://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010455.jpg://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010454.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010456.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010457.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010458.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010459.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010460.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010462.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010465.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010466.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010467.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010468.jpg

[the capitan]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010469.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010470.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010464.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f336/binksuk/P1010463.jpg

[StormCrow]

Looking better every day!

That's the next job I've gotta tackle on mine - the outside is nigh on done but the headlining is shot and the pillars / sunroof also need re-covering...

Can't decide whether to do that before or after I change the timing chain and tensioners :roll:

[K-900]

I think I need to bring my car to your place for a detail!

Do you have a job :lol: ?

Very nice work, it's good to see someone saving cars not breaking them and fleecing us for money ;)

Kenny.

[Pap]

Awesome! Looking great. Any updates?

[the capitan]

well i havent updated in a little while not much to tell really i have been spending time on trying to get the interior up to standard taking out all switches etc etc cleaning dash etc etc

i have come to the conclusion that the carpets let the interior down massivly so i am on the look out for standard colour dark grey carpet front and rear.....
when i have this sorted there isnt anything left for me to do as the rest is for the proffessionals i.e front wings and bonnet replacemnet and respray

[TooMany2cvs]

i have come to the conclusion that the carpets let the interior down massivly so i am on the look out for standard colour dark grey carpet front and rear.....
when i have this sorted there isnt anything left for me to do as the rest is for the proffessionals i.e front wings and bonnet replacemnet and respray

Blimey, wish the carpets and bonnet on mine "needed replacing" _that_ badly...

Nice series of pics of the headlining replacement, btw - high on my list. How many metres of material did you use? Any gotchas?

[nnamssorxela]

How does one just do the sun roof? mine is perfect, but the sun roof section is shredded (I thought this was weird). Is it as easy as just taking it out and glueing the stuff on?

thanks,
Alex

[StormCrow]

Blimey, wish the carpets and bonnet on mine "needed replacing" _that_ badly...

Nice series of pics of the headlining replacement, btw - high on my list. How many metres of material did you use? Any gotchas?

Where did you get your headlining material from? I've gotta do the same on my 5 door (including the pillars etc)

Cheers!

[TooMany2cvs]

Where did you get your headlining material from?

I've got a bunch of samples from http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/ - the Empire Grey (at about £7.50/mtr/50" wide) foam backed brushed vinyl looks to be about the right stuff.

[Breakin5speeds]

Very nice job on the headliner....it is an art...IMHO I believe you should buy some vinyl dye/spraypaint and paint the visors and the trim, I don't believe you can get it in white (though I could be wrong), but I know grey is available and it would tie into the rest of the interior nicely and get rid on that yellow tinge on the trim which really takes away from the otherwise flawless job...do that and the carpets and I think you car would look like it just rolled out of the factory:cheesy:

[StormCrow]

I've got a bunch of samples from http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/ - the Empire Grey (at about £7.50/mtr/50" wide) foam backed brushed vinyl looks to be about the right stuff.

Sorry TooMany2cvs - I was actually aiming the question at The Capitan but that is good information anyway! (Was struggling to find a decent online supplier - best I'd found was on Ebay!)

Looks to be the right sort of colour, to be honest anything would be better than what's in there at the moment (previous owner has CUT the big bubble out - i.e. from the front seats back!!)

Anyone got any idea how much I'd need to do the whole headlining on a 5 door, plus the sunroof, plus the pillars?

Cheers!!

Pete

[TooMany2cvs]

(previous owner has CUT the big bubble out - i.e. from the front seats back!!)

Wish they'd done that on mine - they've slit the big bubbles, and slipped some glue behind - so I've got lots of smaller bubbles and lots of big blodges of hard glue... Gawd knows what they're going to have done to the backing...

[the capitan]

ok folks i bought 2 meters for the headlining and then another 1.0 1.5 meters for the sunroof panel.the material i bought was from a company called trim'll fix it based in exeter in devon,
they have quite a range of leather and suedes etc etc it cost me in total including the high temp glue as this is a must or you are wasting your time... £40.00 plus a 4 pack of beers for the sunroof bit!!!
so was extremly cheap, i replaced a sunroof section on saturday for my friend will he had his headlining replaced 2 years ago and still looks mint but they didnt do the sunroof panel as they said it wasnt an easy job, i told him i would do it and he is chuffed to bits , kinda thinking that any saab meets that i go to now i might do a while you wait service??....... what are your thoughts on this???

it is straight forward all i can say is take everything out carefully and and note where it goes and dont force anything , keep your hands scrupulously clean at all times (i know this is hard as there is quite a lot of grease to contened with )
you have to be extra careful when taking off the old lining as the plastic strips are very brittle and snap very easily ........

[the capitan]

one more thing ...

yes there are a few gotcha you have got to look out for......


1) take all headlining furniture off and out keeping all the bits together

2) carfully dont not bend!! the headlining and take out of the car, make note of how the sunroof cut out area is attached to the roof ?? sometimes stuck with tape, some times just the trim which holds it in place (this is important as there are different size holes in the biscuit for the headlining,some the material sticks to the roof in the finishing stages and some not) i have always folded the seats down and taken it out the boot at an angle...

3) take off all old material and scrub the board with a semi stiff brush you will understand what i mean when you do this you need to take off all of the old foam backing from the board do not scrub to hard you dont want to damage the board

3.5) double check the board for splits cracks breaks etc etc chunks missing and soggy areas prone places rear windows!!!!!! front around sun visors location holes dont worry to much, if they are not too bad you can try and repair with duck tape or very thin layers of fibreglass resin(ready mixed stuff)

4) place headlining biscuit on the floor and take the rolled up headling material and place at the front of the board(sunvisors)roll back untill you reach the sunroof section and stop, fold back the material so you reveal the biscuit,

5) now spray the glue onto the board yes use lots of this dont be shy and dont put to little on dont not soak the thing but be very generous you dont want to be doing this again anytime soon... as soon as you have sprayed the glue on place the material on to the biscuit, make sure you press firmly down on the indented areas making sure you get the correct shape! I DO NOT USE BARE FINGERS FOR THIS AS THE GLUE GETS EVERYWHERE AND NO MATTER HOW CLEAN YOUR HANDS ARE THEY DO LEAVE MARKS ON THE MATERIAL AND IT IS EASY TO WEAR THROUGH!!! USE AN OFF CUT OF MATERIAL FROM THE HEADLINING AND SMOOTH DOWN WITH THAT!

6) repeat process all the way back the board be very carful not to strech material to far as there is a pattern in it

7) the light in the centre of the board that is a little tricky but dont worry too much about it you can rectify the situation a little later on the rear sagging area please apply copius amounts of glue to this area!!! obvious reasons

8)when headlining trimming is complete you must finish it off by folding the cloth over the board and glueing to the other side try and leave about 1 inch max all around the board ( if you leave more you will accidently cover up the roof handles and when you place biscuit back into car and put all the handles back in the screws will go in to the right places but it will twist the excess fabric up and possibly tighten the material too much,crush the board and ruin the work you have done on the board)

9) the sunroof hole now depending on what type of board you have depends on how you tackle this next bit, if it is an over sized hole on the board then cut out the hole when in place and leave and inch spare all the way round the hole to allow gluing to the roof and to fold over and be glued the other side of the roof. if it is the sort that the hole in the biscuit is the same size as the hole in the sunroof then this is easy you can just trim as normal and when you place the biscuit back onto the roof the sunroof trim will hold the biscuit and material in place. so very easy

10) replace all headlining furniture and sit back and enjoy your newly refurbished headlining!!!!! i will post up about the sunroof panel when i can cheers

any questions feel free to ask

[TooMany2cvs]

<snip top tips>
Thanks for that. Makes it a less daunting prospect.

i will post up about the sunroof panel when i can

That I definitely want to see, because the inside of my sunroof is currently bare metal, so I don't even know what I'm aiming at!

[Tomarse]

3.5) double check the board for splits cracks breaks etc etc chunks missing and soggy areas prone places rear windows!!!!!! front around sun visors location holes dont worry to much, if they are not too bad you can try and repair with duck tape or very thin layers of fibreglass resin(ready mixed stuff)


PVA glue also works well to fix breaks. I used a paper-mache approach with one of mine and it is still looking good - I used bits of thick sugar paper glued on with PVA. a couple of layers did the job.

[StormCrow]

ok folks i bought 2 meters for the headlining and then another 1.0 1.5 meters for the sunroof panel.the material i bought was from a company called trim'll fix it based in exeter in devon,
they have quite a range of leather and suedes etc etc it cost me in total including the high temp glue as this is a must or you are wasting your time... £40.00 plus a 4 pack of beers for the sunroof bit!!!

Lovely - I'll give them a ring. Do you know the colour you went for?


kinda thinking that any saab meets that i go to now i might do a while you wait service??....... what are your thoughts on this???


Sounds like a GREAT idea! :cheesy: Of course I would imagine money could/would change hands as well for your time... (just thinking whether I could get a headlining in the post to ya!) :lol:

[the capitan]

ok the sunroof bit.................

YOU WILL NEED TO WASH YOUR HANDS QUITE A LOT DURING THIS NEXT PROCESS AS A BIT GREASY.

1) firstly slide the roof back all the way

2) take the relevant size torx bit and undo the 4 screws faceing the back of the car on the sunroof

3) slide the roof back until it almost stops ,leave enough room for your fingers to put in,grab the sunroof panal and lift gently and pull it up and out avoiding hitting the roof with it as you go...(note little tags on each side at the back of the roof panel these are important later on for the re-fitting)

4) ok in front of you now looking from the drivers side with the door open onto the roof,there are 4 lots of fixings each with two bolts on them,the front two just undo them and remove and put somewhere safe, the rear two remove and lift the silver plates and place somewhere safe.

5) lift and slide back towards your body the nickel coloured fixings on each side at the front place with screws, now lift the rear fixings on both sides(sometimes you might require to slide the roof back just a fraction to take the strain off of the bolts) when this is done you will probably require some assistance.

6) with one person on one side of the car and one on the other grab the sunroof panel and lift slightly and pull toward the front of the car this should be about 2 inches or so maybe more it will stop anyway, at the back of the sunroof panel there are two sprung loaded fixings one each side BOTH COVERED IN GREASE each with two bolts in them undo bolts and remove fixings on both sides...(please note there are two fixings one each side very similar to the ones removed in(5) these are directly under the metal roof panel but are above the sunroof material make sure you do not get this wrong!!)

7) to remove sunroof panel lift fixings as in (5) and pull gently forward you may or may not have to remove the under fixings at the rear but not to worry too much at this stage lift roof out with help of second person...

8) with this panel in hand you will notice that it is glued in several places on the metal and you will see that the fabric is folded over and glued to itself yes this is correct!! there will be a plastic covering strip at each end of the roof panel, gently lift them off of the metal please be careful as they are very brittle, these will be stiched onto the fabric, get a sharp stanley blade and run it along the edge of the plastic cutting the stiching ,this will then make the material removal effortless,place plastic to one side.

9) with the headlining material facing the correct way place sunroof panel on the top of it spray glue one end of the metal and immediatly stick material to it then spray glue the top side of the sunroof panel (same end)and continue to stck the fabric over the lip if you see what i mean , so the fabric should go up one side and down the other.... make sure it does this and only sticks to the flat piece of metal about 5mm

10) repeat this step exactly to the other end of the roof panel, what i did is to place the freshly glued end on the floor and rest the panal on your thighs lift the panel up and suspend it by the fabric so the weight is held by the fabric, wrap the fabric as before up and over the metal lip and trim to desired length about 5mm , the fabric should be nice and taught now, loose at the sides but taught all over

11) looking down on the sunroof panel from the top again notice the areas on the sides where the glue used to be spray glue into those areas and using the same method stretch fabric over and stick fabric onto the metal, cut excess fabric away dont trim too much though just enough so you can see what your doing,there is a little square between the foam strip and the rear mounting holes put some spray glue there on both sides and stick fabric to it cut excess fabric back and glue as origional as in (8) once it looks as though it is finished get a new stanley blade and cut slits in the fabric on the metal bump bits on the side of the panel on each side let a piece of about 2 mm stick out it wont be stuck to anything this is supposed to be like this and is very important not to get wrong, the bracket that are placed directly under the spring loaded clips are placed inbetween the fabric and roof panel go through these slits put them in and replace the spring loaded fixings do not tighten up yet as they need to be adjusted when in position later.

12) with the help of second pair of hands place roof panel in the hole the same way as you took it out back end in first becarful lining up the spring fixing brackets under neath when you think these are in push fixings toward centre of the car and tighten up this is quite challenging the roof into position ish and put back on the rear metal fixing strips replace thin metal strips ont he rear fixings and replace nuts do not ighten yet make sure roof is slide fully forward and replace front fixing brackets push bracket to centre of car and tighten up repaet on other side and then tighten rear fixings.

13) turn on ignition and slowly in steps open roof checking that nothing rubs or knocks or fouls anything on its journey back once fully open close until nearly shut stop and replace sunroof lid (remember the tags these go directly under the spring flaps at the back this will indicat if you have them in the right place now!!) and replace screws on the leading edge which you will now have to find the holes (as now coverd with new material ) tighten up and now the job is complete!!!


14) ENJOY again feel free to ask questions

[StormCrow]

Great walkthrough there Sir!

One question - what is your trade? Do you do this full time or are you just very talented in restoring old cars?! :o

[the capitan]

:) haha no i work for myself i run a company called blink communications we specialize in business contracts for company mobiles , sat nav, incar handsfree including bluetooth, bluetooth marketing etc etc


i just cant justify paying somebody to do a half decent job when i feel i can do it myself i will do anything i can but when its the big stuff im afraid i dont have the tools to do the jobs at hand so unfortunatly i have to pay the professionals....... otherwise i would try and do it myself, i want to take the engine out of mine but i dont fancy being outside freezing cold wrong tools etc etc no garage blah blah i like doing the jobs in comfort hahahaha

i have had a lot of compliments on my headling and looking at what they charge maybe i should change business!!! :)

[fliptopbin]

Sorry for the O/T

Capitan, could you drop me an email or PM when you have a mo please? :)