Headliner pre-cut material

[darek_u]

Some time ago I remember reading a thread where somebody posted a link to a place where you can buy a pre-cut headliner material, same as OEM. I spent last hour browsing through all of the threads with word "headliner" but I can't find it... I think it was a US based seller that imported the material from Germany and the price range was around $290 I think? Can somebody point me towards a right direction please... I looked through the material samples at my local upholstery shop but none was a perfect match to OEM. I'd like to stick with original look...

 

[r44raven]

As far as I know, the OEM headliner material has been NLA for some time ............ but I'll stand corrected ?

 

[Ntrepid]

Shop - Headliner Express

www.headlinerexpress.com

This comes uncut and in a roll with the foam. Supposed to be a match.


Robert

 

[darek_u]

This is the one I was looking for. Thank you!

 

[TimL]

So today my headliner started sagging. Does anyone know how much effort is involved in removing the headliner and is it possible to reattach the existing vinyl (which is still in great shape apart from the fact that it has detached) or do I need to buy new cover material? Thanks in advance for any advice folks might have.

 

[r44raven]

I think the experience of anyone who has attempted to reuse the original material, is that it is NEVER successful. My upholsterer was desperate to try and save the original covering (as at that time it appeared new supplies were NLA - although it seems from this thread that this is not the case) - but within a month or so it sagged again.
Removing the headliner is time consuming, but not difficult - and you need to take care when removing the C pillar trims, as the plastic retaining clips can become brittle and break. I think there is an MB service sheet on how to get it out of the car once it is removed - if I recall the front seat backrests have to be at their most reclined position, then you can feed the headlining out thro' the front passenger door. Someone else on the Board may have more info on that?

 

[TimL]

Thank you Stephen! Sounds like I will need to buy some material then instead of spending a ton of money on removal and reinstall only to have it drop again.

Really hope the material that Ntrepid linked above is a good match, because I just bought a NOS OEM sunroof headliner including frame and I would hate to have to sell it again after spending a lot of time sourcing it

 

[kwontumspeed]

Someone on peachparts has a step by step, very comprehensive. Do a search. This is what I used and it's spot on. The headliner comes out the back doors.

edit: W124 Headliner Replacement Photos - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

 

[LWB250]

I have done the headliner in several different models, including the W124. While it's well within my ability to do so, in the past few years I've taken mine to a professional and had them replace the fabric. I'll remove and reinstall the headliner/backer board itself, then take it to my trusted upholstery guy to do the actual fabric replacement.

The thing I've found to be an issue when doing the fabric yourself is the time consuming and rather nasty job of removing every last possible bit of old glue and backing foam. If you leave even the slightest bit of this stuff on the backer board, your fabric will come loose - guaranteed. This is a tedious and nasty job involving powerful solvents, and has to be done to a level that is near impossible for success.

I had the headliner done in a 400E a couple of years ago and I believe it cost me under $200 out the door with close to original fabric. That's compared to a good 3-4 hours of stripping old glue and all the related mess and hassle. Money well spent.

And yes, you have to take the headliner out through the left front passenger door with the seats reclined as far as they'll go. It's a bit of a puzzle but it can be done. You just have to be patient and think it through.

Dan

 

[TimL]

I have done the headliner in several different models, including the W124. While it's well within my ability to do so, in the past few years I've taken mine to a professional and had them replace the fabric. I'll remove and reinstall the headliner/backer board itself, then take it to my trusted upholstery guy to do the actual fabric replacement.

The thing I've found to be an issue when doing the fabric yourself is the time consuming and rather nasty job of removing every last possible bit of old glue and backing foam. If you leave even the slightest bit of this stuff on the backer board, your fabric will come loose - guaranteed. This is a tedious and nasty job involving powerful solvents, and has to be done to a level that is near impossible for success.

I had the headliner done in a 400E a couple of years ago and I believe it cost me under $200 out the door with close to original fabric. That's compared to a good 3-4 hours of stripping old glue and all the related mess and hassle. Money well spent.

And yes, you have to take the headliner out through the left front passenger door with the seats reclined as far as they'll go. It's a bit of a puzzle but it can be done. You just have to be patient and think it through.

Dan

Awesome, thank you Dan!

 

[gsxr]

I have no idea how the PP guy extracted the headliner out the rear doors, especially without bending anything. Might be worth a try since he said it worked.

The FSM says to go out the front passenger door, link & screenshot below. Section "C" applies to the M119 W124 models.

http://w124-zone.com/downloads/MB%20CD/W124/w124CD2/Program/Chassis/68-430.pdf

 

[LWB250]

I have no idea how the PP guy extracted the headliner out the rear doors, especially without bending anything. Might be worth a try since he said it worked.

The FSM says to go out the front passenger door, link & screenshot below. Section "C" applies to the M119 W124 models.

http://w124-zone.com/downloads/MB%20CD/W124/w124CD2/Program/Chassis/68-430.pdf

View attachment 92955 View attachment 92956

I've done this on several W124 chassis cars and I can't imagine how one would get it out the back door. Front right door is the only way I've ever been able to do it, and believe me, I've tried to find an easier way.

As for taking the headliner to a professional, it's just so, so much easier, and they do a really, really nice job which can be hard for a DIY'er to do. There are some inside curves and indentations that despite my efforts I could never get properly glued, but my upholstery guy does it without an issue and it stays glued for a long, long time. And that's a real challenge in my part of the world (Florida, U.S.A.).

Dan

 

[kwontumspeed]

I read the front door in a few posts and was baffled when I saw this rear on his instructions. But it makes sense and works. You sneak the rear corner out the passenger rear which then give is enough clearance for the front tip to make it between the top of the rear door and the roof-line. Then it shimmies out easily. No bends. Front or back, it is a bit of tetris, but patience is your friend.

 

[Ctibulschii]

Has anyone tried headliner express how good is the match? Mine is ‘94 cream beige interior
Thank you

 

[darek_u]

I tried but they didn't want to ship to EU. Maybe someone else can chime in here?

 

[TimL]

I bought from them 6 months ago, but haven't had it installed yet. I can take a look over the weekend and compare their material to the NOS sunroof headliner I haven't unboxed yet. Unless someone else has an answer readily available for you...

 

[Kyiv]

@TimL, that'd be nice - thanks

 

[kwontumspeed]

I replaced mine from a local fabric store that was a close match, grained with a little shimmer to it. In the light it doesn’t look like it would match but installed it’s barely noticeable at all even in full bright sunlight reflections. Very happy with the close match. It cost me $60 for 6 yards and I gave my unused portion to @sheward (so really $30). I can take pics installed if you like but it’ll be very difficult to replicate in photos.

 

[darek_u]

Question for those of you who replaced original material with something else but close look. The new material - was it laminated with 2-3mm of foam, like the original? I have the material, very very close to original (I think it comes from newer MB models) but it is not a thin vinyl on foam but a very thick type of vinyl with no cushion. I'm wondering if it will look ok, newer mind the soft feeling but foam allows to compensate for any imperfections in the headliner shell...

 

[gerryvz]

@darek_u — I replaced my headliner material some years ago with a stock gray material used in more recent MBs. It's softer and very slightly "fuzzy" on the surface, and backed with foam. I decided to use this rather than alcantara (which I also had as an option). The exact stock MB material from the factory was NLA, or at least the shop I used could not order it. I have been very happy with this gray material used in 2000s MBs.

 

[kwontumspeed]

Question for those of you who replaced original material with something else but close look. The new material - was it laminated with 2-3mm of foam, like the original? I have the material, very very close to original (I think it comes from newer MB models) but it is not a thin vinyl on foam but a very thick type of vinyl with no cushion. I'm wondering if it will look ok, newer mind the soft feeling but foam allows to compensate for any imperfections in the headliner shell...

Thanks for pointing this out.
The material I used had no foam, but it had more of a cotton mesh thin layer instead of nothing at all. This allowed for some forgiveness but not as much as foam obviously. Enough that the imperfections in the fiberglass blend well enough into the 'grain' of the fabric itself that it isn't noticeable especially given it's location above your head (out of sight/mind). My mom who used to do headliners and was in the interior design business was very impressed and noted how well it blended in. Note that she is not one to coddle her children, quite the opposite. If she didn't like the way it turned out, even just slightly, it would've been mentioned

 

[darek_u]

My material have the same kind of fabric (canvas like?) on the other side, it also has a texture that is easily noticeable. It is very thick, thicker than vinyl I've seen so far, most probably because of this material texture. I spoke with the shop owner, he says that it should look fine in the car but he was worried a bit that the heavy material can start sagging again... Well, I think I'll give it a try.

 

[darek_u]

@darek_u — I replaced my headliner material some years ago with a stock gray material used in more recent MBs. It's softer and very slightly "fuzzy" on the surface, and backed with foam. I decided to use this rather than alcantara (which I also had as an option). The exact stock MB material from the factory was NLA, or at least the shop I used could not order it. I have been very happy with this gray material used in 2000s MBs.

I personally don't like alcantara, frankly speaking - I don't know why people get crazy about it... Funny thing is that the material I bought was described as MB OE material and seller ensured me that it is for W124... I wish I had a picture of it with me. I took me looong time to find it, the only place that sells it in EU that I know of is Tissens in France. See this but the picture there is not perfect for sure.

 

[kwontumspeed]

My material have the same kind of fabric (canvas like?) on the other side, it also has a texture that is easily noticeable. It is very thick, thicker than vinyl I've seen so far, most probably because of this material texture. I spoke with the shop owner, he says that it should look fine in the car but he was worried a bit that the heavy material can start sagging again... Well, I think I'll give it a try.

My material was heavy too, relatively speaking. But as long as you are using a generous amount of adhesive (not too much of course) it won't be a problem. Frankly I think you get more risk from sagging from the foam separation when aging and exposed to temperatures. I feel a lot more comfortable without the foam there, glued to the substrate directly, in respect to any sagging. My 'consultant' had agreed on this point.

 

[darek_u]

Headliner has been done so time to wrap up the thread. I must say I'm VERY happy with the outcome - the material from Tissens looks stock, you have to look at it from 20 cm or touch it to see that it is different. See below direct comparison, new material on top of old headliner:



Like I said it is thick and pretty heavy, it doesn't have the foam cushion but shop owner said it is very good quality and pleasant to work with. He used thermally activated glue to to fix it, according to his words it is more probable that the whole headliner shell will fall on my head rather that the material starts sagging again... We will see. Anyway, it looks very stock minus the soft feeling, the texture of the new material allowed to dissipate the minor imperfections of the fibreglass shell. On a side note upholsterer said that the shell was very smooth anyway, he didn't have to use any putty or something similar to fill in the holes etc. Few more pics;

 

[Ntrepid]

Has anyone tried headliner express how good is the match? Mine is ‘94 cream beige interior
Thank you

I had the headliner in mine done with material from Headliner Express. My headliner was gray so I cannot speak for the color match to others but I will tell you that the headliner looks and feels factory.

I need to update my owner thread with the pictures.

Robert

 

[gerryvz]

That looks very nice and it would be very difficult to tell apart from the original. Congrats !

 

[Kyiv]

@darek_u, may I ask, what was the installation cost in Poland (or Cyprus)?

 

[darek_u]

@darek_u, may I ask, what was the installation cost in Poland (or Cyprus)?

Sure you can. I paid 800 PLN, that is approx. 170 EUR. I delivered the headliner removed, he cleaned it and applied new material. It is somewhat expensive for Poland and this type of service, I could get it done little cheaper but this guy did a lot of excellent work for me when I was restoring my Porsche. I trust him fully and trust is priceless

 

[darek_u]

That looks very nice and it would be very difficult to tell apart from the original. Congrats !

Thank you very much for your kind words sir

 

[topinhas]

Headliner has been done so time to wrap up the thread. I must say I'm VERY happy with the outcome - the material from Tissens looks stock, you have to look at it from 20 cm or touch it to see that it is different. See below direct comparison, new material on top of old headliner:

View attachment 123890

Like I said it is thick and pretty heavy, it doesn't have the foam cushion but shop owner said it is very good quality and pleasant to work with. He used thermally activated glue to to fix it, according to his words it is more probable that the whole headliner shell will fall on my head rather that the material starts sagging again... We will see. Anyway, it looks very stock minus the soft feeling, the texture of the new material allowed to dissipate the minor imperfections of the fibreglass shell. On a side note upholsterer said that the shell was very smooth anyway, he didn't have to use any putty or something similar to fill in the holes etc. Few more pics;

View attachment 123891View attachment 123892View attachment 123893

Great work, congratulations.

I need to do the same in my 500, I have the headliner sagging for 3 years now... It's cheap to repair but I wanted a material that looks original. The closest I got was a manufacturer in Germany, who stop responding my emails :-(

This french manufacturer is perfect for me. How many linear meters have your ordered? Your headliner is also Bege, isn't it?

Thank you very much

 

[darek_u]

My headliner is light grey, pictures may not be perfect. Tissens sells this material in running meters or whatever the name is for one meter of 1.40m wide roll. I ordered 2 m and received 2.05 m. This was juuust enough as per the shop, they said that optimal amount is 2.15m. Anyway, it is possible to do the headliner with 2 m only, the amount of material that Mercedes used for overlaps is just unbelievable.

 

[topinhas]

My headliner is light grey, pictures may not be perfect. Tissens sells this material in running meters or whatever the name is for one meter of 1.40m wide roll. I ordered 2 m and received 2.05 m. This was juuust enough as per the shop, they said that optimal amount is 2.15m. Anyway, it is possible to do the headliner with 2 m only, the amount of material that Mercedes used for overlaps is just unbelievable.

Thank you for your reply.

My headliner is beige color, but the beige vinil that Tissens have has a very different appearance from the one in my car. Looks like the ones on the W123, it's not similar to the one you have in grey, which is factory looking. Guess I have to continue my searching, unfortunately.

 

[PJmak]

How do I determine what color I need?

This is for my w202. They have a few options on headliner express website. Mine is either the cream or the gray. Its pretty hard to tell.

Headliner Color	Cream – MB57 Vinyl, Gray – MB59 Vinyl, Palomino – MB46 Vinyl

Also along the sides a factory w202 liner is dark color but its all one piece cloth. How would one go about recreating this factory look instead of having the whole piece one color. See pic below

 

[Stevester 500E]

How do I determine what color I need?

This is for my w202. They have a few options on headliner express website. Mine is either the cream or the gray. Its pretty hard to tell.

Headliner Color	Cream – MB57 Vinyl, Gray – MB59 Vinyl, Palomino – MB46 Vinyl

Also along the sides a factory w202 liner is dark color but its all one piece cloth. How would one go about recreating this factory look instead of having the whole piece one color. See pic below

View attachment 125474

I would go to a local shap to see if they can redo your headliner with your original material. I realize that many DIYer's have been unsuccessful at this, but a professional shop might be able to do it. Most shops will probably try and talk you into redoing it with non-factory material.

I looked into the head liner express website. There material does not come with an attached foam pad.

 

[LeeWireless]

GAHH Automotive has what you need. They will even send you a sample for free. Talk to Norma Lopez @ 818-432-3757.

 

[Kyiv]

I received a kit: headliner material (cream vinyl) + a roll of backing foam from headlinerexpress.com yesterday. It's a near perfect match to the original. Supposedly made in Germany too. Original is on the left side, replacement on the right:



A slightly closer shot. Left side is original, right is replacement:


The headliner guy said he will be using this cement. @LWB250, pushing against your experience, do you have anything against it?

 

[Ntrepid]

Weldwood is what my guy used to do my headliner. It is also what the guy at Headliner Express recommended.


Robert

 

[PJmak]

The backing foam is separate from the headliner?

 

[Kyiv]

The backing foam is separate from the headliner?

below info is from the listing on the - Headliner Express:


NOTE: These Headliner Boards were manufactured using a German Vinyl Headliner & a 1/8th inch Foam Backing from the manufacture.

*Our Replacement Factory German Vinyl Headliner we offer (Does Not Come Pre-Laminated with a Foam Backing like a Factory Replacement Board would) In your Headliner Kit you will receive 3 Yards of German Vinyl and 3 Yards of 1/8″ inch Foam that will need to be lamated on your existing headliner board with Spray contact cement. You can purchase the Spray Adhesive in the related products below.

Kit Contains:
3 Yards German Vinyl
3 Yards 1/8″ Foam

 

[LWB250]

I don't know what my headliner guy uses - I've never asked. I can tell you that the 3M spray upholstery contact cement does not hold up over the long term in Florida.

I've got to take the headliner out of Mrs. Dan's SL500 over to him to do, so when I get around to it I'll ask him. You reminded me that this is on my list...

Dan

 

[ninetytwo]

Now that I've decided to do something about my sagging headliner, I find these posts to be a wealth of information. In the odd event that someone has a car without sunroof, it seems that the headliner for that configuration is still available.

I also came across this website suggesting that it carries original MB headliner materials. I don't recognize the model that uses the first assortment of "fuzzy" wool-like material. That might be a good sound-absorbing alternative to the vinyl.

 

[TimL]

I received a kit: headliner material (cream vinyl) + a roll of backing foam from headlinerexpress.com yesterday. It's a near perfect match to the original. Supposedly made in Germany too. Original is on the left side, replacement on the right:

View attachment 127958

A slightly closer shot. Left side is original, right is replacement:
View attachment 127959

The headliner guy said he will be using this cement. @LWB250, pushing against your experience, do you have anything against it?
View attachment 127962
View attachment 127963

You're living my dream, @kiev! I have had the headlinerexpress stuff lying around unopened for many months- just haven't had the time to dig it out of the parts stash and to do the comparison to the original and getting it installed. Maybe sometime this summer......

Glad to see it's such a good match though!

Please remember to tell us about the effectiveness of the seat foam cylinders when you had those installed

 

[Kyiv]

You're living my dream, @kiev! I have the headlinerexpress stuff lying around unopened for many months- just haven't had the time to dig it out of the parts stash and to do the comparison to the original and getting it installed. Maybe sometime this summer......

Glad to see it's such a good match though!

Please remember to tell us about the effectiveness of the seat foam cylinders when you had those installed

Hey! Will do. I'm waiting on the seat cushion refurbish work being completed. For "some reason" it's taking longer than it should. As soon as I have it, I'll start assembling the seat. It's currently occupying the center of my home office. Same guy is doing my headliner

I will post soon something about styrofoam blocks from your kit vs ones I have from MB

 

[nehuge]

My headliner is light grey, pictures may not be perfect. Tissens sells this material in running meters or whatever the name is for one meter of 1.40m wide roll. I ordered 2 m and received 2.05 m. This was juuust enough as per the shop, they said that optimal amount is 2.15m. Anyway, it is possible to do the headliner with 2 m only, the amount of material that Mercedes used for overlaps is just unbelievable.

What is Tissen exactly? Couldn't find it in a google search. How is that different from Headliner Express? For just the vinyl from Headliner Express's Florida plant to me in Oregon plus shipping is like $400. Then I have to have someone install it. I mean $400 for a couple yards of vinyl? Whaaaaaat?

 

[LWB250]

My headliner/upholstery guy of 20+ years in Tampa would charge me less than that to do a headliner in a W124 if I removed it and brought it in to his shop. Probably close to half that. He's done at least one for me that I recall, and it wasn't that kind of money.

Dan

 

[darek_u]

What is Tissen exactly? Couldn't find it in a google search. How is that different from Headliner Express? For just the vinyl from Headliner Express's Florida plant to me in Oregon plus shipping is like $400. Then I have to have someone install it. I mean $400 for a couple yards of vinyl? Whaaaaaat?

See link in post #23. They are located in France but ship worldwide.