Fellow Bricksters,

I am going to purchase a headliner kit from IPD to fix our 740GL that has the fabric coming off the roof big time. Before I start this however (and it seems like a big job) I would like to know if the centre part of the headliner should fit snug to the roof, ours seem to have a movement of 1/2 - 1" in it when you push it up mainly around the interior light.

I do not believe the backing is broken, however I was wondering whether there is a clip on the back to secure it a bit tighter, or maybe apply double sided tape???

Cheers Everyone...

Yes, there is a clip over the light to answer your question. It's a small metal one that will come out by pulling the headliner towards the rear of the car slightly. I just did this job for the first time on my '89 740 16 valve. I made a couple of mistakes when gluing the material to the shell, but nothing too bad. The sunroof was a real PITA to take out. Be sure and make a note of how everything comes out and take your time. Preparation is key to make the headliner look good. I used a small vacuum cleaner and a stiff bristled brush to clean the headliner shell. As someone else mentioned, be sure to jack up the passenger side of the car to make removal/installation of the headliner shell easier. I love the new look of my headliner compared to how it was. Definately worth doing as it made my interior look new again.

Good luck,
Dave

PS: Be sure to follow IPD's instructions for that kit.

The notroious 740 headliner problem.
The fabric is glued to a fiberboard, and it comes out in two pieces and the sunroof needs to be removed to get the front piece out. Hope you don't have a sunroof. Oh and you have to remove the rear window glass to get teh back 1/2 out of a sedan. The new fabric is put on the fiberboard and then put back into the car held with the trim pieces and a few screws.
Good Luck!
--
'89 245 Sportwagon, '04 V70 2.5T Sportwagon

No need at all to remove rear window on a sedan.
The backing comes out in one piece diagonally thru the passenger door. Jack up the passenger side so the backing can clear the ground. If you have a sunroof the backing tends to break at the narrowest points at the sunroof corners. Volvo advises that you support there with strips of wood and clamps while working on it . Once it breaks it is difficult to repair. Tends to disintegrate.