[BRD1234]

Right as I was starting to have time to start mocking up and installing my HPF gen 2 exhaust copy that I'm going to be making this happens to me



Apparently my headliner on the sunroof card was sagging just enough that when I tried to open my sunroof it all just crinkled up and came off as such.

I had always wanted to do black suede headliner but I guess now it was just more of a reason to do so.

That night I had taken the sunroof shade out (which was an enormous PITA) and got all the write-ups printed out for how to take out the sunroof and attaching parts.



I've started to remove all the old fabric and clean everything off, not to mention painting all of the plastics black to match. The sun visors were not as complex as I would have thought, I just took an exacto knife and opened cut around the outside and voila it came apart.







Wish me luck, the fabric and glue has been ordered. For the glue I'm using this



I've heard a lot of good things about it and people locally swear by it.
I'll keep the pictures coming as things come together and you'll see the final product as it comes together.


Thanks everyone and for all the people before me that made write-ups to help me through it.

[fravel]

Is that mold growing on the fabric that came off the sunroof? It looks like you've got a leak up there, I'd make sure that was fixed before I put all that work in.

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by fravel

Is that mold growing on the fabric that came off the sunroof? It looks like you've got a leak up there, I'd make sure that was fixed before I put all that work in.

Not mold, just some dirt.
My headliner was ridiculously filthy from the previous owner.
If it was mold I would be freaking out right about now but it's not, I've already removed all the fabric so I know it's all good up there.

[Douche]

Wow, good luck man! Do a DYI on painting it black, must look nice

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by valter

Wow, good luck man! Do a DYI on painting it black, must look nice

Painting the parts black is one of the simplest parts.
All of the interior parts disassemble to almost nothing besides the grey plastic and the connector (which you then tape up)
After that you paint it and get the first coat on and keep layering.

I've let it dry for a couple days then I went back over it with some 400 grit to even out the imperfections and I'm gonna finish the last few coats today.

Definitely one of the more straightforward DIY's I've done.

[bloppitybloop]

Did you get the exhaust installed?

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by reckedhim

Did you get the exhaust installed?

Sadly no,
As I finished my angles and finally decided how I'm going to get all the bends done this comes up and my girlfriend is killing me each day that my car is in ultra racecar mode with no headliner.

While I'm getting the headliner finished my friend and I who are doing the exhaust are now practicing with the different types of welding (tig, mig, and arc) and we are most likely just using mig the first time around with aluminized steel piping. Then after I get the whole thing up and running and the way I want we're gonna go back with stainless tubing and make it real pretty with the tig.

I have a few local friends who are wanting me to make them one when I finish mine so I want mine to be perfect before I make a bunch for all my friends.

[bloppitybloop]

Ah, so you're making the exhaust system yourself?

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by reckedhim

Ah, so you're making the exhaust system yourself?

Yeah, I hate paying people for work no matter how perfect of a job they can do.
I have done everything to all my cars as well as my friend.

Only thing anyone else ever did was my HPFP but that's because it was free so why wouldn't I go for free.

As for the exhaust it's a fun project and I'm in no rush, I just want it done because I want to scare little children in my neighborhood.


The exhaust is going to be exactly the same thing as the HPF gen 2 but Ill play around with it to my liking

[GOS7]

Time for alcantara headliner! Just waiting for the right time to do my own.

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by Ghos7N54

Time for alcantara headliner! Just waiting for the right time to do my own.

For me alcantara was just way to expensive. For the cost of the alcantara alone I could get enough of the suede that I got which is UV treated with a warranty to do 5 headliners.
It looks the same as well.

[bloppitybloop]

Originally Posted by BRD1234

Yeah, I hate paying people for work no matter how perfect of a job they can do.
I have done everything to all my cars as well as my friend.

Only thing anyone else ever did was my HPFP but that's because it was free so why wouldn't I go for free.

As for the exhaust it's a fun project and I'm in no rush, I just want it done because I want to scare little children in my neighborhood.


The exhaust is going to be exactly the same thing as the HPF gen 2 but Ill play around with it to my liking

Awesome. I wish I had the skill to do that. Post video clips when you get everything done.

[Pete.J]

OP can you please provide insight on how you took the sunroof shade off?

I am in the same boat as you I was able to remove the actual sunroof glass in 5 mins by putting it into tilt position and taking off all 6 torx screws. Then I closed the headliner and had a look from the top and I couldn't figure out how to remove these four clips holding the headliner into the rails/tracks.

I tried to understand the clips mechanism but no luck! I didn't want to force anything coz if they broke I am screwed.

Lastly, what could possibly be the reason for the sunroof shade trim sagging like this? The fit and finish of BMW cars is supposedly one of the best. Unless the car gets mistreated obviously, I am guessing sunroof must have been left open in the rain once and water got to the glue and weakened it or something.

[fravel]

I feel like I'm seeing more and more threads like this, and they all seem to be early build E90's. I wonder if the glue isn't just getting old and this will become one of those "common old car problems" like we see with E30 dash's cracking.

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by pitos_7

OP can you please provide insight on how you took the sunroof shade off?

I am in the same boat as you I was able to remove the actual sunroof glass in 5 mins by putting it into tilt position and taking off all 6 torx screws. Then I closed the headliner and had a look from the top and I couldn't figure out how to remove these four clips holding the headliner into the rails/tracks.

I tried to understand the clips mechanism but no luck! I didn't want to force anything coz if they broke I am screwed.

Lastly, what could possibly be the reason for the sunroof shade trim sagging like this? The fit and finish of BMW cars is supposedly one of the best. Unless the car gets mistreated obviously, I am guessing sunroof must have been left open in the rain once and water got to the glue and weakened it or something.

That was the biggest pain in the but for me as no one has explained how to do it.
It's really hard to explain but once I put it back in or have time to go snap a pic I'll show you.
If you looked at it for a while you'll start to figure it out, there are four sliding tabs that have to be pushed in towards the center of the sunroof as well as the rail that pushes it forward has to be taken off. I'll try and snap some pictures.

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by fravel

I feel like I'm seeing more and more threads like this, and they all seem to be early build E90's. I wonder if the glue isn't just getting old and this will become one of those "common old car problems" like we see with E30 dash's cracking.

The sunroof shade fabric has done this on both of the BMW's I've owned. (e39 & e92)
I live in Miami so I religioulsy use my sunroof not only as a way to vent all of the 1000 degree heat but to help circulate so it's quickly worn out.

This contact cement I bought is like a rock. I can not separate the fabric once the two pieces are pushed together. I have actually separated the suede from the backing by doing so so I hope it solves the problem.

[shadow191]

Cars are getting older plus heat and humidity. It's just glue and BMW isn't going to use anything radically different than most other car makers. I see plenty of older cars with sagging headliners. I remember back in the 1980's, my parents had an Oldsmobile where the headliner sagged 3 years in and a Dodge van that did it in about the same time. Obviously going to be less common on a BMW, but still.

Based on the number of rattles on my E92, BMW fit and finish isn't all that great. They make great cars that are well engineered, but I don't know if I'd say their fit and finish is one of the best.

Originally Posted by pitos_7

Lastly, what could possibly be the reason for the sunroof shade trim sagging like this? The fit and finish of BMW cars is supposedly one of the best. Unless the car gets mistreated obviously, I am guessing sunroof must have been left open in the rain once and water got to the glue and weakened it or something.

[BeastMode335i]

pics of finished headliner?

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by BeastMode335i

pics of finished headliner?

Still have to finish the C panels and then put them back together. I had to order more suede because the C panels are a complete B***h to recover.

Not to mention about a week and a half ago my Oil filter housing gasket took a crap on me. I leaked a whole quart of oil in half a day then I realized it was dripping profusely. Got that done in a couple hours but still took my time up for the week.

here's a piece of it though that I did take a picture of. I have a few more pictures of doing the corners and how I did all of the edges as well.

[BeastMode335i]

Could you just apply that fabric over the factory stuff using that glue???

[BRD1234]

Originally Posted by BeastMode335i

Could you just apply that fabric over the factory stuff using that glue???

Probably, my friend did it that way on his G35 coupe but I would never do it that way because my intent is to keep this car for the entirety of it's life so by taking off all of the old stuff I give myself a new surface to start fresh on which will be worth it in the long run.

If you just want to do it quickly though I would just leave the old stuff on as this has taken me quite some time. The most annoying thing has been painting.

I started off by buying Krylon rattle cans in satin black but after 3 light coats the aerosol they use just messes with the paint and I have to start new.
I bought a quart of jet black satin paint and I'm spraying it through my detailing spray gun to be able to get plenty of light coats down.

[BeastMode335i]

Truu, makes sense if you plan on keeping it forever..