Faded package shelf.

Has anybody wrapped their rear package shelf with headliner material? My car was not garage so my a pillars, c pillars and package shelf are faded. I can't imagine I would find red interior panels that were in better shape at a junkyard.

carguy8888 wrote:

Has anybody wrapped their rear package shelf with headliner material? My car was not garage so my a pillars, c pillars and package shelf are faded. I can't imagine I would find red interior panels that were in better shape at a junkyard.

I absolutely would not cover the package shelf with headliner material.  The replacement headliner yardage such as "Surcolor" that I bought, well what I bought faded *quickly.*  I guess it's for garage queens... oh well...

What I actually did was to have an upholsterer replace the rear package shelf carpeting.  I removed the shelf, bought the adhesive and yardage, and gave it to her to recover.  Actually, you can do it yourself if you want, its not magic and not difficult.  You take the old carpet off the package shelf board and more or less sand off what does not pull off.  You replace it using spray adhesive (3M makes one labeled "headliner and fabric" but just get the one recommended by whom you buy the yardage from) What you replace it with is basically the same stuff on it originally, automotive needlepunch carpet with no backing.    You can do  a web search for trade names such as "superflex" or "ozite."  If you are in or near a larger city you may find someone who details cars for the trade who has some on hand,  or on the web you will find the suppliers for the hobbyists.  I bought from yourautotrim.com.  I ordered "Cordovan" because no one else said they had it, when it arrived it turned out to be maroon.  I was not happy, but replaced the shelf carpeting with it anyway -- oddly enough, when viewed through the tinted windows it looks like a **perfect** match.  So the replacement turned out fine.  

One of the service writers at the GM dealer I go to for some service (she's civil but no BS) looked at it after it was done, looked at me arched her eyebrows and said, "this looks as good as factory."

I'll reiterate -- I would not use headliner on the package shelf.  Get the carpet.  At 80" wide, you only need one yard ($19.00) of it. Use the excess to make a couple pillows for the back seat (he he).  Since reupholstering my pillars and shelf (my headliner is pristine. I don't smoke, I keep candy/mints in the ashtray) it's been a bit more than a year now.  The package shelf is fine, still looks great.  The A and  C pillars are already fading to tan/gray by the window openings. On the whole they look OK and the foam and fabric are holding up but for the dye job...  

Albertj

You're right I should know better, the headliner material is going to disintegrate.

carguy8888 wrote:

You're right I should know better, the headliner material is going to disintegrate.

Don't be so hard on yourself, there's no way you'd know for sure -- headliner material looks good and isn't hard to get. It's just that having "been there done that" I figured it best to just directly tell you what actually happened with me. That 'ozite' carpet is the shiznit, no wonder they used it on the package shelf. The headliner material is fine but again the dye, at least in my case, can't be what the auto manufacturers are specifying/using 'cause it fades so quickly.

I'm disappointed in myself because I was in the business and I should have known that. I may start with the a pilars because they're in my face.

carguy8888 wrote:

I'm disappointed in myself because I was in the business and I should have known that. I may start with the a pilars  because they're in my face.

Again, don't be so hard on yourself.

Be sure to consult a diagram showing the A pillar cover attachment points before you pull the covers. You will probably want to use a steel trim tool to help ease them off but whatever you do be careful because over the years the plastic will have become brittle. The area next to the windshield is helpful to grip the covers. If your old covers are still in one piece although tattered, use them as a pattern for the new fabric *but* add about 1 cm (1/2 inch) all around. On the originals the supplier for GM used staples to fix the covers in place. Unless you have access to such a stapler, you will need a wider edge allowance to glue down so the fabric will stay.

I also had some issues getting the edges to *stay* glued down. Fixed that by regluing with common rubber cement; spread it on both fabric and plastic, let it get tacky, then press into place. Never figured out why that happened.

I'm going to have my stereo right away, they wrap boxes at all sorts of stuff when I bring my car in for other stuff.

Does the third brake light separate easily from the rear deck shelf to wrap it?

carguy8888 wrote:

Does the third brake light separate easily from the rear deck shelf to wrap it?

It will be obvious how to detach it once you get the package shelf out, and it's no big deal to do so.

Great, that's the next plan.

carguy8888 wrote:

Great, that's the next plan.

Yep. Once the seat is out, detach the electrical connectors and the shelf basically lifts off. Be sure to see the factory service manual for details.

Perfect, thank you Albert.