T-top head liner removal and reinstall?

[Hemlock]

I am trying to fix some of the noise problems in my 84 RS and I am hearing some bad rattling when driving coming from what sounds like a metal on metal or hard plastic on metal from inside of the head liner on the passenger side of the car behind the t-top. I checked the Sail panel and molding on that side of the car and it seems to be firm against the side panel so now I am wondering what else it could be. I thought maybe it might be the wiring for the dome light but that doesn't sound likely. It is driving me nuts when driving the car! I am considering removing the factory head liner and sound proofing the entire roof of the car with Peel and Seal but I am worried that after I take out the factory head liner I won't be able to get it back in properly. The head liner already has a few shrinking issues around the map light and the top of the front window.

Can you take out the factory head liner and put it back in without issue or am I gonna need a new head liner if I do it?

Any help would be much appreciated,
Robert

[Blainer]

There is sound deadener material above the headliner like they used on the floor. After time the "squares" become loose and could cause noise from moving around.

[Pace Car]

I found 2 rivets, that hold the frame work that Ford installs into the cut portion of the roof, were broken or missing. This allowed the roof behind the T-top to have very little rigidity as both were beside each other. These rivets were behind the moulding though and required much disassembly which I was doing anyways. There is sound deadening material in the roof, but I doubt it could make any noise. As long as your headliner is still attached to its backer board, you should be able to reinstall it after removal without any problem.

[85_GT]

Sounds familiar; there is a metal backer strip pop riveted under the roof sheet metal to the t-top frame. Mine was missing 6 rivets and this backer strip was rattling.

You must remove both the headliner and the trip piece on the roof to access these pop rivets and re-install the strip.

[85GTTops]

What you are hearing can also be t-top "rattle". By this I mean the clanking sound you hear when the glass bangs up against the outer frame molding. Because you said "plastic", I'm assuming that's the sound you're hearing (more of a KNOCKING sound).

If your weatherstripping is old or not properly installed the glass doesn't sit tight against the top part of the t-roof frame. Even 1/16" of a gap will cause the top to do this. To check this, place about 10 poker cards between the weatherstripping and the bottom of the glass on both sides towards the dome lamp. Get it as tight as you can. Drive over a washboard road. If the noise lessens or goes away, you've got your answer.

[Hemlock]

What you are hearing can also be t-top "rattle". By this I mean the clanking sound you hear when the glass bangs up against the outer frame molding. Because you said "plastic", I'm assuming that's the sound you're hearing (more of a KNOCKING sound)..

I was pretty sure it wasn't but I checked the T-tops first by holding it while going over bumps to make sure that wasn't the noise I was hearing. It was still making the same noise no matter where I pushed up on the T-top. I am pretty familiar with the T-top rattle because I have had the car for 20 years. I knew that it was a totally different sound from that.

I started dismantling the headliner today and got everything off that was holding it up and ran into a snag when it came to the headliner at the T-top openings where the headliner retainer strip holds on the vinyl. I am guessing at the factory they used a cloth tape strip to hold it to the opening. I am trying to get it off without riping the vinyl and I am having a really hard time.

Any suggestions?

Also when looking into the roof frame work I think I can see a strip of metal that has come loose in there. I will be able to see more once I have the headliner out.

Robert

[Hemlock]

Finally got the headliner out and indeed there was a strip of metal that the rivets had rotted away on and the metal strip had dropped down onto the T-top rear interior frame work. It looks like the strip is what use to hold the roof panel in place at the rear T-top support beam. I am now debating whether I should remove the entire interior T-top support metal by drilling out the all the rivets in the roof support and re riveting the small strip back in and then re installing the frame OR just leave the support alone, clean up the entire interior roof panel area, leave the strip out and just run a bead of JB weld putty where the old strip of metal was to re secure the roof panel. The strip was pretty rusty but luckily the rust didn't transfer to the interior of the rear T-top support, it looks very clean. I still haven't decided what to do yet.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated,

It also looks like I am going to have to replace the headliner board in the car. The old particle one is shot and water damaged from years of leaky T-tops. I went to Fox Resto and there isn't a snowballs chance in HELL I'm going to spend $189 on a piece of 44'x44' precut 1/16" plastic and some gray cloth to drape over it. That is a freaking joke!

Robert

[wman24]

You can re-rivet the strip and leave the frame in. Taking the enitre frame out is a pain and I would avoid it if possibe. After the rivets are drilled out the windshield frame as too be moved forward with some type of spreader or porta-power so the frame clears roof skin. All of the support strips I've seen rust like you have describe, I just bead blast them and re paint. The factory coating must have been some type of a single stage, I did have one of the strips powder coated but wouldn't bother again.

When putting the strip back in I would gently push down on roof skin and get some rtv in the seam before putting rivets in. Any marine place will cary stainless steel rivets, I'm hopeing they last longer.

[Hemlock]

Spent time at the garment district in downtown LA this afternoon looking for some vinyl that matched the factory Charcoal gray T-top vinyl that came in my car. As stated above I didn't want to spend the $200 that Fox Resto is asking for a headliner replacement kit for something that doesn't even look factory. 3 hours and around 20 stores later I found a thin, material backed soft vinyl that looks almost like leather and the color is spot on for the factory gray. I brought the old headliner with me to hunt for the matching material. I am guessing dark gray is no longer a popular color for doing car interiors because nobody sells it any more LOL. I am going to be taking a bunch of pictures of the repair, new headliner construction and install and then posting it as a "how to" on the interior section here on FEP. The total cost of the new headliner will be just under $40 for everything needed to do it yourself and this for a grand total savings of $160!

Robert