Dreaded Roof Lining

[pompey ice]

http://www.thelotusforums.com/forums/to ... ntry513775

Now that's what I call a nifty idea

Cheers Ian

[KevW]

That is brilliant.

I'd thought in the past a panel could be made up from very thin MDF or plywood then wrapped in headlining material but this idea is simpler and cheaper. You could even say he's saved the planet with some recycling.

[ttedj]

I was thinking of using CORREX (corrugated plastic board) with the material stuck to it. I have used this before for other things. It is very strong in one direction with the flutes but will bend easily the other way - ie you may be able to bend it around the hump by the rear windscreen. It comes in large sheets down to about 2mm thickness and is very light. If I get around to I will let you know what happens.

Ted

[richardw]

A great idea!

In the absence of a headlining cut from another car I wondered if this 5mm rigid PVC foam sheeting might be suitable - covered with the appropriate material of course:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5mm-8ft-x-4ft ... 3cd0f111c3

It's available in 3mm thicknesse too.

All the best, Richard

[amarshall]

I've just ordered a few sheets of 2mm Correx (fireproof!) and will report back. I think I'll have enough for 6 cars, so I can afford to get it wrong once or twice.

Having inspected the rear "hump" properly - it seems to have a bit of a lip on the trailing edge which the edge of the board can be fed into. The rest of it will be held in place by the trim rails and, possibly, some sticky number-plate fixers. Looking at the gaps, I don't think anything thicker than 2mm will fit without distorting the trim rails.

If nothing else, it means the roof lining can come out easily if it gets damp or overheated at all.

Thank me that I ordered far too much headlining fabric a couple of years ago.

[Jason.goad]

Glad to see you are getting back into loving the lotus. You had us worried there mate

[amarshall]

Glad to see you are getting back into loving the lotus. You had us worried there mate

Love driving, hate the current never-ending stream of minor fettling it needs.

[Jason.goad]

Think that comes with ownership.

[amarshall]

Mine used to behave itself - mind you, that was after a couple of years of putting right the things the PO let slide.

Anyway - BIG roll of Correx sheets has just arrived. Looks promising. Wish I didn't have to work today.

[amarshall]

OK - the ribs in the Correx run one way - so should they go front to back or side to side when I make up my first roof panel ?

[Hawaiis0]

Got to go side to side IMHO

[amarshall]

Got to go side to side IMHO

That would make it too easy to shape it around the rear "hump" - it *can't* be that simple, can it ?

[Hawaiis0]

Simplicity is always best! Then Patent the idea!!

[MalcolmH]

Can I ask how you're getting on with this, Angus?

Reason for enquiring, I re-stuck mine about 10 days ago. As we all know, the fabric has usually come away from the foam, leaving most of the foam still adhered to the roof and the flimsy material hanging. But when I removed the front & centre rails to investigate, to my surprise nearly all the hanging fabric still had all its foam attached! So I got out the usual spray glue, coated the roof copiously, and firmly rollered both pieces of lining back into place. After putting everything back together (and taken the opportunity to re-stick some of the sun-visor edges with superglue) the result looked fantastic - the whole lining back to almost factory pristine flatness, with no glue seeping through anywhere.

That - and the feeling of being immensely proud of myself - lasted about two days! That was when I started noticing drooping little bits here and there, and that the fabric across the rear 'hump' - which I'd glued perfectly follow the shape - had dropped from the contour and was again forming an almost smooth (and hollow) curve from the rear window to about a third of the way along the panel. It's been baking hot the past week or so (here in Kent anyway) and the car's been outside all of that time. So I'm assuming the glue's just lost adhesion due to the heat, or didn't cure properly in the first place.

Admittedly, it's still at the stage where I can reach up and hand-smooth any dropped bits back into place and - for about half a day, anyway - it looks pristine again. But I'm clearly going to have to repeat the process again shortly. Either with a lot more glue and on a cooler day, or with a different system!!

[amarshall]

Haven't had a chance to tackle it yet. When I do, I'll put a thread into Tech. Articles, with photos. Aiming for the end of this week - if CPS don't decide I'm needed for a 1 hour meeting in Basingstoke.