[Julesmat50]

Well, it's there in black and white in the repair manual.

The V-shape bracing obviously gives rise to a wider aperture right at the top if I'm remembering which way round the sloping V bracing goes. I assume they believe this is wide enough. I suppose they may be neglecting to mention a rubbing and bending issue, but this would be across its width not length, so it'll probably survive. Perhaps tape a cloth around the sharp bracing edges to stop them digging in and doing damage?

John made the point that during manufacture the headlining shell would have been swung in through the front windscreen aperture and front glass fitting would have been one of the last production stages. So if you fancy getting the A-pillar trim off and getting a glass tech. to cut the window out, there's another option.

When we did the one at the NEC, I did take the headrests off the front seats to allow a bit more contortion. Other people's suggestions of taking the front seats out may be an even better option and would mean you've tackled the seized seat bolts too, which you can copper grease when you refit them. But I did definitely get it out through the near side rear passenger door, and I got it back in that way too. A couple of bends in the shell in the location I previously mentioned, but it easily survived that.

That's fair enough. I wasn't trying to be an ass, just curious, as it appeared from memory that there wouldn't be the room to get the shell out that way without risking damage to it though bending. I've not seen the headlining out of a car, so it's probably that it is narrower than I thought and there is enough room to carefully remove it that way. The bracing is shaped more like a Saltire, rather than an X, so it is wider at the top and bottom than the sides, so it is possible that there is enough room. As you say, their own repair manual says it can be done and they should know.

As for removing the windscreen and 'A' pillar trim - oh hell no!! I would rather remove the whole set of seats before I did THAT! *laughs* At least removing the seats only requires undoing a few bolts!

[Plodder]

Well this topic seems to have created some interesting dialogue on the subject.

Thank you all for your contributions.

I’ve had the drivers seat out recently and need to take it out again for the replacement seat belt stalk so I’m happy that the bolts on this seat will come out easily.
In preparation I’ll have a go at removing, regreasing and refitting the passenger seat bolts so I don’t get frustrated when they don’t come out when I do the headliner. I normally do “damage” when I get frustrated
I’ll measure up the headliner and see of if looks like it might come out through the boot.
It’ll probably be a Spring/Summer job as I am hoping to get a garage with light and power soon.
Also whilst I have it out I want to see if some of the hailstone dents in the roof can be teased out rather than being filled and the spring on one side of the sunroof deflector appears to have failed and the only way to replace it looks to be to drill out the pivot rivet which looks only accessible with the sunroof cassette removed from the car.

[Johnny 216GSi]

Also whilst I have it out I want to see if some of the hailstone dents in the roof can be teased out rather than being filled and the spring on one side of the sunroof deflector appears to have failed and the only way to replace it looks to be to drill out the pivot rivet which looks only accessible with the sunroof cassette removed from the car.

The only way to get roof dents out from the underside would be to remove the whole sunroof cassette, tray and all. This doesn't look too ominous as once you've disconnected the 4 drains and the motor wiring if you have a motorised one, then it's just some corner bolts and the whole thing will drop. Again, plan for getting the thing out as it's huge - maybe there's another reason why the front seats need to come out first! Someone to take the weight of the sunroof assembly when you take the last couple of bolts out will also be of huge benefit! And I assume as you're tilting it, it may dump some rusty water out of one of its corners onto the interior carpet or any of the seats still left in the car. It's all fun.

[Plodder]

Just out of interest is there any sound deadening material stuck to the underside of the metal roof panel that I would need to remove to allow someone to work on the dents in the metal roof panel?

[crepello]

Just out of interest is there any sound deadening material stuck to the underside of the metal roof panel that I would need to remove to allow someone to work on the dents in the metal roof panel?

There wasn't on my 3-dr from 1991.

[Johnny 216GSi]

No, as above.

In fact, once the dents have been worked on you could do with buying some sound deadening as the roof has the worst drumming characteristic of any panel on the car. Aluminium foil on adhesive butyl rubber is the type you need. I put some on the rear third / quarter of the roof which is about all you can access without taking the sunroof cassette out. And I put a few strips on the underside of the sunroof tray too. Now when it rains it sounds like I'm under an inch of steel rather than about 1.5mm

[Johnny 216GSi]

Does anyone have any experience of removing a headliner from a 400 series (R8) saloon?

Just a note for the OP because I've remembered that when getting the shell out of the back door, as well as taking the front seat headrests off we also slid the seats as far forward as they'd go and then reclined them as far as they'd go (touching the back seat base). This is probably why it was possible without removing the seats completely.