Standard Headliner removal for preservation/cleaning - help!

[earlywesty]

Hi all,

I'd like to try and remove the original 72 year old headliner in my 53 oval Canadian Custom (standard) model. This is the partial headliner in the centre only. Is there a way I can very carefully remove this for cleaning and to repair a small hole? The mice must have gotten in there during winter storage and the car smells awful (all other interior has been removed, confirmed its headliner. The insulation is also sagging and putting pressure on the material. Is it possible to do this? Can anyone provide some guidance on this process if so? I've never tried to do this on a beetle before

[esde]

I'm doubtful, but would love to be proven wrong.
I recently brought a 55 oval out of storage since the 80's, it smelled so bad.
After some research, I did try treating it with chlorine dioxide gas and it removed the bad stink.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=797763&highlight=
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LDCNKGY?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[splitjunkie]

I seriously doubt it. The headliner has a strip of thick cardboard sewn around the edge. This is pushed in to the roof with a slightly curved flat tool sort of like a putty knife and the cardboard slips over the inner structure of the inner pillar sheet metal. You might be able to remove it if you had a bunch of people with the curved installation tools working to disengage the strip over a large section at once working their way around the headliner.

The biggest problem is that the fabric usually gets very fragile over the years and will tear very easily so I really doubt you could successfully get it out without destroying it.
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Chris

You know, a lot of these scratches will buff right out... Jerry Seinfeld

[kintail]

I have dealt with a few headliners in my lifetime.

Agree with Chris that they become fragile with age...... and basically fall apart when you try to remove them.

However you can give it a try and just maybe.... Good luck!!
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Scott

August 1954 Beetle Canadian Deluxe