Anyone recovered a GTS roof ??

Like many people I need to recover the rear deck on my 328 GTS, I have seen the original material available for a ridiculously expensive price. I can get similar looking material for very much less money, the trouble is, if I do the deck it won't match the roof. So my question is, how do you do the roof ? it has several deep recesses and bumps and what feels like hard foam underneath. Has anyone done the roof section, can you give advice ?

 

You're meaning inside the targa, e.i., the headliner?

 

Here's a thread I started not long ago.
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12605
Aldens is a good place to call if you're going to do a re-cover or re-dye...

I've been debating getting my targa top headliner re-covered also...

 

Yes it is the roof headlining that I would like to replace, its not in too bad condition, but I can easily find a similar to original material for the rear shelf and surounds, but it would not match the roof headlining so that is why I pose the question about replacing the lining. Someone out there must have replaced it ??

 

Probably -- in my 308QV the headliner is the same material as the rear shelf.

 

Search the 'Old FerrariChat Archives'. Ric Rainbolt recovered his with leather.

Also I remember a sequence of pix of a targa top being stripped & recovered. Looked pretty straightforward except for a couple of little tricks that it's nice to know.

 

308 Top fabric can be purchased from http://www.worlduph.com/ferrari.htm

HEADLINERS
Coupe headliners were originally vinyl or wool. We can supply ready made headliners in original Italian or English materials for most models.
308GTBi/GTSi, QV, 328 and Mondial
Original 308 Headliner, 1980-83, cream cross-stitch: #308- 83HL
Original 308 Headliner for Targa Top Only, 1980-83, cream cross-stitch: # 308-83TM
Original 308 Headliner, 1984-89, black stripe: # 308-BLSH
Original 308 Headliner, 1984-89, brown stripe: # 308-BRSH
Original 308 Headliner, 1984-89, black stripe, Targa Top Material Only: #308- BSTT

 

Yes, I've done it, it's not that bad, like all trim work, just take your time and don't rush. The trick is to ensure all the stripes are going in the same direction otherwise it looks really scrappy. Just use contact adhesive applied around the periphery of either the rear parcel shelf of targa top. Start from one end and pull the material taut as you go. It's also a good diea to let the material sit for a few days unfolded so that it can acclimatise to the local environment. Also, there are seams in the material behind the rubber seals on the Targa and you need to sew these into the new material to stop the threads from running.

As for the material, and I don't wish to have a go at the people that sell the stuff, but the best price I could get on the new material (Black/White) was over $700 per meter which I thought was a bit rich. I had some made, had to do a 100 meter run but luckily sold what I had left over on ebay after re-trimming 11 of my friends cars!

Here is a pic of the material being installed in the car, sorry, no pic of the targa, but the material was the same.

Regards,

Carl.
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Thanks for the info Carl, when you removed the old material did it cause any damage to the material underneath ? I assume it is foam ? The shape is not flat so I suppose you had to apply glue to the whole surface to get it to follow the hollow areas ?

 

Hi Paul,

No, but you have to be careful to remove it slowly otherwise the foam backing sticks to the old material. I ran a scalpal under the old stuff to get it off. Yes, although it was not recommended, I did run a light coating of spary adhesive to the back of the new material. Be careful though, you don't want it to "Wick" through! Good luck,

Carl.

 

I recovered mine with a hide of leather so that it wouldn't get so dirty.

The headliner material was a little dirty, so I used Zymol fabric cleaner to freshen it up - It cleaned it pretty good.
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I've finished the suspension rebuild and the interior clean-up/redye. Now I'd like to redo the GTS Targa. Rather then use material I'd like to use leather. However, how does you get into the recessed/curved areas and have the leather stick/stay correctly. I'm hoping someone has a "trick" or two.

Thanks in advance.

Steve Schroeder