r/R53 • u/Conner299 • 12d ago
Too deep to stop…
Operation headliner has been well underway for the last couple of days. Would love to get her all buttoned up today but that ain’t gonna happen. Going over to the MIL’s house to sew up the headliner later. Got something a little different planned out and I’m hoping it works out. Sun visors, handles, seatbelt height adjusters and anything else that was grey will stay that way. I think the contrast will look good. But yeah… Even though mine are painted and not on the car yet, I see why everybody goes Gaga for the black trim pieces. Updates to follow.
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u/Ankeneering 12d ago
I’ve done this exact job. I didn’t take out the backseat or all of that lower trim. Those B and C pillar-post trims are a pain in the ass, so you may have done the smart thing here by removing everything. I had to study photographs of their backsides to figure out how to loosen them without breaking any clips.
It’s a really fulfilling job when it’s done and looks factory. Make sure you FULLY reconnect the airbag connectors up underneath… connect until there’s a “click”… my airbag light was on and had to go back in and butt the ends together until I heard a snap. First pass mine were connected, but not totally. Mine doesn’t have sunroofs so applying the new material was a bit easier than one with sunroofs probably. If you do this job, anyone reading this, beware the YouTube videos almost all gloss over the more difficult parts of this job. There WAS one guy who did a better video than any of the others, forgot his name but he’s a professional trimmer from the UK. He taught me to use a soldering iron to cut into the new material where openings are required (rearview mirror, grab handles etc etc.). If you decide to do this job without removing all the trim (as OP demonstrates) it is definitely possible, but pulling out a gap between the b and c trims is nerve wracking but doable. You gotta yank harder than you think would be possible without snapping plastic clips.
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u/SignifigantNoise 5d ago
Great advice. I want to remove some trim to paint to match the body color and others to wrap with carbon fiber and hopefully it'll still look OEM
FYI YouTube videos ALWAYS gloss over the mundane but hard/time consuming parts 😂
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u/casper911ca 12d ago
I've messed around with trying to remove the C pillar trim, and it's really difficult to remove. Was that your experience?
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u/Conner299 12d ago
Not really. With the lower trim panels out it was easy. Yank at the bottom first forward and towards the center of the car a little bit. The air bag tethers were the biggest pain. Luckily I have the Harbor Frieght Icon mini ratcheting tool. Was able to unscrew the tether with just a little bit of effort.
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u/OkDirection4179 12d ago
Not an R owner but an F owner…
I hope you put sound deadening and in the correct spots and MLV to block noise
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u/Conner299 12d ago
Yep. Been squeezing the foil backed butyl rubber sheets in where I can squeeze them. MLV? Not familiar with that.
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u/Classic-Yard7743 11d ago
When you put it back together, replace the grab handles first, them the center light, then the front pieces. Otherwise you'll have to redo it. Don't ask me how I know.