1974 Carrera Coupe - RHD, UK car

[Ferry Man]

This restoration has got a little out of hand.
My efforts at returning the car to original have become worryingly accurate and that level of perfection can be time consuming and may well cost more.
Such is the case with the headliner.
Or more precisely the headliner perforations pattern.

Your top flight Carrera coupe should have a headliner with a ‘diamond’ spaced pattern.
However, most reproductions are ‘square’ in pattern.
And once you know, it would rankle if your car was incorrectly configured.

So, I ended up buying an expensive – but very much more authentic – reproduction from Italy.
The seller is Andrea (trading as NOSGruppe).

[Ferry Man]

His headliners are a perfect match for the hexagonal hole patterns and are of a reassuringly heavy, high quality fabric.
Much heavier than the cheap copies available from most sellers.
In fact, when I delivered the headliner to Nick he was concerned that it might cause issues but it proved to be no difficulty to installation.
In reality the material is nicely stretchy and pliable. I’m certain the nice weight and fine finish will add quality to the cabin.

[Ferry Man]

I think you can buy normal sunroof version headliners for about £150-£180?
I ended up paying a bit more than double that.
It’s pricey but it is hand sewn by a bella donna.

Here’s a photograph showing the grain and colour.
You can see the perforations but they don’t look any different to any other reproduction headliner, do they?

[Ferry Man]

So, this helps illustrate the difference.
The first is a common repro headliner. The holes are in a square layout.
The second is the more correct diamond patterning.

[Ferry Man]

And a few photographs of the headliner being expertly fitted.

[Ferry Man]

[Ferry Man]

Yes, the headliner is great quality but the most important aspect is how well it's fitted.
And mine has been done superbly. I'm delighted with the result.

[Ferry Man]

[Gary71]

Truely impressive OCD

However does it bug you that when the headlining is stretched to fit some of the diamonds may end up square...

[Mitch]

F**** Man, isn't this f*****g f*****ed yet?

Not that it's keeping me awake a night but curious about how the "impact bar" works on these new fangled bumper thingys? Just a telescopic tube or more sophisticated?

Good choice on headlining btw.

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[Ferry Man]

curious about how the "impact bar" works on these new fangled bumper thingys?

Tis a hydraulic 'absorber'. It will take a parking nudge of up to 5mph and hopefully return to position.
Many European cars had a simpler 'crush tube' (that was sacrificial, intended to deform on impact and thence need to be relaced). Those were lighter and cheaper for Porsche but I understand UK Carreras were fitted with the more sophisticated solution.

[Ferry Man]

Truely impressive OCD
However does it bug you that when the headlining is stretched to fit some of the diamonds may end up square...

Thanks Garry, but please don't praise this level of OCD. It is a madnesss.
Oh, and I do hope my diamonds aren't distorted...

[210bhp]

Andrea does some lovely products. Looks fantastic and good to know installation is just as easy as the others. Superb result.

Did you buy his correct round rubber door plugs with the requisite number of concentric circles Paul?


Regards
Mike

[Ferry Man]

Guess what these components are for?
Lovely, eh?

[alastairp]

Fabulous thread Paul (we corresponded a couple of months ago - I am the guy that bought the impact bumper shocks for the wrong end of his car!)

I am about to do the headliner in my own re-build and have been doing a bit of detail research.

In the Peter Morgan restoration of his '68 S, the guy from Canford Classics says that the seams should be spread so that there are two layers of material on each side of the seam.

In your picture, there appear to be three layers of material to the right hand side of the seam and one layer to the left.

Not intending to criticise in any way, just curious as to what the correct treatment for the seams should be?

Or maybe the rear quarter seams are done this way for a reason?

Alastair