Head Lining Trim

 Just before Christmas (7+ weeks before), I treated the Defender to something I'd been looking forward to installing for some time. A new head-lining trim! The old version was removed some time ago now and even then was in poor condition as these things tend to be, especially when the previous owner fitted a roof rack by drilling into the roof, letting water in. Even back then when it was removed I knew what I wanted to fit - LaSalle Trim.

As it's been such a long time since then and now, that LaSalle have expanded their offerings to include different finishes. After consideration I purchased the full 110 CSW lining in the luxury finish RAL 9005 - Jet Black.

The product is sturdy, strong and has a fluffy finish. It's made from a Glass fibre product with the finish sprayed on - I've seen this finish before but can't think where. I like it a lot. The black I chose is very very black, it looks great, but is so dark it's difficult to take pictures of! Either way very impressed so far.

The first part of the install was to fit the front section, my Defender has a sun roof, and fortunately I had the foresight to save the original lining from this area so I could trace in the opening and cut out the new. This is probably the most well planned thing, that I've remember during this whole time!

The only way I was able to accurately marked the head lining was to fit the original on the finished side, mark with a pen, and drill the marks. This meant I was able to use the jig saw to cut from the other side without damaging the finish.

Next up I removed the lights I had temporally wired in.

And fitted the new section, which in this photos was held in place by the (scabby looking) mirror bracket.

There was a small bit of trimming to do, so it came down to enable this. At the same time (as time with my assistant was limited), I got the back section into place.

Temporally screwed into place, with hole for the lights and cable.

I then put back in place the front section, and drilled the centre section to allow the fitting of the light.

 Here we have all 3 sections in place, with door trims, final black fixtures, and lights fully mounted. Trim around the sunroof, and refitting the dog guard will be another post.

I'm really pleased with the result and the way it looks. Makes the Defender a much nice place to be. When I opened the packaging I was a little worried that the surface would be really hard to clean, but during all the works I've learnt that it's pretty easy. I found an airline or lint brush does a great job.

The process of install was fiddly, but the instructions were clear. Definitely worth having another pair of hands on the job!

Up next will be the side trims - recover and fit!