Hello,
I have been installing the new carpet in the '79 (Ecklers) and have found that there is much more carpet than needed. Is it normal to need to trim a lot of the carpeting to get it to fit snug? Is it okay to cut with scissors or will this ruin the carpet?

Any install links would be great.

Thank you.

 

I had 4-5 inches extra on all ends. Remember meas. twice, cut once.

I also used a soldering iron to punch the seat holes. For the waterfall I used binder clips and Velcro to get a good fit at the top. It worked well.

 

Yeah I had to cut mine, really sweated that but scissors worked real well.

 

I had more problems with the carpet than anything else I've tried doing on the car. I can definately second the advise to measure twice, cut once (IF AT ALL!!). SMALL CUTS ONLY!! It is amazing how the carpet acutally does fit after all. When I first started installing, I swore (and swore, and swore, etc) that they'd sent the wrong stuff. You are going to have to do some trimming, but not as much as you might think. Brgds, Bill

 

yes, make sure you have it EXACTLY where you want it then cut but it's always better to cut less than you think you need to, you can always cut more off if needed but you can't put it back once it's cut

When I did mine it took me about 2-3 hours just to do the drivers side, once I got it figured out the passenger side went in in about half an hour or so.

 

What about using the old pieces (having taken the old carpet out carefully) to use as a template? I haven't started to install the new carpet in my '81 yet, but I took the old (original) carpet out carefully and kept it in whole pieces so that I could put the old stuff on top of the new and see how close they match up. I'll mark the new w/ something (temporary) that'll wipe off easily just to get my bearings when doing the install. Has anyone done this as a guide to install the new carpet?

 

I used super sharpe razer blades and cut my finger to the bone but the carpet looks great!

 

I used one of those things you cut open hard plastic packages with. Acutally worked pretty good but real easy to overcut. Brgds, Bill

 

Mine didn't have carpet when i got it so I was flying blind.

 

Dbart.. We use a razor knife to cut and trim.. But when you do this you must cut from the back side and leave extra... plenty.

On the front floors.. it's best to use the sill plate screw holes to align the front carpets.. why.. because the retainer in the carpet dictates where the carpet falls and the screws holes in the retainers must be over top the holes for the sil plates.

The rear.. On your car the rear snaps into the luggage shade end retainer so you will not have any issue with the water fall.

On the console side panels.. Test fit the side panels to the shift console.. It is always smart to leave about 1/8" above the side console panel too. If you look at the bottom of the shifter plate there is an edge made in it to accommodate the console side panel. But where the plate meets the parking brake cover it is always a problem area. So test fit and don't glue it too low or you'll have a gap there.

On the rear storage compartment.. well.. you can re-cover the doors but you must break the trims to do it correctly. Most of the time it is a smart man that will purchase the rear compartment door assembly vs. trying to cover the doors. I have seen where customers have cut around the outer bezel and glued the carpet on the doors and if they can get away with this more power to them. For us, we have to do it the correct way in our shop and that means either remove the outer bezels install carpet and then install new bezels. While this sounds fluffy, it is not.. (there is a write up on our site under repair help and install that you should view). In most cases when the car is in our shop it is cheaper to install and buy a rear unit vs. paying us the time to replace the carpet on the doors and re-assemble.

IMHO.. Willcox

 

Wow. Great info. Thanks! My old carpet was destroyed on removal so i cant use it as a template. The water fall looks like it will be the most difficult because even after snapping in the ends it still has huge waves/wrinkles. Im not sure how to smooth those out. Ill be hitting it hard tomorrow and well see how it goes. I need to replace the three door compartment because mine is cracked a lot. Thanks again.

 

Got the on sale in the forum special section..

http://willcoxcorvette.com/advanced_...ds=compartment

Use the sale code and you'll save another 10 percent off the price.

 

Thanks Wilcox. While installing the rear section there are two sections that snap on near the doors. How do I align those pieces? What I mean is while snapping it on how high up the door frame do I start? The top of the frame has a sharp curve to it. Do I start under the curve or do I work the snap into that curve? If I snap under the curve will I need to remove any of the "snapped" section to make if fit? Hope that made sense.

Thanks

 

Also....as the footwells get feet in and out - after a while the carpet will "pull down" a little more.....so be careful not to trim too much up around the kick panels etc.....

Ask me how I know.....

 

Hear you loud and clear. Thanks.

 

I completely agree with the measure, then measure again, then measure again and cut.

However, if that cut is wrong, sewing the piece back on with the same color thread is okay too

Contact adhesive also works quite well to hold carpet in place.

I have a roll bar in my car, so extra cutting was required, and I've had great luck with carpet cutters (the type you buy at Home Depot)... cheap too

 

The carpet cut really well with a utility knife. I was told I didn't need adhesive for the carpet. I still havent been able to get the wrinkles out of the waterfall. So far its going okay. Not sure what to do with the carpet on the doors.

 

Everything went together well when I bought all new parts to build a whole new rear compartment assembly to include carpet. (Thanks Willcox)

I can see how trying to re-cover your old doors could be a PITA, but in my opinion, using new doors with new carpet and frames is easier than trying to peel off the old carpet. Possibly damaging the doors in the process....if they aren't already swollen and messed up from a prior water soak.

Here is how mine turned out (pretty good for my first attempt at doing the assembly):