Need Carpet Replacement Advice
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 210
Likes: 0
From: Racine WI
Need Carpet Replacement Advice
Bought a carpet set from Wilcox 2 years ago and am just now finding the time to install it. Could use any advice there is on how to do this, what to look out for.
Thanks
Thanks
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
From: LA
I did this last year. It's really not too hard. The most time is spent getting out the seats and all the trim panels. Lay in the carpet and check the fit. Be very carefull about trimming anything. Use 3M spray on glue to get some peices to stick in place. Take your time.
You'll love it when it's done
You'll love it when it's done
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
I changed the entire carpet in my 84 last year and I believe I bought it from Wilcox also. It fits great, by the way, only slightly short in the front and beyond perfect in the back. My original interior was in shambles, brown and molded green and ripped everywhere.
I had no prior car experience whatsoever, and I was still able to do an excellent job. Rule number one, don't rush it. Take your time and do it right. Park the car somewhere it can stay awhile. Number two, take pictures beforehand of where a lot of the trim paces go, you'd be surprised how a seemingly obvious piece can be confusing to put back. Third, buy a new screw set for the car, it's cheap and using fresh screws to replace all those old rusty ones will add security and look better.
You will only need basic tools to remove the seats and trim panels. I recommend also changing the insulation if you can and perhaps adding some anti sound padding. Also, buy some Goo Gone to remove the sticky residue that will be left under the old carpet.
I had no prior car experience whatsoever, and I was still able to do an excellent job. Rule number one, don't rush it. Take your time and do it right. Park the car somewhere it can stay awhile. Number two, take pictures beforehand of where a lot of the trim paces go, you'd be surprised how a seemingly obvious piece can be confusing to put back. Third, buy a new screw set for the car, it's cheap and using fresh screws to replace all those old rusty ones will add security and look better.
You will only need basic tools to remove the seats and trim panels. I recommend also changing the insulation if you can and perhaps adding some anti sound padding. Also, buy some Goo Gone to remove the sticky residue that will be left under the old carpet.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 137
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By the way, I bought the 3M spray and it did little for me personally, instead I used a thick type of glue, like a rubber cement, for the front areas that require it. I found it to be virtually identical to the glue used at the factor.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,488
Likes: 1,352
Take your time, take pictures and do not throw out the old carpet pieces until you have the new ones installed in their place.
You can always make the hole bigger when cutting out for thing like the top brackets or rear speakers etc. I made this a much bigger deal than it is I'm sure but it came out really nice. I took all of the plastic out of the car and washed those pieces in the sink etc. You will also want to remember what piece came out first so you can put it back the same way. I pulled the rear center section then the two side pieces. I then removed the piece that goes around the console and behind the seats. Then it was the front sections, and under the dash carpets and door panel carpeting. I had 40+ hours in this little project f.w.i.w. and used a spray glue made by Permatex in an Orange can Heavy Duty headliner and carpet adhesive. Autozone has it and it worked well for me.
You can always make the hole bigger when cutting out for thing like the top brackets or rear speakers etc. I made this a much bigger deal than it is I'm sure but it came out really nice. I took all of the plastic out of the car and washed those pieces in the sink etc. You will also want to remember what piece came out first so you can put it back the same way. I pulled the rear center section then the two side pieces. I then removed the piece that goes around the console and behind the seats. Then it was the front sections, and under the dash carpets and door panel carpeting. I had 40+ hours in this little project f.w.i.w. and used a spray glue made by Permatex in an Orange can Heavy Duty headliner and carpet adhesive. Autozone has it and it worked well for me.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 4
From: Mt Laurel NJ
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Lots of good advice here, just to add a little. Remove the clips that hold the top when stored. I tried to cut around them, and f**ked it up, now I need to buy a new rear section.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 210
Likes: 0
From: Racine WI
Changing the insulation
Couple more questions - How tough is it to get the old carpet off of whatever is underneath it. If there is insulation directly underneath and it looks bad, what is a good source for new insulation? Thanks a lot for the advice.
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Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 57,805
Likes: 23
From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
For removal start at the front and work your way back, install starting at the back and work your way to the front.
Here are pics of my interior redo.
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...201/?start=all
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...202/?start=all
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...0Interior%203/
Here are pics of my interior redo.
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...201/?start=all
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...202/?start=all
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...0Interior%203/
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
The old carpet is on top of some plastic and some old insulation. It's pretty easy to take the old carpet off, just rip it off carefully if you have too. And use lots of goo gone to make it easier. Once you get in there and start pulling stuff apart, it will get a lot easier. I agree, start putting the new carpet in from the back and move forward. Now might also be a good time to install new speakers in the back, if you ever considered it. Buy some rubber cement to help install the front carpet, and some 3M double sided tape for some other areas if and when needed. Post pictures of your progress I'm curious. What year is your car?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,488
Likes: 1,352
I dyed most of my interior plastics, if you can't use a real spray gun take all of the plastic to a body shop. They will dye them for you for short money and they will look like new including the seat backs. I used Dupont vinyl Color on mine. My interior is Torch red and the Dupont # for Torch red is B9008j code 70 just in case you have red guts and want to dye the plastics yourself. If not any normal body shop can handle this easily. The vinyl dye in the spray cans I have seen has never looked quite right or held up.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 33,025
Likes: 6,538
From: Rochester NY
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
From my post above:
The box arrived today. 
I saw Wilcox had a sale and decided to go for it. The living room is now full of laid-out pieces, and I'm taking that last deep breath we all take before plunging into something like this. I had thought about doing it a little at a time but the prevailing wisdom here is to do the whole thing so I will.
Any other last-minute advice?
This is another of those projects on my list, but still a ways from the top of the list.
I saw Wilcox had a sale and decided to go for it. The living room is now full of laid-out pieces, and I'm taking that last deep breath we all take before plunging into something like this. I had thought about doing it a little at a time but the prevailing wisdom here is to do the whole thing so I will.Any other last-minute advice?
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 57,805
Likes: 23
From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
From my post above:
The box arrived today. I saw Wilcox had a sale and decided to go for it. The living room is now full of laid-out pieces, and I'm taking that last deep breath we all take before plunging into something like this. I had thought about doing it a little at a time but the prevailing wisdom here is to do the whole thing so I will.
Any other last-minute advice?
The box arrived today.
I saw Wilcox had a sale and decided to go for it. The living room is now full of laid-out pieces, and I'm taking that last deep breath we all take before plunging into something like this. I had thought about doing it a little at a time but the prevailing wisdom here is to do the whole thing so I will.Any other last-minute advice?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 33,025
Likes: 6,538
From: Rochester NY
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
JD's white 93:
Mr Mojo:
OK guys - I'm hoping to land somewhere in the middle (It's already way past 90 minutes and I have not had the pizza yet)
So far Wilcox seems to have made a decent product. I'm forcing myself to take my time and also trying to think like I'm OCD. I always seem to get ahead of myself and mix up screws etc so I'm putting each group in a separate bottle with a label. Maybe overkill but I want it to come out right.
One piece of advice I can already pass along to others. I have light gray carpet, and found that after removing some old pieces, it was advisable to wash my hands before handling the new stuff - I had acquired a fair amount of dirt and it would have been easy to get the new dirty.
SO far I'm having a ball. It's like any other project - the first time through is a learning experience, after that a piece of cake.
My only question - any special tricks for locating the holes for the screws through the new carpet so I hit it right the first time?
I had 40+ hours in this little project f.w.i.w.
I did an entire interior changeover in my '93 in about 90 minutes including a break for dinner
OK guys - I'm hoping to land somewhere in the middle (It's already way past 90 minutes and I have not had the pizza yet)So far Wilcox seems to have made a decent product. I'm forcing myself to take my time and also trying to think like I'm OCD. I always seem to get ahead of myself and mix up screws etc so I'm putting each group in a separate bottle with a label. Maybe overkill but I want it to come out right.
One piece of advice I can already pass along to others. I have light gray carpet, and found that after removing some old pieces, it was advisable to wash my hands before handling the new stuff - I had acquired a fair amount of dirt and it would have been easy to get the new dirty.
SO far I'm having a ball. It's like any other project - the first time through is a learning experience, after that a piece of cake.
My only question - any special tricks for locating the holes for the screws through the new carpet so I hit it right the first time?
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 57,805
Likes: 23
From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
For the speaker holes, I did the same thing using the old pieces as a template.
Where I saved time was when I replaced the sides of the consoles, I had bought used pieces with the carpet already glued on. Same for the door sills.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 33,025
Likes: 6,538
From: Rochester NY
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
Got the back done fine but I'm puzzled about the door sill pieces. First, the carpet pieces Wilcox sent are way bigger than the sill panels I took off. They fit OK when I lay them over the old but there's way more carpet for the dash end.
Second, the sill panels are made of a yellow plastic and appear to be cut to shape in a real mickey mouse manner - like they were bigger to start with and somebody hacked notches and curves with a saber saw. Is this normal?
I can make it fit by cutting a lot of carpet but are these sill pieces usually such half-azzed affairs?
Second, the sill panels are made of a yellow plastic and appear to be cut to shape in a real mickey mouse manner - like they were bigger to start with and somebody hacked notches and curves with a saber saw. Is this normal?
I can make it fit by cutting a lot of carpet but are these sill pieces usually such half-azzed affairs?
Pro
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 589
Likes: 1
From: PA
As your seeing there's no mystery in replacing carpet. I read that when carpet panels are cut buy a stamping machine, they cut 4, 5, 6 pieces out at one time. This is why some panels are a little bigger than others. So, you have to trim. Just study how much you have to trim and only a very little at a time. Keep trimming a little at a time and you'll get the right size and fit. Trimming a few times is better than cutting one time and finding, damn I cut it too short.
I always lay the carpet panel on the cars floor, use long needle to find screw holes and bolt holes for things like the seats. Once the needle finds the hole leave the needle in the carpet and trim you hole out in the carpet. I never use adhesives for gluing carpeting to the floor. I just don't like adhesives, I used the double sided tape. If for some reason I have to lift the carpeting up at a later date I don't have to fight a glued down carpet.
As for the sill panels, sounds like someone had them off before you. Maybe??? It sounds like when they went to put them back on they couldn't fit them back on. And possibly did some half azz trimming to get em back on.
I always lay the carpet panel on the cars floor, use long needle to find screw holes and bolt holes for things like the seats. Once the needle finds the hole leave the needle in the carpet and trim you hole out in the carpet. I never use adhesives for gluing carpeting to the floor. I just don't like adhesives, I used the double sided tape. If for some reason I have to lift the carpeting up at a later date I don't have to fight a glued down carpet.
As for the sill panels, sounds like someone had them off before you. Maybe??? It sounds like when they went to put them back on they couldn't fit them back on. And possibly did some half azz trimming to get em back on.