Carpet questions

[foster461]

Just about done with refinishing the floor panels and my 15 year old cheap nylon carpet is looking pretty shabby. I also notice the glue I used to stick the carpet to the rocker (sill) panels had made a right mess of the sill and softened the paint. So I have a few questions as usual..

 

1. I like the sound of the early wool carpet even though it costs quite a bit more than the nylon. Could someone who has retrofitted wool confirm that it was worth it and that it looks and feels better than the nylon ?. I dont care about wear and tear at this point (typically less than 1000 miles a year).  

 

2. Having cleaned up the old glue I dont want to do what I did last time and spray the whole sill to stick the carpet to. I'm guessing that a more conservative application of glue iin strategic locations will do the trick just as well..

 

3. The carpet fixing rings I got last time (the ones with the three sharp prongs that go through the carpet and bend around a ring on the other side) seem to be very soft metal and the prongs are not that long. The end result is that no matter how well I attach them there is no way to remove the carpet without the prongs unbending and pulling through the carpet leaving the ring attached to the snap. So I have to get something like a wide screwdriver under them to pry them up. Did I just get a bad batch or is this pretty normal ?.

 

Stan

[jimmac]

Stan.. I would go for the wool.  I did and they have a nice feel to them and seem to vacuum better than the old nylon.

 

The press stud fixing rings are as you say quite soft and therefore do not seem to take much to bend the prongs.  I have had the same problem.  Just don't intend to lift the carpets often.

 

Jim

[Guest stevephillips]

Stan

 

I concur with Jim with the carpet.  I fitted a wool version 4 months ago and it is definetly easier to clean than the original nylon version and seems to have a better colour (emm, I know that they are black but there is black and black, wool is better here).  I also found that the edging seemed better than the original, be carefull when gluing the sill carpet as the position is citical against the gussett.

 

As for the three pronged fixings.  I have found that the best way to get a good fixing is to get some wood against the pronged ring flat upper edge (away from the prongs) and with some plumbers pliers (ones with long jaws) hold the ring into the snap fixing using the wood.  This will give you a much longer prong to bend over and also has the added advantage of making the ring sit more deeply into the carpet and therefore almost invisible.  I have used this method on all the new fixings and to date none have parted when lifting the carpet.

 

As for the glue, I used time bond in some areas and regular impact adhesive on less critical after viewing threads on this site.  The spray stuff just gets everywhere so unless you have any preference go for the timebond and some clamps if required.  Took me over a week to fully glue the carpet in place leaving to cure over night but the result is very pleasing.

 

Finally, a tip for the gearbox cover is get yourself extra carpet snap fixings (approx 6 ) and use them around the gear level end of the gearbox cover instead of gluing.  The effect is the same if you position correctly and you then have easy access to the panels underneath.

 

Regards and hope it helps

 

Steve ::

[foster461]

Thanks for the great advice. I'm running out of time for this year (I'd like to drive it a lttle...) so I'll probably start my interior adventure next spring but I'll do it with a lot more care than I did the first time around. I like the idea of minimizing the amount of glue used. The concensus seems to be to use a brush rather than spray and I'll glue only that which must be glued and use snaps where I can..

 

Stan

[jonlar]

Stan, being on the other side of the Pond, I don't know if these are available your side, by the same names.    For any pieces, not likely to need removing Evo Stik Impact (what glue sniffers used to use!), apply with brush (cellulose or other thinners will clean brush - but no-where near the car!) to surface and the underside of piece to be attached, leave for 15 minutes, then, position and press on - but is then very difficult to remove.    To join any cut edges, Copydex (smells fishy and quite foul! - water soluble until set) latex type glue and cloth tape, then a few stitches with "button" thread makes a very good joint.    With the securing poppers, it is possible to drill a few holes around them and use "button" or saddlery" thread to secure to carpet.

[foster461]

I don't know if these are available your side, by the same names

 

I bet I can find them or the equivelents. I'm pretty sure we invented glue sniffing :-)

 

If the new carpet is designed like the old, I think I can get away with little or no glue. The main culprit is the rocker panel (sill) pieces but if they have the vinyl strip that folds over and gets held in place by the door seal then that eliminates glue over most of its length leaving just maybe a dab where it hits the little triangular trim pad at the bottom of the B post and maybe get away with a clip on the other end in the footwell. The combination of those measures plus the floor carpet and the panels in the outer foot wells should help retain it.

 

Another great idea about using strong thread to secure the snap rings to the carpet. Probably need to get into the habit of seperating the snaps with a flat instrument rather than just pulling on the carpet otherwise these reinforced snaps will be prone to ripping through the carpet as the path of least resistance.

 

Stan