New Carpet Installation Tips

Got any?

Yes. Buy the mass back stuff from stockinteriors.com

Let it sit in the car in the sun after putting it roughly in place before fitting or cutting.
Use an awl from the underside to locate the holes. Bolt everything dowm before trimming off the extra.

Thanks. I already have the carpet. I'm looking more for installation tips. I did let it sit in the sun, but it's still really stiff. Also, I've seen carpet glued down, but I've never done that, so I'm not sure about that.

Ive never done the glue down either. Put it in the car, roughly placed, in the sun with the windows up for a couple of days. This will allow it to settle on the floorpan better.

If its a thin carpet, leaving the bolts in your floorpan and cutting around the head is easiest. If not, use an awl and then cut an x for the bolts to pass through.

All aftermarket carpets fit a loaittle different. Usually I work from the trans tunnel out, back to front on two piece carpets.

Add foil backed jute and sound deadening prior to carpets. They will not fit if you do it after fitting them.

Remember that the trim like kick panels are meant to help retain the carpet to the floor. Cut carpet accordingly. Also remember that it will not fit properly up under the dash so you will have to be careful up there.

Any specific areas you have questions about? And what are you putting carpet in?

A heat gun, used carefully, will help form the carpet into corners. Heat a spot, then push it into shape with your fist (wearing leather gloves may be necessary, depending on how sensitive you are to heat.) Some people use a fresh razor blade for cutting slits for seat bolts, etc. but I came up with a method of sharpening a short piece of tubing and using it to cut a nice round hole.

I heat the end of pieces of EMT conduit and melt perfect holes in the carpet that will never frey or unravel.

I use screws where I can to hold down any bumps and bubbles. The nap of the carpet hides them. I was appalled by the fit of the carpet I used in my ford. It took about 4 hours to trim and fit.

I used double-sided carpet tape to put mine in.

Ditchdigger wrote: I heat the end of pieces of EMT conduit and melt perfect holes in the carpet that will never frey or unravel. I use screws where I can to hold down any bumps and bubbles. The nap of the carpet hides them. I was appalled by the fit of the carpet I used in my ford. It took about 4 hours to trim and fit.

I need to have you install the carpet in my Mustang! That looks great! What brand of carpet did you use?

Heat gun to mold the carpet as suggested and I use a soldering iron to melt the holes for seats etc.

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bravenrace wrote: I need to have you install the carpet in my Mustang! That looks great! What brand of carpet did you use?

Came from accmats.com. It wasn't finished or bound anywhere an edge is visible and where it was bound I had to cut it off for it to fit!