Installing new carpets

-
Chuck Bushey

Chuck Bushey

Member
Joined
May 29, 2018
Messages
22
Reaction score
6
Location
Hallsville, TX
I have been working on a 66 Barracuda (20+ years now) but I am now getting ready to install carpets. Already purchased the carpets but have a couple questions for anyone who might have undergone this task.
  1. I know there was a cardboard lining that went under the carpet on the back of the back seat - any suggestions on what to use to replace that, where to find the material etc.
  2. Same as the first only for the main deck section in the back.
  3. I don't remember there being any gluing except for the side wheel wells, but was wondering about the back door to the trunk area - was that section of carpet just held by the hinge and then also the trim around the outside edges or was glue also involved?
  4. From experience is there a suggested sequence of which pieces to install first second third etc, and also best procedure for marking and cutting for auto floor shift as well as things like the brackets on the wheel wells?
Thanks for any and all input.
 
Kendog 170 said:
I used this behind my rear seat on my 68 Hardtop Dart. Not cardboard. Check your measurements. This is 2'x4'. Not sure if you need bigger. You could always spray it flat black.
Handprint 1/8 in. x 2 ft. x 4 ft. Tempered Hardboard (Actual: 0.115 in. x 23.75 in. x 47.75 in.) 109112 - The Home Depot
Click to expand...
Thanks, I actually purchased this material to make new kick panels for the front. I think it's a little too thick for the back of the seat which folds down to extend the deck area. The piece that was in there measures .05" thick but it pretty much desintegrated when I pulled it out. The same material was used for the deck area and it was pretty much dust when I removed it. I can see that it would be ideal for the back of the seat between the cab and the trunk on your car.
 
The upholstery shop where I sent my back seat to be recovered had a smooth-finished pressed chip board material that they used under the carpet on the seat back. I bought a sheet from them to use on the cargo deck. It is perhaps a fraction thicker than the factory board material, but otherwise very similar. My car (1967) doesn't have carpeting on the sides, so the only glue used was between the cargo deck carpet and the hardboard, and on the folddown tailgate. I didn't want it buckling up as loads were slid across it.

I referred to the old carpet for general positioning and rough trimming. Order doesn't really matter in terms of carpet except that the rear floor carpet goes down before the front seat floor, which is obvious, and both before any side trim. As far as the sequence of the interior panels in the fastback, oh boy, that is a tricky puzzle. I had things in and out so many times I don't recall the correct sequence.
 
I went to an Art Supply store and bought 1/16th inch thick poster board. It was flexible enough to bend and follow the curve on the floor pan between the trunk and back seat and stiff enough to use on the back seat. I did not use the poster board on the trunk divider and just cemented (contact cement) the carpet to the wood before screwing the trim back on.

IMG_3883.JPG
 
Thanks for the input. I was wondering about that but wasn't sure it came in big enough dimensions. Your carpet looks Great! I wish I had the chrome piece for the fuel inlet pipe, that looks really nice.
 
I had to buy 2 pieces to make it work, it wast quite wide/long enough. I believe it was 30" x 40".
 
It's been a while since I started on this (lots of life issues getting in the way), but this past week I finally got back on this. For the cardboard liner I ended up using Ram Board. The contractor who was redoing our master bath used this material to protect the floors etc during his process. It was the correct thickness and water resistant so I confiscated about 10' off the roll - works great.

I have fitted all the pieces now - bit of a challenge around all the front console brackets and getting it squared up, but now letting is sit for a while to lay out flatter.

Next question is what sections should be glued down? Obviously the rear fender wells had to be and those are now glued in place, and also the rear trunk door will need to be glued as well. But for the other four pieces, rear deck, back seat back, and front and rear floors, should any of those be glued down? What have some of you done on these?
 
I cemented the carpet to rear deck pan and the back of the back seat. As stated above I cemented poster board first and then the carpet. As for the front I did not cement the whole front carpet to the floor pan. After dry fitting and a little trimming I spot cemented. The seats when bolted down will hold the carpet in place so I spot cemented that area. This allowed me to open up the bolt holes for the seat bolts without the carpet shifting and moving around. Other areas I cemented was where the carpet curves making sure it was lying flat where is was supposed to and then cementing the areas on the floor where it curved like the console area, door area, back seat floor, seat belts and up the fire wall. You also have the trim that will hold the carpet down inside the doors. The console carpet skirt that cements to the console will hide any little error you might make. As I've read in other threads, when trimming carpet do it in small increments so it fits properly and you don't be surprised with any big gaps by trimming too much off.

IMG_4050.JPG


IMG_4051.JPG
 
Thanks for the feedback! Carpet is now all fitted, now just need to lock it in with the trim pieces. At 70 I think I'm getting too old for this stuff - takes me three times longer to do things now. I should have done all this 20 years ago when I first started this project.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top