C3 Carpet Installation

[don justham]

Any tricks to installing carpet in a 1970 Corvette. I guess you punch a small hole in the carpet to place rubber plugs at the top of the drivers side floorboard thru the carpet? I really dont want to glue it down. Can I get away without gluing it? Please advise anything that I might need to know. Thanks

[Bob Simard]

C3 Carpet Installation

You will need a tool to install those rubber plugs. I used an L shaped hangar for 1/8 inch pegboard, but any blunt 1/8 inch diameter straight rod will do. Clamp the rod in a pair of vise grips so that the exposed end of the rod is 1/4 inch longer than the rubber plug. Then place a fender washer over the rod, slip the rubber plug on the rod, lubricate the plug with dish soap, and (finally) install by pushing straight in. The purpose of the fender washer is to limit the stretch of the plug and prevent you from poking a hole in the end. If this is not clear, let me know and I will take another stab at it. Good luck.

[Edward McComas]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

I made a tool for this out of an old phillips screwdriver. Just ground the end off and tapered / rounded the tip. Works great. I like the idea about the fender washer. I only had one actually push through the rubber, but that was when I was using a regular phillips screw driver. Didn't take long to learn that something with a point on it was a bad idea.

[John H.]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

The tool we used in the plant was similar - rounded-off old Phillips screwdriver with a washer welded on it that allowed the retainer to stretch about 3/8"; also had another guy on the engine side pulling on the tip of the retainer with duckbill pliers - makes a BIG difference.

[Harmon C.]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

With the hole for the plug located I burn the hole thru with a pencil solder iron. Seals the carpet backing and leaves a round hole with no flaps on the back. Then use a tool as others have described to install the plug. Try this on a scrap carpet first to see if you like the results. Lyle

[Edward McComas]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

John;

This sounds like a nice little article for The Restorer. How to make you own C3 carpet installation tool. Interested?

[Edward McComas]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

I think I recall that these plugs are also used on the rear panel of a convertible. Is that so? Are they also used on coupes in the rear? AIM is at home and inquiring minds...

[Chuck S.]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

C3 coupes do have these rubber fasteners in the rear compartment. I believe three fasteners are used to attach the heavy sound deadner pad to the rear bulkhead.

I don't remember the fasteners actually passing through the rear compartment carpet, but my memory could be faulty. The AIM doesn't show them used for the rear carpet installation (UPC 1/Sheet F29), but it also doesn't show them used to retain the insulating pad. AIM shows the carpet being installed using only the same adhesive used for weatherstrip installation, but my experience is that you can't get enough out of a tube fast enough for carpet installation (assembly line used brushes). Better 3M adhesives are readily available in spray cans.

In the front, I believe 6-8 rubber fasteners attach the firewall insulation pad ("dash mat"). I think the two? lowest ones in the driver footwell, which attach the smaller "dash insulator" under the steering column, also pass through the top of the carpet.

[Harmon C.]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

In 73 their are three plugs thru the rear compartment carpet in all models but none in front. Lyle

[Jack H.]

Inquiring minds....

should know! Look high and low in the AIM and you'll not find one word, squat, about PIF (push in fasteners) being used on the rear compartment upright to hold carpet in a convertible. I had a lovely conversation with Reba Whittington about this when she judged my '71 SB A/C convertible once.

She took a 'go do' to check the AIM as I suggested, and I took a similar 'go do' to peal the repro carpet and factory original jute back. We were BOTH right!!!!

The AIM doesn't say squat but there ARE holes in both the die cut jute and the rear compartment fiberglass panel. Guess what? As soon as I went and dug up a set of factory original PIF's (the repro parts are HORRIBLE; they lack the original GM PN's on 'em and break on insertion at the drop of a hat) and installed them, my nightmare problem evaporated!!!!!!

When I'd drive the car in the rain or leave it sitting out, the rear compartment carpet was damp to wet.... Without the PIF's installed, water flows down the rear vent louver (placed differently on coupe vs. convertible) and the open holes 'wick' water into the rear compartment jute! Look for the 'leak' around your rear deck lid and it's weatherstripping until you're blue in the face, but you won't find the source of your rear compartment leak on a Shark convertible until you make SURE the rear wall carpet PIF's are installed properly like the factory originally did despite the lack of documentation to that fact in the books....

[Chuck S.]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

Thanks for making a good point, Lyle. Use of "C3" terminology for comments applying to any specific year C3 is dangerous since they run from 68-82, and changes occurred. I should have qualified that my comments (along with the AIM reference) are known to be specifically applicable only to 70 coupes, are probably applicable to 70-72 including convertibles, and may be applicable to all 68-72. After that, all bets are off.

[don justham]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

I understand the plugs but does any of the rest of the carpet require glue to hold it down? Thanks

[don justham]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

Does anyone besides AL Knoch sell the seats with vertical panels?

[Patrick H.]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

Require? Well, no. But would I ever install carpet without adhesive? Again, no.

When adhesive isn't used, the fit and drape of the carpet really appears poor, in my opinion. It is usually rather obvious.

If you're "afraid" of using glue, for whatever reason (and I'm not sure why you are), 3M makes spray adhesive exactly for this purpose in two strengths. Get the normal one, not the Super Strength, and you'll be fine. I use both when I install carpets, depending on vertical or horizontal surfaces.

Patrick

[Chuck S.]

Re: C3 Carpet Installation

If you have the 70 Assembly Instruction Manual (AIM), carpet installation is shown in UPC1, Sheets F28 and F29.

An adhesive was used by the factory on both the front and back carpets, but the exact extent and areas of adhesive application are not clearly identified leading me to believe the assembly workers had some additional instruction or direction. It does appear that the adhesive was concentrated on vertical surfaces like the sides of the foot wells and in the corners like the rear bulkhead/floor intersection. Perhaps this was to keep the carpet from pulling away from vertical surfaces and out of corners. My 70 coupe also had some carpet adhesive applied to the center of the foot area and under the seats.

Is adhesive required? You can try it if you want, but my opinion is that GM wouldn't spend the time and material to use it if it weren't required. Using the adhesive without a requirement would just increase the vehicle cost. The adhesive probably keeps the carpet/insulation from bunching up and separating from floor surfaces thereby keeping the vehicle looking nicer longer.

Your carpets should have jute insulation pads bonded to the carpet backing. If your carpet doesn't have it, you will need to get the insulation. If the insulation is not bonded to the carpet, then you will probably need to glue the insulation to the floor, and then the carpet to the insulation. This is just my opinion since I haven't installed carpet before, but I believe you need to prevent the carpet from moving around relative to the floor. Let's hear other's opinions/comments.