Need Carpet Help Please

[Kurt B.]

Restoration of my 68 coupe is nearing completion and one of the few things that remains to be done is to remove all old carpeting from the entire interior and reinstall new. Purchased the new carpet 4-5 years ago but have never done this sort of thing and would welcome any tips, suggestions, potential pitfalls before I begin. Also, what if any materials required other than the carpet itself.
Thank you in advance for any input.
Kurt Bunting #26406

[Jim T.]

Re: Need Carpet Help Please

Kurt some say to put the new carpet in the sun to really warm it up to ease the installation. I put new carpet in my 68 20 years ago. If I do it again I am going to install the stuff I have seen used in Corvette magazines to deaden sound and provide better insulation from the heat. Are you going to install new insulation under the floorboards like the 68's came with? All I have left of the original insulation is about half of what was originally on the drivers side.

[Kurt B.]

Re: Need Carpet Help Please

Jim,
My insulation has been removed and I plan to reinstall insulation if it is not already attached to the carpets I purchased. I haven't opened the box since I bought it years ago. I believe the factory used something called "jute" for insulation. My concern about using to much padding is that the carpet will shift and move and not lay properly on the floor. I have factory insulation on both sides of the transmission tunnel but do not have the exterior splash shields and insulation, which I do plan to aquire and install to keep heat out of the interior. The sound deeadener stuff the magazines use is not original and I am concerned it will make for to much padding under the carpet.
How did you keep your carpet from shifting? Did you use adhesive?
Kurt

[Jim T.]

Re: Need Carpet Help Please

Kurt I did not use any adhesive, however this was a long time ago, many years before the internet, and a lot more information is available for carpet installation. With your carpet being boxed for so long it may take some work to get it to lay like you want it.

[Randy Krohn]

Re: Need Carpet Help Please

I replaced my carpet in my 72 a few years ago. Laying the pieces out in the sun definitely helps - also expect to do a fair amount of t*******.

I purchased the insulation kit from MidAmerica, which is a reinforced, foil-backed padding. It's thicker than the jute, but the reduction in heat was worth it. My feet were roasting with my 454 - much more comfortable now.

I used 3M spray adhesive to place the insulation. I let that dry, and then again used the 3M spray adhesive between the carpet and the insulation. I've had no problems with carpet coming loose, and the fit was good.

[Kurt B.]

Thanks for the info *NM*

[Patrick H.]

Re: Thanks for the info

Kurt,

I can't somehow get a link, but check out this, ah, familiar titled thread in the Archives:

"Correct Carpet Installation"
Kurt Bunting NCRS26406 -- Friday, 14 May 1999, at 8:50 p.m.

I knew that I'd given out a fair amount of carpet advice previously. Some is in this old thread from you, and even just by searching for "carpet installation" in general there is a lot of stuff.

Patrick

[Kurt B.]

Re: Thanks for the info

Patrick,
I have never been able to correctly access the archives. I know this sounds stupid, but can you give me a quick "lesson" for future use?
Thanks,
Kurt