Can my original carpet be salvaged?

[Joe R.]

I would like to save my original carpet if possible. But it has had a hard life. Mice set up shop under the passenger seat for a while. My 66 was off the road for about 20 years. Leaving mouse urine aside for the moment, it also has some sun fading and the hole around the dimmer switch binds on the switch. Other than that, the carpet is pristine! Here are some pics:



Joe

P.S. I am just repainting the car right now. Hopefully I will live long enough to restore the car someday!

[Edward J.]

Re: Can my original carpet be salvaged?

Joe Its worth a try to shampoo the carpets and If they come clean you maybe able to get some Rit dye that color, It almost looks like a royal blue color.

[Alan D.]

Re: Can my original carpet be salvaged?

Agree with that also! The edge & assoc stitching, carpet weave, & all rubber parts are unique so worth the attempt. If ng at least save all the parts you can.
Note; in addition to the color of the carpet there exists some threads in the weave which are clear so a dye will remove that feature however would not let that stop you.
Do some research on carpet dye to find some additives which will prevent the dye from leaving you a "stiff" carpet. The last one I used (that worked) is no longer available and
my new stuff is not acceptable.

[Stephen L.]

Re: Can my original carpet be salvaged?

Interesting seat track cutouts...... not at all like 67.

[Steven B.]

Re: Can my original carpet be salvaged?

Joe, I have seen similar light blue from a '64 Impala that was cleaned by a professional carpet cleaning service and came out well enough to dye. It had a frayed edge that was bound by a carpet installer. The carpet also had mildew, mice urine, and a golden/brown stain. All work was done by professional shops. It looked near new when completed. Good Luck! Steve

[Randy S.]

Re: Can my original carpet be salvaged?

Joe Its worth a try to shampoo the carpets and If they come clean you maybe able to get some Rit dye that color, It almost looks like a royal blue color.

[John H.]

Re: Can my original carpet be salvaged?

Interesting seat track cutouts...... not at all like 67.

Steve -

That's 'cuz '67 was the first year for separate seat tracks that bolted to the seat frames, with 2 front and 2 rear bolts per seat. '66 still had tracks integral with the side member of the seat frame, with slide-in shoes at the rear and 2 bolts at the front.