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Sun Jan 07, 2007 4:23 pm

Ok, I've started trying to install my carpet and rear interior panels. The front door panels have to wait until my chrome gets back from the shop.

Now, I've never done interior carpet before, other than making my own pieces, so I'm not sure if the problem lies with the carpet or with me. Some of these pieces don't seem to fit right. I don't know if I'm supposed to stretch them, or if they're just cut wrong. Are earlier cars different? I'm assuming these would have been cut from the same patterns that Lenny used on other cars, like the '57 Lizard green coupe.

And how does one get the carpet to conform the the curves in a nice, tight manner? Do you heat it, steam it, cuss at it?

The first issue: the rear seat facing piece seems to short, and doesn't fit very nicely around the tunnel

Second issue: the heater channel side pieces don't seem to have been cut sufficiently wide enough for the seat rails

Third: what is the over/under schema for the heater channel/kick panel pieces, or do the two pieces butt up against each other?

Fourth: the front kick panel pieces seems too long, so that it wants to wrap over the dimmer switch. Also, the U-shaped cutout for the steering tube seems off, as is the cutout for the reserve lever. The other side has a similar issue. If I trimmed 1/2" off the forward edge and tucked it under, it would probably be OK, but I'm not sure if that's 'right'

Next, the rear quarter seem to 'tall' and don't fit into the panel; it's as if an allowance wasn't made for the top beading

Sun Jan 07, 2007 4:41 pm

I'm interested in answers to these questions also. Just got my carpet kit from sewfine. Will probably start putting it in at the end of this month. Mainly is it usefull/safe to use a heat gun to try and help "mold" pieces so they can at least glue correctly?

Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:23 pm

those look like pretty serious supplier issues to me. not a good advert

Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:46 pm

When I was doing my carpet in my 55, I found that I needed to warm the carpet a little to get it to stretch some. I had similar issues of things just not lining up. I placed the parts in the sun for a few hours and was able to work with it just enough to get it to fit. I cussed at it, and had to redo it once, but in the end it came out alright.

Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:25 pm

I installed WCCR carpet in my 67 coupe. It was my first install but if you take your time it goes in nice and straight. Dry fit everything. Spend alot of time getting to know how the pieces fit. I started with the tunnel and worked from there. At first none of it made sense but after along time of playing and thinking about it it did start coming together. At first I wanted to call Lenny and ask him what the hell they drink for lunch but it does go in . You will have to do a bit of trimming and stretching and pulling. It's hard but definitley do-able.
I used 3M 8088 Trim Adhesive.

Spray both surfaces and let it tack up for a few minutes. As you apply the carpet you will be able to stretch and form it to fit. It's very tedious and physical but I was very pleased with my results and Lennys product. It's superb.
Here is the only photo I have showing some footwell detail;

Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:59 pm

freekazoid wrote: I'm interested in answers to these questions also. Just got my carpet kit from sewfine. Will probably start putting it in at the end of this month. Mainly is it usefull/safe to use a heat gun to try and help "mold" pieces so they can at least glue correctly?

I got a carpet kit, door and quarter panels, and front and back seat covers from sewfine. I am VERY happy with the results.

Dry fit the entire carpet before installation. The toughest pieces for me to glue down were the 2 pieces that cover the back wheel wells behind the back seat and the 2 pieces that curved around the front bottom corner, where the vents are.

I found that when dry fitting I could tell which piece goes on top when they overlap from the binding. When overlapped the piece that had the binding at the overlap area I put on top.

Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:34 pm

Just my 2c worth, but there seems to be a few wind lacings/draught excluders missing from some of the trim being shown.

Jerry

Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:41 pm

Thom,

Spent 2 years working for an interior shop when I got out of high school and have done a lot of work with squareweave.

Steam is the key to getting those heavy pieces of carpet to lay flat. It will take a steamer and patience. I'm not sure if you can rent/borrow one but that's what it will take for the results you're after.

Dustin

Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:44 pm

Leonard Banks wrote: freekazoid wrote: I'm interested in answers to these questions also. Just got my carpet kit from sewfine. Will probably start putting it in at the end of this month. Mainly is it usefull/safe to use a heat gun to try and help "mold" pieces so they can at least glue correctly?

I got a carpet kit, door and quarter panels, and front and back seat covers from sewfine. I am VERY happy with the results.

Dry fit the entire carpet before installation. The toughest pieces for me to glue down were the 2 pieces that cover the back wheel wells behind the back seat and the 2 pieces that curved around the front bottom corner, where the vents are.

I found that when dry fitting I could tell which piece goes on top when they overlap from the binding. When overlapped the piece that had the binding at the overlap area I put on top.

Awesome, thanks for the tips man. That last one is genius. I actually got a full kit with headliner, visors, panels, seats, and a fiberglass dash and center console all covered to match. In fact I can't wait to post pics of the interior. Its going to be great. Used a combination of grey leather and charcoal ultrasuede with orange highlights :D

Mon Jan 08, 2007 4:23 pm

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'm looking at a mix of funky cuts and a need to wrangle bits into place.

For instance, the piece that goes across the front of the rear seats: I'm convinced it's just wrong. I don't think that I can get a full inch of stretch across the width, and there's still the issue of how it wraps around the tunnel. I already sent that piece back once, because the tunnel area needed to be edged.

Same goes for the frontmost section - I think it was just mis-cut.

Mon Jan 08, 2007 4:56 pm

52brezelfenster wrote: Thom,

Spent 2 years working for an interior shop when I got out of high school and have done a lot of work with squareweave.

Steam is the key to getting those heavy pieces of carpet to lay flat. It will take a steamer and patience. I'm not sure if you can rent/borrow one but that's what it will take for the results you're after.

Dustin

Yup steam. I used to install convertible tops on porsches and they were always an inch short. Some hot steam always did the trick.

Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:52 pm

52brezelfenster wrote: Thom,

Spent 2 years working for an interior shop when I got out of high school and have done a lot of work with squareweave.

Steam is the key to getting those heavy pieces of carpet to lay flat. It will take a steamer and patience. I'm not sure if you can rent/borrow one but that's what it will take for the results you're after.

Dustin

I don't have access to any kind of industrial steamer but I could borrow a home clothing steamer. Do you think that would be strong enough?

Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:34 pm

freekazoid wrote: 52brezelfenster wrote: Thom,

Spent 2 years working for an interior shop when I got out of high school and have done a lot of work with squareweave.

Steam is the key to getting those heavy pieces of carpet to lay flat. It will take a steamer and patience. I'm not sure if you can rent/borrow one but that's what it will take for the results you're after.

Dustin

I don't have access to any kind of industrial steamer but I could borrow a home clothing steamer. Do you think that would be strong enough?

I have a clothing steamer, it doesn't put out much steam... But its worth a try. You could go to a rental place and rent a steamer, they rent them for removing wall paper..

Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:46 pm

70 140 wrote: freekazoid wrote: 52brezelfenster wrote: Thom,

Spent 2 years working for an interior shop when I got out of high school and have done a lot of work with squareweave.

Steam is the key to getting those heavy pieces of carpet to lay flat. It will take a steamer and patience. I'm not sure if you can rent/borrow one but that's what it will take for the results you're after.

Dustin

I don't have access to any kind of industrial steamer but I could borrow a home clothing steamer. Do you think that would be strong enough?

I have a clothing steamer, it doesn't put out much steam... But its worth a try. You could go to a rental place and rent a steamer, they rent them for removing wall paper..

I'll have to look into that when the time comes. Since we are on the topic of interior installs when is the best time to install a headliner, before or after all the glass/seals have been put in?

Mon Jan 08, 2007 8:29 pm

freekazoid wrote: 70 140 wrote: freekazoid wrote: 52brezelfenster wrote: Thom,

Spent 2 years working for an interior shop when I got out of high school and have done a lot of work with squareweave.

Steam is the key to getting those heavy pieces of carpet to lay flat. It will take a steamer and patience. I'm not sure if you can rent/borrow one but that's what it will take for the results you're after.

Dustin

I don't have access to any kind of industrial steamer but I could borrow a home clothing steamer. Do you think that would be strong enough?

I have a clothing steamer, it doesn't put out much steam... But its worth a try. You could go to a rental place and rent a steamer, they rent them for removing wall paper..

I'll have to look into that when the time comes. Since we are on the topic of interior installs when is the best time to install a headliner, before or after all the glass/seals have been put in?

The headliner goes in first. So when you put the windshield and other window seals it goes over the headliner.

Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:31 am

Here some words from Sweden. Before installing the pieces around the backsseat you need to cover the bare metal around the backseat with vinyl ("the idiots guide to Ghia interior" post shows some pics of this)
About the overlapping (channel/footwell pieces) I´m pretty shure there shouldn´t be any overlap here. Beetles had overlapping carpet pieces
here but I don´t think Ghias had. BUT if you don´t get around the overlap let the channelpiece overlap the fotwell piece (instead of vice versa). Looks better and more correct since beetles had this kind of overlap (protection from dirt coming in so easy).
And ...yes. Steam is the way to go. There was a good reportage about carpet installing in a Volksworld couple of years ago. (Keith Seumes split wasn´t it)
Just my two kronor :wink:

Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:22 am

Not sure if a clothing steamer will do the job. An industrial is hot enough to make the backing of the carpet plyable and warm. You could always try it on a small piece, worse case is it doesn't do the job. You won't hurt anything by trying it out.

Thom - I didn't catch the part about the length being an inch short. When I receommended steam it was so it would lay flat, to the contours not to stretch the length an inch. Short means cut and sewn too short, before you ruin it by fighting it, I'd prolly send that piece back to Lenny. I've seen maybe a 1/4 or so fudged by stretching but that's only beacuse it wasn't right to begin with.

Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:25 pm

So I sent Lenny these same pix, and he said it looks awful, I don't know what I'm doing, and I need to sub it out to a professional. :?

Sat Aug 30, 2008 10:19 pm

thom wrote: So I sent Lenny these same pix, and he said it looks awful, I don't know what I'm doing, and I need to sub it out to a professional. :?

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread but....

1) Go figure that Lenny would be an arrogant jerk about it...I'm not surprised. :?

2) I installed stock carpet over the HIGHLY curved fiberglass speaker kickpanels that you see a lot of people selling. Yes, the fiberglass speaker panels fit like crap and my dremel had a lot of work to do on them... I was very skeptical about how the stock piece of carpet was going lay over the panels, and all the test fitting I did made me think that the carpet was going to be a disaster over the compound curvature of the panels. HOWEVER I used my girlfriend's hairdryer on the backside of the carpet and it made the carpet MUCH more maleable!!! (dont use the hairdryer on the carpet side because you can actually melt the carpet fiber!!!!) I'm absolutely convinced that will a little heat you can get your carpet to conform to ANY shape. I was amazed. I'll post pics as soon as I find my darn camera USB cable, but the carpet conformed perfectly to every curve on the panel.

Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:03 pm

Oh the magic of the hairdryer...it was indispensbile on the curved piece between the kick panel and the floor pan too!