Carpet

I need a winter project & thought about replacing the carpets. I'd like square weave, but the $$$ they want for it is obscene. Isn't there some stuff around that looks like it? I seem to recall some discussion of some brand that was pretty close, but when I checked it out, they only sold black in complete rolls. Thanks a lot!!

I need a winter project & thought about replacing the carpets. I'd like square weave, but the $$$ they want for it is obscene. Isn't there some stuff around that looks like it? I seem to recall some discussion of some brand that was pretty close, but when I checked it out, they only sold black in complete rolls. Thanks a lot!!

Chuck,

Either Lowes or Home Depot had indoor/outdoor that looked pretty good. Not sure that's what you're looking for but it's what I'm planning to use. PLus it might hold up to leaks pretty well. They had a tan, a black and a gray but selection might be slim right now because this stuff is pretty much out of season right now.

Chuck,
Stratos indoor/outdoor is the stuff Lowes sells. It's 55 cents a sq ft. I'm using it to do my carpet this winter. I'm cutting it and installing it and I'm having the upholsterer that's recovering my seats sew the trim on it for $50. I used it the last time I did my carpet and it held up very well (and my car gets rained on alot).
The only reason I'm redoing it is I only did the tunnel, floor and door sills the last time. I want the entire interior to match this time.

Chuck....I went to a floor covering retailer, and waded through a few hundred samples.....Found something extremely close to what I wanted...Price was about 1/2 what the Upholstery/trim shop wanted....Just a thought...

i did my carpet. ordered & bought from a carpet store. High quality synthetic squareweave. Make sure you don't get real wool carpet (real squareweave is wool), cause it'll stink something fierce when (not if) it gets wet.

Anyway - i bought Square weave carpet (12ft x 8ft) - Tawney 03 colour code - Natural Expressions

just over $200 for the carpet. Installation was a solid $500 (custom fit, all edges bound, etc) - including seat backs.

I am very happy with how it looks.

In this video - the driver side floor mat is not in as i was waiting for a proper colour heel pad to be ordered. it's just a raw piece of carpet as a floor mat

Paul!

NICE looking carpet and color, but all that time and money and you didn't get a hole cut and bound for the shifter? You can't put the housing on top of the carpet layer and bolt it down. If you just didn't know not to, fine. If it was done on purpose, it shouldn't be, regardless you ought to score one of the early shifter housings with the rounded, turned under ends rather than the late one that you're using. The early versions are REALLY sweet and match the early 356s housing pretty well, the one that you're using is most likely from he same year as your straight shifter, but still . . . you wanna go with some class.

Again, you NEVER bolt the shifter plate through on top of the carpet . . . hopefully tell me that the video just doesn't accurately show the tight custom shaped open that you cut and that you haven't actually sandwiched the carpet between the shifter housing and the tunnel ! !


Hey, where do you order custom heel pads? I'm going the same route as you and will eventually need all of those neat touches, like a custom color matched heal pad and driver's pedal scuff pad.

Where is yours coming from?

Thanks ! ! !

TC

i did it on purpose. everything i do to this car is on purpose. 19 months - I'm in no hurry.

I like the look of the whole shifter being visible. The shifter plate is below the carpet, and I've driven around the neighborhood no problem. With the shifter plate on the carpet - i count get it into reverse.

and the heel pad - the interior guy i hired to install the carpet and do the seats and door panels ordered them. sorry i can't help you there.

Just be careful to check the shifter housing bolts every now and again, they'll work loose on you with the carpet layer where it is. Just check them occasionally for safety sake, OK?

And you STILL might want to swap out the new housing for an older one, they just look SO much better, really !! If I had a pic, I'd post it for you, but I know that you'd agree once you saw the housing.

they do look nice.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=651097

i know they have a shifter ball with a dowel, so the shift rod will need to be modified to accept it (so the curved shifter won't spin around)

I'll keep an eye on the bolts - thanks for the heads up.

This was the shifter base that I was thinking of for your ride:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=709076

See how nicely the ends are rounded and shaped? Just figured that if you were going to "feature" the base housing, you might like an older version better suited to the elegance and vintage look of your interior. The straight shifter shaft is just fine, no need for a bent one, just thought that you'd want to check out the early-style housing close up.

I know, I know, it's a subtle little thing, but it's all in those subtle details, when they combine, that make up perfection. Or as close as we're allowed to achieving it.

Just my opinion, but then . . . I'm something of a detail nazi for sure.

I just picked up 12 sq yds of indoor/outdoor at Hoome Depot for $44. That means I should be able to carpet my car for less than $100, Sweet!

Whats the consensus on putting that brush-on bedliner on the floor boards? I'm looking for water protection first and foremost as well as a little sound deadening. I'll probably do a coat of POR-15 first and the rough it up to take the bedliner material. Has anyone gone this route?
I plan to do the foam-like sound proofing in the doors, along the rear fire wall and up front under the dash but I didn't like it on the floor the last time I did it. The carpet didn't adhere to the foil backing on the sound proofing. And this time when I do the floor pieces I'm going to do them in two pieces per side. I recall someone suggesting that so when it gets wet you can pull it without having to take the seats out. I like that idea because my car tends to get rained on quite a bit.

Mickey,

Once you use the brush-on bed liner (a GREAT idea!) pour some water into the driver's side and passenger's side floor sections. Check to see where the water settles/where the low pocket is in each side.

Drill a 1.5 inch hole in that spot on each side and install a louvered circular aluminum soffit vent up into the hole from the bottom, then snip and bend the collar to secure it in place and seal with a bit of silicone:

http://heating-and-cooling.hardwarestore.com/92-585-eave-vents/1-1-2-round-white-aluminum-screen-louver--622998.aspx

Rotate the vent so that the louvers face rearwards.

This way, the water that collects in the lowest pocket will drain through the vent louvers while sitting and will be sucked through the vent at speed.

Cover everything up with rubber (water proof padding) and carpet and done.

That's what I'm in the midst of doing with my SC.

Excellent TC! What an awesome idea (vent), you're the best!