87WS6

iTrader: (1)

I ordered my carpet through Hawk's. I recieved it in 5 days instead of the 2 to 4 weeks that I was quoted. However the carpet itself is a dissapointment.

For molded carpet it doesn't seem to fit anything. I heated the carpet up in the driveway until it was nice and plyable. I went to do the installation and the first thing I noticed was the center console cutout wasn't worth a damn. It wasn't remotely cut like the original carpet and it wasn't the right length or shape. The carpet has padding in areas where you clearly do not need padding making it ten times harder to cut in those areas.

The carpet also had a tendancy to bunch up in the wrong places. It was way to large on the sides which probably only made it bunch up worse.

I never could get it in right and to top it off I ended up cutting it wrong since the console cutout wasn't shaped right and now I will never be able to get it to look right.

The carpet could have been molded better, the placement of the padding could have been better and the precut console hole might has well not have been there since it was totally and completeley wrong.

The only positive thing I can say for this carpet is that the color was dead on with the original. I could not tell it apart from my factory carpet colorwise.

I have installed carpet in cars before and I have to say this is the worst molded carpet I have ever seen. I would not recommend it's purchase to anyone.

I would also point out that I am refering to the passenger area carpet. The rear carpet hasn't been attempted yet. However that is pretty straightforward and shouldn't be too hard. But that is what I thought about the front.

I would return it except I already started cutting on it so it is unlikely they would take it back. And I don't blame them. So the worst part is I am out 150 bucks to get more of the crap.

jtmiller92

iTrader: (42)

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who had this problem.I installed my ACC carpet over a year ago and have yet to get it to look right.Definately bunches in the corners and I second the center console coments.......I also have the rear carpet and it bunches up in the rear also....I've even tried using a heat gun to make it more plyable.....it isnt happening.I want to order new carpet but I would hate to have it turn out the same way again................jt

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

Normally I hear people go on about the fit and quality of the carpet. And the ease of installation. So I figured it wouldn't be an issue. Boy was I wrong.

Is there anyone else that makes this carpet? All I ever seem to see is the ACC stuff.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Wow. I just put some ACC carpet into my GTA and I couldn't be happier with the fit and finish. I had to trim the center console opening a little bit, and trim the door opening area a little bit, but the carpet fit absolutely perfectly. I was so damn happy with it that I decided to become an ACC dealer.

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

Your kidding right? Well if your ever in Texas I'll pay you to install the crap.

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

It dawned on me while replying to his other thread... mine didn't fit right at first either. Right before I started to get pissed off, I realized it was too far back. I had to trim a couple inches out of the center area because the carpet was hitting the e-brake and not letting me slide it farther forward. I cut a couple more inches out of the center, which allowed me to slide it farther forward. Once I did that, it fit perfect.

If you look at the carpet, you can see the indentations for the floor rails that the seat studs are in. Once I cut the center out, I used that as my indicator to get the carpet in the right spot, then worked the foot area up to the firewall until it all fit good.

CAR Motorsports

I wish I could say I'm surprised, but this is what we hear all the time from purchasers of ACC carpet. I've only had one experience with ACC in my 67 GS and that was one too many. To make matters worse, I had to buy new carpet in less than a year because the black dye faded out on it and the carpet turned a grayish color. The fit totally sucked. Worst fitting carpet I ever tried to install. Too short one place, too long in another, didn't include everything I needed (door panel pieces). When I asked to buy the extra pieces, I was told to go to home depot or a local carpet place and get what I needed. That's not a very responsive or acceptable answer in my book, which is why I set out to find the best carpet I could.

Alan

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

It's funny how it's either sink or swim with ACC. My ACC carpet went in just like Jim85Iroc said. Some minor trimming here and there, but fit very well over all.

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences, but it's not the first I've heard. I wonder what the deal is with ACC???

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

It seems that every carpet company has its hangups. I asked for samples from Car, fbodycarpet.com and ACC. ACC was the only one of the three that sent my samples. Guess what kind of carpet is in my GTA, and going into my IROC shortly?

LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I hate ACC, their products suck. I normally don't say this kinda thing but I have personally seen their carpet in 4 vehicles and it sucks. 1: 67 Malibu, black carpet, faded out now looks red, 2:71 Firebird, black carpet faded out lookds red/grey, 78 Malibu, black carpet looks reddish grey, MY 89 T/A(came in the car), grey, now green and white, ITs junk. I will never buy there stuff again.

I am looking for good carpet to put in my 89.

2.73's Suck

yep I got an ACC carpet for my 66 galaxie and it sucked too, it took a lot of trimming and swearing to make it fit. it was also the wrong type, it was supposed to be 80/20 loop and I got cut pile. does anyone know of a good one for my camaro, theres nothing in there now.

reilly8282

i also just recentely got some grey carpet from acc and put it in, there was plenty of triming and bunched up corners, and man what a difference in the thickness, and weight of stock vs. acc....i got the molded too and it sucked, they mold it but STUFF IT IN THE DAMN BOX and it gets new mold lines and all kinds of stuff....definetly let out some cuss words here and there and a sliced finger with the razor from all the trimming, but it looks decent now, well see in a couple months or so

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

Let me first state that I don't know exactly what problems you guys have had, and to what extent, but think about this:

As far as being stuffed in a box, It keeps shipping costs down, which keeps OUR cost down. And yeah, I had new mold lines for about an hour.

As for the bunched corners, I had this very minor problem only in the rear outside corners of the back seats, and with a little trial and error, I got them to sit fine. Of course, had I realized it at the time, you don't even see those corners. And yeah, I had to cut along the door sills. Damn ACC for giving me "EXTRA".

Have any of you tried fitting plain ole carpet? Don't even try it if you can't figure out ACC carpet. I never thought that "fitted" meant "perfect". I expected some elbow grease was going to be needed.

I beleive you guys have had problems, but I think MOST not all of them are well within what can be expected.

reilly8282

well i guess i just kinda got frusterated with it, it wasnt so much of a pain as my earlier post might have seemed, but there was some trimming, and i do have ruffles, but all in all no complaints for what i paid, i just wish there was an easier way that they could box it so it you could tell where the true mold lines were....

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I wanted to say it but I decided to wait until somebody else did.

I've come to learn that nothing is ever easy when it comes to non-oem parts of any kind. I had that mindset when starting my carpet install, so the fact that I had to trim and adjust was an expected part of the installation for me. I just can't possibly imagine that others had such massive problems with theirs when mine fit so well. They all come out of the same mold. I think its people's installation abilities and expectations that vary more than anything, but obviously I wasn't there for any of those other installs, so I really can't say.

What does concern me is fading, and that's why I haven't bought it yet for my IROC. Some people have massive fading problems, and others have absolutely none. It seems like there's no rhyme or reason to it.

CAR Motorsports

Stuffed in a box and too much doesn't bother me either. In fact, I only wish they had supplied too much carpet. The problem is that they trim the carpet along the sides (sill plate area) while its in the mold and they trimmed mine too close. I had too much on one side and had to trim it and not enough on the other side (it doesn't fit all the way under the sill plate). Also, I don't know what mold they used, but it wasn't right for my car's floor pan. I had some fit problems where the carpet mold did not match the floor pan. The biggest problem areas were the sill plate areas, the transmission tunnel area, and where the carpet goes up under the rear seats. I probably wouldn't complain about the fit so much if the carpet had retained its color, but that was the last straw. Bad fit and poor color retention was just too much. After visiting a carpet manufacturing plant in Dalton, I learned the key is proper dyeing procedure and the use of good quality dyes. Fit depends on the quality of the mold used. The funny thing is that I also hear good things about ACC carpet. So, they aren't all bad......just inconsistent I guess.

Alan

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I think that is probably the most likely explanation right there.

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

My fit problems actually had nothing to do with the sill areas. I knew there would be extra over there and that was fine. I wasn't even worreid to much about fading. I keep it out of the sun and I don't even mind redying. Not really. I just want clean new carpet.

The stuff in the back seat was bad. But it is covered if you plan on keeping your back seat. This is not a problem.

What bothers me is how it fits the transmission tunnel. That is the worst part. Which in turn kinda screws it up in a few other places. Secondly why put that console cut in it at all if it's not even remotley close to the right size and shape? I knew it would have to be somewhat generic due to the fact that it is for all third gens. Camaros and Firebirds. There are also 2 or three different styles of consoles.

But F'n please. The console cutout was nothing short of totally absurd. It wasn't even remotely the right shape size or placement. I have installed carpet before. Even unmolded carpet. Granted it was not in an F-body. However this is easily the worst molded carpet I have seen.

Crushing it in the box isn't a problem either. A few minutes in the sun takes care of the shape. No my problem is about how it fits in the car.

I messed mine up on the console cutout. That's my fault. That's the only reason I am going to buy new carpet. But if I have to do it again I would like to find something that is made better if possible. I have yet to really find any non-ACC carpet out there.

My reason for having a pro do it is simple. I do not want to mess with the crap again. I would rather pay someone with more experience than me to do it. So if it gets messed up again someone else can pay for it.

I may have simply got a bad set of the stuff. I have no idea. I have never worked with this carpet before. One of the main reasons I bought it was for the high praise It generally receives on this site. I was simply sharing my experience with the stuff. It was negative. Totally negative. My only compliment to the stuff is that the color is dead on with the original carpet. And the foot pads look great. Maybe better than stock.

Abubaca

iTrader: (3)

To be honest, my console cutout wasn't very good either, but it was small enough to not be a problem, and all I had to do was trim off some extra material. I sure hope fading isn't a problem. It's the Medium Beechwood/Doeskin color, so I doubt it will be a problem. I also have retired it from DD status so I hope I'm OK.

And just a quick plug for CAR Motorsports.
I just purchased a set of "Palamino" colored floormats from Alan. I expect them in a few weeks, and I expect good things. Alan was very helpful in the process, and so far, I have been very pleased with the service.

Expect a dedicated thread with pics when they come in.

Thanks Alan,
-Chris from Greensboro

CAR Motorsports

Hey Chris,

Didn't realize this was you until you mentioned the mats. You let me know if there's ANYTHING about those mats that aren't right. They have a lifetime warranty against defects in material and workmanship. Not that I'm wishing for anything bad, but good customer service really shows when something is wrong and how the company deals with it. Its easy when you don't have problems to have good customer service. We shine in dealing with the problems. For example, I have NEVER made a customer pay to return product that was not correct (what they ordered) or had a defect/damage. We ALWAYS pay the shipping in those instances. Know any other vendors that do that?

Also, glad to know I'm not the only person who's ever had to fuss with carpet installation.

Alan

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

Well. I managed to clean the oil out of my new carpet. I finally was able to cover most of my mistakes overall. I still have some trimming to do and I have to finish the backseat area. But it's still a major improvment. I expect that when I am finally done it will look pretty good overall. As I said I was able to cover most of my mistakes. The fit could have been better on the part of the maker. But that is beyond my control. I had the problem of it having more extra on one side then the other. This made things alot harder.

I also took a look at the OEM carpet more closely. One thing I would like to point out is the OEM stuff tears alot easier. Secondly the backing is rubberized and padded about the same on top of that. The ruberized backing makes a big difference in how the carpet lays in the car.

I will post pics when I am done. I am sure I will have it looking decent. I think that when I redo it in the near future I have learned alot to give it a better shot.

My tips on this whole thing.

First put down any extra padding you want to add above the normal amount.

Line it up first. Make sure that it is as far forward as it needs to be. This will require trimming at the front of the carpet in the center console area.

Second you really need to pad the center console area at the back inbetween the backseats.

Next while its not tacked or glued down pull it tight as you can and make your seatbelt and accessory holes.

Next finish off your center console area. Keep the console handy to check and make sure your not going to cut to much. Check before each major cut.

It won't be perfectly smooth as the carpet will lay over some wires and things that will make it appear lumpy in spots. This isn't a problem.

You can glue the carpet down but I found it only necessary on the transmission tunnel closer to the back.

That's about it. It was a learning experience. The carpet could have been better but I did learn a few things to make my attempt more smooth the next time. I hope it doesn't fade too much. That would suck.

BTW does GM sell replacement carpet for F-bodies? If so how much does it run?

25THRSS

Ive been wondering the same thing. Anyone know?

87GTA Runner

I am also a very satisfied customer of Alan's CAR motorsports. I bought carpeting, mats, a fender mat, and custom GTA hood insulator. You can't go wrong dealing with CAR. The carpeting is not cut, so you have to make all the cuts. I have never done this before, but it is molded so well, you can see exactly where it needs to be cut. Thanks again, Alan. Bill

87GTA Runner

Just to show the mats.

jtmiller92

iTrader: (42)

Who is your carpet supplier? Is it custom fit? just looking to find some decent carpet...............jt

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

Is that carpet on the Car Motorsports site pricing for front or rear? Or is it both front and rear together? The pics supplied look alot better than the ACC carpet. Especially where the transmission tunnel is. That's the worst part about the ACC carpet.

Also does the carpet have the rubber style backing or is it like the ACC carpet in that respect?

I am interested as I am not happy about the fit of the ACC carpet. Which I have actually completed the installation of. There are tons of problem areas. However they are really covered by the seats and what not. But I am a perfectionist and I still don't like the area I had to cover up for the center console cutout that I cut to large.

I am also worried about color fade. If the Car Motorsports carpet lasts longer than it would be worth it to redo again.

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

Anyone know if the price of the Car Motorsports carpet is front or rear or both? They don't say on the site.

87GTA Runner

I believe that price is for the front carpeting only. I believe that is what I paid. I opted for the rubber backing and you should too. I think it cost like $45 extra or something like that, but it is so thick, no sound deadening material is needed. Alan steered me in this direction and I'm glad he did. I would have paid at least 3X that amount for deadener because I installed a high power stereo system. A little secret, buy more than one product and Alan will give you 10% off the total order. Sorry Alan, the cat's out of the bag.. BTW- they really know their TAs. Alan's partner Rich has a couple TA's. Did you find one yet Alan?

87WS6

iTrader: (1)

I didn't know the rubber backing was an option. That definatley makes it worth while in my book. I didn't see a listing then for rear carpet. Which I am sure they would have if they supply the front. At least I would hope so.

CAR Motorsports

Our carpet is made by a carpet manufacturing company in Dalton, GA. Then, another company molds the carpet to the appropriate car and di-electrically installs 3 pads (heel, passive foot, accelerator pedal).

Thanks,

Alan

banker

Does your company do international shipping Alan, certainly interested if you ship to United Kingdom.

92 Formula

iTrader: (2)

Banker, CAR Motorsports has not been online since:
Last Activity: 11-11-2003 09:56 PM

Just an FYI. Good luck.

banker

Thanks, i should have noticed that. I contacted CAR Motosports directly and they informed that their supplier has been bought out by ACC anyway.
Seems ACC has a monopoly on carpets now plus for any other non US customers Car Motosport don't do international shipping either.

Confuzed1

iTrader: (4)

I bought a full carpet for an old Dodge Charger I owned from ACC years ago, and it fit perfect. I figured I would get another from them for my Camaro, and boy was I disappointed. That was about 4 years ago though, and the piece of cr*p is still in my car - I intend to replace it.

I would've had just as easy a time trying to fit a regular un-molded carpet in there since their molded carpet is so bad. It was cut too narrow also to make it even worse. I was just barely able to get it tucked in the door sills. Any less, and it would not have fit at all. It stays wrinkly because of the bad molding, and overall looks cheap - although it wasn't at 100+ bucks and shipping as i recall. Never again...

EDIT: And I understand about non-OEM stuff and the extra work it takes to make some of this stuff fit, but the carpet I got wasn't even close...

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

The beauty of the ACC stuff is that they're using better quality materials than they used to. When they bought out the company that Car Motorsports (and I) got their carpets from, they incorporated those better quality materialss into their regular line.

Confuzed1

iTrader: (4)

Jim - the original post was from '03....that was probably around the time I got my carpet I commented above from them also. You're saying that their (ACC) quality has improved??

It would be hard for me to buy another carpet from them after my first experience...they've lost my trust. The quality would need to have gone up drastically in order to regain it.

ATOMIC

iTrader: (1)

the company acc bought is/was auto carpet systems out of dalton ga, and offices in sc.
i actually prefered to deal with acS as they were nicer on the phone and more knowledgeable
about their products.

both companies have always used the same mold techniques,
first they buy a car, the car is disassembled, then the floor pan is cut away from the
rest of the body. the floor pan is used to vacuum form the carpet in an oven.

acc uses three quality levels (grades) of carpet, to get the better stuff you have to order
direct from them, not a supplier.
acs didn't really have a cheap line.

i've been a distributor of both companies since 2001.

Jeffs82TA

iTrader: (1)

I find your problems funny. I bought a 550.00 ACC carpet kit for my 1990 corvette and the fit is incredibly nice. Minor trimming only around the front speakers and the door sill carpet. But fit wise was great, I had chosen to use a madvette undercarpet sound deadening kit and found the use of these thin foil kits affects molded carpet kits fit by a large margin. Seems they were designed for fit with the thick factory style deadening stuff. By adding 1/2 thick backing over my madvette kit the carpet fit perfect.

I'm curious from some of your pictures, is your carpet massback? That could explain the non factory fit as well.

here is my massback stuff for my 90 vette and like I said with very minor trimming fit just like the factory stuff did.

MASSBACK if you order polyback I think is what it's called that will never fit as good as massback. Here is massback picture, I am not sure what the stuff is but it makes the carpet very sturdy and it is what the factory put in cars.



foil kit

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Yes. The biggest problem that ACC had (and that ACS didn't have) was the system that they used to die their carpets. ACC's system sucked and resulted in badly faded carpets. Black carpets turned green, tan carpets turned yellow, etc. ACS carpet did not have that problem. ACC bought ACS, and now sources their carpet from the Dorsett Mills that ACS owned.

Also, ACS had their premium "essex" line of carpets, and ACC has retained that line. This is the premium stuff that myself and Car Motorsports sell, and it's a very good product. The only drawback is that it has less color options compared to the standard line.

Also, for what it's worth, since ACC bought out ACS, I have nothing but good things to say about all of my interraction with the company. They've been great to work with, and in the rare case that something gets goofed up, they've been very quick to fix the problem.

Confuzed1

iTrader: (4)

Well, I got mine from another vendor. I also never knew they had a "premium" carpet line either or realized they some have different backing materials. I just ordered a carpet that was supposed to fit and it didn't. I even notice that there are "hair *****" that form if you slide your feet along the carpet too much....I guess I expected a lot better quality for 100 bucks - but I guess it isn't the "good" line of carpet...

Daytona_83

You paid $100 for carpet? Well that should tell you why it doesn't fit well. $100 carpet sounds way too cheap. Expect to pay at least $250-300 for a good carpet.

spade

iTrader: (3)

i bought my carpet from jim about 3-4 years back.. no complaints here... fit like a gloveeeee but the center sectiion had to be slightly trimmed...

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

Every carpet is going to "shed" a little bit at first, it's just the nature of the beast. It stops after the first few weeks.

As for fitment, it really depends on the person putting it in. These are molded directly from an OEM floor pan, so they DO fit. It's just a matter of getting them flexible by putting them in the sun for a few hours, and taking your time to make sure everything is positioned properly.

Confuzed1

iTrader: (4)

Yeah, you're absolutely right. It really does depend on the person fitting it. I've probably installed around 6 different carpets in various models of cars over the years, so I know all the ins and outs on installing them and know a bad mold and fit when I have to deal with it. Every molded carpet is supposed to be molded from an OEM floor pan. And if it's not molded properly from the start, all the carpets made after that won't fit properly. There's several brands of fiberglass hoods that were molded from the original OEM that don't fit well on our cars too!

As I said above, maybe I got a carpet from them before this "merger" occurred a few years back.

- And it's total cr*p -it's still shedding - 3 YEARS later, not 3 weeks.

I understand you are a dealer for them, it's obvious. And maybe they are much better now as you and a few others are saying, so I don't know personally what the quality is now, but I know what it was a few years back, that's for certain....

EDIT: Just look over the previous posts...you'll see not every single person that's purchased ACC carpets has had positive response. I'm not alone by any means, but maybe it's just coincidence...maybe we all just didn't install it properly or weren't careful enough...

Jekt

well i need new carpet mine fell apart when i removed it, all i seem to see is acc. kind of confused because i am not seeing any quality upgrades to these carpets. i looked on acc's site and they only have 1 carpet listed. looked at a1 auto and they only have 1 kind aswell. but acc's site says like $450 for just the front and a1 had front and back for like $250. is that the quality difference you guys are refering to? the acc site sells the higher quality then the other vendors?

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

When you buy direct from ACC, you're paying their full retail price, which is a lot higher than virtually every vendor charges. Most manufacturers don't like to under-cut their authorized retailer's prices, so their direct prices are often at full MSRP, and ACC is no different in that case.

ACC's site isn't real clear on the premium products, but if you look at the material choices, there's a choice for "Essex". That's their premium cut pile. Most vendors don't list it on their website because honestly, it's not a frequently purchased item.

1ADan

iTrader: (4)

Jim's right on this one - we carry the standard cutpile carpeting as the essex (premium) is not very ofter asked for. ACC likes to have their resellers take care of the sales/customer end of things, so they're pricing on the website is full MSRP

glock

whats the price diff from standard cutpile and essex ???????????

JERRYWHO

I am ready to order today and was going to stop by Classic industries and pick one up, But if you have a better (Essex) kit, You will get the call. The reason it's not asked for is we all don't know about it.

Jerry

glock

A1dan ....maybe its not very often asked for (essex) because nobody knows about it !!!!!!!!!!!