Well, last week i finally got around to installing the new carpet that i've had for 2 months. I went with the Home Depot method of insulation, and am very happy with it.

the carpet was from www.autocarpets.com through www.thirdgenresource.com

the insulation was a combination of industrial window flashing (6 rolls, 4" x 33' per roll, $7 each), which is an aluminum-backed rubberized asphalt paper, in some ways similar to dynamat.

also used was "reflectix" brand thermal insulation, which is essentially bubble wrap/foam sandwiched in aluminum.

the car looks a lot better, and is noticeably quieter. on my pioneer deh-47dh (or whatever) stereo, highway cruising volume with top up/ windows up has gone from 30 to 24. without a decibel meter, i can't quantify it any better, but it's clearly quieter. i'll probably be doing the doors in a similar fashion soon. (though i'm considering adding 5" speakers and keyless entry as well, so it might have to wait)

before #1

 

before #2.

yes, the rear drivers side stain was petroleum-based (gas/oil) for anyone wondering, courtesy of the slob who owned the car before me.

 

this is while pulling the old carpet up...

there was a little rust in the rear i sanded off and sealed, but overall it looked pretty good. there were a number of little broken wire clips and such, so i replaced or removed them so they didn't rattle around.

 

this was after the 1st layer of insulation was laid down. basically, i started towards the front, but before the factory glue patch, and worked backwards, then went and finished up near the pedals. i used about 1/2" overlap.

when doing the curved parts, just cut and let it go where it wants, don't stretch it to fit a certain pattern. multiple layers aren't a big deal. the weight of all 6 rolls combined was about 10-12lb or so.

 

here's how i did the different thicknesses, since you don't really want it too thick where your feet are, etc, but under the seats and near the exhaust i went with double foam.

the layers were

[Double reflectix]

---------------flashing------------------------
======== reflectix =============
****3M super 77 spray adhesive ****
======== reflectix =============
****3M super 77 spray adhesive ****
--------------- flashing -----------------------
____________ CAR FLOOR _________



[Single reflectix]

---------------flashing------------------------
======== reflectix =============
****3M super 77 spray adhesive ****
--------------- flashing -----------------------
____________ CAR FLOOR _________


you needed an adhesive for the reflectix, so i used 3M super77, and it worked fine. the reflectix can make squeaking noises under the carpet, but covering it with flashing stops this, since the asphalt holds the aluminum and keeps it from crushing or making noise.

(btw, some people refer to the flashing as peel and seal, that's just a brand. but it's self-sticking). either cut it with scissors, snips, or just tear it by hand.

 

the insulation was easily the most time consuming part, taking about 4 hours (including a break). next was laying down the carpet. i cut a slit in the center for the radio harness and the console, but didn't remove any material until i got it pretty close, and even then only a little at a time.

 

the only advice i can give is to watch the edges of the console, there are spots on both sides where the carpet had to ride up very high, and i almost missed the one on the right. the holes for lumbar seats are simple, since they can go almost anywhere under the seats. you can push down on the seat bolts to find them, and in some cases push them through the carpet. after i did them, i put nuts on top of them just to keep things from moving around.

 

I guess it looks better

When are you going to take it out for a spin to see how much quieter it is?

Brian

 

already did....

 

and actually, having driven it a couple hundred miles already, i can hear the road noise coming through the doors, so i know the floor is quieter.

 

Just wondering, did your car come with power seats or are our cars prewired for all power options?

 

oh, here's some of the junk i found in the process....

there about a pound of cigarette ash, 5 cigarettes (4 used), 3 matches (2 used), this 4" folding knife, wire clips, and the ring with "J" on it.

apparently, J and friends were not only dirty, but also armed and rather vain...

 

i've got the GTA lumbar seats from the factory. i'd assume because of the pump and pneumatic lines needed, not all cars are prewired for it.

 

:sillylol:

 

Are you pleased with the actual carpet? Was the price worth the product? I need a new carpet set for my 84 Firebird. Ive got the carpet out now trying to locate a hole in my firewall letting water in.

Good job on the install. The original carpet looked pretty nasty.

Thanks for the pics and instructions.

bill

 

yeah, i was pretty pleased with the actual product. the fiber and construction were of very high quality, my only minor gripe is that it looks really good stretched out, like over the tranmission bump, but looks a bit dark when bent inward, like in the footwells. but that's not a real big deal at all. the $58 in insulation was also worthwhile.

note: buy the smallest roll of reflectix, you don't need more than 15 ft² of it.

 

Just finished getting my carpet out, and found 21 cents, a 20 amp working blade fuse, some tape pieces and most importantly...Build Sheet. In the rear well under the carpet, in excellent shape! I'm happy.
Did you use ACC carpet? I should be installing mine tomorrow or Thursday and will see how mine looks.

One thing that I am wondering about, why is the carpet under the seats always dirtier than the carpet that's exposed, is it that people can't see so they don't clean it???

 

Nice.


Much easier to do carpet in a droptop.


How much did you pay for the carpet?

 

i think it was autocarpets.com, not sure if that's ACC or not. could very well be. it's whatever www.thirdgenresource.com is selling. i paid $167 or something including shipping (155 +12 or so)

part of the reason under the seats gets dirtier:
-harder to clean there w/o removing seats, and most of the time you clean with the seats in.
-don't always notice when something under there is staining it since you don't see it
-lack of sunlight lets mold and things grow faster and stay wet longer
-the rear seat in mine was a gas/oil stain that seemed like a one-time event.

 

One thing I was wondering. Did you know how bad the carpet looked without the seats or did you buy the new stuff based on how it looked when the seats were in?
Same thing kinda happened to me and my buddy. He bought the new carpet, then we took out the seats to install it. We were, "Damn, good thing we got the carpet!"
Just wondering if you were like that too.
Brian

 

underneath my seats were really dirty, but with a little tuff stuff i cleaned it up..

 

i found a vice grip, a few wrenches, wiring to a stereo that was removed prior to me purchasing it, a few gallons of water (no rust though) and about $30 in change

 

let's say i had an inkling...

 

...

 

is that the same car? Did you take of the 91-92 style stuff and put on the 85-90 stuff? Interesting. Ive never really seen someone take off the newer equipment in favor of the older style. Ive always seen it the other way.

Cool car though! That interior was nasty! Did you get your seats recovered or did you just replace them altogether?

later,
bill

 

yup. actually, i think the 91-92 looks good from the bumper back, but the front just looks too odd from too many angles. sometimes i like it, other times it just looks awkward. that was one of the reasons i had a hard time selling the GTA for the convertible, i wasn't sure i'd really like the look. and i'm not sure the gold is the best look either - i like it a lot more than i thought i would, but it's certainly not factory looking. however, matching faded red is hard, so i just painted the GFX a color that would look ok with the wheels/top/interior

some of my 91-92 parts were cracked/broken, and i found a set of 85-90 for $320 total, including real bumpers, fog lights, and all the hardware. so it was too good to pass up.

Quote:

Cool car though! That interior was nasty! Did you get your seats recovered or did you just replace them altogether?

they're recovered. the foam was still real good (somehow). a guy in williston, FL (Williston Gator Upholstery - 30 min south of gainesville) did all 4 for $450 in a nice synthetic. the work was very good. the only problem was the guy that ordered forgot to get perforated parts for the seat back/bottom. but for $450, i couldn't complain.

and actually, having carpet cleaned it a couple times, the floor you could see was clean enough, though i did let it go the last couple weeks before the swap, and nothing smelled or anything.

 

Back from the dead.

I am redoing my carpet, and am thinking of just using the flashing and not the thermal stuff.

And where can you get the window flashing, do most hardware stories carry it?

Is this going to work, just using the industrial window flashing in this manner?

-------------------carpet-----------------------------------
+++++++industrial window flashining++++++++
____________steel floor___________________


I need this done by Wednesday, so quick advice would be appreciated

Thanks alot,
-Eric.

 

I plan on using the peel n seal stuff from lowes. It seems to be very similar to danamat Single with some spray undercating. Except the trans tunnel its going to get a double layer. I am also doing the inside of the door and all the interior panels.

 

How much is it at lowe's?

 

Someone posted on another thread that its like $90 for enough to do the car. I am going tomorow to see it myself, and get prices. I am going to check home depot also. Its a roofing material, but hey its got to have really good insulation qualities

 

Ok, now I know that my car doesn't have the wires for power seats. The carpet is precut for them though. I also found out that quite some dirt collects under the seats after eleven years. Here's the driver's seat area:

***MOD EDIT*** Picture has been removed due to being pornographic in nature.

I also found out that my floor pans still look as if they were new. That's great because I hate rust

 

7 bucks a roll... I wouldnt spend the 90 dollars Aviator... but tell me what happens on your shop around.

 

Originally posted by patrickm00
oh, here's some of the junk i found in the process....

there about a pound of cigarette ash, 5 cigarettes (4 used), 3 matches (2 used), this 4" folding knife, wire clips, and the ring with "J" on it.

apparently, J and friends were not only dirty, but also armed and rather vain...



i helped my friend change an intake on his 69 chevelle and we found a 3/8 ratchet in the lifter valley. looked like it had been there for a while. lol

 

yes, that's fine