Installing New Carpet
An Article by Dave Johnson and Frank Marrone
March, 2001
Page 1
Carpet Installation
TIGER CARPET KIT INSTALLATION TIPS:
You will need the following tools:
- Philips screwdriver
- Slotted screwdriver
- 7/16 wrench
- 5/16 wrench
- Drill with 5/16 bit
- 7/16 socket plus wrench
- 3M weatherstrip adhesive
- ice pick
- small measuring stick
- vacuum
- heavy cardboard for sill (optional)
- 3/4 in. stainless steel screws (head must recess in the carpet studs provided)
- 5/16 washers (same size as carpet studs)
- drop light
To properly install the carpet kit, you must remove:
(1) The seats
Slide seat all the way back, remove bolts from the rails.
Slide seat all the way forward, remove bolts from the rails
Remove seat
(2) The console
Three philips screw on each side.
(3) The Shifter
Remove the four screws from the shifter cover plate Slide shifter cover up the shifter Remove two bolts hold shifter to linkage Remove shifter taking care not to lose the shifter tension cups which are spring loaded. Now is a great time to clean and lubricate the tension cups. They keep the shifter from rattling.
(4) The accelerator stop
Measure the distance from the rubber bumper to the gas pedal. Remove the screws. You may have to remove the rubber bumper to get to the one screw.
(5) The accelerator linkage rod
Remove cotter pin from right end of rod Loosen (do not remove) bolt attaching rod to cable Slide rod out
(6) Blower
Undo blower tubes
Undo electrical connectors
Undo mounting bolts
(7) Highbeam switch pedestal (shelf)
(8) Passenger foot rest
(9) Door thresholds
(10) Hand Brake cover
(11) Put a block under a wheel since the brake will be off and the shifter is out. Remove the handbrake bolts and place handbrake assembly on its side.
(12) Unbolt the seat belts
(13) Remove speaker box but leave radio.
(14) Remove the lower screws to the front kick panels.
WARNING: Extreme care must be taken when using spray adhesives. Spray adhesives may be flammable, may irritate sensitive skin, eyes, or glue your hair down, or may get in places you never intended due to overspray fog or unmasked areas. Read the label and always keep a fire extinguisher handy when using any spray materials. Remove open flames or very hot surfaces from the spray fog- such as halogen work lights, that could reach ignition temperatures. Even WD-40 sprays can be a flame thrower.
Remove the old carpeting. Examine the floor and firewall. Now is the time to treat any rust you may find. Replace missing grommets and rubber plugs.
Make new cardboard door sill covers if yours are in bad condition. Your local picture frame shop is a good source for the extra heavy card board. Use the old cardboard as a template. Wet the cardboard slightly, bend into the proper contour, and let dry overnight. Check the condition of the carpet snap studs. They are probably broken off or so badly corroded to be unusable. Replace all the old studs with the new ones that are included with the kit. If one of the old studs snap, drill it out.
TIP: You may find that after you have installed the snaps in the carpet that the padding in the carpet is so thick that the snap doesnÕt hold to the stud. Simply unscrew the stud and put a couple of the stainless steel washers under it. You may have to replace the screw with one of the longer stainless screws. Just make sure the screw head fits into the stud. This will raise the stud and relief the pressure on the snap.
Take a scrap piece of cardboard and put as many small nails through is as you have carpet snaps. Place a snap on each nail. Using a can of spray paint, carefully paint all the snaps to match the carpet. Let dry overnight.
INSTALLATION TIME!
You will need a icepick or similar pointed device to poke holes in the carpet to locate screw holes and snap studs.
The first piece to be installed covers the transmission hump and goes up the firewall.
Center the piece at the back where the console was. Lay carpet across the hump up the firewall
The carpet is already slit for the accelerator cable, but must be cut for the accelerator bracket. Check to insure the piece has not slid away from the back by the console. Using scissors or razor blade, cut slits for the accelerator brackets. Just cut enough for the bracket to fit through. The carpet should now lay flat with out wrinkles. Glue or attach snaps as needed to hold in position.
TIP: Add two new snaps on both sides of the transmission hump at the front about 6 inches in front of the shifter and at the rear near the console. The snaps should be located about 1 inch from the carpet edge. Drill holes for each snap. Pull the carpet tight and then using the icepick locate the holes you just drilled. Put a carpet stud on top of the carpet and attach with a stainless screw through the carpet into the hole. Later when the floor pieces are put down we will put matching snaps in the floor pieces.
Install the accelerator stop. Use the icepick to locate the screw holes.
Install the accelerator rod. Slide it back through the bracket and cable attachment.
Position the pedal the same distance from the stop as measured above. Tighten the bolt on the cable attachment. Check the operation of the pedal and insure it isnÕt hanging up on the carpet. Install the cotter pin on the right end.
Install the blower and defroster tubes. 1 1/2 inch air emission tubes from your local parts store make excellent replacement defroster tubes.
The next two pieces are the side rail pieces. Glue the cardboard sill covers in place with small spots of glue.
Install the side rail pieces. The offset in each piece lines up with the seat frame support. The front ends slide under the kick panels. Screw the kick panels back in place. Cut holes in drivers side for the brake bolt holes. Reattach the brake. Reattach the plastic brake cover screwing it through the new carpet.
TIP: Leave the threshold plates off until the end to avoid scratching them. Instead use three or four of the threshold sill screws and washers to temporarily hold the side pieces in place.
Install the passenger side floor carpet. Install the kick panel first. Then lay the carpet down. Add the snaps under the seat rail and at the top of the kick panel. Add the two snaps that match the studs along the transmission tunnel.
Install the driver's side next. It has snaps at the rear too. It has a loop that goes over the steering column. One snap on the upper left. Don't forget the two snaps along the transmission tunnel.
Undo the high beam switch wires, pass each through the precut hole in the carpet, and reattach to the switch on its pedestal.
Install the high beam switch and pedestal. Screw the pedestal to the kick panel to help position it. Use the icepick to locate the screw holes in the floor.
Install the two pieces that go behind seats under the front of the package shelf. Glue the vinyl down. Check to make sure everything lies flat at the edges where the door sill carpet and piece meet. You may have to undo some of the interior side panels to slip the carpet edges under. Cut holes for the seat belt bolts.
Install the rear shelf carpet. Position it far enough back so the metal underneath in the back does not show. Install three snaps in the back and two on each side that wraps around the edge.
Install the underseat pieces. Add snaps if desired. Cut holes for the seat belts if required.
Install seat belts.
Cut hole for the shifter. Use vacuum to remove the fuzz, caused by cutting the hole, from the shifter linkage. Install shifter and shifter boot and ring.
Glue small strap that goes under the front of the console.
Install the carpet piece that goes under the console. This piece is optional as this area was not carpeted but covered only with vinyl.
Install the console.
Vacuum the carpet.
Install the radio speaker box if you removed it.
Lubricate the seat rails and then install the seats
Remove the screws held the door sill carpets in place. Install the door sill plates.
Remove the block under the wheel. Clean up and then sit back and compliment yourself on a job well done.
Addditional Instructions:
Flap snaps
There are four snaps on the top of the stub wall between the boot and cockpit areas. These snaps are on the same surface as the rubber plugs for the rear shock access. These snaps are riveted to the top of the stub wall. There is a fibrous washer between each of these four snaps and the body; the fiber washers were salvageable on my car. These snaps seem to have a weak attachment to the body. They may be loose or have come completely off their mountings. On my car all four snaps were gone but the rivets and fiber washers remained, the heads had broken off the tops of the rivets. Indeed the rivet remnants were badly corroded, this may be a good place to use stainless pop rivets.
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