Ever run into a problem where it appears that a reproduction carpet
set is cut ¼” to ½” short at the kick panels, and
is the same amount short along the sill plates? Well I have and I figured
out what the problem was.
I was test fitting a carpet set in a 70 Stage 1 coupe when I discovered
the above-mentioned problem. The first thing I did was to match up the repro
carpet with the original. Everything measured out right, and seemed to be
cut correctly, but when test fitted it would come up short. Now I started
wondering what the hell was going on and began to really look at both carpets
to see what if anything was different. What I noticed was that the jute
padding on the original was much thicker then the jute padding on the repro
carpet.
Here is what was happening. When I put the repro carpet in, the thinner
jute padding was forcing the carpet to “sink” further into the
recessed areas then it should. This extra distance down, and then back up
to the rocker panels, was in effect pulling the carpet edge in and making
it seem like the carpet was cut short. Now I knew what was wrong, the problem
was how to fix it.
Here is what I came up with. I pealed the jute padding off the original
carpet and placed it on the floor pan, then I put the repro carpet on top
and everything lined up perfectly, the added thickness of padding did the
trick. I then proceeded to pull everything back out, glue the original padding
to the floor and proceed with the carpet installation as usual.
So if you run into a similar problem, try this easy fix.