LiveandLetDrive

It's getting down to crunch time before my road trip the 22nd. Going to West Va. for Christmas, stopping in Maryland to pick up a friend to bring back with me to Kansas. Still got a bit to do before I go.

I have new front and rear carpets waiting in boxes at home, how involved is the installation? At this point it looks like removing the seats is the biggest obstacle. I suppose I'll need carpet adhesive..anything else? I hope I am reasonable to think I can do this in so few days?

Also we will be repainting all of the interior black, I have some questions about paint. Is the type available at an Autozone significantly worse than what I can get from an auto paint shop? About how many spray cans of primer/color/clearcoat has it taken you folks with experience? This is also to be finished before I leave, although I suppose I could put on the finishing touches once I'm at my destination. I'll be removing each piece to paint outside of the car, and setting out to dry inside the house.

Heater hose sprung a leak this morning (just put in a new heater valve, this section of the hose has gone unused until recently) and I burnt the crap out of my hand trying to temporarily plug it, so I'm a bit down today, but I have hope! Let me know what I'm in for this weekend, thanks!

-CHris


[Modified by RUXperienced, 3:51 PM 12/17/2002]

wcj

just installed new fronts into an 82. my carpets came without the backings for the console side pieces. the old ones were worthless so I bought some 1\8 in masonite from home depot, used the old ones as templates and cut new ones. if you do this make sure that you also mark the hole locations for the screws since there is a wiring harness that runs down the drivers side of the console that you don't want to put a screw through. I used two faced carpet tape to install the carpeting in the kick panels and the console side panels. I also used philip screw drivers to locate the holes in the carpet for the seat bolts and seat belt bolts after i installed the carpet. once located, I used a utility knife to cut around the holes for the bolt install. that was about it. hope this helps. wcj

LiveandLetDrive

sounds good, my console side deallys don't currently have carpet on them...I dunno if it was there stock? Thanks for the info.

LiveandLetDrive

Noone has anything to say about painting?

Corvettes White

KRYLON Semi flat black

SEM Vinyl paint

George :cheers:

DaBo

SEM Vinyl paint :cheers: :cheers:

It has different additives to make it work better on plastic and vinyl. Take your time prepping and cleaning. You may even want to think about an adhesion promoter. Think of it as a "primer" coat between the old and the new. It will etch the old to help the new stick.

I do not know what brand of carpet you are about to install, but I am in the middle of an install in my 74. The carpet is from ACC. Keep in mind that there will be adequate trimming, cutting, and fitting involved. It does not just drop right in. I am using 3M spray on adhesive and it has been setting up very well.





Hope this helps.....


[Modified by DaBo, 1:05 AM 12/18/2002]

LiveandLetDrive

Hey, good old Witicha. My best friend here at school is from Winfield, KS so I've been by there a few times. You might've missed me though, I go pretty quick :blueangel:

I think I will probably attempt one of the two (painting or carpet) before I leave (I'm also tacking on some new rotors and calipers on the front, but I have more than my share of experience in that department!). I should have enough leasure time in WV to get the other done. I do want to do this right, as much of a rush as I'm in!

Thanks for the pics and the advice, can't wait for mine to look that clean!

Have a :chevy day,
Chris

Stoge

DaBo, your carpet looks awesome!

DaBo

Thanks....My first attempt. :crazy: :crazy:

I am also repainting all of the plastic and installing new door panels.

The plastic pieces, rear quarter panels, kick panels, header mouldings, looked like they came out of 3-4 different years of buckskin,saddle etc interiors.

When I get done it is supposed to be all the same color. :lol: :lol:


[Modified by DaBo, 1:44 AM 12/18/2002]

LiveandLetDrive

hey Simon, I was checking out your website. That speedo/tach picture does make a good desktop background, but I like mine reading 90 and 3900 respectively :steering: :yesnod:

Edzred72

Hey there RUX:
Well, I don't think your going to finish the carpet and dye job before Christmas. I'd do the carpet. Original 77 console side trim does not have carpet on it. It is vynal. Take your time on the carpet. Make sure you don't trim too much when it comes to the door sills, seatbelt covers, and rear compartment. These components actually hold the carpet in place. 3-M spray adhesive #77 is great for carpet and is available at home improvment and hardware stores. (Don't use too much) Also, you may have to cut out "just the padding" from under the seat mounting rails for the seat mount bolts to reach through. If ya want to get fancy...cut a small flap from the carpet so that the forward mouting bolts and rails actually fit "under" the carpet. This way the flap hides all the forward seat mount bolts and mount rail. Looks professional that way!!
I've used the Corvette America Interior Dye (catalog vendors) and the SEM dye (local auto parts store) . The only differencer I've noticed is the $4.00 a can difference (SEM cheaper) and availability. Clean...degrease...and clean it some more before dyeing. That's the key to a good job that lasts.
Good Luck
Eddie

jrzvette

Whatever carpets you are using, lay them out in the sun on the driveway if possible for a few hours to loosen them up. I used a spray adhesive when I did my carpets three years ago. Also, when taking out the seats and seat belts, the bolts thread into nuts that are welded to the bottom of the floor pan and should just screw out from the top. If the nuts break loose you will have to put a wrench on them from underneath the car. The outside ones are easy to reach, but for ones on the console side you might need an extra pair of hands, or really long arms.

LiveandLetDrive

okay, thanks for the help! I still want to complete this before Christmas, and I will be working nonstop excluding sleep starting tomorrow. I'll be sure to take the time to focus and not ruin anything by rushing. East coast here I come...

john's '81 mouse

I've not dyed my interior pieces...........yet, but I do remember reading from another forum member the absolute importance of adequate preparation, particularly the necessity to remove all traces of silicone sprays, like armor all from these pieces or you'll get lots of 'fish eyes' in your dye job.........

Believe you need to purchase and use a special product designed to remove the silicone, and believe the process involves going over each piece with a clean rag each time, several times, and then a really good warm soap and water cleaning (like a dish washer), if you want to do the job right................

So bottom line..............not sure the painting/dying is something you want to rush to complete, and if you do.........you may not be happy with the results.

77BlueL82

Hope you don't run into mess I found when I took out my old rugs. Leak in the windshield frame made it to the seat well along with the drain plug missing and a seam crack infront of the seat pan.

I had to wire brush all the rust, install a piece of sheet metal over a rust hole next to the tramsmission hump, seal all the seams in the foot well, paint the well with Rust-o-leum Rust Reformer (changes rust back to metal....I hope), then paint the wells.

If I knew how to post photos, you could see the mess.


But I must say everything else went fine.



:nopity :nopity :mad :mad :nopity :nopity

Good luck

77BlueL82

BTW I also dyed all the interior trim plus the door panels and I am very peeased the way it came out. :cheers:

LiveandLetDrive

Looking at some of the archived topic on interior painting, looks like alot of happy people! SEM and silicone removers were recommend very much. So THAT's what the search button does! hehe.

I have most of the front carpet out already, it's fiberglass so the only thing bad is the peeling paint and all. Can't see under the seats too well yet, but they don't like sliding forwards/backwards.... hope that's not a bad sign.

That's another thing, is it necessary to paint under the carpet? I'm not an NCRSer, so unless it's doing something, I really don't know why there's paint there and don't intend to replace it!

-Chris

Yeller81

Let me know what WV is like . Plan on going there in May of 03 and heard there are lots of Curvy Roads.


[Modified by Yeller81, 10:55 AM 12/19/2002]

Bobbyg75

I painted my stripped out interior floor with undercoating paint - its supposed to reduce heat and noise which is prevalent in these years. I bought two cans at Fleet Farm. Went on real nice - though once carpets are installed no one will notice!


[Modified by Bobbyg75, 9:06 PM 12/19/2002]