Installing Carpet

Installing carpet in these cars is pretty straight forward, but there are still a few tricks that can really aid in installation.  One of the most important things to remember is that you can always cut more off if needed, but if you cut too much there's not much that you can do to fix it.  Here's how I installed my carpet.

Begin by getting everything off of the floor boards and vacuuming up any loose debris.  Then install any screws or bolts that will be used to secure anything to the floor (seat belts, console, kick panels, etc.)  Once the carpet is installed having the bolts and screws will make it easy to locate where to put holes in the carpet.

Then lay down new underlayment.  This is available through after market retailers and is precut to fit.  No glue is needed.  Just lay it into place.  The carpet will keep it from moving.  If the underlayment is over top of any of the screws that were installed in the previous step use a razor blade to cut around the screw heads so that they are exposed when the carpet is laid over them.

This is the underlayment for the rear.

Next lay the front carpet in.  There is no hole cut through the carpet for the shifter, but the padding is cut away where the shifter should go.  Cut a hole in the carpet that is the same size as the hole in the padding.  Remember you can always enlarge the hole if needed.

The carpet is secured to the set riser with screws.  The best way to put a hole in the carpet for these screws is to use an old soldering iron or wood burner.  They melt right through the carpet and leave a melted edge that won't unravel.

Once you have the holes melted into the carpet you can secure it with sheet metal screws.

This is how it should look once all of the screws are installed.

Once the carpet is secured, feel around with your fingers and locate the screws under the carpet.  Once you find them use a wood burner or soldering iron to put holes in the carpet.

Then use a screwdriver to back the screw out of the hole

Now lay the rear carpet in and repeat the same process as was done on the front to create all of the necessary holes.

Don't forget to burn holes for the seats.

Once all of the holes are created you can install the console (if equipped) and the seats.  Then trim the excess carpet flush with the top of the rocker panel and install your sill plates.  Finally install the kick panels and your carpeting job is complete.

Here's a view of the finished job.