Carpet Tech

Replacing the carpet in your car can really improve the look of the interior and make it a much better boulevard cruiser. In the case of my car, it will also smell better (or not as bad). In the following instructions and notes, I am installing silver carpet from Year One into a 1979 10th Anniversary Trans Am.

You will need:

When you start the project, lay the new carpet out in the sun before you install it. The heat makes is pliable and easier to position in the car.

Removal and Installation
Remove the front and rear seats
Remote the console, but you can leave shifter, either automatic or manual
Be carefull of the wires for the power windows and courtesy light for the automatic shifter
Remove the seat belt receptacles from the drive shaft channel.
Pull the old carpet out.
While everything is out of the car, do some inspection for rust in the rear and front seat foot wells. These are common rust spots in these cars.
If you have new padding to put down below the carpet, remove the old - you might need a paint scraper. It is not difficult to remove, it will crumble and is held in place with a little bit of glue.
Before installing new carpet or padding, vacuum all the debris from the car, to protect the carpet from damage from underneath, or rattles in the car from coins that might have slipped under the old carpet.

The New Carpet!
Place the new carpet in the car, start to push it into shape around the driveshaft channel, the foot wells, etc.
Start to position the carpet around the seat bolt holes and seat belt receptacle holes.
If need be, make small cuts in the carpet to allow the bolts to go through it and screw into the body.
I bolted the seat belts in, then the front seats, the rear seats and finally tucked it under the kick panels.
Last pieces were the steering column panel and door sills.

Dirty, smelly original carpet.	Carpet out and area is vacuumed.
New Carpet Installed.

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