How much carpet material do I need

[Grumblebuns]

Has anyone here cut and fitted their own carpeting. I have one custom set from an unknown company but need to re-carpet three Europas. I'm thinking of using the custom set as a pattern to have a local upholstery shop cut the pieces? Any idea how many yards of carpets I will need per car? 

[BDA]

I have no idea but I would remind you of AutoMat (https://www.autointeriors.biz) in case you change your mind and get a carpet kit.

[Kendo]

I'd take the set to the carpet place and ask them. They should be able to figure out how much to order to get the job done.

[EuropaTC]

It depends on the width of the roll (different widths over here). I vaguely remember doing mine and I'm pretty sure I needed 5 or 6 yds of 54" wide material. It was way more than I initially expected and ended up costing fractionally more than the commercially available kits.

The only reason I cut mine was because I wanted a different colour/carpet pile that wasn't offered off the shelf.  If you're going for a standard colour then I'd just buy a kit.

It takes a heck of a lot of time to bind the edges properly and even though I bough a lot of material I was still juggling the patterns around to get everything cut. Then you have the problem of adding the scuff sections at the wheel arches & drivers heel pad. I found that tough and ended up making something slightly different on the wheel arches, another thing to add to the list of jobs.....   

My advice would be "only do it if you really want something you can't get anywhere else".... or like many other jobs I take on, "because I want to"   

Brian

[Grumblebuns]

Some of doing this myself is the "because I want to " but mostly for cost. I'll bring the carpet set down to the local upholsterers and try to get a cost estimate. If close to the commercial ones, I may just order from Automat. Thanks.

[GavinT]

Just something to note when doing carpet yourself.

Carpet often has a 'nap' and if you lay out the pieces with the nap going in different directions it sometimes looks a little odd.
It becomes more obvious with the tunnel covering because you have to 'let in' a wedge shaped section at the rear.

[dakazman]

Thanks Gavin,
  I’ve installed a lot of carpeting on commercial aircraft and all most ready to install carpeting.  I will not be edging the carpet. The top of the console down is a good start point. 
 I have a seamer that will hot glue anything and if all cuts be at the lower point of the floor and at the door jambs which will be capped by the edge seal material.
   I will be using double sided carpet tape on the bare fiberglass. Thoughts , comments?
Dakazman

[EuropaTC]

I will be using double sided carpet tape on the bare fiberglass. Thoughts , comments?

Any sound insulation ? I found in the past that tape doesn't work so well holding carpet to insulation although if it will take the temperature on a hot day then I'd reckon it would hold on fibreglass. I used high temp. contact spray adhesive on mine for both insulation & carpet, the same stuff you use for headlining.

I agree there's not very much that needs edging. Transmission tunnel, side sills, firewall, the floor behind seats & wheelarches all blend nicely in without a trimmed edge. To prevent the odd random loose fibres  I cut oversize, tried in place and then folded back the edges of the wheelarch sections rather than sewing edging in place.

The only place I need edging was on the footwell carpets because I left them removeable, held in by studs.
 
Brian

[4129R]

Any sound insulation ? I found in the past that tape doesn't work so well holding carpet to insulation although if it will take the temperature on a hot day then I'd reckon it would hold on fibreglass. I used high temp. contact spray adhesive on mine for both insulation & carpet, the same stuff you use for headlining.

I have done the same x 5 with Evo Stik spray. 6 large cans for underfelt, carpet, and headlining.

The hardest part is the footwells. I measure with a tape, cut, place dry, cut again until it is slightly too big, then glue spraying both the felt and the carpet. Use petrol to clean off the glue from your hands or the paintwork where overspray has settled on the door reveal.

[dakazman]

I will be using double sided carpet tape on the bare fiberglass. Thoughts , comments?

Any sound insulation ? I found in the past that tape doesn't work so well holding carpet to insulation although if it will take the temperature on a hot day then I'd reckon it would hold on fibreglass. I used high temp. contact spray adhesive on mine for both insulation & carpet, the same stuff you use for headlining.

 
Brian

   Yes insulation will be self stick fender well padding attached to underside of seat area. It comes o
In a roll 40x60”. Carpeting in the footwell.. I was going to add push pins thru carpeting maybe with some grommets thru carpeting attached. Maybe use the frustrating ones with a Phillips head face  😂
Dakazman

 

[Lotsof 3146 R]

For the underlay I used a closed foam Karrimat. Cheap easy to obtain and spreads the load on a thin and flexible floor

[GavinT]

I have a seamer that will hot glue anything and if all cuts be at the lower point of the floor and at the door jambs which will be capped by the edge seal material.

What does this 'seamer' do?

All cuts won't be at the lower point of the floor, though.
My sister volunteered for my carpets way back when. I think she hand stitched that wedge shaped piece at the top rear of the tunnel. The main focus there is to ensure the corner where the top becomes the side looks as if it's one piece after it's fitted.

Maybe big sister couldn't get a large piece of carpet into the 'throat' of the sewing machine - not sure.
She only had a domestic sewing machine so I presumed carpet was a bit too much for it, though she did manage to edge the floor mats with that black cloth tape.

I will be using double sided carpet tape on the bare fiberglass. Thoughts , comments?

I'd be speculating but would think the carpet might feel a bit floppy in some areas using tape with air pockets underneath . . . kinda won't sit dead flat all over . . particularly against vertical surfaces.
I just used common contact cement for the glued parts on mine, so if I needed to lift the carpet at some point, it's not all that well stuck.

I will not be edging the carpet

Not even the floor mats?

[dakazman]

Hi Gavin,
 Seamer joins two separate rug panels together. Hot glue on the lower webbing  . If I fold the hot glue tape in half the iron may glue it to the fiberglass.  I’ll get back to you on that.
   The two way tape is use on commercial aircraft on to fiberglass honeycomb panels with no lifting . Side panels you would do a 6-8” gap between lines.
 
    I like rubber mats over rug , for everyday driving here because dirt is sand and seashells. If I saw a nice set of edged Lotus insignia mats I would just use them at car shows.
Dakazman

[EuropaTC]

My sister volunteered for my carpets way back when. I think she hand stitched that wedge shaped piece at the top rear of the tunnel. The main focus there is to ensure the corner where the top becomes the side looks as if it's one piece after it's fitted.

Jumping in here, I hand stitched that area as well.

I've experimented with cheaper carpet that you can almost mould with a hot air gun but all that does is end up with the pile running oddly at one side. I have no idea how Lotus did the originals but to get it looking half decent mine is sewn from 3 pieces - two sides & the top wedge. If you look very closely you can see where it's done but generally the thread is hidden in the carpet pile.

Brian