| Carpet and Seats Upgrade, Part 1 |
| Interior Prep: Seats Removal and Covered Bins |
From "Tricked Out"
episode DTRK-203 |
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The project car: a 1988 Honda CRX.
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The old carpet gets replaced with this eye-catching neon blue.
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The interior upgrade will make problems like this disappear.
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NOTE: Images on this page may be enlarged for enhanced viewing simply by clicking on them.In this project, Tricked Out host Andrew Totolos takes the time-worn grey carpet out of a Honda CRX and replaces it with a new neon-blue interior. Not only does the new carpet look great but, with new sound insulation installed underneath it, the ride sounds much better too. In the final phase of the project, the CRX gets new matching blue racing seats installed. To get the project started, the seats and storage consoles get removed from the car in preparation for installing the new carpet and seats, and the storage consoles get covered with the new blue material.
Materials used in this episode:
In addition to standard auto-mechanic's tools (wrenches, ratchets, extenders, screwdrivers, nut-drivers, etc.), tools and materials used in this episode include: Carpet-replacement kit (front and rear; vehicle-specific)
New sports seats
Brackets and sliders for seats
Torque wrench
Extra carpet
Panel-removal tool
Scissors
Utility knife
Spray adhesive
Washers
Binder clips
Safety glasses The sockets used for this particular application are 17mm and 10mm. Important: Included in this summary are the steps in this automotive procedure as shown in the episode. These steps are general guidelines that are applicable to most vehicles. With any particular vehicle, there may be procedures, specifications, settings, tolerances, components, etc. that are specific to that vehicle. There are also variations according to the type and brand of upgrade-kit you select. Always consult your vehicle's service manual when undertaking significant automotive repairs, and read and follow the manufacturer's directions and precautions that come with your kit or replacement parts.
DIY Difficulty Rating for This Project: We gave this a difficulty rating of 3 on a 5-point intermediate-level scale. Experienced gear-heads should have no problem. There are no power tools involved, but time and patience are required to remove the old carpet and custom-fit the new piece.
The Project Car: 1988 Honda CR-XThis '88 CRX has already seen some performance modifications, but the interior is looking old and worn. The seats have some visible damage, and the foam is showing through. The CRX is a favorite with the tuner set because of its light weight and sporty appearance. Previous mods on this one include a six-piece body kit, a cowl hood and custom blue steering wheel. Highlights under the hood include a chrome valve-cover with B20 block mounted to a B16 V-TEC head.
Oxygen and spark are provided by a ram air intake and digital ignition. The blue theme is continued with blue silicone vacuum-lines and plug wires
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Figure A
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Seats, rear-carpet panel and storage bins are removed to make ready for the new carpet installation.
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Carpet Replacement: Prepping the InteriorWhen you decide to replace the carpet in your car there are a few things to consider. First, you need a custom molded carpet -- not just raw carpet from a home center. The molded carpet will already be in the shape that fits your car, so installation is easy. This custom carpeting comes bonded with original-style carpet padding, and is available in a variety of colors and styles. We opted for neon blue to brighten the interior of this Honda that sports a metallic-blue exterior. The seats installed later in the project continue the blue theme. When the carpet arrives, it will be folded up. You'll want to lay it out flat overnight to "relax" into it molded shape (figure A). Begin stripping the interior of the car to ready it for the new carpet. Begin with the seats. Car seats are almost always mounted with four bolts underneath. Flip the seatback forward, and slide the seat all the way to the front. Remove the two bolts that secure the seat rails to the floor (figure B).
Next, slide the seat all the way to the rear, and remove the two remaining bolts under the front (figure C). After all of the bolts are removed, you can pull the seat right out.
- Once the seats are out it's time to remove the rear-carpet section. In the project car, the rear carpet is attached to the storage bins behind the front seats, so that has to come out too. Release the four snaps that secure the carpet at the rear of the car (figure D), and then hop inside the rear compartment and open up the storage bin.
- Inside the bin, remove the four screw clips and two screws and then lift the bin and carpet out.
- Next, remove the screws that secure the side pockets and lift them up to release the side panel clips.
For the project car, the kit came with a large piece to cover the hatch area, but it's not big enough to cover the storage bins. If you're faced with the same situation with your car, you can use a separate piece of matching carpet that can be ordered along with your kit.- To get the rear carpet uninstalled, you'll need to remove the handle and lock. Pop off the retaining clip that holds the lock in place and pull it out.
- Remove the screws that secure the handle. Once they are all out, you can pull off the handle from the outside.
- Once the lock and handle are removed, it's time to remove the carpet. Take care when removing the carpet. Some panels are delicate.
- A putty knife will help release the carpet on flat surfaces without tearing the panel. You'll want to remove the side panel in the same way, but be careful to keep the old pieces in tact so you can use them as templates to cut the new carpet.
Lay the original pieces out on the new carpet with both the carpet and the original pieces face down.Trace around the old pieces with a marker (figure E), taking care not to shift position of the templates.Cut out the new pieces carefully with scissors. The side panels need to fit snugly, so cut them on the inside of the mark.Before you apply the adhesive, test fit the new piece and make sure everything lines up (figure F). You'll want some overlap in the large piece to wrap around the edges of the panel, but the smaller pieces should be trimmed for an exact fit.
You'll need to use spray adhesive to attach the new carpet. Safety Alert: When using spray adhesive, work outdoors or make sure you have plenty of ventilation. The vapors from the adhesive can be dangerous. Once you're satisfied that you have a good match, set the new pieces aside, but flip them upside down before you spray the glue to avoid getting a fine mist of glue on the right side of the carpet.Mask off any areas of the bins that shouldn't get sticky then spray adhesive onto the top of the bins (figure G) as well as the back of the carpet.Before you apply the carpet, allow the glue to tack up for about 30 seconds.Remove the masking tape and then carefully align the carpet.Press down firmly to set the bond.
With the storage bin masked off, spray the bin and then the back of the carpet.Once the glue is tacky, flip the bin over and onto the carpet (figure H).Arrange the carpet into place and then flip both over so you can work the carpet around the edges of the bin.Be sure to tuck it tightly and firmly around any corners, and then cut slits into the carpet to allow it to wrap around the edges. Cut off any excess carpet (figure I).
Follow the line of the bin and cut the carpet at angles to allow it to wrap around the center and any curved edges.Once all the dry fits are made, spray more glue onto both the bin and the carpet to secure it around the edges.Use binder clips to hold the carpet it place (figure J) until it dries. Follow these steps all the way around each edge, and then remove the masking tape.Allow everything to dry for a couple of hours before you reinstall everything in the car.
In the segment that follows, Andrew removes the old factory-installed carpet to make ready the new carpeting.
RESOURCES :
Special Resources for Tricked Out episode 203
Auto Custom Carpet, Inc.
Website: www.accmats.com
Toucan Industries
Website: www.toucanindustries.com
Wedge Engineering
Website: www.wedgeengineering.net
Sport Compact Bolt-On Performance Guide: Import Cars (Sport Compact Bolt-On Performance Guides)
Author: Joe Pettitt
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Voyageur Press (October 2000)
ISBN: 1884089526
Honda & Acura Performance Handbook (Performance Handbooks)
Author: Mike Ancas
Order this title from Amazon.com.
June, 1999
Publisher: Motorbooks International
ISBN: 0760306699
Honda/Acura Engine Performance: How to Modify D, B and H Series Honda/Acura Engines for Street and Drag Racing Performance
Author: Mike Kojima
Order this title from Amazon.com.
April 2002
Publisher: HP Books
ISBN: 155788384X
Honda/Acura Performance Handbook: High Performance Modifications for Street and Drag Racing Applications
by the editors of Sport Compact Car Magazine
Order this title from Amazon.com.
November 1999
Publisher: HP Books
ISBN: 1557883246
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