Carpet Purchase Advice, Fiasco

[Jwawhite]

Do not purchase your carpet from Auto Custom Carpets, Inc. out of Alabama, you may be disappointed about the product.
Three days to go for a Car Show a bit over 100 miles away to meet up with my brother. We rarely see each other and I was looking forward to seeing him. All the more meaningful for this would be our last car show together, my wife and I are done with California.
I installed the underlayment and turned my attention towards the carpet. Laying out the carpet it was readily apparent of poor craftsmanship. This by far was my worst aftermarket purchase.
Three pieces of carpet, the front piece fit poorly and I was just going to accept it and move onto #'s 2 and 3. The two pieces did not fit, the transmission tunnel on the carpets weren't correct. Too much material. Lastly, #3 the holes did not line up for the two piece rear seat bolts and no finishing strip on the edge.
I was in a bind, went over to an upholstery shop, the carpet was ripped apart resewn, edge piece sewn on and installed, $200.

[Jwawhite]

Seems to be issues uploading photos

[KULTULZ]

Sorry to hear that.

Too many people selling junk.

[paul2748]

Auto Custom Carpet is about the only place to get old car carpets as far as I know. Any where else to get 54 carpets? I was thinks about buying from them for my 54.

[Jwawhite]

I'd recommend your local upholstery shop. Remove the seats yourself and end up with a superior product and fit. You can get the price of a premade carpet vs shops....
Forgot to mention my carpet kit did not have jute padding for under the rear seat, quite a large area. I applied two superior products for sound and heat.
Look at the poor fit on front carpet

[fordor41]

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Check Ebay under 1954 ford carpets. all kinds of colors. factory oem parts

[KULTULZ]

Here is molded carpeting by a seller- https://www.stockinteriors.com/?gcli...iAAEgJ6xvD_BwE

[JeffB2]

Originally Posted by KULTULZ

Here is molded carpeting by a seller- https://www.stockinteriors.com/?gcli...iAAEgJ6xvD_BwE

I am on quite a few Ford forums and stockinteriors.com has gotten a lot of good reviews.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by JeffB2

I am on quite a few Ford forums and stockinteriors.com has gotten a lot of good reviews.

THANX! for that. I wasn't sure, just showing the concept of molded/fitted carpet.

[Ford56]

Its always good to read unfiltered feedback from Forum members of individual vendors and or products or services. All are appreciated, both good and bad.

[bobss396]

My '59 carpet was from ACC too. The rear piece fit fine. The front was about 3/4" too narrow in the width, I split it so I have about a 3/8" gap on either side. I shot some black paint under it so it hardly shows. I think my purchase was 1 size fits "some".


I did lay it out in the hot sun on my deck all day before we installed it.

[Hot Rod Reverend]

I ordered from ACC as well, and it was not a good fit at all. The color was great, but all kinds of problems with seams not matching up, puckering, etc. From what I could tell it just looked like they added too much extra carpet to every panel that they had sewn together. Both pieces laid down horribly. Problem for me was that I had purchased the carpet set from them quite some time ago (9 months ahead as I recall) before installation. Big mistake on my part, lesson learned there. In the end it all looks ok I guess.

After looking at stockinteriors.com I could swear the carpet for the 55/56 sedans are the same excact copies of what ACC has to offer. Makes me wonder...

[rotorwrench]

I get the best quality carpet I can and fit it myself. There are some tricks to get the proper fit on the hump. Older cars with relatively flat floors are the easiest ones to fit. The later ones with deep tunnels get harder the deeper the tunnel gets but it can be done. My old Consew sewing machine will punch through it all OK but it isn't easy to fit because of the weight & thickness of it all. A lot of the carpet that is moldable is fairly thin and isn't always the best quality.

I just wish I had a good serger machine. It can make doing the edges easier but sewing on matching vinyl edges looks good if done correctly by hiding the stitching in the carpet. Some edges can be hidden under the sill plates if they were designed that way

[paul2748]

For the most part, Stock Interiors sells ACC carpets. I ordered a carpet from Stock Interiors for my (now sold) 64 Fairlane and it came direct from ACC. It was the wrong carpet and they took it back no problem though

Originally Posted by Hot Rod Reverend

I ordered from ACC as well, and it was not a good fit at all. The color was great, but all kinds of problems with seams not matching up, puckering, etc. From what I could tell it just looked like they added too much extra carpet to every panel that they had sewn together. Both pieces laid down horribly. Problem for me was that I had purchased the carpet set from them quite some time ago (9 months ahead as I recall) before installation. Big mistake on my part, lesson learned there. In the end it all looks ok I guess.

After looking at stockinteriors.com I could swear the carpet for the 55/56 sedans are the same excact copies of what ACC has to offer. Makes me wonder...

[Kahuna]

It appears to me that all carpets sold thru Ebay are made by Auto Custom Carpets, no matter who distributes them, with bad feed back on the carpet fit.
Better to go to a trim shop, I think
Jim

[5851a]

Last carpet I bought from ACC was for of all things a 74 Pinto, was to narrow at the footwells and hump was way to high. Did my best to get the hump stretched down and pulled out to the edges, never was satisfied. I see on the mustang sites that the people are ordering direct from ACC and ordering the carpets untrimmed. When I ordered I didn't know that, but have not tried since do to all the unsatisfied people.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by 5851a

I see on the mustang sites that the people are ordering direct from ACC and ordering the carpets untrimmed. When I ordered I didn't know that, but have not tried since do to all the unsatisfied people.

... hmmpf ...


That is good to know. Forming the hump is a pain.

[bobss396]

I believe ACC and Stock Interiors are related. One office is in MA and the other in Birmingham Alabama.

[JeffB2]

You might want to check out some install tips. https://www.jefflilly.com/build-tips/carpet-install/

[wbedwards]

I bought ACC as well and the front was too big, the rear too short.

[5851a]

Originally Posted by JeffB2

You might want to check out some install tips. https://www.jefflilly.com/build-tips/carpet-install/

That is insightful, rather extreme amount of work for something that should drop in. Back in about 1980 I had to replace ripped carpet in a 78 LTD, ordered it from Ford and it just fell into place, fit like a glove.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by 5851a

That is insightful, rather extreme amount of work for something that should drop in.

Back in about 1980 I had to replace ripped carpet in a 78 LTD, ordered it from Ford and it just fell into place, fit like a glove.

One would have to have the original FORD (supply vendor) patterns and molds (if any). That would require the carpet be registered with FORD so they can get their cut, which is more than fair.

Auto Custom Carpet has the factory press molded set available for most cars, but they do not drop in very easily as we will see. We always order it untrimmed so it is usually six inches wider and longer. This allows us to cover more area, especially higher up on the fire wall so you can not see the edge standing outside of the car. We often order the carpet without the jute padding as we prefer to do our own padding. On some projects we use a combo by removing the jute where we do want it and adding more pad on the areas we need it.

[rotorwrench]

A friend of mine worked for Jeff for several years. I bet that carpet job ended up being very expensive. Good trimmer tips though. They fit plain flat carpet using the same methods with some exceptions.

[Jwawhite]

Okay, here's an update, I called the Company directly, perhaps I responded poorly when I retorted "we're story" to their "we're sorry" and the line was suddenly disconnected....but before then I got across how poorly the carpet fit especially over the hump areas just aft of front seat all the way back, two pieces. If the ends were too long, I could have just cut them but when there's excess at the hump forget it. I'd need some sewing equipment in my garage, I don't. Previously I mentioned to them the front piece didn't fit that well (see above pic) but I'd live with it. Lastly I reported the lack of a finish seam for the third piece. Forgot to ask about the missing? jute pad for the rear section of car. The last didn't matter for I put in upgraded material. Don't understand why the Company thinks one doesn't need jute pad under the third piece of carpet. Okay so I sent word to the Parts house I bought the carpet from and suggested they may not want to sell this carpet. Response? No refund for the carpet is mounted in car. What?? I never asked for a refund! Just nuts all around.

[delco1946]

I ordered carpet for my 1955 crown Victoria, but had it professionally installed. It wasnt the best fit, but not bad enough that the installer talked to me before installing it. And it isn't so bad that it really bothers me. Its about .5 inches too wide and rides up the driver side front quarter panel. I figure that at the rate the carpet fuzzes up i'll probably end up replacing it again in 5-10 years so i'll get it right then *shrugs*

[Roothawg]

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I am struggling with this now. I swear it looks like Stevie Wonder sewed this up. Does anyone other than ACC sell carpet for a 55 Ford Customline?

[Jwawhite]

That product/company is messed up. They offered a partial? refund, I didn't bother. Next time an upholstery shop that supplies its own product.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Jwawhite

Okay so I sent word to the Parts house I bought the carpet from and suggested they may not want to sell this carpet. Response? No refund for the carpet is mounted in car. What?? I never asked for a refund! Just nuts all around.

In other words, NO REFUND PERIOD and they just don't care they are selling JUNK.

That's the trouble with buying over the internet, you have very little recourse.

[Ford blue blood]

ACC is out of Anniston, AL. I have used them exclusively over the years. Yes the carpets require a little finagling but they have all settled in and look great when installed. Here are a few shots of the carpets I have installed from ACC.

[Jwawhite]

Finagling? Great word.

[Daves55Sedan]

My '55 car had carpet in it originally. There was nothing left of the carpeting where the drivers feet go, so I ripped out all the carpeting. The front doors and windshield leaked rainwater in so the carpet was often soaked. Back then, J.C. Whitney & Co sold custom molded to-fit full coverage front floor mats. I bought one of theirs and used it for about thirty years. After it cracked up and was falling apart, I ripped it out and bought a new one from the Ford Parts store (no longer in business?) and still using it although now it is beginning to show some cracks.
Carpet is nice but it can hold moisture. You drag it in on your feet, rain, snow and ice. No wonder I have had to replace the driver floorboard twice.
When I built the '55 Courier wagon, I got another rubber floormat, this time from Concours Parts. The wagon doors leak rainwater also, so I installed the floormat without the jute backing. My feet sizzle on the floor during any long trip in the summertime. But it is dry.

[rotorwrench]

You have a good point about moisture. Ford coated the floors with a tar based stuff that cracks & traps moisture between it and the floor pan. This is why so many cars of the era have such crusty floors. A person should put a moisture barrier between the carpeting and the metal. Primers and paints were not something that Ford used on the floors much since their coating was supposed to do the job. It did fine for about 8 years and then it became a detriment and especially so if carpet was used. A good quality primer and paint would help a lot. Add the high dollar sound deadener pieces in and it should do pretty well as long as the sound deadener doesn't pass moisture through.


The other alternative would be to leave it in the garage when it's wet outside.

[bobss396]

I have Fat Mat Rattle Trap mat under my carpet. My OG floor must have had the rubber mat on it, it was pretty clean as is. Mine is in the garage all year and I try not to drive it in the rain. My ACC carpet job is acceptable, it was only 2 pieces and the rear part fit perfect.

[Daves55Sedan]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

You have a good point about moisture. Ford coated the floors with a tar based stuff that cracks & traps moisture between it and the floor pan. Primers and paints were not something that Ford used on the floors much since their coating was supposed to do the job.

I have torn out interiors of many 51-57 Fords. All the floor pans were treated the same way. Primer, base enamel coat (same as base color of exterior of car), then poured in seam sealer at the seams and most of the floor recesses (to prevent floorcovering from sagging in to them). There was never any tar coating over the enamel paint. As I recall, most of them did have some type of tar-paper (similar to thin roofing felt under the jute backing and floor-covering, which was badly disintegrated by the time I got into it.
No matter which way you go; carpet or rubber mat, you are going to have water in contact with the metal. But carpet is like having nothing against water penetration.
After I had cut out and welded in all new floor panels, I sprayed the entire floor with acid etch, then I used a quality caulk for seam sealer. I primered the floor and sprayed two coats of base enamel. Next I cut out my own custom fit roofing felt, covering the floor completely and overlapping at seams. No jute, no sound deadener (as I feared these would hold moisture and create mold and cause rusting). But I suffered for it by having sizzling feet in the summertime.
That might have been reduced by keeping the muffler isolation panel under the floor, but it was not salvageable and I did not make a new one.

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

The other alternative would be to leave it in the garage when it's wet outside.

I have a one space garage and always keep one of the cars in there. The car I usually drive daily sits outside. Doesn't really matter. If you got the doors and windshield sealed good, you may not get leakage that way, but you will still drag rainwater, ice, snow, etc in onto the floor with your feet. I drive my cars daily, regardless of weather. That's what my car is for. This moisture thing is just something that you are never going to get perfect. You can reduce it and protect against it quite a bit though.

[Jwawhite]

Originally Posted by Roothawg

I am struggling with this now. I swear it looks like Stevie Wonder sewed this up.?

Attachment, missing front edge trim, edge trim area no where near bolt up area of rear seat, both pieces, lower seat that swings up or the seat back piece.

Perhaps wagons are not their forte.

Don't do what I did, running out of time, not inspecting product.


Great humor!

[Daves55Sedan]

JWA, I have done two body-off-frame restorations, each one taking four years to complete. During the projects, I would buy repro parts that I knew were going to be needed, but might not be ready to install until months down the road. There were a few cases where new parts either didn't fit or didn't last long after the installation. But with the passage of time while that stuff sat waiting, the 30 day warranty was expiring, so I got screwed on a few things. It happens, so don't feel bad.

[rotorwrench]

[QUOTE=Daves55Sedan;1702280]I have torn out interiors of many 51-57 Fords. All the floor pans were treated the same way. Primer, base enamel coat (same as base color of exterior of car), then poured in seam sealer at the seams and most of the floor recesses (to prevent floor covering from sagging in to them). There was never any tar coating over the enamel paint.

It may have only been the 49 thru 51 Mercury cars that had the tar coat. I have two 51 cars and both had the coating over the whole floor pan in the cab. One car had factory undercoating and the other didn't so I imagine it was optional on those cars or added by the dealer on the one. The floors have evidence of primer only on the metal that didn't get rusty higher up from the floor level. The trans hump cover was painted black but the floors only had red primer.

Both cars came from the Saint Louis plant. Only several weeks apart. My hand me down car spent most of its life in southwestern KS. The other car spent its early life in eastern NM so both cars came from dry country. The NM car was only primed underneath with red oxide primer and it is still in pretty good condition for a Mercury of the era but has rusty floor due to carpet & jute. The hand me down with the undercoat rusted real bad underneath due to the undercoat but the interior floor is in good condition due to being equipped with the brown rubber floor mat. It's always one thing or the other with these cars.


The exterior of the 51 Mercs were painted well enough but the interior, underside, and all the hidden areas in the rockers, inner rockers, and doors rusted like hell due to little or no priming in those areas. I have an NOS door that just has the tar based sound deadener sprayed inside. The only prime it got was from over spray coming in from coating the outside. The sound deadener was sprayed after the priming process. It was a b!tch cleaning the remnants of the sound deadener off in order to do metal repairs. It flaked up in the rusted spots real easy but was hard as a rock on the vertical surfaces.

Ford cars may have had a different treatment but I haven't worked on too many shoe boxes. A 1953 Mainliner 4-door a friend of mine used to have was pretty much as you describe. It rusted a lot less too but it had some cancer on the exterior entrapment areas.