1955 Ford/Mercury 2dr Hardtop carpet suggestions?

[jk2257]

I have a 1955 Mercury Monterey 2dr hardtop and was wondering if there's any alternative to Auto Custom Carpets? It seems like all of their cut/sewn carpeting has this odd looking, crooked seam where the carpet is sewn together on top of the transmission hump. The rest of the carpeting fits great, it's just the top of the hump is quite an eyesore.

Back in the day it seems there were other vendors for carpeting but from what I've found, ACC seems to be the only game in town. Other carpet suppliers just seem to resell the ACC carpeting.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[mercman from oz]

1955 Mercury Monterey Two-Door Hardtop

[jk2257]

Yes, one of those but in Sunglaze/Alaska white.

[mercman from oz]

Welcome to Ford Barn jk2257.
I can't help you as I live in Australia.
I own an imported 1956 Mercury Monterey 2 door Hardtop.
Please add a picture to this thread.
Regards Mercman <><

[jk2257]

I'll take a photo of the issue with the carpet tomorrow.

[Ford Freak]

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Welcome aboard jk! If the carpet is the same as a '56 Victoria, check w/Concours Parts or C&G Early Ford Parts. No molded type, cut & sewn type only. F F

[mercman from oz]

Two Mercs parked together?
I will take the one on the right. Very nice.

[paul2748]

Do you have an upholstery shop near you. You can get material from ACC if you like that and have the local guy make up the carpet.

[mercman from oz]

1955 Mercury Monterey 2-door Hardtop - Sunglaze/Alaska White

[jk2257]

Looks like my car from one of the various sites it was listed at prior to the last owner purchasing it. As with any of these old cars there was a good bit wrong with it:

Poorly rebuilt carburetor

Front bumper kicked up on the driver's side (some genius decided it would be great to weld all the bumper brackets together!)

A starter bendix that exploded the moment it came off the transport and an extremely misaligned driver's door.

Ugly brown carpeting added by the last dealer.

Door locks were difficult to work due to missing lock grommets and incorrect pull knobs.

Extremely shoddy windshield installation

Thankfully these old cars are fairly easy to work on so it was just a matter of time and money to sort out the negatives.

[jk2257]

I purchased this carpet from ACC, and while the color is a LOT better than the brown, the center seam on the transmission hump is poorly done.
I think I'm going to purchase an extra yard and follow the advice given and try to find a trim shop who can do a more competent job of sewing. Aside from the "pucker" at the center of the hump, the seam is actually crooked.

No real complaints about the rest of the carpeting, just that goofy seam in the center of the hump!

[jk2257]

Sadly, I have yet to find one who's work I like. Had a trim guy years ago but he retired after he had a heart attack. I had another guy who stitched up a seat cover for a late model Camaro, and who did beautiful work, but he's since moved out of state.

[Ford blue blood]

A little trick I have learned using the ACC carpets. I lay them out in the sun for a few hours. Softens them up (stiffness loosens up) and they lay down nearly perfect. Easier to pull and push to make them lay flat.

[KULTULZ]

The kicked up bumper was nothing a grinder couldn't fix!

What exactly did you grind, the mounting brackets?

!!! ABSOLUTELY STUNNING CAR !!!

Need an under-hood shot if so inclined.

10-4 on the carpet. It ruins the entire interior.

[jk2257]

Someone had welded the brackets together at the top and bottom so that they could be mounted quickly. I simply ground the welds down so that I could separate each bracket and restore adjustment for the bumper. As soon as I broke thru the weld on the driver's side, the bumper relaxed into it's proper position.

[jk2257]

Oh, they sat out for a few hours on a near 100 degree day. No amount of sun is going to cure bad stitching. The carpet I removed from the car was also ACC and had the same pucker/poor stitching.

[Hot Rod Reverend]

Originally Posted by jk2257

Oh, they sat out for a few hours on a near 100 degree day. No amount of sun is going to cure bad stitching. The carpet I removed from the car was also ACC and had the same pucker/poor stitching.

"No amount of sun is going to cure bad stitching." I am going to borrow that quote. I used ACC for my 1955 Ford Club Sedan and discovered the same thing. The carpet itself is of a good quality but the fitment was downright horrible. I have quite a few pictures on my blog at HotRodReverend.com.

[jk2257]

Even in the advertising photos you can see how crooked the seam is! Thankfully the rest of the carpeting seems to fit well, but that transmission hump with the errant seam is pretty much inexcusable.

Years ago, I remember getting carpet from JC Whitney and even though it wasn't the best in regards to quality of materials, at least the seams were straight!

Just wanted to add: Reverend, thank you for posting your windshield install on your car, that helped a great deal in seeing what was wrong with the installation performed on my car.

[Hot Rod Reverend]

Originally Posted by jk2257

Even in the advertising photos you can see how crooked the seam is! Thankfully the rest of the carpeting seems to fit well, but that transmission hump with the errant seam is pretty much inexcusable.

Years ago, I remember getting carpet from JC Whitney and even though it wasn't the best in regards to quality of materials, at least the seams were straight!

Just wanted to add: Reverend, thank you for posting your windshield install on your car, that helped a great deal in seeing what was wrong with the installation performed on my car.

You are very much welcome!

[56sedandelivery]

Could you use that seam tape that they use for laying house carpet? You could then cut the pucker out and use the tape to glue it together.