BJ8 carpet questions

[Legal Bill]

All questions relate to a '65 BJ8. The first four questions concern the tranny tunnel carpet.

1. Is there supposed to be a jute pad under the tranny tunnel carpet?

2. Is there supposed to be an access flap in the tranny tunnel carpet to access the oil fill and dip stick for the tranny.

3. Are there supposed to be carpet snaps on the steel section of the tunnel (over the drive-shaft)? If so, how many on the steel portion?

4. How does the tranny tunnel carpet treminate at the firewall and footwells? Is it supposed to overlap the carpet that is glued to the firewall and inside wall of the footboxes, or is supposed to form a close seam with the forewall and footbox carpet?

5. Does the piece of carpet that just lays on top of the rear bulkhead go over or under the drain hoses attached to the gutter for the convertible top? It seems to fit better underneath, but in Moment book there is one picture of the carpet and it shows it laying over the center drain hose. It does not really show how it is configured on the ends. Maybe it goes over the middle hose and under the two end hoses?

6. Is there a tool for installing the carpet clips into the carpet? something that will make the three holes for the carpet clip?

As always, thanks for your time and wisdom.

Best,

Bill

 

[Legal Bill]

Any thoughts?

 

[John_Progess]

Yes there is padding under the carpet over the tranny tunnel. I replaced it with Low E insulation which is about 1/4" thick. The console is a tight fit between the tunnel and dash so you don't want much under the carpet. My carpet did not have an access flap. Moss' carpet shows one. A friend who has a very origional 65 does not have a flap. My car has two snaps on the rear steel portion of the tunnel on each side. I trimmed the firewall carpet so it met the edge of the fiberglass tunnel and the carpet on the tunnel buts up against the firewall carpet. My carpet kit had the tunnel carpet bound at the firewall juction. The Moss tape shows that the rear carpet goes over the drain tubes. I put mine behind the drain tubes. I also did away with the center drain tube as it supposedly interfered with the stowed top rear window. Hope this helps and have a good day!

John

 

[Legal Bill]

Thanks John. I need to call Heritage and find out why I did not get any jute for the tunnel and why the tunnel carpet does not appear to fit properly. I noticed that even without the jute that the center console was a tight fit. I would probably cut out the jute where the console mounts to the tunnel to ease the fit.

As to the rear piece of carpet, I do not see how it is supposed to lay on top of the drain hoses at the sides. I would have to cut reliefs into that piece of carpet to get it to fit.

 

[John_Progess]

Bill,
The rear piece of my kit was about the same as yours. That is why I put mine behind the drain tubes. You might consider insulating your tunnel while you hve it out. I insulated both sides of mine trying to keep as much engine heat out of the car as possible. Did you get the Moss inteior installation tape? I will review it and get back to you. Have a good day!

John

 

[Legal Bill]

I did not get the tape yet John. I thought I would only need it for the top, but as I am no where near ready for the top, I was holding off on ordering it. Maybe I'll order it tomorrow. I called Heritage and left another message. I'm thinking I don't have the correct piece for the tunnel.

 

[anthony7777]

legal bill, just wondering, is your trans. cover metal or fiberglass, do you know if its the orignal, ive seen several variations.

 

[Legal Bill]

Original fibre glass. I peeled of the original carpeting and removed the cover myself. When reinstalling, the holes in the cover lined up perfectly with the holes in the floor, so I'm pretty confident I got the right one back wheen I took my car back from the restorer.

This morning, I took a bunch of pictures of the tunnel carpet and e-mailed them to Heritage with a long list of questions. I'll report back here when they respond.

 

[andybj8]

I am also about to lay the carpet on my bj8. Could anyone tell if there should be jute / underlay under the carpet on the sills or rear heal boards, and also which parts of the the front pedal box / heal boards. I bought a roll of jute and my car had little carpet left when I purchased it.

thanks Andy

 

[Legal Bill]

No jute on the sills or the rear bulkhead (heel board?) Jute goes in the foot boxes but not under the front or rear floor carpets (feet and seats).

I have a nice photo array from Heritage if you would like me to e-mail it to you. Just shoot me your e-mail address.

 

[andybj8]

Thanks Bill. Its ampole@hotmail.com.

 

[Legal Bill]

I just spoke with Heritage and they are researching my problem. FWIW, they told me they no longer give people the photo array as they people would blame them if the installation did not come out right. What a world!

 

[richch]

Hello Legal Bill,
Small world, I'm the research guy that Heritage contacted. I don't look at this forum very often so I'm sorry for the delay.
1. The fibreglass centre shift gearbox covers were a terrrible thing to try to fit flat carpets to, always were, right from original manufacture, so they always bagged and puckered right from new.
The gearbox cover carpet originally had a thin layer (1/4", not avalable today) of under felt glued right to the under side of the carpet. It was never bonded to the fibreglass cover. The carpet is pulled firmly down keeping it equal on both sides, and the carpet snaps are fitted along the lower vertical edges of the cover to maintain the best snug fit possible.
2. There should be no access flap in the tunnel carpet. It is to be unsnapped and peeled up and back to expose the filler grommet and dipstick.
3. There should be 2 carpet snaps on each side of the fixed portion of steel tunnel.
4. The trans. tunnel carpet needs to be trimmed so about 1" of carpet overlaps the forward lip of the fibreglass cover, and at the rear it needs to be a careful butt fit to the heel board carpet. Along the left and right sides I trim the carpets so about 1 1/2" of the carpet can tuck under the floor carpets. Therefore the flat floor carpet will lie over the edges of tunnel carpet. No, not very tidy, but very original.
5. The rear bulkhead carpet should fit over the middle drain hose with glue immediately eaither side of the hose to stick the carpet firmly in place. The outer left and right hoses are exposed, with neat slits at the bottom of the carpet to go either side of the hose.
6. I don't know of (or need) a tool to pierce the 3 tangs through the carpet. I install the male snap base and chalk it well. Then place the carpet where it needs to be positioned and press the carpet onto the snap base. This will leave a nice chalk ring exactly where the snap needs to go. Lift out the carpet and pass a sizeable sewing needle through the middle of the chalk mark. Turn the carpet over onto a clean flat work surface and pierce the carpet with the 3 tanged carpet ring, the needle indicating centre. Press the tangs through firmly with a pliers, and install the female snap base over the 3 tangs and bend securely out away from centre. The snap is installed.
Hope this helps...
Rich

 

[davidb]

Bill'
Further to Richch's excellent carpet instructions, I did find good quality quarter inch felt at a local fabric/upholstery shop (Rockland Textiles). If interested, I can find out where they get it from, or I can possibly get a chunk and mail it to you.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Legal Bill]

Hello Legal Bill,
Small world, I'm the research guy that Heritage contacted. I don't look at this forum very often so I'm sorry for the delay.
1. The fibreglass centre shift gearbox covers were a terrrible thing to try to fit flat carpets to, always were, right from original manufacture, so they always bagged and puckered right from new.
The gearbox cover carpet originally had a thin layer (1/4", not avalable today) of under felt glued right to the under side of the carpet. It was never bonded to the fibreglass cover. The carpet is pulled firmly down keeping it equal on both sides, and the carpet snaps are fitted along the lower vertical edges of the cover to maintain the best snug fit possible.
2. There should be no access flap in the tunnel carpet. It is to be unsnapped and peeled up and back to expose the filler grommet and dipstick.
3. There should be 2 carpet snaps on each side of the fixed portion of steel tunnel.
4. The trans. tunnel carpet needs to be trimmed so about 1" of carpet overlaps the forward lip of the fibreglass cover, and at the rear it needs to be a careful butt fit to the heel board carpet. Along the left and right sides I trim the carpets so about 1 1/2" of the carpet can tuck under the floor carpets. Therefore the flat floor carpet will lie over the edges of tunnel carpet. No, not very tidy, but very original.
5. The rear bulkhead carpet should fit over the middle drain hose with glue immediately eaither side of the hose to stick the carpet firmly in place. The outer left and right hoses are exposed, with neat slits at the bottom of the carpet to go either side of the hose.
6. I don't know of (or need) a tool to pierce the 3 tangs through the carpet. I install the male snap base and chalk it well. Then place the carpet where it needs to be positioned and press the carpet onto the snap base. This will leave a nice chalk ring exactly where the snap needs to go. Lift out the carpet and pass a sizeable sewing needle through the middle of the chalk mark. Turn the carpet over onto a clean flat work surface and pierce the carpet with the 3 tanged carpet ring, the needle indicating centre. Press the tangs through firmly with a pliers, and install the female snap base over the 3 tangs and bend securely out away from centre. The snap is installed.
Hope this helps...
Rich

Hi Rich! Thanks for stopping by the forum. I don't read the "list" much anymore. I prefer this format for discussion. I'm glad you had time to look in. Did Heritage just contact you recently about this? I spoke with them by phone last week, and they said they were going to look into it.

It is interesting that the carpet section does not have the access flap for the dip stick. Roger Moment/Gary Anderson's book and the copy of the concourse guidelines I have suggested differently. Perhaps I was misreading them?

I guess that before I attach the tunnel carpet I need some underlayment. One further question, did the snaps go right through the underlayment, or were relief holes cut in the underlayment where the snaps attach to the carpet?

Thanks again.

Bill

 

[Legal Bill]

Bill'
Further to Richch's excellent carpet instructions, I did find good quality quarter inch felt at a local fabric/upholstery shop (Rockland Textiles). If interested, I can find out where they get it from, or I can possibly get a chunk and mail it to you.

Cheers
Dave

Thanks so much for the offer, Dave. Any help would be appreciated. Let me know what you are able/willing to do. I'd be happy to reimburse you for your expense.

 

[richch]

Heritage called me Thursday regarding these matters and we went over it all together. Then I found your notes here so decided to respond directly, and maybe help others at the same time.
There were relief areas where the underlayment cleared the snaps.

Rich

 

[Legal Bill]

Thanks for the follow-up, Rich. I spoke with Tony at Heritage yesterday and he told me that the piece they provided is correct and may need to be trimmed at the front against the firewall, at the back against the toe board, around the shifter dome, and along the sides where it flows on to the floor. In other words, everywhere. Add to this the need to find, fit and glue on the underlayment first, and it is looking like quite the little sub-project. People always ask me why this car is taking me so long to complete. I always have to explain that it takes 10 times longer to research every step than it does to do the work.


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