No car owner wants to hear that the problem the car is having is in the transmission. Transmissions are one of the most expensive parts that a car owner might have to replace – if the car is old enough, it sometimes makes more sense to replace the car entirely than to replace the transmission. But I’ve found that there are ways to save when you need transmission work! Not only are there ways to save money on a new or rebuilt transmission, there are also ways to locate transmission problems and have them fixed before they become too serious. This blog is designed to help you take better care of your transmission, and avoid paying too much for transmission repairs.
When it comes to auto restoration, you have to know what you're doing or you risk damaging your vehicle. If you are a do-it-yourselfer and want to try to do your own classic car restoration, the time will come when you need to rip out the old carpet and replace it with a brand new rug. Here is how to do it:
1. Ordering the Right Carpet Rug.
When it comes to placing an order for the carpet for your restoration, it is important to see if the supplier you are ordering from has a different rugs for manual and automatic shifters. If your supplier doesn't offer two different versions, then you'll just have to make this cut when you install it.
2. Rip It All Out.
Before you can take the old carpet out of your vehicle, you'll need to unbolt the seats so that they can be removed. You'll also need to do the same for the scuff plates and kick panels. Once everything is out of the way, the carpet can be pulled out.
3. Prepare the Car Floor.
Your next step is going to be to get the floor ready for the new carpet installation. Use a shop vacuum to vacuum up any dirt and debris that is on the floor. If there are any places of the floor that are rusted, damaged or weakened, you need to replace them. The same is true for any wiring that is underneath the carpet rug. It's easier to make these changes now rather than after the carpet is installed. During this stage, you'll also want to install a sound deadener if one is not already in place to help block out the road noise.
4. Identify Areas Where Holes Need to Be Cut.
You'll need to cut holes throughout the carpet in order to reattach the seats and other items that were removed. Identify the areas where this will be needed, particularly for the seats and seat belts, and place a bolt in the hole. Make sure that the bolts are left sticking up at least an inch so that you can locate them when you begin installing. Don't forget the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals, although these can wait until you've placed the carpet.
5. Install the Carpet.
Now it is finally time to get that new carpet rug installed. Lay it out in place over the floor of your vehicle. Take the time to align it over the transmission tunnel and then find the bolts you installed in step #4. Use a carpenter knife to cut an "X" on top of the bolts. Before you push the carpet down over these bolts, you will want to lift the carpet and apply a layer of adhesive for the carpet to stick to. Now, you can lay the carpet back in place and push it down over each of these bolts. If you have a manual shifter, cut access in the carpet if it didn't come pre-cut.
6. Re-Install Plates, Panels and Seats.
Once the carpet is spread out and in place, you need to re-install the scuff plates, kick panels and seats. If the carpet extends past your scuff plate, then you'll need to give the carpet a trim so that it fits appropriately. Try to use long enough screws to attach the scuff plates so that they are able to go through the new carpet. This isn't necessarily a requirement, but it does help secure the carpet rug in place.
If this sounds like too much for you to handle or you are too worried that you'll mess something up, contact an auto restoration company like Carriage House Automotive Restorations to do the dirty work for you or to simply give you a hand.
Share1 July 2015
