The Cal-look Lounge

I'm looking for feedback on carpet kits as far as best fitting ...!!!....(Westcoast metric,Wolfsburg West,tmi,Bugpack and the "E"word Empi :o ..etc ,etc)Only reason I say Empi is because they sell the kit for the back seat with no seat (Baja style) and it will be temporary till I get it done right .!!

Wolfsburg West makes the best kits out there. But only if you are using original style rubber mats. I thought I would save a few bucks for my driver and go TMI but its not worth it. Poor fitting with cheap binding. And the "Baja" kits sold to replace your back seat are not really a good idea. What does that precut piece fit onto? You will have to make a board to replace the back seat and you can bet the carpet won`t fit whatever shape plywood you cut out. I ordered extra carpet from TMI so I could custom cut it and got charged $50.00 for a piece that had the grain of the carpet running the opposite way of the rest of the kit. Then I had to have binding done which does`nt match the rest of the kit. I probably saved $50.00 going this route. Never again. You might just want to have a local upholstery shop do a custom job.

Yeah you bring up some good points Bryan...!! I did think about getting some carpet stock from my local upolstry shop then cut it to what I want and then have sew the binding on it ....i'm pretty sure not gonna run a back seat ..!...for now anyway

 
     I have a Sewfine carpet kit in my car. They are great quality and fit nicely. Also have their door panels and seat covers. They installed the seat covers and Jack Wenk of Black Gold in Arlington,Tx. put the carpet in.

                                                                             NM

West Coast Classic Restoration provides the BEST carpet kits on the market! www.classicvws.com

TMI isn't all that great, but it works. Get the "Super Premium" kit, not much more money, but it will save you a lot of hassle. Wolfsburg West is a lot better, but you still have to make compromises to get good coverage, and they're only avaliable in the factory floor arrangement (carpet/floor mats). I've never tried Lenny's kits, but I'm sure they're really nice. There is NOTHING like a custom fit carpet job, though. I did custom fit for AssHull's car because I wanted a non-stock looking carpet arrangement. It fits and looks way better than any one size fits all kit. It wouldn't cost much to order some yardage, cut and fit it yourself, and have the upholstery shop bind the raw edges if you can't do it yourself.

A little off topic, sorry.  Anyone have a source for that aluminum colored diamond stitched material used in military aircraft?  I'd like to use it for a headliner
and to cover a dented toy box area.

Try an upolstery outfit that does aircraft. Some airports have an upholstery guy with his own hangar.

Carpets are always a problem, because everbody has  different opinions and tastes.

If you want original carpets (as made by the original vw suppliers) the only person that made these was Dylan Cheasly formerly of Bug Rugs.

Dylan had the original manufacturers make him the exact carpet materials and produced the best carpets anywhere in the World.

Dylan had to buy the carpet in massive quantities to get the makers to reproduce for him.

These days sadly he's no longer producing to demand, but can sometimes be persuaded to get back in the workshop and fire up the machines.

Just ask anyone that has a set of Dylans Carpets and this should be enough to convince you.

Good Luck.

 

http://www.himmelservice.de/english/home.html makes some of the best carpet kits that i know of.. :)

Guys ..Thanks so much for your input...! It's what I'm looking for ...!!!

Zach.... I'm really thinking about cutting my own then have trim sewn on..this way I can do it my way..Have you ever done this ..?

I got Himmelservice carpets and Wolfsburg West rubber mats in my Resto Cal, work pretty well together, if originality/OEM-like thing is what's needed.

(even with 3rd world Euro countries making the currency drop) USD vs Euro rate probably still makes Himmelservice carpets more expensive to Americans but if I understood correctly Lenny/West Coast Classic Restoration can get materials from Himmelservice(?).

I do auto interiors for a living ;)

http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,5626.330.html

Wow nice work Zach..!!! ...I feel kinda dumb now !!!... ::)...I guess I should pay more attention..!!!......once again Nice work !

Thanks! Just take your time when fitting and trimming, and make sure the carpet is running the same/right direction. Make note of which edges need to be bound for the upholsterer. Use a good contact cement (not spray can adhesive), and apply to both the carpet and the area on the car. Good luck!

Thanks for the tips Zach...!!...Much appreciated... ;D

for me TMI best quality GERMAN SQUARE are the best quality and similar original OEM......

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_S8NzUWeTRT0/S80ZFAExQsI/AAAAAAAADo4/cvERewpeVMk/s400/IMG_9804.JPG)


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S8NzUWeTRT0/S80Y_JOAmPI/AAAAAAAADow/yiHglUFrxV4/s400/IMG_9806.JPG)

http://stinkingass.blogspot.com/2010/04/tappezzeria-tmi-wolfsburgwest.html

Ohh man... we had a big issue recently with a TMI square weave kit. They're customer service is pretty much non existant, took 5 months to finally get the problem ironed out. Good thing our customer was very patient!

I talked to someone at Westcoast Metric today and asked if they would sell some carpet to match thier kits so I could cut the piece I need for the back seat ,They said they could sell some carpet and that they could also sew some binding on it if I bring back to them , as far as how much I don't know but at least I can get what I want in a kit..! They were helpful...!!..I think that is what I'm gonna do..!!

A problem I noticed with TMI kits is the part that goes inside the trunk at the back of the rear seats : it doesn't fit perfectly just under the rear window.

I've bought 7pcs TIMI , not so bad, true thet quality is poor but its on for everyday use :) it will get shity, I won;t be sad to through it away and put a new one.
but a custom made is the ral thing, I've seen only on potos Mr. Lenys company carpet kits... looks first class.