With any luck I will be adding carpet in the next week to my 1954 F100 full custom project. My floors aren't stock so I bought material and will be cutting my own. Have some questions on fitting and installing. This is my first time attempting an interior so please share your tips and techniques.

Sound Deadener
I installed a butyl sound deadener to the floor and taped all the joints. Should I also add a padding before the carpet? If so, any recommendations on something that won't break the bank? If it won't make much of a difference, I won't bother. Also, should I put something down in the cab corners?

Attaching the Carpet
Once I get the carpet fitted, what type of product is recommended to attach the carpet? contact cement; spray adhesive; carpet tape; velcro, etc. (I also plan on making a panel for behind the seat and covering it in the same carpet.)

Door Opening
When I trim at the door opening, any ideas on what to do for a finished look? Just glue the seam; carpet binding; make door sills?

I'm sure more issues will come up as I start. I'm just trying to assemble some of the products I may need upfront. I haven't planned what to do for a headliner yet. (The top has been chopped about 5 inches so not sure if an ABS one will work.)
Thanks for any assistance!

 

With most of today's auto carpet, a additional backing isn't necessary. Unless you are going for some sort of, "padded", look or feel I wouldn't bother.

Use cardboard to make a full template. It's easier and cheaper to cut cardboard than carpet. After your template is cut to fit, then cut your carpet. Remember to use the same side of the template to the carpet. That is, if you turn your carpet upside down, to cut it, make sure it is also the bottom of your template, that is facing up, when you outline the carpet. You won't need to glue or otherwise bond the carpet.

There are door sills available for your truck. They look good and fit fine.

 

Thanks for the info.

I asked about the carpet padding because some of the builds I looked at put Dynaliner padding over the Dynamat sound deadener before installing the carpet. I didn't know if it made carpet install look better, just provided additional sound deadening, or both.

I'd still have to attach the carpet to the rear cab wall panel somehow.

Re: Door Sills. From what I've seen, the door sills are at a 90 degree angle. My truck floors have been dropped around 2-3 inches at a 45 angle. I don't think the stock configuration will work.

 

I used a carpet binding company to do some of my carpet work, makes a nice finished look, I bought the SS door sills from mid fifty, and for around the back of the cab I used blackboard, they sell it in auto upholstery supply shops, its a little tricky to bend, just attach with upholstery screws and glue your carpet to that. Interior isn't easy to do, but its rewarding once your done..I have a post out there" Interior finished,,almost",, check it out.

 

I did see that post - looking good! I'd like to see a pic of that pin striping on your glove box door.
Do you run the carpet under the seat tracks or do you need to cut around the mounting holes?
What type of glue do you use on the blackboard to hold the carpet?

I see the SS door sills in your pictures. My floors are definitely different. I can get a picture tomorrow. I would need to bend those sills down at a 45 degree angle. (I don't have a sheet metal bender to make a long bend like that.) I think the lowered floor height helps with headroom in the 5" chop.

 

This is my install. The sills are from Mid fifty, (53/56 f100), I laid out the carpet before I installed the seats. I used the same carpet to cover the tank, so carpet runs from the firewall to just below the rear window.

 

I built special seat mounts, that are painted the same as the door panels, and yes the carpet runs under the seat mounts, no part of the floor in not arpeted, also for sound deadener I used a aluminum type sound deadener I got from Lowes in the roofing section for $16.00 a roll. Exactly the same as far as I can tell of the more expensive stuff marketed for hot rods at twice the price, the carpet was mid fifty which had padding already installed.

 

[QUOTE=With any luck I will be adding carpet in the next week to my 1954 F100 full custom project. My floors aren't stock so I bought material and will be cutting my own. [/QUOTE]

I did my own carpet in my '50 F1, bought auto carpet from an upholstery shop(synthetic not wool). I removed the steering column and seat. My transmission inspection plate is custom so it was covered separately and sits on top of the floor carpet and its fastened with self tapping screws.

I covered the whole area with foil covered sound deadening material, no underpad. The firewall on my truck is not flat so had to do some relief cuts in the carpet to conform to the contours. I also tried steaming the carpet in that area to stretch it some first. Carefull with fraying of pile if you try to drill through the carpet; I opted to punch out openings. Edge cuts need to be finished with binding or covered with trim plates if you want a nice finished edge. I used the donor floor trim plates at the doors.

Using the recommended template idea is good idea. I did use 3M spray adhesive sparingly periodically under the seat to hold the carpet where it goes over the floor ribs. I also glued velcro strips to the back of the carpet and firewall for better hold.

Good luck with your install.

Tom

 

I did mine really on the cheap. I put down a layer of "Frost King" duct insulation on the floor for sound and heat insulation. It's a self adhesive closed cell foam with smooth foil backing. The carpet is a $10 area rug from Walmart cut to fit. I trimmed the door sills with some aluminum angle painted black and secured with a few pop rivets. I used some spray adhesive where your feet sit but other than that it's held in place by the items that sit on top of it, the door sill trim, seat, shifter trim ring, speakers under the seat.

 

Thanks for the input!
@pbsdaddy - Nice seats!

@ZSK - Did you build a speaker box for behind the seat? The aluminum angle looks nice for the sills. I might try something like that once the carpet is in.

The mid fifty SS ones look nice but you can see from the picture below, my sills are a bit different.

 

Where did you get those door panels?

 

The speakers are a pair of 6x9's mounted in a simple plywood angle bracket bolted through the floor. I'll snap a picture of it this evening.

 

They were made by the prior owner. Armrests are from a 1964 Galaxie. Would like to use custom door handles/ window cranks but not sure what is compatible with the spline yet.

 

I didn't realize the '54 has so much contour to it. There may be some challenges to carpeting the floor without the carpet puckering, etc.

 

That's because it is not a stock '54 floor. The complex contour is why I was thinking some type of adhesive would help.