Order of base interior parts

[Zup]

The Wurth matting is quite close to the original thickness and accepts paint very well. Just be sure to clean it with some spirits.

I do think you can spray it if you have access to a small hvlp gun. The paint on the original interior floorboards, hatch floor and transmission tunnel wasn't intended for much beyond matching body color. It is not a very high gloss finish and appears hastily applied.

Use of a spoon or trowel is a must as you do have to heat the mat to a temperature that will be too hot to handle comfortably---(ask me how I know)

This heating must soften it sufficiently to conform to the relatively small but tight radius of the floorpan  and hatch floor metal stampings and allow the adhesive to set when cooled.

Overheating the material will lose some of the ability of the adhesive to stick. If this happens, Weldwood contact cement can be used to bond any areas that are not well stuck--especially around  edges if they become a problem.

The carpet from Chester and Herod is as original as you can get. They were the first suppliers to Datsun (Nissan) when the cars were imported without carpet and buyers were demanding carpet--not rubber mats---in the interiors.

As carpet goes, it is not of high quality---although you can get higher quality carpet material (wool) from them it will not be loop type--- I am of the belief the original type was loop instead of pile.

You should examine your originals and verify which type you have.

The best part of C&H carpets is the original style serging of the carpet edges with thread and the cutouts for the carpet clips on the front mats to keep them in place. The are the only suppliers of carpeting for these cars---that I know of-- that do this. The C&H carpets also come with the female snaps for the front corners of the mats which attach to male snaps on the firewall insulation board as original. Hopefully you retained the male portion of the snaps from your firewall insulation board. If not they can be replicated.

Be sure to specify that you want carpet for a early 240Z (70/ early 71) without the split for the tool bins found on the later models (late 71/ 72/ 73)

All in all I am happy with the C&H carpets. They fit pretty closely in pattern and were short only a little in a couple of spots---probably not much different than original. You may want to make patterns of your original carpet and send them to C&H.

If you call C&H ask to speak to "JIM". He was with the company when they originally started providing the carpets for Datsun and is still there 40+ years later!

We had a discussion of all of this several years ago as we were trying to determine what was original-----backed, un-backed, loop, pile, etc. The site search engine is pitiful for finding old threads, so a Google search may be the best way of finding it.

I'll see if I can find it among my posts and give you a link. Maybe it will be helpful.

 

Jim D.

"Zup"

 

[Zup]

http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/26884-loop-pile-carpet-any-recent-purchases-2008/?page=1

This thread from 2008 contains 134 posts and covers just about everything anyone had to contribute to the topic.

It's a long read, but it is pretty informative, spiced with many facts/photos and some speculation.

 

Jim D.

"Zup"

 

[Careless]

On 3/11/2016 at 11:33 AM, Zup said:

http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/26884-loop-pile-carpet-any-recent-purchases-2008/?page=1

This thread from 2008 contains 134 posts and covers just about everything anyone had to contribute to the topic.

It's a long read, but it is pretty informative, spiced with many facts/photos and some speculation.

 

Jim D.

"Zup"

 

That's the post I have been reading.

I'm wondering what the consensus is on the Chester and Harrods stuff. Thank you for describing it well. I do indeed have the loop pile at the shop.

I need to order a carpet kit yesterday. I should contact them today.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Careless

[Mike W]

I used the Chester and Herod product and was very happy in the end.  I also worked directly with Jim who was awesome.  My car was a transition car from the late 260Z to the early 75 280Z and so there was initially some confusion about specific pieces, but in the end they stood by their product and my install was great.  The initial version that I received from them was way off, but I spoke with Jim, sent him pictures, and he took the old one back and made me a brand new one.  Customer service was awesome and I was very happy with the final product.

Mike.

[Careless]

Spoke to Jim today. Sounds like a real honest guy and was eager to answer any of my questions.

 

Though he did ask if I wanted the domestic loop pile (newer/fuller/fluffier) or the imported loop pile (original/sparse/cheapish).  I think I'm going to go with the original stuff. I have a photo of the original carpet I'll upload as soon as I can get it off my relic of a phone using Google Drive.

He wants to send me samples but I think I'll just send him the photo and tell him to make it in the original less-dense stuff for originality. Though shipping will be quite expensive... I need two sets. 

Edited March 22, 2016 by Careless

[Careless]

Small update, 

sent off the photos of the original carpet to Jim @ Chester & Herrod just now, hoping he can match it as close as possible.

Here are the photos just for reference.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2016 by Careless

[Careless]

Here's what the Jute Felt padding that was pulled from this car looks like (also just for reference for anyone else).

Edited March 28, 2016 by Careless

[Zup]

 

From all of the discussion we  had on the subject years ago I would have to say that is not the original carpet.

The carpet material IS very similar, but the edge treatment is not. Originally the carpet edges were finished on a serger (or overlock sewing machine) with thread, verses the flat sewn tape shown in your photos.

Get with Jim at C&H and specify that you want the edges serged.

The rear hatch carpet appears properly cut but the originals did not use snap fasteners. It was laid to the hatch floor loose over the jute, with Velcro at 2 points at the rear where there were cutouts in the jute underlayment. The carpets at the floorpans were held by  snap fasteners at the corners onto the firewall insulator pad and used cutouts in the carpet that fit over bent metal clips that were spot welded to the floorpan just in front of the seat rail at the rear most edge. This was held in place by a spring steel clip.

The photos of the jute appear correct.

The firewall insulator pad appears correct as well.

I will try and post some photos soon of the things I mentioned above.

Jim D.

"Zup"

[gundee]

3 hours ago, Zup said:

From all of the discussion we  had on the subject years ago I would have to say that is not the original carpet.

The carpet material IS very similar, but the edge treatment is not. Originally the carpet edges were finished on a serger (or overlock sewing machine) with thread, verses the flat sewn tape shown in your photos.

Plus on my 72Z I never had factory carpeting under my seats like that shown. Only jute.

[Careless]

3 hours ago, Zup said:

 

From all of the discussion we  had on the subject years ago I would have to say that is not the original carpet.

The carpet material IS very similar, but the edge treatment is not. Originally the carpet edges were finished on a serger (or overlock sewing machine) with thread, verses the flat sewn tape shown in your photos.

Get with Jim at C&H and specify that you want the edges serged.

The rear hatch carpet appears properly cut but the originals did not use snap fasteners. It was laid to the hatch floor loose over the jute, with Velcro at 2 points at the rear where there were cutouts in the jute underlayment. The carpets at the floorpans were held by  snap fasteners at the corners onto the firewall insulator pad and used cutouts in the carpet that fit over bent metal clips that were spot welded to the floorpan just in front of the seat rail at the rear most edge. This was held in place by a spring steel clip.

The photos of the jute appear correct.

The firewall insulator pad appears correct as well.

I will try and post some photos soon of the things I mentioned above.

Jim D.

"Zup"

I just discussed with Jim @ C&H, and he said all these exact things- as I sent him the same photos.

It's great that you mention it, I was going to come here and say "these are repro's according to Jim" and ask if anyone can confirm.

I will be going with the original style, according to Jim & Jim's recommendations. 

Thanks guys.

Kinda makes me wonder what the heck else was "original" in this car. weiiiiiiiird.

[Careless]

UPDATE:

I received the carpet from C&H a while ago, though I haven't downloaded any recent photos to my computer just yet. I have yet to do so. I have been tearing down another vehicle. Though that vehicle doesn't have the jute padding at all, and the one these are for- I don't have all the pieces, so I don't know how many sq.ft I should buy either. I think I will measure out the area of the carpeting and add some extra and put an order in for those soon.

Does anybody by chance have any templates for jute padding that I could purchase copies of? Most/all of the items that came out of this car are in terrible shape or in multiple pieces. @Zup seems to have dissappeared from planet earth, so I'm looking for an alternative source at this point 

[Namerow]

I have templates made from my 5/70. Also took photos of the old pieces as they came out of the car.  Exception is the large piece for the cargo-area floor, which was missing (I think I might have a template for this piece made years ago from a 72 I used to own).  I'm busy all week.  Might have time to dig these out on the weekend.  I'm in Burlington.

On a separate note, Grannyknot suggested that you might have a spare 70-71-type brake master cylinder.  True?