Ok, so currently, I work in a restoration shop doing all sorts of restoration work. While installing carpet today on a 61 Corvette, I stepped back, looked at how great it looked, and I had the idea of making carpet kits for first gen RX7s using the style that they did back in the day. I'm not talking about molded carpet sets, because i think those look like **** and don't offer very much visual appeal. Our cars are getting older, and we want to show that classic car styling, in my opinion. I'm basically doing a survey to see if anyone is interested in them if i do start producing them. I'm not so sure about price right now. The carpet sets i'm talking about come in about 5 pieces for the front,back trunk mat and have the nice welting around all the rough edges, like on nice floor mats.
I think people will be interested. I have included an example out of a 1962 Corvette just for reference purposes. If anyone is interested, email me at daviddhumphrey@hotmail.com I'm not selling anything, this is just kind of a poll right now. If enough people are interested, i'll put it into production. Thanks for the input!

 

Oh, and what would you pay for it too? Molded sets are $200, so this would probably be a little more. Stuff is only worth what people will pay for it though...

 

Not sure I like the multy-peice. My father in law put one in his MGB and it was a real pain, and didn't look original anymore.

You know where you may have some real luck to start your idea, is carpet for the rear hatch area and along the back where the hatch closes. I can't count the number of times I've seen posts for people wanting to buy those, and have never seen an available source. If my car is any indication, that peice across the back is the thing on the whole car that's in the worst shape and looks like crap.

This would give you a taste to see if the bigger project is really something you want to get into.

As far as price goes, in my case, I want my car COMPLETELY original, so for me, that carpet would have to be an exact match. Other people may not feel the same however. Sets vary in cost from around 150 - $300. I would likely be willing to pay no more than about $250 US for an entire set, and about $125 US just for the rear and across the back.

Speaking for myself, the exchange and Customs just kills us in Canada. Anything I order from the US costs almost exactly double by the time everything it taken into account.

Good luck with your idea.

 

It's a good idea to look at just offering the back piece that covers the tail lights. In my '79 that piece needs to be replaced. I'm thinking about ordering a set of cut carpet for maybe this winter after painting the car.

The Victoria British catalogs have both molded and cut carpet advertised for somewhere around 200-300 US as I recall. Order a catalog from http://victoriabritish.com/Mazda_cat_page.htm

Also shipping + US->CAN conversion + customs often really does double the cost of parts for us.

 

I agree with Dr Jekyll. You should be prepared to sell only rear pieces as well.
The hatch "carpet" always gets sun damaged. A hand cut carpet remnant would look better than my faded wrinkled old stock one. Lemme rephrase... A zebra-striped lime green and dayglow orange hand cut carpet remnant would look better than my old one!

I myself would be inclined to buy a whole set, and 300 bucks for a set of hand fabricated anything is not enough in my book these days, but from the consumer's vantage, well this aint the Porsche club.

 

Other than some occaisional fading, the front carpets usually don't wear out very fast so these pieces usually can be found as used parts. The exception its the piece that covers the rear area, this is made from some thinner material that almost always is showing signs of wear. So if you could make just that piece in colors that are a reasonable match for the original interiors (with 20 years of normal fading and wear) you certainly provide a service and might even make a profit. There was a brown set of just the rear section on ebay for several months now that was said to be in very good condition for about $60, which apparently did not sell. Here's another one that's currently on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33697

Here's an outfit selling new stuff, it's molded and it's not clear if the rear section is included, for $200 plus shipping:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33697

Hope this helps!

Ray

 

I have heard the set from Victoria British sucks ***. Just an FYI. I don't know that personally, but someone on another site posted that as their opinion.

 

The taillight cover, and spare tire cover would be INSTANT sellers!!!! I don't know if it's really happening, or just an optical illusion, but I think my spare tire cover has actually SHRUNK!!!!

Dan

 

So you guys want just the rear carpet? How much of the rear carpet? Are we talking tail light covers, trunk mat, and the piece going over our storage boxes. Any more replys, please list the following:
What you would pay for the tail-light cover section
What you would pay for the entire rear hatch piece

That way, i can start to gauge how much is a fair asking price for these pieces. If enough people respond, I'll make them. And if anyone wants me to custom make any piece for them, especially rear hatch, please email me at daviddhumphrey@hotmail.com and i'll make you the rear hatch piece. I'll make a couple for people if they want it, and then we'll see where we go with it. Thanks everyone who's contributed!

 

It should be noted that the peice that hangs down in front of the tail lights is not the same for all years. On my '79 there is one piece of carpet with 4 holes for screws. I looked at a peice from an '81 (I think) and the screw holes are in different locations. Also the plastic part that covers the hatch latch is attached to the carpet on the '81 but not on the '79.

Update: Oh and the '79 did not have storage bins.

 

GOOD quality set with all the pcs. - $350
back piece covering tail lights ('84-'85) $60
back mat covering spare tire - $60
start with red (my color of course)-priceless

 

Ok, anyone who is interested in custom carpet pieces can now email me and I will make them for you. daviddhumphrey@hotmail.com Email me, and we'll get more into details. Thanks!

 

i would like to see pics of exactly what it would look like before i agree to anything

 

If I send you a Sterling Carb & Carl sends you a ported Banana-mani, Do we each get a full set?

 

Sterling, what is a banana-mani? Been on the forum for a while now, never heard of it.

 

The carb sounds good though sterling :-) Just rebuilt mine but maybe a hi pro carb would get you a full set :-)

 

So you guys want pics before any of you buy them? That can be arranged, just give me a couple of days, ok? And what do you want pics of, the tail light cover carpet, or the hatch floor carpet?

 

bump

 

pics of all the peices you will be offering. use yoru own car as a demo car. i dont think any of us expect you to have a show quality car, but if you could do all your own carpet, and i mean all, dont just do the front or back do it all, and the way yours looks, we'll decide if we like it or not. and if you can, try and get a listing of all the color carpets in all years, so we can match to our own. me personally, would like to take out all the grey and put in all black. just a thought.

~Steve

 

Carl's been working in his shop like a mad doctor porting and flowing manifolds trying to develop a producible modded manni to accompany the modded Nikkis we sell.

 

A remake of the stock floor mats (with logo) would be a killer idea.

It's very hard to find mats that really fit well and match up tp stock interior colors.

(And Sterling- your car needs **** carpeting! Maybe some fuzzy dice and a few dingle-***** too! )

 

I dunno about the dingle *****, but it sure could use some spanky new mats with the logo.
Great idea!
Besides, I thought the **** gave you rugburn on your knees, Tom.

 

hahahaha

 

I think I would spend around $50-75 (Canadian including shipping) for the back piece that covers the tail lights.

I would want it to be better than I could do myself. ie with material folded over the top edge and those metal rings in the screw holes. I'm sure I can find a small piece of carpet that I can cut to fit but I don't have a sewing machine or know anything about putting trim around the edges.

 

I don't know if it's happening with everyone's tail light cover piece but fibers are falling off of mine all over the place. I actually took it off because it bugged me so much.

Now I can see my signal lights flashing from inside the car.