Definitive Boot Carpet Discussion

[jbeach]

Dear Lotus Community,

I'm at the point in restoring my '69 S4 DHC where it's time to do my boot. I began the process a few weeks ago while installing the Spyder inertia reel seatbelt kit. While I had the package tray and interior rear wall out, I applied Hushmat to back of the wall, underneath the package tray, on the boot floor between shock towers, and to the surface of the shock towers and wheel arches.

Here are a few photos:

Now that everything's back together, I'm ready to purchase and install carpet in the boot:

Unfortunately, I'm not finding a source for the full felt and carpeting the Lotus Parts Manual seems to specify.

Here is what the Parts Manual has for boot carpet - items 20-25:

And here is the felt - items 15 (I think), 16 and 17:

All of our sources in U.S. appear to have the Elan boot carpet made at Automat, in Long Island. I called them today and they were very nice. They offered to make the carpet in any material from cut nylon to Wilton wool (I selected 80/20 (nylon/rayon?) loop, which is in the middle, quality-wise. But Automat only sells the floor carpet, and their version does not have a circular cutout for the gasoline filler tube.

Paul Matty lists boot carpet, but, although it does have a hole for the gasoline filler tube, they only carry the single floor piece. Here is what they offer:

Classic Car Carpets, in the UK, offers a "Deluxe Deep Pile Boot Carpet Set," which appears to include more than just the floor carpet, but it's pricey. Has anyone purchased this set from Classic Car Carpets?

http://www.classic-car-carpets.co.uk/pr ... 294&page=1

So what is my solution? Do I settle for floor carpet only? Do I spurge and take a chance on Classic Car Carpets? Unfortunately, I do not have time to custom-cut my own felt and carpeting, so that option is out.

I will be grateful for any thoughts or suggestions.

Best,

-John

[tedtaylor]

16 & 17 I think is the horse hair sound deadening that goes on trunk "shelf" above rear diff and the two side panels in the rear fender wells.
the correct part number is 25 which is the trunk floor carpet.

[jbeach]

Ted,

Thank you, and I agree 25 is the carpet for the boot floor. I have found that. I'm primarily inquiring about items 20-24, plus the grommets, etc. listed at the bottom for fixing the carpet pieces into the boot. Does anyone have these on their Elan? Does anyone know of a source for them?

Best,

-John

[tedtaylor]

John,
yes, Ray at RD Enterprises sells those circular socket snaps that hold the carpet down on the floor.

[jbeach]

Ted,
Thank you. Now if I can just find some information about parts 20-24, which continues to be my primary inquiry.
Best,
-John

[JohnCh]

I've recently been looking into this myself. Have you checked with Kelvedon? They list both a Boot Carpet Set and a Boot Underfelt Set with no photos. They also show a Boot Floor Carpet but it doesn't appear to have the cutout for the fuel filler tube.

I haven't dealt with them before, but their prices for the boot floor boards are very good, even with shipping to the US.

-John

[jbeach]

Great suggestion, John. I'll check with them - it might be worth a call to learn the details of what they offer. I'll post whatever I learn and ask you to please do the same.
Best,
-John

[tedtaylor]

John, check out my slideshow of my very original federal Sprint, specifically pictures 21-24
http://taylormadeclassiccars.com/sprintslides.html
they show you the panels you're talking about......i think.

[JohnCh]

I just called Kelvedon to ask about several parts including the Boot Carpet and Felt sets. They are looking into the specifics to confirm which pieces are included and will get back to me. I'll post that information once I have it.

-John

[elancoupe]

I purchased boot floor and boot side carpets from Sue Miller.

[jbeach]

Ted,

Thanks for the link to your slideshow - your Sprint is a true time-capsule and the slide show a valuable reference tool for those interested in originality! The slides you mention do show the side panels and some additional carpet. I have made note.

John,

Thanks for your report on Kelvedon. I'm looking forward to hearing what you learn.

Mike,

Do the carpet pieces you purchased from Sue cover the wheel arch and/or shock tower? Would you mind sending a few photos of your boot? Are you happy with the quality? Is yours loop or cut pile (I'm acting like I actually know something about carpet manufacture, which I don't).

Many thanks to you all,

-John

[tedtaylor]

John,
just FYI, there's one shot showing an "after-market" self cut piece of black carpet covering the whole floor. Underneath is the original "mat" which is not carpet, but a grained vinyl material. I leave that newer cut carpet piece in there for real time use and protection.

all this talk about original carpet and i'm beginning to wonder if my car had it in the past (the sections you mention on the sides, shock towers, etc.) I've seen them in other older cars, usually in very poor condition and glued to the sound deadening horse-hair, water damaged and rotting. Hmmmm?

[1owner69Elan]

Interesting thread.

I have an original 69 S4 Federal DHC. Original owner, picked up by me at the factory. My car only came with the boot floor "carpet". Not really carpet but a vinyl leatherette mat, with hole cutout for the filler pipe.

I have "felt mat" glued at the sides of the boot. But no carpet on the sides, wheel arches, or boot front, as indicated in the the parts manual (nos. 20-24). My parts manual from 1969 also shows that the S4 Federal should have these carpet bits. But, I don't. And the car was definitely delivered from the factory to me without them. So, for my car at least, that is the original configuration.

Don't know if I got shortchanged on the boot carpet. My boot always looked a bit "unfinished" to me but I never noted before that there were other "Lotus supplied" additional carpets. Thought what was being offered or seen on other cars was just an after-market solution.

I guess the positive is that my car is a bit lighter.

[skelteanema]

Hi John,

Like you, I have just fitted the Spyder seat belt conversion and at the same time replaced interior carpeting and got boot/trunk carpets made up. Being in the antipodes, the only real option was to get a local trimmer to make the carpets up for me. Shipping any carpets from UK or USA was not viable as the shipping costs were more than the carpet sets cost.

For the interior carpets he used the old one as templates for the two floor mats and tunnel cover (which were the only ones that were edged), and gave me slightly over-sized cutouts of all other bits. I then custom fitted these to my interior, being very careful not to cut in the wrong place.

In my opinion, you will not get a boot carpet set that will fit straight from the box. Only the boot floor carpet will fit as a unit, the rest will need to be hand fitted to your car. When I did mine, I didn't have any boot carpets at all so I got Brian Bucklands book and used the photo of the boot carpet set that he had as a guide. From this I made a exact template of the boot floor carpet, which was made up and edged (including the cutout for the fuel filler pipe). The fit of the final product was very good. For all the other carpets, I got over-sized cut-outs and custom fitted these Including felt. It was quite time consuming because I was being very careful, but it wasn't a particularly difficult job as long as you take your time and make proper templates before cutting the real carpet. I used bits of paper as templates to get the fit around corners and all the odd shaped places, taping them together as I went along until I filled the particular space that I was trying to do. I then used the paper template to cut out the carpet, and I glued it in a small part at a time, starting at one edge and making sure I had the alignment right.

Luckily the carpet chap I purchased the carpet from gave me the excess carpet from the roll he used, so I had a bit of spare in case I made a mistake. I didn't, but I am going to use the excess and some floor mats.

Overall I was very happy with the result and it makes the boot and interior look very smart.

[lotusbc]

Hello, my first post in probably 10 years or so..... I am fitting new carpets in my new purchase, 1970 S4, and I am wondering about the steel brace across the trunk opening. Visible in the above photos. Is there a structural benefit? Is it essential or can it be removed with no ill effects? My reason being i want to fit a hinged door creating a pass through into the trunk. It will allow a set of golf clubs possibly 2 ( I know, I know) in the trunk. As a PS, my '69 S4 was sold in 2009 after a 20 year ownership. Other cars I had, 1966 Lotus Cortina and 1973 Europa Special. The new Elan is white, originally yellow, as was my former car. I don't want to live with another white Elan so I plan to paint it pistachio!