HMX – on the carpet, finishing the interior

It took all winter, but I finally freed up enough cash for a new carpet set from ACC recently. While the carpet sets normally come with the shredded rags-type backing glued to the carpet, a friend of mine recommended specifying that they not include any type of backing, especially with all the Dynamat I laid down.

Once it arrived, I spread it out to relieve the creases incurred while shipping. I probably should have chosen a warmer time of year for the installation so I could set the carpet out in the sun and let it loosen up, but here in Vermont, it usually rains for that one warm day out of the year, so I let the carpet rest on the hood of the AMX for a few days.

I might’ve missed it, but at no time during the ordering process did I see that the carpet set for a Spirit only includes the molded section forward of the rear seat, like in a normal, non-hatchback sedan. So I had to order an extra yard of material for the under-hatch area. I thought I might’ve been able to use the section shown here, which came with the car when I bought it, but the section was not only cut too small, it was also extremely faded and disintegrating every time I touched it. For mock-up purposes, though, it worked.

And it did show me that I needed a section of scrap carpet to cover the fuel filler intrusion at the far back of the under-hatch area. Note how I used relief cuts – called darts – to get the material to sit flush against the intrusion, but also lay flat on the floor.

After the molded section smoothed out, I aligned a couple prominent features of the carpet – specifically the heelpad and the sharply defined molds toward the leading edge of the front seat – and laid out the carpet from there. Didn’t start trimming until I was sure of the exact position, and I only trimmed a little bit at a time, constantly checking the carpet’s position. Note that I removed the shifter and stuck a plastic shopping bag over the open hole in the T-4 transmission. Next time I install carpet, I do it with the dash out of the car.

The extra yardage arrived, so I used the faded section as a kind of template, though I left plenty of extra material and figured I’d trim later.

This time I started at the intrusion and worked my way out. It’s hard to see in this picture, but instead of trimming at the wheelwells, I cut more darts, allowing the material to climb a bit up the sides of the wheelwells. Probably not necessary, but doing so at least avoids overtrimming.

Once I had everything positioned and trimmed to my liking, I busted out the trim adhesive and sprayed it on the key locations, where I could see the carpet lifting from traffic, or where I needed it to stay put until I could install the trim that holds it in place. As always, spray both surfaces you’re gluing together, then let the glue aerate for a couple minutes before placing the two surfaces together.

With the trim and interior panels starting to go back in, not only does the interior start to look good again, but I also reclaim precious space in the garage. Twofer!

To prep the door panels, I not only had to transfer the clips on the leading and trailing edges of the panels, I also had to repair the pressboard that backs the door panels. Over time, this material gets weak, especially where the clips attach to it, and nearly every hole for the clips had been ripped out entirely or damaged in some other way. I probably could have used duct tape, but I had a roll of aluminum tape handy, and it seemed to work well. Where I needed to rebuild holes for the clips, I used sections of scrap carpet trimmed to size and secured with more aluminum tape.

I went through all that trouble because a) From what I can tell, door panels were unique to the AMX and different from other Spirits, b) I’m not holding my breath for another pair of AMX door panels in black in better condition, and c) These aren’t actually that bad. Not perfect, but not trashed. Now I just have to recall what perfectly logical place I stored the armrests, window cranks and latch handle trim. Then after that, I’ll see about reinstalling the seats.