By Wellings W Whiffen
NO matter how the car may look as regards its chromium plating and
cellulose finish, it will never look at its best if the floor mats have a
worn-out appearance. The renewal of the mats is very simple, calling for
patience rather than a degree of technical skill. If undertaken in the manner
to be described, the new mats can easily be constructed to satisfaction from
material of one's own choice and to the colour scheme of the car.
Choosing the Material.
Consideration should be given to the wearing qualities of the material.
The patch of mat immediately to the front of the control pedals, in particular,
receives hard wear from the constant movement of the feet. The easily constructed mat illustrated in Fig. 1 is of grey
hair carpet,
which is particularly durable. It is obtainable from house furnishers in
varying widths from a 6d. per yard.
Marking Out.
Before
removing the old mat, notice carefully how it fits. It is to be used as a
template or pattern for marking out, and if its imperfections of fit are noted,
modifications in marking out the new mat should result in improvement. The
method of obtaining the correct outline is shown in Fig. 2, where the old mat
is placed over the new material, in each case the top side being uppermost.
This point is important if a reversal of the shape is to be avoided. A piece of
tailor's chalk is used for marking. If the
old mat is so badly worn in any particular place to render its shape
problematical, it is advisable to leave extra material at this place so that
corrections can be made when the mat is offered up in position. This applies
when fitting the material round the foot controls, gear lever and hand brake. A
good method of making a satisfactory job of fitting round the foot controls is
to cut the material from the back edge and to open out into a hole round the control lever. The pedal is usually too large
to enable the mat to be slipped over the top.
Cutting Out.
The carpet will probably be too
stiff a problem for the household scissors. Tinsmith's snips will be found
quite suitable for this work if reasonably sharp. See Fig. 3. Bearing the
foregoing remarks in mind, offer up the work and trim where necessary to ensure
a perfect fit.
Binding the Edges.
The tape used for binding the raw edges
of the mat is known as heading. Obtain a
quantity sufficient to go all round, the width being about II ins. A local boot
repairer would undertake the sewing on a machine for a small sum. It is rather
a tedious undertaking by hand. Double carpet thread is used with a carpet
needle. The latter may be either of the bent or straight type. It is a good
plan in sewing to hold the tape in position with a “bulldog" paper clip
in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. To preserve a neat appearance at the corners,
the excess tape is folded underneath to give a mitred effect. If hair carpet is
used, no raw edges should be left unbound, as the material frays easily if
unprotected.
Use for the Old Mat.
The discarded
mat will be useful to line the bottom of the tool locker. Not only will it
prevent the escape of small nuts and washers from possible crevices, but it
will deaden the sound of heavy tools bumping on a wood or metal flooring.
