Bucket Seat Gas Tank Carpet

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

I don't know if the adhesive was from the factory but I suspect the zinc screws and washers may have been added later to reinforce the carpet later on...but I don't know.

Mine had nothing but the screws and "clips" when new. Where is the adhesive used other than to hold the pad to the back of the carpet?

Regarding the "clips", can someone can provide all dimensions? Unfortunately, all but one of mine are still attached, but not used. I'd prefer to not remove everything to get at them.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by FirstOwner69

...Where is the adhesive used other than to hold the pad to the back of the carpet?...

Regarding the "clips", can someone can provide all dimensions? Unfortunately, all but one of mine are still attached, but not used. I'd prefer to not remove everything to get at them.

This (see outlined area in pics) looked to me like adhesive in the passenger side B-pillar. Of course if that's what it is, that could have been added like the extra screws as you suggested to stop sagging.

And just to be clear Jim, you want the dimensions of the oval brass rings-correct?

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

And just to be clear Jim, you want the dimensions of the oval brass rings-correct?

Correct.

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

This (see outlined area in pics) looked to me like adhesive in the passenger side B-pillar. Of course if that's what it is, that could have been added like the extra screws as you suggested to stop sagging.

Could be. This page from the assembly manual shows it in the driver side (#193) and apparently glues the carpet to the tank. My carpet fits very tightly into that gap and doesn't really need the adhesive. I also didn't glue it on the passenger side and will see if I can get a look for residue without damage within the next week.

[LockDoc]

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The corner piece in my '68 CST is attached to a piece of heavy backer board shaped to fit in the corner. It is a separate piece. I will take some pictures of it tomorrow if it isn't raining cats & dogs....

LockDoc

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by FirstOwner69

Could be. This page from the assembly manual shows it in the driver side (#193) and apparently glues the carpet to the tank. My carpet fits very tightly into that gap and doesn't really need the adhesive. I also didn't glue it on the passenger side and will see if I can get a look for residue without damage within the next week.

That'd be great...Thanks Jim

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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The corner piece in my '68 CST is attached to a piece of heavy backer board shaped to fit in the corner. It is a separate piece. I will take some pictures of it tomorrow if it isn't raining cats & dogs....

LockDoc

I know exactly what you are talking about Leon. A pic would be great. I was with member SouthernParts yesterday and he had just that piece out of a 68. I don't know if Dirt's72's example is missing it or if there is a difference between 67-68 and the 69-72 (maybe buddy buckets vs. sport buckets). Maybe Jim can shed some more light when he checks his passenger side B pillar.

[71blksuper4x4]

I can dig out my sets of the carpet retainer and take some measurements.

[Dirt's72]

Thank You Brad for all your efforts to get us some proper carpet to put in out trucks. I wanted to add a few pics of observations I've come across. First is a measurement of the carpet clips from my 69.

Next is more pics from inside my truck where the carpet was glued.
The driver side:

More passenger side and not sure if this was just a repair to keep the carpet tucked in later some years after new or not?


Ten years ago I removed original carpet from a 67 buddy bucket seat truck.
I recall it had the backing that LockDoc mentioned but the carpet came out in peices.


Heres the piece I belive was on the backing on the passenger side:

[Dirt's72]

Pictured are the screws I removed from the 67 with buddies that were used to hold up the carpet. There were no clips just these screws.

Recenty I removed some buddy bucket seats from a 68. The carpet was far gone but was just like the 67 carpet I removed. I retrieved what screws were there and they were different to the ones from the 67. They too did not have any clips.

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

That'd be great...Thanks Jim



I know exactly what you are talking about Leon. A pic would be great. I was with member SouthernParts yesterday and he had just that piece out of a 68. I don't know if Dirt's72's example is missing it or if there is a difference between 67-68 and the 69-72 (maybe buddy buckets vs. sport buckets). Maybe Jim can shed some more light when he checks his passenger side B pillar.

I do not recall my '69 ever having any sort of backer board. However, the first time I removed it was probably 1971 when I used a yardstick as reinforcement in the center in place of the clips that were already tearing through. Realize though that was almost 50 years ago and the mind deteriorates with age!

Incidentally, here's a link to a post I made in a recent thread about my method of fastening the carpet. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...12&postcount=3 It's more complete than the post I made that was referenced in post 19 above.

[IronCanine]

Derrick....thank you for donating your carpet to the cause! I think we might officially be able add tank carpet to the list of things that are different between MYs 67/8 and 69-72. Derrick do you think that the 67 carpet you removed was made in two pieces or just wore against the edge of the tank. I don't think it's a coincidence that SouthernParts had just that segment with the backing out of a 68. It was loose either because it was manufactured that way or because it's against a natural wear surface.

[LockDoc]

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Here are the pictures of the corner carpet in my '68 Custom Sport Truck with Buddy Buckets. My tank carpet is identical to Dirt's72's carpet he posted. My battery went dead in my camera when I got to the main tank carpet. Mine also had the oval brass grommets.

The cardboard backer on the corner carpet is between 3/32nds and 1/8th inch thick and stiff. The lighter colored area on the back was back in the corner and the dirty area was against the back of the cab. The notch in the top is where it transitioned from behind the inner cab panel to over it. This piece was separate from the tank carpet.

LockDoc

[Dirt's72]

Brad, when I removed that carpet from the 67 I thought it was just tore up from being close to fifty years old at the time and had no idea that it might have been two pieces. I was disappointed at the time because I wanted to keep it intact as one piece. I do recall that cardboard backing there on the passenger side and thought a previous owner must have put that in and thought it was just garbage.

[IronCanine]

I texted with Woody (SouthernParts) and he confirms that the tank carpet in his buddy bucket truck was two separate pieces...it didn't break.

Also Derrick, in looking at the pics...it seems that the "tack strip" at the top of the 67 was a different material from the 69. And it looks like davepl's carpet didn't have a tack strip at all.

EDIT: Do you think the tack strip in yours was added at the same time the zinc screws and washers were placed? Maybe the 69-72s had no tack strip at all.

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

I texted with Woody (SouthernParts) and he confirms that the tank carpet in his buddy bucket truck was two separate pieces...it didn't break.

Also Derrick, in looking at the pics...it seems that the "tack strip" at the top of the 67 was a different material from the 69. And it looks like davepl's carpet didn't have a tack strip at all.

EDIT: Do you think the tack strip in yours was added at the same time the zinc screws and washers were placed? Maybe the 69-72s had no tack strip at all.

My '69 never had the "tack strip" reinforcement at the top, the carpet is definitely one piece and there was no cardboard backer at the corner. My assumption is that GM figured that the brass "clips" would serve as adequate substitutes for the reinforcing strip at the top. Our conclusion has to be that tank carpet for 67 and 68 buddies was different from the 69-72 bucket seat version.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by FirstOwner69

My '69 never had the "tack strip" reinforcement at the top, the carpet is definitely one piece and there was no cardboard backer at the corner. My assumption is that GM figured that the brass "clips" would serve as adequate substitutes for the reinforcing strip at the top. Our conclusion has to be that tank carpet for 67 and 68 buddies was different from the 69-72 bucket seat version.

Totally agree.

[Dirt's72]

Brad yes I think that tack strip was added later. None of it was attached to the carpet in any way other that with the screws and washers. It all fell off and had no stitching or glue. I'm not including it with the carpet that I am shipping to ACC. I will be shipping that out today after work.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Dirt's72

Brad yes I think that tack strip was added later. None of it was attached to the carpet in any way other that with the screws and washers. It all fell off and had no stitching or glue. I'm not including it with the carpet that I am shipping to ACC. I will be shipping that out today after work.

I think the tack strip on your carpet was original so you should probably send it with the carpet.. Here are the pictures of my tank carpet with the same exact tack strip. The strip is stapled to the carpet and the staples are hard to see. In the 3rd picture you can see part of the original carpet ID tag that was fastened to the tack strip. (White arrow) I am sure I have the rest of the tag but was unable to locate it this morning. I am the second owner of this truck and pretty much everything is original on it.

LockDoc

[Dirt's72]

Leon I apologize for any confusion I was referring to the carpet that was specifically removed from my 69 chevy on post #26 and the carpet in post #16.

[IronCanine]

Leon we're only working to replicate the 69-72 version at this time. (Because I've got a build going and I'm trying to make it happen for that truck). And frankly until we started this process I didn't even know there were two different carpet designs. I have no doubt that yours is original/correct with the tack strip. But I'm also fairly certain that 69-72 didn't have it. As Derrick noted, he's got pics of two different carpets in this thread. Once ACC has this one in hand, I will talk to them to see what options there might be for a 2 piece 67-68 version as well.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Dirt's72

Leon I apologize for any confusion I was referring to the carpet that was specifically removed from my 69 chevy on post #26 and the carpet in post #16.

OK, Sorry. I was referencing post #33, 34, & #42 where you were talking about the '67 & '68 carpet.

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Leon we're only working to replicate the 69-72 version at this time. (Because I've got a build going and I'm trying to make it happen for that truck). And frankly until we started this process I didn't even know there were two different carpet designs. I have no doubt that yours is original/correct with the tack strip. But I'm also fairly certain that 69-72 didn't have it. As Derrick noted, he's got pics of two different carpets in this thread. Once ACC has this one in hand, I will talk to them to see what options there might be for a 2 piece 67-68 version as well.

OK, I will leave my posts for now but if you want me to delete them so another thread can be started for the '67-'68 let me know.

Thanks,
Leon

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

OK, I will leave my posts for now but if you want me to delete them so another thread can be started for the '67-'68 let me know.

Thanks,
Leon

No reason to delete. Good conversation and collective discovery. I think it's better to consolidate info in one thread on this topic. Thanks for posting pics and helping out.

[IronCanine]

I think we are far enough along in this process for a safe update. ACC received Dirt's72's factory '69 gas tank carpet. Their feedback was that to reproduce it well it needed to be a molded piece. After a bit of discussion, we agreed that we'd make a fiberglass mold of a gas tank and B pillars. We've got a '71 inflation fighter special that's been such a willing donor in other aspects of our build...that we went to it as our model for this. I figured that we should do it on a vent/return line truck. A molded carpet that fits 71-72 will fit previous years, but not vice versa. ACC said they should have some factory correct carpet for us in a couple of weeks. I'll post another update then.

[LockDoc]

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That looks great. They shouldn't have any problem with that.

LockDoc