Been busy these last two days on the underlay, never realised how much of a job it was to re-lay a car. Each piece was measured up and cut to pattern then stuck down with impact adhesive, I started out with the tin of solvent free but after running out I ended up buying a tin of solvent Evostick, never realised how expensive this stuff was £14 for 500ml wow. Still it finished the job.
The first days got me up to the seating area, really difficult to cut the jute as it is interwoven with polyester strings which I imagine is to give it extra strength but it quickly blunts the blades and I ended up using a scalpel.
Got started today determined to finish it until I realised I hadn't bought sufficient to do the job, guess 2sq m just ain't enough.
I had enough to finish all of the seating area and fully under the dash, luckily for me I knew a man who has a lot of rolls stored above his paint booth so I shot off the see Ant at Paint Right who did my respray and he was quite happy to let me have some.
So I have finished all of the back area and up the sides of the doors, can't remember if the top of the fuel tank area was covered, but easy enough to put some on when I get there with the carpet.
I have been cutting holes in the underlay for the carpet studs to be reattached to the carpet and riveting back those that the rivets had rotted through and had pulled out with the old carpet, I have also bought a 25m roll of double sided carpet tape to stick it in the places where there are no studs.
I was also wondering what to do with the gear stick gaiter as the old one was just the rubber and seeing how I have a nice new matching vinyl gaiter from Ray I thought I had better spruce it up a bit so I had a little search on ebay and came up with a beauty.
It is from a MGB with a chrome outer bezel and a new rubber gaiter.
The vinyl gaiter will need cutting to size but hopefully it will fit under the chrome bezel.
I knew that the centre console is very close to the gearstick and I was a little unsure of whether or not it would fit when I ordered it, I has 130mm to play with from the centre of the gearstick to where the center console ends and luckily for me it just fits other wise it would have been £20 down the drain.
I had to turn the bezel 90 degrees to where it should sit as it is longer than wider but it fits nicely.
To fit it I put the stick in the neutral position and cut around the rubber removing the underlay.
I then refit the rubber and drilled and tapped the holes to 6 mil, unfortunately being from an MGB the stainless screws supplied are 1/4" BSF and I didn't have a tap to suit so after a search I have found 3 stainless bolts and the fourth may turn up or I shall buy some.
I have screwed it down and tomorrow I shall fit the carpet and make the same cutout as I did in the underlay and hopefully the rubber will seal the carpet from the weather.
Tomorrow should be the start of fitting everything back together and Phil the electrician is coming late afternoon so hopefully some other things will be working as they should.
see ya Paul
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