Q: What to do about my carpet?

[funcrew]

Car is an '88 325i sedan.

I am converting from all tan interior to tan seats & black everything else. I used Duplicolor vinyl & fabric coating (satin black) on all the plastic parts and they look perfect. Even Mrs. Funcrew was impressed, and that's not easy.

The nasty, tobacco-stained carpet, however, did not respond to purple power cleaner and (out of the car) scrubbing, so I let it dry and used the Duplicolor on it. After a number of coats and a couple days of drying, I soaped and scrubbed it again, and most of the black came off. It also appears that the carpet is damaged, or it might just be 20 years of abuse. So I need help.

Options:
1. Try VHT carpet dye. Some people have had success with this, but the product is hard to find - possibly discontinued.
2. Buy a used carpet from someone. I would probably have to get one in SoCal, because nobody in Las Vegas ever has anything good.
3. Buy bulk auto carpet and fit it to the floor pan. Lighter than OEM, but would probably make me crazy & still look like crap. Anybody have experience doing custom E30 carpet?
4. I'm not willing to pay $600 for new OEM.
5. The $250 generic carpets are all crap from what I've heard.
6. Something I haven't thought of?

Discuss.

[Asbradley21]

If you pay shipping, I'll give you my tan one in good shape (no rips or impossible to remove stains) when I put in a black one from a yard in the next month.

[funcrew]

Asbradley21, thanks - I'll consider that. I'd really prefer black or grey if I can find it.

[Asbradley21]

Yeah, I don't blame you, I think Rscheiring or Tricked323i does carpet kits, check them out.

[constructor]

If you pay shipping, I'll give you my tan one in good shape (no rips or impossible to remove stains) when I put in a black one from a yard in the next month.

I may be interested if funcrew is not.
Do you have photos?

[StereoInstaller1]

Guys, if you wannna do something about making your carpet acceptable, fear not: Pressure wash it.

I am dead serious. Yank it out of the car and pressure wash the shit out of it. These are BMWs, they can handle some shit. Oh yeah...you likely won't need to use any soap of any kind, as someone has already left enough behind from previous attempts to clean it.

Now if your goal is BLACK carpet, VHT over tan is not gonna get it. Even over the charcoal it still is not BLACK, but pretty damn close. You will need 4 cans minimum, and likely 6.

Let the carpet dry in the sun for 3 or 4 days, unless you live in like Nevada, where it might dry in as little as 34 seconds. Either way, let it dry BONE FUCKING DRY.

Before you start spraying, have a soft-to-medium scrub brush handy. after you spray a section, scrub it down to force the "spray dye" to actually penetrate the fibers. You will need to do this 3 or 4 times, so don't expect this to be an easy answer.

Mine still looks pretty decent after 25,000 miles and 2 PNW winters of DDing.

If you wanna swap out the carpet altogether, but want an acceptable black carpet, try to find an early 325 to grab the padding out of. Apparently, some later cars also came with separate padding, but I have seen very few (as in none, but rumors fly around this joint) and then buy one of the aftermarket black carpets...just don't expect it to actually fit well. They are all "cut to fit" and require quite a bit of fucking around to make fit nicely, but it can be done.

GL guys!

Luke

[CorvallisBMW]

Luke speaks the truf!

If the VHT doesn't seem to hold up, try SEM ColorCoat flexible coating. I used it on my carpet and it worked great.

[Asbradley21]

I may be interested if funcrew is not.
Do you have photos?

Sure, I'll have it out probably by the end of June. I'm doing a few projects and it's last on the list.


I found an 87 IS in a yard with pristine black carpet, can't wait to get it. It's gonna be perfect with my black interior.