Who has quality replacement carpet?

[DugsSin]

Hi All and Happy New Year!

I need your help in finding out what style carpet is correct for my '57 Roadmaster 75- 4 door? I believe cut pile is correct but would someone confirm this for me.

Question #2 Who would you recommend as a supplier for this carpet. I'm looking for high quality and correct not the cheap price.

Thanks as always. Doug

[Pete Phillips]

Doug,

I believe you are correct about the cut pile for a '57 Roadmaster 75. I get my carpet from a place on Long Island called Auto Mat Co., Inc. They have just about every type for any car, no matter what year (including the hard to find Daytona Weave for mid-fifties Buicks--pre 1957). They are not the cheapest, but everything I have bought from them has been satisfactory and also correct for originality and judging purposes. www.autointeriors.net is their website.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Assistant Head Judge, 2004 National Meet (Plano, Texas--y'all come!)

[Guest imported_MrEarl]

So would Daytona Weave be correct for a 54 Roadmaster?

BTW I couldn't find any upholstery or carpet on the site www.autointeriors.net site, just a bunch of links. Where do I go on the site to find the carpet.?

See ya in Plano!!

[imported_buick5563]

I can only tell you who not to buy from. Do not order carpet from CARS. I got a 55 set from them with the back carpet cut upside down (the heater hole was on the wrong side.) I also got carpet for my Wildcat that was cut for a bench seat car instead of console. They wanted me to deal with the carpet company instead of returning it to them. I don't think it was necessarily their fault, but their supplier is giving them a bad product. Think about getting an upholsterer do the whole job (that's how I fixed my Wildcat problem). It will cost more but they will be able to do kick panels and anything else you may need.

I do think that Daytona weave is correct for your car.

[NTX5467]

Not sure about the particular carpet for the car, but I have been impressed by the products (OEM-spec items) from Auto Custom Carpet. They were one of the first companies to offer molded carpet for older vehicles in the correct weave, colors, AND floorpan shape. They do have a website.

Where I first saw samples of their product was at a Corvette indoor show in Dallas in the middle 1980s. Zora was even there signing his book, so it was a pretty big show. We all know that Corvette people have tended to "lead the charge" in the earlier days of having exact things on their restored cars, even the casting numbers, stamp numbers, and other nit-picky things that no one worried about back then--except Corvette people and later on others did similar.

They are one of the oldest companies in the reproduction carpet business and are also the supplier of many of the larger restortion companies for carpet items. One year at the Mopar Nats, it was not unusual to see their trailer backing up to the Year ONE trailer to replenish onsite stock, for example.

Many of the vintage parts vendors do obtain their carpet and similar items from other suppliers that are also direct vendors to the public. These resellers do provide a good service to the hobby in many cases, but just like buying hot rod parts, any disputes will need to go directly to the main supplier for resolution, taking the entity you gave your money to out of the loop, usually.

There are also other vendors similar to Auto Custom Carpet too, but I suspect ACC is the largest vendor and might also supply these other suppliers on some items. I always suspected that if they could satisfy the Corvette people with their products (which did look to be completely correct from what I have seen, back then), they can do well with other vehicles. Finding a main supplier that has the molds for the vehicle you need might be different situation, though.

I have seen carpets done by upholstery shops, and they typically have sewn seams where the factory items did not. Might be a minor point to some, but I never did like seeing seams on the transmission hump unless the factory items had them too--just my orientation. But if that's all that can be found or made to work, that's fine. Unfortunately, finding an upholstery/trim shop that will take the time to do it right and also procure the carpet material and correct backing (if needed) to turn out a first-rate job can be time consuming and somewhat expensive compared to buying the pre-molded carpets that were already done. A situation where effective shopping (in person and on the Internet) might be beneficial.

Hope this might help,

NTX5467

[GMPARTSMAN]

I am in agreement, ACC makes a quality product.

Also, stitched carpets, in my opinion are inferior to molded carpets, at least for cars with multiple floor contours. I have had a Auto Custom Carpet in my 67 Pontiac for several years it still looks and fits good. When I re-do my Buick, I will use one from them again.

[Pete Phillips]

Sorry about the bad or outdated website link! The phone # for Auto Mat Co. is 1-800-645-7258.

Lamar,

I have a '53 Roadmaster with its original carpet, and I had a '54 Century and a '56 Roadmaster with their original carpets, all of which were Daytona weave, so I would say without a doubt that your '54 Roadmaster should have the Daytona weave, even though I have never owned a '54 Roadmaster.

Pete Phillips