You got a great deal on a used car but the carpeting has seen better days. If it is heavily stained and/or has holes in it, you've really got a couple choices. First, you can buy inexpensive floor mats and just cover the nasty areas with them. This is the quick and easy solution and can work in many situations. Second, you can go first class and install brand new pre-fitted carpeting. This is a great solution because it makes the car almost look new again inside.

Sound expensive? Many people don't know that you can easy buy preformed carpets for your car and you can install them yourself. Pre-formed carpets are designed to exactly match the originals in your car and they are generally available in the right color and fabric and will be custom molded with all factory pads attached. Pre-formed carpets are typically priced in the $150 to $250 range and are available either from your local dealer, local autoparts store or on-line.

Considering doing it yourself? Here's a step-by-step guide that will help guide you:

1)      The new carpet will be shipped rolled up. Before you start, unroll it and let it lie on a flat surface for at least a few hours to let it lose its curl. Placing some books on it to make it lie flat usually helps.

2)      Next, let's get the front seats out. Unscrew the four nuts that secure the seats to the floor pan studs. You may also have to remove the seat belt anchor bolts. Disconnect any electrical connectors under each seat also.

3)      They may be surprising heavy so grab a helper and lift the seats up and out.

4)      If you have a console in between the two front seats, loosen it or remove it. You may need to consult a factory service manual to see how this is done. (You may also find a Youtube video illustrating the process.)

5)      Remove the rear seat cushion. These usually come out without much trouble but may require some hardware to be loosened or removed first.

6)      When everything is free, pull the old carpet out.

7)      The next step is to transfer the original cutout openings to the new carpet. Using the old carpet as a template, trace the cutouts where the studs went through to the new carpet with chalk. Then cut the cutout openings with a boxcutter. Your new carpet is now ready to go.

8)      Before the new carpet goes in, vacuum the floor pan and check for rust. Treat rusted areas with a good rust-inhibiting paint and let it dry good.

9)      When everything is dry, fit the new carpet in and reverse the disassembly procedure.

When finished, enjoy the look and feel of your brand new carpet and buy a set of good set of no-spill coffee mugs!

Thanks to Instructions from Newark Chrysler