This is one of those mods you don’t think you need. Then, you see it installed on another builder’s model and you realize you want it! The stock floorboard of our 1:8 scale Back to the Future DeLorean is just grey plastic. The real car did not have a plastic floor, so…
Enter another Mike Lane mod! This is the Self-adhesive Pre-cut Carpet Set consisting of precision cut shapes of scale carpet material matched to the color of the real ‘A’ Car DeLorean. And, the pieces are peel-and-stick with adhesive which makes for easier installation.
Mike offers three versions of his carpet set:
- Footwell Set Only – Front Footwells, Centre Console Sides
- Bulkhead Set Only – Handbrake Base, Door Sills, Rear Bulkhead
- Complete Set – Everything in both of the Footwell and Bulkhead sets
I ordered the Complete Set back in November 2018 to have it ready for this point in my build, so this page will cover how I installed all of the pieces into my model as I encounter the relevant issues. I have a lot of experience applying large vinyl decals so I am going to use those same principles here and see how it goes.
Front Footwells
The Front Footwells are two large sheets – one for each side of the Chassis Plate/Panel assembly from Issue 40. The pieces in the bag are the Centre Console Sides which we will install farther down:
Once I received Issue 40, I completed Steps 11-12 first to combine the Chassis Plate/Panel parts. This is because this carpet mod should be installed before the pedals are attached. If you are past this point in your build, you will need to remove parts until this entire Chassis Plate/Panel area is exposed:
Step 1
First, test fit the passenger side sheet (without removing the backing) to see how it matches up to the various holes/slots in the Chassis Plate:
You may notice I had some buckling around the three large side posts:
I have had these carpets since November 2018, and since then, Mike has updated his design to correct this. Regardless, it is not a problem at all (and will be covered up by the Door Sills later anyway). To make it fit better, I just trimmed away a little bit of carpet around the posts until it laid flat:
Step 2
If you are happy with the fitment, use some easily removable painter’s tape (or similar) to tape down the edges of the carpet along the front two-thirds to keep it from moving around. Do not tape the rear third of the carpet:
Step 3
Starting at the rear of the Chassis Plate, fold back the carpet sheet and peel away about 2 inches of the backing paper. The adhesive is very sticky, so don’t let it touch the plate just yet. Cut this peeled backing paper away with scissors:
Step 4
While holding the sticky end of the carpet up, carefully start to roll it back onto the Chassis Plate from the center towards the back. Go slowly and line it up as you lay it down:
Step 5
The rear of the carpet should now be fixed into place. We can remove the masking tape from the other edges and lift up the front of the carpet sheet and carefully remove the rest of the backing paper (again, don’t let it touch the plate yet):
Step 6
As before, from the center to the front this time, slowly roll the carpet onto the Chassis Plate until it is completely attached:
Step 7
Repeat these steps to attach the driver’s side carpet. Pay special attention to the holes at the front for the pedals!
How great does that look! It feels like carpet too. I was really concerned that this was going to be really difficult, but the tricks I learned with vinyl worked well and it ended up perfect!
Centre Console Sides
These panels are applied in much the same way as the Front Footwells above. They are uniquely cut to fix the complex shapes of the center console:
Step 1
First, I test fit the passenger side piece:
Then, as above, I used a couple pieces of tape to keep it secure. Next, I removed the backing and slowly pressed the carpet into place:
Take note of this small cut that is designed to split and allow the carpet to follow the curves of the center console:
The driver’s side console side carpet can be installed the same way:
So far, I am more than satisfied with this carpet set! It turned out excellent and adds some nice detail and depth to my model. Thanks Mike!
Handbrake Base
In Issue 52, you will receive the driver side Door Sill which includes the Hand Brake base.
Step 1
This small carpet piece is meant to wrap over the base of the Hand Brake:
There is no real easy way to align this other than by eye and careful placement. First, align the holes in the carpet to the matching holes of Door Sill, then you can wrap the ends of the carpet down:
Door Sills
Step 1
For the driver side Door Sill in Issue 52, we will also have to eyeball this one. I matched the curved cutout of the carpet to the shape of the Hand Brake base and carefully pressed it into place along the vertical edge. Once this is done, you can wrap the top edge over and onto the horizontal edge:
Step 2
With Issue 53, we receive the passenger side Door Sill. Luckily, this one can be taped like we did with the front footwells above. First, align the carpet to the piece so you see how it matches the shape of the part:
Step 3
Next, wrap some painter’s tape (or similar) to the underside of the Door Sill ends, like this:
Step 4
Then, fit the carpet to the Door Sill so the tape holds it correctly and in alignment:
Step 5
Remove the backing from the carpet and carefully press it along the top edge of the Door Sill. After, you can remove the tape:
Step 6
Finally, wrap the carpet over the rounded corner and onto the vertical edge of the Door Sill:
Rear Bulkhead
The Rear Bulkhead appears in Issue 54. It is large enough that we can use our painter’s tape to get it aligned correctly.
Step 1
First, start with the thinner strip of carpet, taping it into position as shown. Be sure all the holes line up:
Step 2
Peel back the narrow end and cut off a few inches of the backing paper. Secure the carpet into place by smoothing it from the center to the end, making sure the holes stay aligned:
Step 3
With the narrow end now anchored in place, you can peel back the loose end and remove the rest of the backing paper:
Step 3
As before, starting at the center and working towards the end, carefully lay the carpet onto the Bulkhead, making sure you line up all the holes as you go along:
Step 4
Now, we can move on to the larger piece. Lay it alongside the Bulkhead so you can see how it fits:
Step 5
Like the other large pieces of carpet, we can use tape here too to hold it in place:
Step 6
When attaching this carpet, pay special attention to these three locations to make sure it is lined up correctly:
Step 6
The next step here is to roll the top edge over until it meets the carpet on the upper part. I rolled it down with my finger first, then used the flat side of my tweezers to press it into place:
When you roll this edge over, you should have a nice cutout here:
Step 7
The last step is to add the carpet to the Bulkhead Hatch from Issue 55. This is pretty straightforward and shouldn’t need tape. Just make sure the two holes in the carpet line up with the upper set of holes in the hatch. The other set of holes in the hatch are for the speaker, but The ‘A’ Car does not have speakers in it. If you want to install them anyway, you can easily put them through the installed carpet.
That’s it! You have completed the install of the Carpet Set!