How do I match beige floormats to my 328 beige interior?

Look at mine, that's what I did!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I plan on ordering some floormats from here in the near future. I am updating the carpeting in my 1986 GTS, but GAAH is out of the carpet I need. These guys say they will send a sample, but I have not received mine yet. You can review pictures of their samples on the website.

http://europeancarparts.safeshopper.com/1060/cat1060.htm?895

Let me know what you order.

SDF

 

I really struggled with this on my '89. Here are the problems I encountered:

1) Objective - OEM look, or custom - I decided for OEM look, which I found to be a lot harder to achieve than had I gone for a custom look (i.e., Keith Collins mats, etc.)

2) Texture & material - wool vs. synthetic; it was important to me to match the texture & material, so I took samples from inconspicuous spots on my floor mats, and worked with my local car restorer as well as with Re-originals. I found a fair amount of variation in available options, and just one or two that were good matches.

3) Color - This is the really hard part. I'd found that the color of my carpeting wasn't uniform, due to fading over the years. The color exposed to the sun was lighter than hidden areas. Also, the match of the samples was dramatically different depending on how the nap of the fiber was oriented - the fiber tends to lay more in one direction than another, and, when looking into the "butt-end" of the fiber, the color appeared darker than when looking across the top of the fiber. This was true for nearly every sample of every material and every texture that I examined. I suppose a loop fiber wouldn't have this problem, but I didn't see much of this available.

4) Heel pads - I couldn't find replacement pads for the 328, although 308 pads were available. I decided to have the original heel pads removed for use on the replacement pads.

5) Fit - This was easy. Basically, I shipped off the originals as templates for the new ones.

6) Piping and stitching along edges - This was easy to match to the original, although the stitch spacing on the replacement mats will probably be more uniform than on the original. I don't know the truth of this, but was told that the sewing machines used for the OEM mats typically generated so many stitches per second, so the number of stitches per inch was a function of how fast the seamstress (or seamster?) pushed the mat through the machine - greater spacing along long straight lengths and smaller spacing around corners. This was definitely the case on my original mats, whereas the replacement mats have uniformly spaced stitching. I guess the purists would say the non-uniformly spaced stitches is better because it's original. This is the last thing that most people would ever notice.

7) Adhesion of installed mats to car - My car has circular snaps that attach each mat to mating attachments on the floor. There are two snaps for each mat, one on each side of each mat, just forward of the seat. There were selected velcro strips attached at the forward ends of each mat - probably not original, but they do a good job keeping the mats in place (important so the don't slide around under the pedals, or when you're getting in and out of the car). I chose not to install the circular snaps on the mats, as this would have entailed one of two choices: (1) attach the snaps directly to the carpet fabric, which would show on the exposed surface of the carpet, or (2) create a backer for each mat so the snaps would attach to the backer, which then would be adhered to the back of the fabric and sewn into the piping along the edges. I thought the Velcro was a simpler and more effective solution.

In the end, I got a result that was good, but not as good as I'd hoped. The main dissatisfaction was with the color match. The mats are obviously (at least to me) not the originals, but the problem is that the new mats make color variations on the original carpeting more apparent. The solution is to replace the carpeting and the mats all at once, which is a much more expensive solution, but is on my projects list.

In retrospect, going with black mats to match the dash would have been much easier. I still don't think I'd have done that, but a lot of people would.

 

I think you will be somewhat disappointed. I have those exact mats, though I ordered from a different (cheaper) source...I think I paid around $145 delivered for the version with the shield. Bottom line, the carpet is very short nap, and the "serging" on the mat edges is done with vinyl, rather than thread.

I had another previous set of mats with shields too, the problem with shields or contrasting embroidery is keeping it clean...both sets I sprayed with Scotchgaurd for carpet, and they still got soiled. Cleaning attempts with various products were mixed in results. It is very hard to keep the yellow portion clean.

 

My 2 cents...you will never find an exact match for your carpet...especially one with 17 plus years of fading. Best to check around, ask for samples and see what you can find that is within an "acceptable" range of shading.

One that I found was pretty close to the tan in my 355 spider, and probably and acceptable match for your 328 (I just sold my red/tan 328 last Christmas) is the Lloyd Heavyweight mats :http://www.lloydmats.com/heavyweight_features2.htm

I bought my mats from here at a pretty good discount (I think around $135 delivered):http://carmansgarage.zoovy.com/product/LLYDH1

If you don't mind a thinner carpet, which is actually closer to original, the Lloyd Ultimat is cheaper, and offered in more shades of tan, so you might be able to find an even close match. http://www.lloydmats.com/ultimat_features2.htm

Again, they do not offer Ferrari logos, and I am not a fan, after my experience with two sets with them....too hard to keep clean...but I own "drivers" and put 8k to 10k miles a year on the Ferraris I have owned..."garage queens" may be fine with embroidered logos...

Dave

 

I put black mats with red horses in my car. It's red/tan. The dash, door panels, and center console are all black. They look great and hide dirt well.

 

Does anyone know where I can get them?

 

I saw the sites listed above.
I'm looking for very good quality mats.

 

I would suggest that you contact Keith Collins. I have seen a couple of sets of mats he did for a 360 spider and an Enzo and the color and texture match was almost perfect. He is currently working on a set of mats for my 512M, which has a tan interior but a different color tan for the floor mat and he said that he could match that different color mat almost perfectly. You might try him. I have his # pm me and I will give it to you.

 

Hey Don, glad to hear you picked up a 512M. I noticed your ad looking for one in the FCA newsletter. Can't wait to see it.

 

If you FIND some with the script or the horse, let us know WHERE!

BTW, the horse that Keith Collins puts on his mats is not a Ferrari horse at all.

 

What does the horse look like???

 

Here's a solution for the anal ret. folks...like me, (Dave Handa can attest to that).

I desired a mat that didn't show the soil every time I stepped in and out of the car on other than paved surfaces, rugged, easy to clean, etc. Had 'em in numerous cars before. Works for me...now I can spend more time getting brake dust off the rims instead of vacuuming/shampooing fricken floor mats. One downside, the chick's feet might not love 'em as much as carpet with their shoes off. Doesn't bother my wife though.

Sisal Mats: I ordered them through "Alfa of Tacoma" (253) 572-ALFA, talk to "Lino." They were about $90.00 for the pair.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Post a picture when they arrive. Or meet me at the lake!