How To Install The TMI Carpet Kit (Part 1)

Let’s take a look at the TMI carpet kit:

• Cost Front 9pc $78 / part#34-F1214-607
• Cost Rear 5pc $60 / part#34-R1103-607
• No pre-cut holes
• Need Strong Adhesive
• Need Very Sharp Scissors
• Padding does not hurt, they sell the kits
• Is over length in many pieces, so more cutting is required
• Looks like it will not fit, at first

Okay, let’s move onto installing the carpet.

1. Preparation

You’re going to need some space, a sharp pair of scissors, a sharp utility knife, a Sharpie marker and strong contact cement. Make sure the area has proper ventilation, less you want to ride the dragon during the procedure. If not, move the family and neighbors out and use a respirator.

I used DAP Weldwood in the Red can (original formula). I tried the DAP in the Green can while installing the headliner and was less then satisfied with it’s bonding ability. The Red stuff is really thick and tacks in 15-20 minutes, pending your weather. That’s perfect for what we are doing here.

2. Preparing the Car

Make sure your floor is really clean before attempting to glue stuff to it. You really don’t want dirt or car parts under there.

Also, ensure that all of your heater cables are routed in a way that seems to lay naturally onto the floor. This is critical because the carpet (or padding) will glue them into weird positions that will be hard to sort out down the road.

I added B-Flat brand sound deadener to the rear engine facing body panels. This should prevent the chatter from entering the cabin. This stuff is much cheaper then DynoMat and gives the same effect. I bought 2 25 ft. rolls a few years back and am still using it, even after this project. Good stuff!

If you have freshly painted the pans and body of your Beetle, you might want to scuff the carpet surfaces with steel wool. It roughs up the surface and provides a better surface to adhere to. I made my own carpet padding by using the large front piece folded in half, tracing that out onto the padding with a Sharpie. That was glued down using 3M 70 Spray Glue with a good coating on both the pad and the floor. Allow time to tack, but not too much with the spray glue. Give it 2 minutes or sooner.