Carpet Dye

[helen&tony]

Hi Ant
We USED to have a dyson...I've never really found any hoover that really works that well. We currently have 4 hoovers...don't rate any except the Samsung, and we bought that on the recommendation of the shop here that uses one instead of the industrial one they have...It's a massive shop similar in size to a large B& Q, selling white goods...better than anything we've ever had....YET, you're right, hang the carpets and bash the living daylights out of them
Cheers
Helen

[cookan]

right..calling it a day for today....3 vax cycles on each side of the front seat carpets, another 4-5 on the footwell carpet and another cycle on the offside mid-section trim is enough for anyone !



tomorrow has a lot on the plan...waxoyl the inner arches and wash down the inside of the van..especially the suspicious oil mark under the bench that showed up on the main carpet...wonder what stories the bongo has to tell !...dye the front sets of carpets...vax the bench seat and front seats....really hope I can get the interior back in tomorrow but suspect it'll be monday....just wanna see those carpets all in !

Ant.

[cookan]

looking good !



the front driver/passenger carpets didn't take the dye very well however, can't tell if for some reason there was protector on there or whether it's because the pile is thinner...looks ok, but not as plush as the others.




now my delema is I'm itching to rebuild the insides but want to waxoyl the inner arches and very lower back inside the inner arch/rear quarter but the KurRust I threw in yesterday is still pooling in there and I can't get it all out....what's the collective wisdom on this...is it safe to waxoyl over that ? My worry is that the Kurust won't be pure acid so would I just be locking in something that would eventually cause rust....rekon it'll be weeks until it's bone dry in all the cracks and crevices down there..

[cookan]

hairdryer for an hour and a half both sides sorted the remaining kurust out..then a good waxoil around the inner arches and sills

now...what to do with the left over felt ? I know....


nice and plush...looks as good as new (and fits a lot better now too!)


nearly there...just need a helping hand with the bench seat later..

[Jabba's Wheels]

I jet washed/shampooed my carpets but found that they still looked grimy and faded. I was going to use the Autosmart Midnight stuff but found an alternative (and cheaper) product being recommended on various car forums. Advanced Vehicle Cleaning Supplies Ltd did a solvent-based black carpet dye which is applied in exactly the same way as Autosmart's (spray bottle/nail brush etc.) Got to use plastic gloves when applying it - the chemical smell lingers a little but goes away after a couple of days.

2 coats does the job. Delighted with the results.

[cookan]

thanks Jabba, yeah I'm amazed how new the carpet looks now...also amazed how simple and straight forward dying the carpet was (bar the cleaning bit!). I did have a large polythene sheet down to work on and gloves but spraying it was simple and I didn't get covered in it as I'd expected !

Problem I found was spraying the middle offside trim as the dye seeped onto the vinyl blower grill after a masking malfunction..I'll have to research some grey vinyl spray to cover over that I think..not major but not perfection unfortunately...can't smell the dye on mine anymore..but that might be being masked by the waxoyl !

[helen&tony]

Hi Cookan
Yep...exactly the same masking seepage for me! Did you have a little bald patch on the driver's carpet where your leg rubs when driving?...A lot of Bongo pictures i've seen have this...I made a padded suede leg rest for mine...much kinder to legs when driving!
Your carpets look good now...they are much nicer in black, aren't they!
Cheers
Helen

[cookan]

interesting...nope no scuffing on the vertical parts..just where your heels go on mine. The driver/passenger footwell carpet is definitely a different pile tho...even the unworn bit in front of the gear lever is thinner..

I'm loving the black now that I've cleaned up my trim with more of this magic fluid..nice contrast which is helped by the carpets fitting nice and snug now...years of trim on/off carpet up/down as well as the lack of support under the carpet meant mine were looking like a baggy old sofa. I estimate that I removed about 1/2 Kg of Sand from the van in the process...no treasure unfortunately !

Must say the Kids are taking to it well...I thought they'd be annoyed about having to run along side the Bongo as I drive them to school now that it's clean inside..

so one job finished..and another few pop up in the same week...Aircon gone, window switch broke last night...oh and whilst I was fitting the carpet the wind caught the passenger door and has pulled the front quarter panel out..luckily just needed a shove back in..

Ant.

[helen&tony]

Hi
I got a complete set of rubber over-mats for mine. Obviously you can take them out if you are going somewhere and want the insides looking a bit more KOOL, but they sure do protect all that work. I opted for extra heavy duty, and they should really last, as it's the quality they use for tractor flooring!
Cheers
Helen

[cookan]

heh..just been looking at that actually...I have some individual mats for beneath feet but they don't cover the pathway to the rear seat...you got a photo and link handy for the ones you have by any chance ?

thanks,
Ant.

[helen&tony]

Hi
Let me look, and I'll P.M. you tomorrow.
When I did mine, nobody was doing the long thin strip by the sliding door, and I had that made to a template I made, so they may still have that...it's worth asking, as mine was a special custom order, and with postage to here came to £50.00. When the first order of the mats arrived, one had been split through handling, and if you could see how tough the mats are, it must have been steam-rollered, and the upshot was that when I sent a picture, I had a new one sent instantly...can't say anything but praise!
Cheers
Helen

[helen&tony]

Hi Ant
You have PM
Cheers
Helen