I should post this question in the restoration section, but this section seems to attract more traffic. So please excuse my pushy nature and riddle me this: There has been a lot of discussion about carpet, associated adheisives, stain removal, and durability issues, but nothing about the manufacturers of good carpeting. I'm replacing the floor, carpet and seats in my 76 and would really like to put the best carpet down that I can find. Any suggestions? Any I should avoid? Additionally, I'm about to purchase four Todd bucket seats. Are there any positive or negative comments regarding this manufacturer? I greatly appreciate any feedback. We still have 20+ inches of snow on the ground from the "gloval warming" problem, but Dyne are on my mind. I'll post before and after pix when the interior is complete. Thanks yinz! (Pittsburgh expression)
If you have the original metal frame seats, they will probably sell here since they are the best and can be easily rebuilt. Markbano will probably answer the carpet question. You might for his posts in the restoration section. jim
Hey init4thefun: Jim's right. The original seats are the best option if you still have them. I had Kendor Marine sew new skins for my 75 Tournament skier (South Milwaukee, WI) a couple years ago and I was amazed at the amount of detail that went into the substructure. If you do not have the originals it gets difficult to find a low profile brachet system to keep the seat height low in the boat. Mark B. has succeeded with after market set-ups and may be a good resource. For carpet, I have used Aquaturf in two HD Tournament skiers with excellant results, I Purhcased it Through Boat US But they where brought out by West Marine (not sure of West Marine continues to sell Aquaturf). I have seen it out on Epay also and you will need 8' by 16' if you have a foot well. I used DAP contact cement (typically used to glue down formica counter tops and found at Lowes or Menards) and a "J" roller (also used for counter top laminant applications) to glue down and stretch out the carpet. You will have a hell of a headache if you are not welly ventilated when using the DAP. Cheers and good Luck! Kevin-
I order my carpet from Overtons.com. I recarpet several boats a year and have had good results from their 20-oz carpet. You can get a 16-oz and 24-oz, but the 24-oz seems too hard to keep clean and the 16-oz isn't very thick. As far as the seats go Todd and Wise are my choice, if your not keeping the originals, but I would use one that is poly not wood.
Since my post, I've done a bit of shopping. I'm looking at a non wodden component seat, and have changed my mind from Todd seats to Atwood Marine seats. They seem to be built well and are really cool looking. You can't beat cool when it comes to Hydrodynes. I'm also looking at Corinthiaqn Marine carpeting. I was looking at a 35 oz, but GaDyne set me strait. I'll stick with 20. Both product lines are available through Cabella's or on line. And, I will do research on Aquaturf. I do not have metal frame seats. I've seen them in pix on Dyners.com and I can see how they would be perfect. Unfortunately, the seats in my Dyne are the fold down crappy (not the fish) bass boat style and are screaming for a dumpster right now. I'm looking forward to giving them the heave ho. I appreciate the info and will have before and after pix posted soon. My baby goes under the knife in a week and should be done in two weeks if all goes well. Thanks all for your input. If you've got more, I'm all ears.
I did a quick google search for Aqua turf and found out you will have to search for dorsett marine aqua turf ( I purchased it through a US boat who carried it at the time). Its available through Bass pro shops but it might be priced better on Epay. For gluing carpet down, Dap contact cement works excellent and is neoprene based with a solvent fixer/catalist (it is not water based and therefore, will not release with lots of water). Also, it is likely much less expensive (DAP contact cement is ~$25 a gallon) than the black label products from Overtons which incedentally maybe actually manufactured by the same company as the DAP product with a "marine" application. A lot of marine shops in my neck of the woods including Kendor swear by it because of its adhesion and water proof capabilities. I dry fit all the carpet and then apply the contact cement with a foam roller with a moderate to heavy coat from the centerline to the gunnel and rolled it out from the center with a "j" roller (see attached pic) from the stern to the front. The final prduct has been flawless, looks factory, and holds up very well. Kevin-
Forgot to mention, you have to do the carpet in stagges. Glue down the floor 1st to the sides (gunnels) and let set up, then work the vertical sections; one third of the boat length at a time to spread out the slack. Kevin-
The Dorsett Aqua turf and Bass pro shops web sites do not list the weight of the carpet but I'd imagine it's 20 oz. The carpet weight is probably a personal preference, especially for cleaning and for up keep. Sandy shorelines are a pain with higher pile carpet which is generally not the case where we use/launch and use the boat (its a dry boat and trailered after use). I also use the shop-vac every other time we put the boat away, helps to keet it in great shape and ready for the next outing. Also, if I have more than 3 in the boat, its nicer on the folks sitting on the floor if there is a little pile in the carpet to absorb shock, even when sitting on life jackets or boat cushions. I unfortunately chose a lighter color (royal blue) which was a bit of a mistake, a little darker would have been better. Its still winter here but now I'm thinging spring thaw, Kevin-
