i don't just make carpet sets but am the owner of 5 2002's, an e21is and and e30ci...above and below is my 69 which is in the process of a complete restoration...

i started making carpets for the 02 when i made one for my 69...my 1st ones were good in my opinion but i've learned a lot in the past few months and have constantly tweaked my patterns for a cleaner, tighter & easier fit...

i don't do this for a living, i actually have a real job necessitated by my 7 spoiled dogs and a habit of buying too many cars and parts...making the carpets and other stuff i make and sell for our cars is a part time thing i do when i have time....i don't take orders per se but make them then offer them for sale....if someone has a request, my standard response is that i'll make it and let you know when it's done but because of my job, i can't make any promises of a date certain that it'll be done...i don't need the pressures of someone sending me money for a carpet and 3 days later hounding me because they don't have it already...that would take all the fun out of it

so...if you want or need a nice carpet at the best price you'll ever find, don't mind waiting until it's done to pay me, then let me know and i'll try to help....



you should start by understanding that not many things in the world are perfect...including carpet for your 1600 or 2002...realizing this will save a lot of angst, aggravation and blame on the nice lady that you bought the set from....
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if you haven't done so already...rip the old rug out of your car...suffice to say you'll have to remove the console, seats and any critters that may be sleeping in the car...
if you're a stickler for details and/or a neat freak you might want to sweep out the garbage and vacuum...at least get the big stuff out before you lay your new rug down...small lumps may not be too bad but those big ones reduce the amount of interior space you have available....you be the judge
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we start with a pic of the back side of the rear seat shelf...the piece that the front of the rear seat sits on....as you can see, the carpet section is taller than the sheet metal...don't fret...you can cut it off or do as was intended and glue it down on top of the ledge then when your seat's reinstalled it'll cover the edge....
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if you haven't figured it out yet...this is the front of the sheet metal section the rear seat sits on that i just described....you're gonna have to do some trimming....i'm just not that good....i generally start by trimming things a bit on the larger size until i'm ok with the approximate fit...then i trim a bit more until it fits like i want it to....

remember you're installing this thing in your car so you're the one that has to be pleased with the look & fit...i'll try to help here by letting you in on why i might have done things a certain way or maybe i won't....
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this is just another shot...it doesn't mean anything different
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the next piece that you want to install is the center section...it can easily be identified because it's the biggest piece that you took out of the box and it may have 2 holes cut in it unless you bought it from me, then it'll have a couple of circles drawn on the back so you can cut the holes yourself....

remember...you may have to make some cuts or lengthen the cuts that are there already...just use your noggin and get on with it...
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this is what it looks like just laying on the hump...if the holes didn't line up with the gear shift and e-brake handle or if the trim binding is at the wrong end...take the thing out and turn it around...you put it in backwards....
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this is one of the pieces that covers the rocker, right at where the seat sits..you'll notice a piece of vinyl is sewn in the middle of it...that is glued to the top of the seat frame and the seat placed on it...the phallic looking end of the piece goes towards the front of the car and just folds down over the front of the seat frame...
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see what i'm talking about....
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the phallic end i mentioned....
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these, like the piece above are a right and left orientation....these also fit at the rocker, behind the piece you just scratched your head about....it goes to the front of that funny looking piece and you'll notice the angled cut mimics the angle of the firewall....figure it out yet?
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comprende ?
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more of the same....
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ok....the kick panel piece is pretty self explanatory....if you don't get it, check no in the poll at the bottom of the blog....
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notice that i made a cut in the lower rocker piece, that the bottom, unfinished edge of the kick panel piece is covered by...if you can't see the detail click the image for a larger pic..remember that if you bought your rug from someone else this may not help you but applies to my sets
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a closer shot of the tuck'd bottom of the rocker...also the unfinished edge of the carpet is now covered by the pinch welt trim....i put the pinch welt on just to show you how that edge is covered....if you don't think it'll work, that the carpet's too thick then spread the pinch welt and push that sucker on there...it helps to have a hammer on hand to tap the welt trim all the way

depending on where you got your rug...it may or may not be like mine...some vendors bind the entire piece while others sew a flap on the rear edge of the kick panel section that you fold around the door frame and then put your pinch welt over the flap of vinyl...

i make my sets the way i do for no other reason than i like the look better...i don't especially want to see a wide piece of vinyl there and the pieces that are trim'd all around have a tendency to curl at the edge....especially on the vast majority of rubber back'd carpet that's used by 99% of the retailers....
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these pieces are just to make you feel like you got your money's worth and generally are not necessary or required in any way...if you don't use them your carpet set isn't gonna fall apart...i promise....the only reason i include them is because people tend to scratch their heads if i advertise a 12 piece set when every other vendor says their rugs are made up of 14 pieces

if you haven't figured it out yet...they fit inside the outer side of the seat frame...when the seats are in the car...you have to try really hard to see them...but i know that it makes a lot of people really happy knowing that that screw hidden under the fatmat underneath the rear seat is brand new and they paid big bucks to have it zinc plated...so if it makes you happy to shove these pieces in there...go for it
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3 of the 4 flat floor pieces are the easiest...simple throw them down....the drivers side can be a challenge getting the pedals thru the cuts...i can't tell you a better way to do it....after i get the clutch and brake pedals thru the cuts, i generally end up having my hubby come pull the carpet over the gas pedal thing..
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keep in mind that the pictures here show the pieces just laying in the car...they are not glued in and no padding was used...i just wanted to show where the pieces fit...

personally, i only use padding under the floor pieces and under the center section, but only behind the parking brake...because there isn't a slit at the rear like at the front, there is some bulk in that area and no amount of glue will pull it down completely without having some wrinkles, folds and/or puckers in the carpet...play it by ear

if you have any questions, you either have my email from buying the rug from me or otherwise know where to find me...

now that you know how all of the pieces fit in the car take them all back out and get your glue...

i'm aware that many bmw guys & gals believe that unless the spray bomb paint for their wheels isn't made by Wurth or some other german name and doesn't cost 5 times as much as it should that it's not appropriate for a bmw....you buy and use whatever makes you happy...after all...it's your car and money...not mine

for installing carpet, i use 3M super 77 or if it's sold where i happen to be super 90 spray adhesive which are available at most hardware stores, walmart and a host of other convenient stores...because it's readily available, meaning i don't have to order it from some place foreign and pay 5 times more than it's worth plus shipping, if i need more, i can hop in one of my o2's and run to home depot or lowe's and grab another can....i also use DAP brushable contact cement for the same reasons...

there's not any science in spraying glue on the back of a piece of carpet and on the floor of your car...however, you may want to be somewhat careful with the spray or you'll have over spray all over the car

i use the spray for the larger pieces and brush on the other stuff in tight areas...like near the dash and places that i don't want to accidentally get glue on....if you don't know, contact cements must be applied to both surfaces being glued together....what that means is that you're gonna have to spray and smear the gooey crap all over your car unless you want to get creative and try using velcro or something else that i haven't thought about....i' pretty creative but haven't found a better way to make sure the carpet stays where you put it without glues...i mean if you don't believe me try hanging that kick panel piece without glue or some other fastener...besides...if the pieces aren't glued tightly they'll eventually come up, the edges will get frayed, curl and look like crap

anyway, that's my advise on how to secure it but you do whatever puts a smile on your face...remember...it ain't my car that you're working on...

oh...and BTW....i don't recommend using any additional padding...fatmat and the very thin stuff is ok but no carpet padding...it'll screw up the fit

a better mousetrap....

i'm always trying to make the carpet fit better, easier to install and look better after being properly installed...recently i rework'd the 4 floor pieces and eliminated those 2 worthless, wedge shaped pieces that got shoved inside the outside seat frame...