PJK3

hey hey Junkies --

as i'm planning out the Odyssey, it looks like i'm going to have a hard time getting carpet to match the interior (Honda calls it 'Fern'). so, i was looking into getting some vinyl to match the seats for sub enclosure and amp rack.

most of what i intend is going to be MDF work... sorry John, no fiberglass.

i've generally just carpeted everything i've done in the past, as finding matching carpet was never a big problem. how different is vinyl to work with. and how is it going to hold up to abuse like luggage, strollers, kids, etc.?

chances are, it IS going to see abuse, so if it's not going to hold up or if it is going to easily tear, i may need to just suck it up and not worry about matching it.


any advice for me on both how to work w/ vinyl and/or whether it is going to hold up or should i even bother?


of course, if you know where i can get 'fern' carpet -- that'd work too. i found one place, but they want $30/yd w/ a 4 yd minimum. i don't need that much, and i'll be paying WAY less for the vinyl. just until i get pics up - fern looks like a jade type color. sorta lightish green/grey.


(btw, this is NOT the official project thread. in the coming weekend or so, i'm going to try and get the initial van pictures, so i can weblog this project for the kick of it... as soon as i juggle some funds around bank to bank, i'll be starting purchasing components...)

FF2Skip

Vinyl shows every spec of dirt below it... unless you slip some foam between the hard surface and the vinyl. For the abuse that you are describing, I would be inclined to go with the $120 worth of carpet. Or, plan on re-vinyling every so often.

darkknight1999

Vinyl will never hold up like carpet would. I can recommend some high grade vinyl, but in the end its still vinyl. However vinyl will clean easier than carpet the carpet will last much longer with the abuse your discribing.

But if you decide to vinyl it I can give my phone number and you can call me and I'll give you pointer over the phone

ATF Kuk

why not use suede? it looks a hell of a lot better than carpet or vinyl and it is pretty rugged depending on the type of suede u use. using a foam pad underneath the suede can provide an awesome touch to the install. i've had a lot of luck with suede in the past. just something to think about.

as far as how much suede costs, im not sure how much it will cost you. we get our seude at cost from an upolstery shop that we have connections to.

FF2Skip

Actually, I forgot about suede. My upholsterer mentioned to me this past summer about possibly using that material. I believe, however, in Phil's case, it's still gonna wear quick.

NFRs2000NYC

I agree and disagree with everyone. I have worked with vynil for a long time...and have gotten pretty good at it (the M3 and my car are examples)

Vynil WILL NOT take the abuse of carpet if you throw luggage, groceries, etc on it. However, there are many grades of vynil. You can get it thicker, you can get it with hardened finishes (diamond plate vynil...almost like linoleum)....overall, it is very doable, but must be done right. I am at work right now, but when I get home, I will write up a nice tips and trick for vynil if you guys (Phil) are interested....maybee add it to the FAQ. And carpet, will never look as good as a well done vynil job. This however, is my NYC .02

FF2Skip

PJK3

well... letting one of the cats out of the bag...

we got the Ody on a great deal but it has cloth interior, of which the seats were fairly warn... so, w/ some of the money we saved that we had slotted for the Ody, we decided to go leather.

i ordered a full 2 tone custom leather interior today... as most of you know, most leather interiors aren't all leather. so, the vinyl i would be getting would be from the custom interior company and would be matching my coming interior... so, it is a fairly heavy grade (i guess?) of vinyl w/ an already foam like (??) backing material. not sure how to properly describe it, as i'm no guru on the grades of vinyl.

i didn't order the vinyl w/ the interior because i wasn't yet sure of my decision. i did find a carpet that's very close to my interior -- but it's a thick heavy carpet w/ a tough rubbery backing -- true automotive carpet. and definitely not the best choice for racks or subs... WAY too hard to mold. and i saw some other carpet options -- but none really struck me as optimal.

still -- all your doubts are the same as mine...
-would i have to use a padding of sorts? i anticipated having to do so... but realized it would be a battle, which is where i get hesitant.
-would it hold up to the stroller and the luggage? i'm thinking it doesn't look good down the road. this is going to be the family hauler... like Skip said, i was planning to order a lot more than i needed for later recovers... not the best option.
-would vinyl look better? sure -- but this is the wife's beast... the clan mobile. if you think i'm the king of anti-bling... she'd probably be happy w/ a prefab box.

the leather will be a graphite and jade combo (graphite outers and jade centers)... the graphite matches the darker upper and dash trim perfectly, and the jade matches the lighter plastic very well. and it's surprising how much green tint is in the grey looking graphite. btw -- wife's choice on colors... so, w/ the graphite, i could do standard grey-ish carpet, and maybe get away w/ it....

and just so you know what i'm looking at color wise - here are a couple shots the dealer took (i travelled to buy it) to convince me to come... the color is much more sedate in person - but it's still going to be a bitch to match.

PJK3

oh, and as always -- it's great to have you guys around for help... thanks!

NFRs2000NYC

If you dont have curves, you can use flamica (spelling?) to cover everything.