While in the process of Super Sixing my 62, I pulled the carpet back from the drivers side to pull out the rest of the old gas pedal. Surprise, surprise, I found crusty floors. Not really bad just surface rust. The jute backing on the carpet is pretty ratty as well. The passenger side is a little worse. I thought as long as I'm in there I might just as well wire brush it and paint it.
Are there any suggestions as to what would be good to replace the jute with, sound proofing or whatever??? The right thing would be to replace the carpet but that's not in the budget at all. Maybe next year but not now. The back seat looks fine so that's going to stay in place.
Thanks.
Joe
I think if I had another $15,000 I could make the Old Girl into a good solid $10,000 car.

Cars are mobile moneypits, no doubt about it (at least they're mobile when everything's working!). There are times I wish I could be one of those people who could just not care, just drive a beige Corolla or whatever Consumer Reports told me to buy, trade it for another one every seven years or so, and just give it no more thought than I give my furnace or refrigerator. But I'll never be that guy. So okeh, instead of a cigarette addiction or an illegal-drugs habit, I have Mad Car Disease. *shrug* It is what it is.

The trouble with jute and anything else fibrous is that it holds water against the floor. I'm facing carpet replacement in my own '62, and I think I'm going to opt for LizardSkin under it. Take a look at this thread for suggestions ranging from cheap to costly.

As for what to paint the floor with, I am particularly enamoured of Chassis Saver, though there are many other products (e.g. POR15) that have a good reputation, too.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks Dan, as always you done good.
Money Pit???!! It's a lot better than smoking, drinking, and dancing the hoochie coo. With luck there will be results at the end of the tunnel.
Time to get out the old wire brush and vacume.
Thanks again.
Joe

I hear ya Dan. I bought my very first "Brand New" car 3 years ago and have mildly regretted it ever since (@ 46). The first week a tree branch broke off and dented and scratched the roof. Minor dings and paint chips and I am sorry I bought it. Road trips in comfort without worry and I'm not.

And MY MONEY PIT sitting idle because I never find the time to work on it (my fault of course)

This it what I used.http://www.foambymail.com/Minicel.html

Joe I faced the same problem with my ’82 LeBaron. 20 years ago it got a good baptism one summer day in one of those horizontal driven down poures, and my response was to suck up as much H2O with a vacuum cleaner, and call it good enough. Oddly the car always smelt of mildew after that, and I never thought to check under the carpet until three years ago a second anointment took place at the lumber yard.

This time I removed the innards, and pulled up the carpet. What a mess, pad was bonded to the floor metal by a rich coating of surface rust. The floors were still very solid, just in need of a good cleaning and coat of paint.

I got some padding from an upholstery shop (cheep), striped the old pad from the carpet, and used it as a pattern. Wire brushed the rusted areas, treated them with a coat of POR-15 (the starter kit was more than enough to get the job done.) A little spray contact cement held the new pad in place, and I reused the original rug.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

Cool! I just bookmarked that page. I am always looking for new heat/sound insulation product for use in vans.

Thanks all.
Bill, I'm going to keep the carpet just put something new under it. Wire brush, vacume, wire brush vacume. That's going to happen for a few days then paint and build from there. While waiting for the paint to dry I can get the radiator back in then focus on the Super Six again. With luck.
Onward and upward.
Thanks guys. I would be completely lost without the support group.
Joe