"HELP" 79 CHEVY CAPRICE CLASSIC REAR CARGO AREA CARPETING"

Sam Hagopian

New member
Sep 22, 2018
16
1
Will 91-96 Chevy Caprice Wagon rear cargo area carpet. Fit and work in my 79 Chevy Caprice Classic 4 Door Wagon? Auto Custom Carpet in the only place I can find that offers this piece of carpeting. I've searched everywhere. It looks like it might work but I'm not sure. I would order this if i new why or why not it would work for me. Any help would be GREATLY apreciated.
Thanks
Sam
 

GoodOldsGuy

Member
Oct 20, 2020
75
8
Texas
A 91 wagon is definitely a different car than your 79. I doubt the carpet will just drop in and look like an OE application. The general rule on model year breaks is 71 or 72 through 1976. 1977 through 1990, then 91 through 96. I’m not real sure what area you’re referring to when you say “rear cargo area” as the square B body wagons (77-90) had a large flat floor behind the passenger bench which would be pretty easy for an auto upholstery shop to install and make it look OE. Under the trap door trunk space in the back (where some models had a 3rd row rear facing foldaway seat) is/was normally lined with trunk felt and again, I can’t imagine that it would be difficult to replace the felt. Cut to fit and spray tack it In place. Now if you’re looking for the actual trap door (that had carpet on the side facing the interior of the car) you’re going to have to scan old car junk yards all over the country, and then recarpet and repaint them to match your car. I don’t know what part of the country you’re in, but there has to be an upholstery shop near you that would be willing to help for not a lot of money. I live in a small town in Texas (like less than 8k people) and there’s 3 of them here. Lol Go to the one that has the oldest people working there, they’ll be familiar with your car and have plenty of ideas for you.

edit to add: I have a 1979 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, I’m very familiar with your car lol
 

Sam Hagopian

New member
Thread starter
Sep 22, 2018
16
1
A 91 wagon is definitely a different car than your 79. I doubt the carpet will just drop in and look like an OE application. The general rule on model year breaks is 71 or 72 through 1976. 1977 through 1990, then 91 through 96. I’m not real sure what area you’re referring to when you say “rear cargo area” as the square B body wagons (77-90) had a large flat floor behind the passenger bench which would be pretty easy for an auto upholstery shop to install and make it look OE. Under the trap door trunk space in the back (where some models had a 3rd row rear facing foldaway seat) is/was normally lined with trunk felt and again, I can’t imagine that it would be difficult to replace the felt. Cut to fit and spray tack it In place. Now if you’re looking for the actual trap door (that had carpet on the side facing the interior of the car) you’re going to have to scan old car junk yards all over the country, and then recarpet and repaint them to match your car. I don’t know what part of the country you’re in, but there has to be an upholstery shop near you that would be willing to help for not a lot of money. I live in a small town in Texas (like less than 8k people) and there’s 3 of them here. Lol Go to the one that has the oldest people working there, they’ll be familiar with your car and have plenty of ideas for you.

edit to add: I have a 1979 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, I’m very familiar with your car lol
 

Sam Hagopian

New member
Thread starter
Sep 22, 2018
16
1
Thie carpet that I'm looking for is for under the 3rd row seat. At the back of car by tailgate right by the well. The factory felt is there. My 79 Chevy Caprice Classic 4 door wagon must have been the cheap model. And didn't come with a 3rd row seat or carpet.
 

GoodOldsGuy

Member
Oct 20, 2020
75
8
Texas
Thie carpet that I'm looking for is for under the 3rd row seat. At the back of car by tailgate right by the well. The factory felt is there. My 79 Chevy Caprice Classic 4 door wagon must have been the cheap model. And didn't come with a 3rd row seat or carpet.
The 3rd row seat rear facing seat was an option on all 77-90 B Body wagons. Not having the 3rd row seat wouldn’t make yours a cheap model, there’s a lot of them out there without it. My 79 Custom Cruiser is a heavily optioned car. In fact, I think it has every available option EXCEPT the 3rd row seat. Anyways, the ones without 3rd row were given trunk felt, not carpet. So yours probably never had carpet there. To save my soul I couldn’t tell you how much carpet if any, came in the 3rd row floor on the cars that did get the seat. It may not be much more than a floor mat. Are you trying to deaden sound? Or you just want a pretty trunk floor? I’m a fan of both so there is no wrong answer lol For sound deadening any modern car audio shop will steer you in the right direction, it’ll prob cost more than carpet, but it’ll def help deaden road noise. If it’s for pretty trunk floor, I’ll go back to the auto upholstery shop recommendation. A good shop can cut, form, and sew auto carpet to fit exactly like (if not better than) factory. Again, look for the oldest people working at the shop. Not a slam on young people, they generally have more experience on all the newer types of upholstery. Heat forming, heavy pile, jute backed carpet for late 70’s GM battle wagons has been out of style for some time, that’s why I’m suggesting the old guys. Have you tried carpeting it yourself? With store bought carpet? Tape the back side of cuts, heat gun the corners, spray tack the verticals? May not look “pro” but I’ll bet it’ll look nice :)
And thanks, now you’ve got me thinking about pulling the felt out of my trunk and carpeting it. Lol as though there isn’t already too many things I want to do to mine. Lol
 

Sam Hagopian

New member
Thread starter
Sep 22, 2018
16
1
See what I'm doing is I'm putting in a 3rd row seat. I have a complete set-up out of a 89 Buick Estate Wagon the whole framework/module everything. Even the correct color seats. Beutifull condition. The weird thing is....... my 79 Chevy Caprice wagon never came with the brackets on the floorplan which are spot welded in for the bottom cushion?? I guess G.M. wanted to save a few pennies. Cut some out of the 94 Buick Roadmaster at the salvage yard where I got the try piece of carpet. Now I get home and look what I have to do to mount the brackets. WHOA!!!! I was thinking sheet metal screws. Looks like where I have to drill might go right through top of gas tank. I really don't want to drop that tank to see if or how much air space if any at all. I have this stuff from 3M called PANEL BOND. Which they use in the vehicles nowadays for literally glueing on panels and floor pans in. Great stuff. Have you ever heard of it or used it? What's your opinion?
Thanks
Sam
 

GoodOldsGuy

Member
Oct 20, 2020
75
8
Texas
The seats and seat belt mounts are very firmly attached to the car to help keep them from going somewhere else in the event of an accident. I have no experience with panel bond but Sheet metal screws or glue seem inappropriate for use as a seat fastener. Although Someone that has experience may have a different opinion. I’m betting you need to have a fabricator build the set up for you, just saying
 

Sam Hagopian

New member
Thread starter
Sep 22, 2018
16
1
I was talking about the brackets on the bottom of seat cushion. The brackets that were spot welded originally to the floor. If the vehicle originally came with a 3rd row seat. The seat belts also incorporates another bracket bolted to the back of the seat bottom cushion.
 

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