Carpet install on gearbox tunnel

[Pinder]

Hi everyone. I am finally at the point the Fedex guy delivered the carpet for my 280SL (stick shift) . I lined the interior with sound deadening and its looking great. I want to do the gearbox tunnel at the front so for me and for whoever is the next custodian that the carpet around the tunnel can be easily removed but still looks good and lays flat. I was thinking of velcro strips to lay it down and removeable what would you  experts suggest?

[Leester]

I'm no expert but I have noted on other posts that the transmission tunnel doesn't lend itself to the covering laying flat. I have a piece of the carpet laying on it right now. To get the carpet to lay flat it looks like will require building up a little volume of material under the carpet in some places but I don't know that this is the correct solution.
I've seen some use a hair drier to warm the carpet as its laid. Seems like the idea is that warming the carpet will make it more pliable.
I sure hope someone who has figured this out will post as I'm looking for a solution to the same issue.  Lee

[Shvegel]

My 280SL had stiffer material glued to the underside of the carpet which keeps it flat yet allows for removal to access the starter bolts etc.  one layer was a compressed fiberglass material and the layer directly under the carpet was a tar board like material.  More like a heavy waterproof poster board as opposed to a true tar board.

[Pinder]

Thanks for that information. when I took the carpet out the same material you show (the fiberglass and the poster board) was glued to the tunnel and my old carpet glued to that. But i like this idea of gluing the fiberglass to the new carpet and the poster board. i think that would make a good saddle to put over the tunnel and have it lie flat. Ill try that approach.

[merrill]

when i re carpeted my 66 230 i asked the upholstery shop how to install the carpet on the gearbox tunnel.

they told me they leave the panel out in the sun to "loosen" up before installing