Protecting carpet floor mats

[MOliverMc]

Hi Everyone,

I am a new owner of a ‘64 230SL.  It belonged to a dear friend for many years and he kept it in beautiful original condition.  It’s a fine driver and I want to enjoy it that way.  However, I also want to keep it as pristine as I can. 

I am very excited about the car and was delighted to find this forum, as I have so many questions..  Here is an easy one to start:  The carpet and floor mats look brand new in this car.  Is there a recommended approach to protecting them from dirt and wear?  I was thinking of a clear plastic floor mat that would lie over them, or even rubber replacement mats to use in lieu of the originals.

Thank you in advance for any thoughts on this topic..

Best Regards!

[Jordan]

Would love to see some pictures of your car and the mats.  Are the mats original to the car?  Are they coco mats?  A bit more info would help.  Just my 2c but I would not put plastic over the mats. 

Without knowing more you could just buy a set of coco mats and remove and store the existing ones if they are original.  Then bring them out if you show the car.

[Jonny B]

The 230 SL would have rubber mats in the foot well not carpet. If the rubber mats are still there, is carpet covering them? I would suggest removing the carpets and getting a set of Coco mats. They are the gold standard and they even have one (or at least used to have) that mimicked what could be ordered in the day. Otherwise that a nice selection of different colors, I am partial to the dark ones with dots that complement the interior or exterior color.

Take a look, these are great folks to deal with.

cocomats.com

[rwmastel]

Would love to see some pictures of your car and the mats. 

MOliverMc,

Yes, as Jordan said, pictures are great.  Worth 1,000 words or so, from what I hear.  When you're posting a message, there is an Attachments tool below.  You can add 4 nice sized pics to a single message.  Use that to attach files from your computer or phone, whatever you're on the internet with.  This is better than posting links to pics stored in the cloud.

Looking forward to seeing your car here, we have a lot of knowledge around originality.

[lreppond]

Ditto to the suggestions about cocomats.  Unlike the originals which had no backing, the ones available today are backed in a nibbed vinyl which not only protects what is under them but also securely holds them in place.

I recently updated my interior and here’s what the mats look like in situ. 

[J. Huber]

Len, those Cocomats really complement your interior! Which is itself worthy of compliment! Really nice.

I've got the blue and white ones and love them.

[MOliverMc]

Thanks everyone!  I will take some photos in the morning and post them.  Everyone else’s pictures are really helpful, thank you

[MOliverMc]

OK upon pulling back the floor mats, it seems evident that these are not the original mats after all.  There is a 1/4” foam backing on the carpet that does not look at all like 1964.  There is some furry residue on the metal floor that must be the remnants of prior carpeting that was glued down..  With that being said, the interior of the car is gorgeous and I want to avoid wet dirty shoes contacting these materials if I can.  It sounds like Coco mats are the way to go, and I can keep these safe in the garage for regular use.

Here goes my attempt at photos, and thanks everyone!

[Jonny B]

The foam is definitely not 1964. What is left in the footwell looks to be in very good condition, especially the black insulation (just like what is on the firewall). Are you going to find rubber mats that would have been the stock item for the footwell?

You will not be disappointed with the Coco Mats.

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

Just for a data point: my rubber mats came from the Classic Center in 2019 and cost $280 total  jb

[badali]

Here is what was original.

[MOliverMc]

This is really helpful, Brad - thanks a lot.  I will contact the classic center and see about these.  Do I understand your photo correctly, that the rubber goes over the carpet?

[MOliverMc]

@John Betsch - is “Sadie” the name you gave your SL ?  If so, I like it!

We’ve been calling ours “Shady” - It is black with a tan interior.

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

MOliverMc: Actually the name was given by my wife, as she calls my Pagoda "the Other Woman"

[badali]

The rubber mat should cover the edge of the carpet.  There are some screw type snaps in the floor that hold the mat in place at each corner under the seat and 2 at the top of the foot well can be seen in my picture.  The original insulation looks like a horsehair pad under the mat.