Floors look to be in great shape. Nice work!
Thank you, Pinder! I am still having trouble with that other stuff on the transmission column, though. I have read many posts from other forums whose contemporary cars had similar material and I've tried many methods, now -- WD40, Goo Gone, more acetone (do not do this at this stage, in my opinion), and two kinds of engine degreaser. This glue is so pernicious that I'm reminded of rabbit skin glue that was historically used to seal the canvases of paintings.
That stuff is a pain to remove, too, and one works inch by inch... one nasty thing is one or multiple of these has rendered the remnants of the insulation on part of the column into a sort of horrible sludge. If I only had a dry ice washer, I'm sure it would all be off in an instant.
If you don't mind me asking, why have you chosen to remove that layer?
I was looking at sound deadening solutions, and through some miscommunication with the shop I used, they stripped that layer off and replaced with modern Dynamat... Always wonder whether I might regret not keeping it original!
Floors do look very clean though!
Well Rahul, when I removed the original carpets which were quite ratty, I noticed the layer had partially melted. It was also filled with bits of debris that naturally get caught in sticky material like that. This disgusted me. Under the carpets were amusing 1960s-70s artifacts, like sticks of gum that turned to dust in your hand, or bits of old receipts, and lots of pocket change... all lodged in the tar. Having this stuff there, to me, is like knowing how filthy the rear side of the fridge is, and I can't deal with it. Just as well, as I do plan on actually driving this car, I was concerned about moisture potentially getting in especially on the passenger side, as the tar layer was warped to the point that it split in an area. I believe that is from the heat of the exhaust. I could just imagine water getting there and being trapped, somehow.
Some hall monitor on here might get his pocket protector in a twist about the originality of the solids in the gas tank or the ashes in the ashtray or the asbestos covering your floor pan. But in reality, I don't think anyone cares that you have replaced your insulation with a more stable material. However, one can risk water getting trapped beneath the dynamat. Not sure how serious of a risk that is. I know of many E9 owners in Florida who have it in their car, and those guys sure know rust, and everyone seems very happy with the product. That said, I am looking at a product called VBLOK, which has a layer of lead, as well as Lizardskin, which is a spray-on solution. Haven't decided yet.
