Author Topic: Carpet - Center Tray? (Read 10481 times)

bpossel · « **on:** February 04, 2007, 11:40:21 »

Hi All!

Question, look at the attached pic.

Download Attachment:

113cpt.jpg
24.47 KB

Should the small piece of bound carpet be installed under the center wood tray vs just laying in the tray? They may just picture it this way to show all the carpet pieces?

My center tray has always been a bit unstable and with the carpet installed underneath, I would think it would provide more stability to the tray.

What is the correct installation?

Thanks,
Bob

bpossel (Memphis, TN.)
'71 280SL / '97 E320

paulr · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2007, 11:49:06 »

I understand that this carpet sits nicely in the wooden tray. It is that way in my car at least.

paulr
lovely 1970 280 SL

Jonny B · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2007, 12:52:43 »

Bob,

I believe the carpet piece should lay in the wooden tray, sort of a like a place mat. Mine does not have a second piece underneath the tray.

I do understand what you are talking about,in the way the tray is mounted, not really an integrated set up, like the 107's etal.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

Douglas · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2007, 13:25:03 »

Bob,

It's supposed to sit in the tray. The later 280 SLs have the multi-loop carpet insert; earlier Pagodas, including the early 280 SLs, have a piece of vinyl that rests in the tray. (Can someone give a VIN for when that change happened?)

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

69280sl · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2007, 14:42:20 »

My 280, #01484 has the vinyl piece in the console tray. Change obviously came later.

Gus
68 280sl

tuultyme · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2007, 15:07:57 »

The center tray is screwed to two raised brackets located under the carpet. To make the tray more stable I placed extra Dynamat to the surrounding areas level with the bracket tops before glueing down the carpet. The extra carpet piece than fits into the tray. Mine is just a little short 1/4 for the box.

Bruce; 268Blaugrun(green) 1970 280SL; IL

enochbell · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2007, 15:30:52 »

Tuultyme,

"The center tray is screwed to two raised brackets located under the carpet"

When I replaced my carpet I had no brackets underneath, and as a result I have an unstable tray. What do the brackets look like? Do you know if they are available anywhere?

Thanks,
g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

66andBlue · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2007, 15:46:00 »

quote:
Originally posted by enochbell

.. What do the brackets look like? ...

Like this. It's doubtful that they are available.
http://uploaded/66andblue/200724164445_TrayBrackets.jpg

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

enochbell · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2007, 20:26:53 »

Alfred,

Thanks so much for that post, I can't imagine why my bracket are gone as they look to be spot welded in place. Oh well, I will have to improvise.

Best,

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

rwmastel · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2007, 21:53:35 »

quote:
Originally posted by 69280sl

My 280, #01484 has the vinyl piece in the console tray. Change obviously came later.

Gus,
Hi. Could you (or anyone else with it) post a detailed picture of that vinly? Is it the same color as the vinyl on the door sill?

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both tops
1994 E420

Tom230sl · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2007, 22:59:03 »

vinyl or leather matching your dash.

bpossel · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2007, 05:37:08 »

Thanks All!

I checked and I do have the 2 brackets. I guess with the carpeting on top of the brackets, it rounds the edges off and thus makes the tray unstable.

When I replace my carpet, I will try what Bruce suggested with some extra mat material. Another idea would be to simply trim open the top area of the brackets, expose the brackets and place the tray directly on the brackets instead of the carpet.

Thanks again!
Bob

bpossel (Memphis, TN.)
'71 280SL / '97 E320

66andBlue · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2007, 09:44:44 »

quote:
Originally posted by bpossel
... Another idea would be to simply trim open the top area of the brackets, expose the brackets and place the tray directly on the brackets instead of the carpet ...

Bob,
my old (original) carpet was installed almost as you describe. The backing was scribed showing a very narrow "X" - about the with of the bracket - but not cut all the way through. This allowed the carpet to be somewhat molded/stretched to the contour of the bracket and provided a more or less plane surface. Also, make sure you have a cup washer under the screw that holds the tray because you really need to tighten down and don't want to split the wood.

Alfred
1966 blue 230SL automatic

rwmastel · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2007, 18:45:24 »

quote:
Originally posted by Tom230sl

vinyl or leather matching your dash.

OK, thanks. I assumed they meant vinyl, like the vinyl floor mats, etc..

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both tops
1994 E420

J. Huber · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2007, 19:23:49 »

Hey. I have had the carpet insert ever since I redid carpets in 1997. I don't recall vinyl in there previously but it may have started that way. Today I got creative with a scrap of MB-TEX. Tell me what ya think...

Before:Download Attachment:

carpet.JPG
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After:Download Attachment:

vinyl.JPG
54.43 KB

James
63 230SL

Ed Cave · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2007, 20:27:00 »

I'm more a fan of the carpet than the vinyl.

Ed Cave
Atlanta, GA

1971 280SL
1973 911S
2006 GS430
2007 328i Coupe

Douglas · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2007, 20:35:21 »

quote:
Originally posted by Tom230sl

vinyl or leather matching your dash.

Here's my anecdotal take on the console insert material: I've seen it in vinyl on the early cars and in a multiloop piece of carpeting in the later cars. The vinyl insert I distinctly remember on an original '68 cognac leather interior wasn't MB-Tex. It was a dark tan piece of really thin vinyl with very little texture on the surface. I'm certain it was OEM.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

J. Huber · « **Reply #17 on:** February 06, 2007, 23:11:28 »

I'm actually with you Ed. The carpet lightens up the interior. But once I got the vinyl piece fitted right, it doesn't look too bad either. So at the moment, the vinyl is underneath, followed by my registration(s), insurance card, and topped off with the carpet...

Douglas, you may be right that the insert was more of a generic color -- in the case of the early 230's with my interior, the hornpad, cranks, and ashtray were a dark, dark grey rather than blue. Makes sense that piece was too.

James
63 230SL

Chad · « **Reply #18 on:** February 06, 2007, 23:20:11 »

There's nothing in my tray, just the wood that needs refinished or replaced. But looking at those great photos that James posted both the vinyl and carpet look great. Maybe the vinyl looks more appropriate. I just don't understand why there would be carpet placed into the utility tray originally. The vinyl or leather looks more functional and appropriate for the drawer type function that it serves. My favorite antique wood desk's covered in leather, not carpet. Maybe this reasoning doesn't extend to the car, of course, but if you told me that vinyl was original and not carpet, I would certainly not doubt it.

1967 230SL
2006 Toyota Prius

Bob G ✝︎ · « **Reply #19 on:** February 09, 2007, 20:26:31 »

Bob.
Orginally their was only a peice of MB tex with stiching on both sides that laided in the center wood tray. I noticed alot of people change this to a peice of the carpeting with MB tex vinyl stiched around it. I am not sure this was a factory change or not? but to answer you question the center try was mounted over the console with either of carpet or MBZ tex in the center. I prefer orginal MBZ tex.
Bob Geco
1968 280SL

JPMOSE · « **Reply #20 on:** February 11, 2007, 09:17:47 »

When I had the carpet replaced in my 250SL, I went with the carpet insert and put the vinyl piece away in storage. In my opinion, the carpet looks better. Plus, I can lift the carpet insert out and place the vinyl back in (which I haven't done since day one).

Best Regards,

J. P. Mose
1968 250SL
1987 560SL

Douglas · « **Reply #21 on:** February 11, 2007, 09:32:32 »

JP,

Can you describe the piece of vinyl? Was it smooth or textured? How did the color compare to the seats?

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

JPMOSE · « **Reply #22 on:** February 12, 2007, 15:29:13 »

The vinyl is textured -- same texture AND COLOR as the window crank and ashtray vinyl inserts. The tray insert vinyl has a small smooth edge along the outside.

Best Regards,

J. P. Mose
1968 250SL
1987 560SL

Douglas · « **Reply #23 on:** February 12, 2007, 21:54:39 »

JP,

That's good to know. I remember seeing a smooth piece of vinyl in one SL. It must have been in a 230 SL when the Tex was not textured. Thanks for sharing that info. It's one of those facts that gets lost over time.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

JPMOSE · « **Reply #24 on:** February 13, 2007, 06:26:34 »

Well...the tray vinyl piece is a rather smooth texture on mine (same as the window crank and ash tray vinyl inserts which never changed texture over the years). The MB Tex on the 250SL and 230SL are the same and yes...this is even smoother than the tray vinyl piece. The grainier MB Tex started on the 280SL and is courser than the vinyl on the tray, window crank and ashtray inserts.

I hope this makes sense!

Best Regards,

J. P. Mose
1968 250SL
1987 560SL

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Author Topic: Carpet - Center Tray? (Read 10481 times)

bpossel

paulr

Douglas

tuultyme

enochbell

enochbell

Tom230sl

bpossel

Ed Cave

Douglas

Chad

Bob G ✝︎

Douglas

Douglas