Interior Update: G-Wagon Carpet

When I got my 300GD, the previous owner had removed all the vinyl interior floor covering and painted the floors with what looked like bed liner. It looked pretty cool... but (and this is a big but) it was LOUD. On long drives, it was also kind of hot underfoot. Pretty cool for 4-wheeling with your buds on the weekend, but for a daily driver, it is a non-starter. 

Something had to change. For me there were three issues:

• It had to isolate and reduce cabin noise
• It needed to better insulate the interior from heat and cold
• It needed to look better

I had already decided on going to MB colors from the 80s and picked up some German Wilton wool carpet from Veteran Company in LA so the decision for the top layer was set. What was needed next was provide a good foundation before laying down the carpet.

Dynamat with Dynaliner Padding Partially Installed

Since the interior was already out I started by covering the front starting at the firewall and continuing under the front seats with a layer of Dynamat. This is a great sound deadener and heat shield. I cleaned the surface with alcohol to make sure the Dynamat would adhere to the floor. I then cut it to size, removed the backing starting from the front, lined up the product and continued to pull the backing off as I worked toward the back of the car. I used a hard roller to make sure the Dynamat made contact with the entire floor surface.

Like when I covered the doors and roof, this made a huge improvement in the "tin can" feel of the car. It seemed more solid and muted the sound of the engine and transmission. It also was an excellent heat barrier. There was still more to be done. 

Before installing carpet, I needed to put down some padding. Once again, I used Dynaliner. While just about any foam or padding would work, a nonporous material is best used in a car. If padding or carpet gets wet and can absorb the water, it will sit against the metal and start to rust. Wet padding is also prone to mold and mildew. While Dynaliner is expensive, it uses a closed cell foam with a very good self-adhesive backing.

I applied Dynaliner everywhere there would be carpet. This included the firewall, floors of the passenger area, the center transmission hump and the rear wheel wells. This dramatically reduced the interior noise in the car. Engine noise was reduced, as was the transmission wine and the sound from the rear wheel wells.

I then used the original vinyl floor mats as templates to cut the carpet. I placed each carpet piece in the car to make sure the fit was perfect. Then I had the edges of the carpet that would be exposed bound so it would look nice and would not unravel.

Once complete, I applied a coating of Scotch Guard to all the carpet. Then I put a coat of 3M Hi-Strength 90 Spray Adhesive to the surface for the Dynamat and the back of the carpet. Once tacky, I started to apply the carpet. Carefully cutting holes where seats, console and seat belts would be mounted. I then screwed in the door sills and mounted the seats.

While no serious 4x4 would have carpet, in my case the carpet absorbs and isolates cabin noise, looks nice and compliments the rest of the interior. While the W460 may not have come with this type of carpet, it is consistent with the color and type that was delivered on MB cars in the 80's so for me it is in keeping with the period and a nice upgrade. Now that the work is done I am a practical realist, so there are some pretty heavy duty floor mats protecting the carpet!