Topic: 11 tough winters and still mint.

[No H2O]

I'm finally getting around to cleaning up my car after another winter and thought I take a pic of the most neglected part of most cars.

This is what the driver's side carpet of my 1999 Honda CR-V looks like after 11 harsh winters. Other than a light vacuuming once or twice a year, it has never been shampooed in 11 years of "real" winters as a daily driver in Canada. Road salt has never made it to the carpet. Taken after the end of the eleventh winter and prior to any clean-up.



There are some summer drivers that don't look that good before a clean-up.

The secret? A double layer of 6 mil vapor barrier plastic sheeting placed under the Pants Savers rubber mat with about 6" extending beyond all edges. To prevent the Pants Savers mat from slipping around, it is attached to the seat frame rails using rope to attach two tarp clips.

The insides will get wiped down tomorrow.

[footlong58]

Fantastic!  I've got the original pants saver mats too, I've had them now for 12 years.  I even use them all year round, and people ask why!?  Pictures like yours, are why...

[No H2O]

Fantastic!  I've got the original pants saver mats too, I've had them now for 12 years.  I even use them all year round, and people ask why!?  Pictures like yours, are why...

So do I on top of the OEM Honda carpet mats that came with the car when I bought it new.

But Pants Savers by themselves in the winter are next to useless unless you lay down plastic sheeting under them as I described above. I love their commercials as they pour a liter of water into them...that is fine if you don't intend to drive. 

For winter use, I prefer the semi rigid trays that are a form fit. I used to sell them for the original VW Beetles back in the mid 70s. The gray trays were made in Sweden or Norway at the time. Weathertech and others are similar but a far cry from as functional. Those trays need a 3" wall around them to really work.

[dr_spock]

Do you have a pic or two of your setup?

[kardood69]

Just got a set of weathertec's for the jetta... fit well and form a good 'bowl'.

Problem with the Jetta, unlike your CRV is that the gas pedal is hinged to the floor, so you can't get under it..  Salt will always run down and get on the carpet.   

[No H2O]

Do you have a pic or two of your setup?

I just took out the Pants Savers yesterday to give them a thorough cleaning and removed the plastic sheet in the process.

My Pants Savers fit my floor pan quite well. All you do is use a tape measure to measure the width and length of your Pants Savers and add 12 inches to each dimension so that you get 6 inches extra on each side that rides up the sides of the carpet area. Of course if you have a flat bottom floor as some cars may have, that won't work.

The tarp clips are slipped over and tightened at each end of the rear of the Pants Saver and ties to the seat rails. This prevents the Pants Savers of sliding forward.

My neighbor will be doing that to his next car after seeing how well my set-up works and how well it preserved the interior. I do likewise for the passenger side. As for the rear seats, I do the same but skip the tarp clips. It doesn't look great, but then neither does the car during the winter months.

Floor pans don't rust from the outside in...well they do, but they rust from the inside out much quicker.

[safristi]

..i used ta be a PANTY SAVER then wifey got suspicious ...................... i hate having to wear those thongs now i said they were mine.................but i have a well flossed ..NO dear i'm wearing the pink polka dots to the get together......................

 11 tough Winters and still MINT......sounds like Ann Frank in Inuvit................

[Turbo Bob]

Just got a set of weathertec's for the jetta... fit well and form a good 'bowl'.

Problem with the Jetta, unlike your CRV is that the gas pedal is hinged to the floor, so you can't get under it..  Salt will always run down and get on the carpet.   

Toyota has a mat that goes over the pedal to solve that issue.