Carpet install questions

[Gimmeagig]

I want to see if what I have planned makes any sense to you guys.I have a ratty vinyl floor in my 85 F150. I bought a ACC replacement carpet . The existing vinyl goes just underneath the seats but the ACC carpet would go all the way to the back wall. I don't care so much about that. I don't how much rust I'm going to find when I remove the vinyl. I know the drivers side back corner has a hole. I want to fix that as I go and still be able to drive the truck. That's why I want to make the new carpet easily removable and cut it in a front half like the vinyl and a back half. cutting out slots for the tracks. Then I can deal with the rust over time without having to take out the bench seat each time I do something. Also I could later on if needed add some sound dampening material. I'm also thinking if more rust develops over time it is easier to treat it if I can just slide out the carpet.

[Gary Lewis]

I would personally be reluctant to cut the carpet.  But I confess that I don't understand where you would cut it.  If that's behind the seat then I fear that the back bit would never lay down correctly because there are lots of angles and such back there.

But the carpet back there isn't tied down very much and you could probably get it out of the way to work on the cab corner without cutting it.  So maybe lay it in there, put the seat on top of it, and see how much movement you have?

[Machspeed]

I'm with Gary on this! I put that same carpet in my shortbed 86 and it went in nice and fit great. I'd pull the old stuff, fix the floor and install the carpet. Personally, I wouldn't even think of hacking that carpet up.

[kramttocs]

Third
I think you'll find it isn't too much work to remove the carpet again when the time comes if you don't tackle it all at once.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm pretty sure that anything you need to do to the cab corner you're going to have to pull the seat out anyhow. (and the B pillar trim, sill covers,...)

Not sure what "over time" means to you.
I'd likely deal with my 1/2 rubber mat while welding up the floors, then paint, then install insulation/sound proof and carpet at once.

Vote 4x???

[Powerman5K]

This is the route I'm going. I have left my trashy rubber mat until I have time to fix a hole in the floor pan, then install sound deadener, then a new carpet. Cab corners were fixed when I painted.