Is the carpet supposed to go over the ring or sandwiched in between the boot and ring? I've always put it over the ring to cover it up. What say you?
If mine was a FACTORY 4-spd (I never found a build sheet) I just put mine back the way the factory did it with carpet under ring. I think it would be a better idea carpet in between but I never even thought of it.
The ring holds the boot in place so it must be installed over the carpet and it also ensures the carpet stays in place.
Here's the original carpet from my consolette car before Dave and I pulled it out. Consolette car carpet was obviously cut differently to allow room to bolt it to the floor.
Just talking to George this morning. He was telling me about that carpet flap and how it attaches to the lower consolette. Never knew that
Consolette equipped cars had the lower boot attached directly to the floor with the metal ring. They wanted a tight seal there. Then the carpet went in on top. They did the same thing with the non-consolette cars. The boot was attached directly to the floor, but when they cut the carpet, they cut it close, so the cut edge slid under the rubber flange of the boot to finish it off. I have had cars with both of the above configurations, consolette & non-consolette, and that is how they were. The 70 assembly manual also shows how the consolette lower boots were installed on page 1-15.1. Duane
Duane- you beat me!!!! Lol Yes- floor directly to boot, ring over boot. Consolette cars- floor directly to boot, then lower boot ring, then consolette BASE… pull carpet up into base and attach to consolette base (so the carpet is in the base)
Now if we could only get the correct non-consolette boot. I need 2 & will be looking into having them made.
Dano, The Oldsmobile boots are pretty close, except the flaps covering the carpet are bigger…..but I know how you are. I understand. I’m on the same page. I often wondered if you could get an Olds boot, trim the flaps down to the Buick size, and then buff out the edges. Duane
I'll be trying that first but... My Stage 1 has a Olds boot in it now I don't like the way it looks w/that big flap. I've has a 4-sp GS almost continually since I was 18 so I guess if I wasn't used to the correct look it wouldn't bother me. @STAGE III (Fritz) lent me an original to use to have them reproduced so I have a guide to try it. Year One used to sell the correct boot but discontinued it. I was in communication w/them & they were looking to make them again (or so the guy said & I did get in touch w/the right person there) but nothing ever came of that. Of course a very limited market although my understanding is that at least some Freemont Oldsmobiles orig. came w/the Buick boot.
