DIY: Custom Trunk Lid Liner

[jeremy]

This courtesy of Slick:

 

First start off by measuring the height and width of the desired area to be covered. In this case, the rough dimensions were 18" tall by 37.5" wide. While your doing this, take a spare peice of cardboard and cut the curvature of the bottom, top, and the corners.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a109/slick94prix/Trunk%20Lid%20Liner/IMG_1423.jpg

 

Go ahead, and mark the area on the 1/4" foamboard(smooth outside surface, with a foam like interior). I had to ask the lady at the counter of the hobby shop for a peice big enough. I marked the 18" x 37.5" area.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a109/slick94prix/Trunk%20Lid%20Liner/IMG_1429.jpg

 

Cut it out.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a109/slick94prix/Trunk%20Lid%20Liner/IMG_1431.jpg

 

Now, go to your computer, and print off whatever words, pictures, emblems, etc.... that you want on your liner. If you want a plain liner, you can skip the next few steps. After you print them off, cut them out. http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a109/slick94prix/Trunk%20Lid%20Liner/IMG_1425.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a109/slick94prix/Trunk%20Lid%20Liner/IMG_1433.jpg

 

Trace them onto foamboard, then cut them out. For this, if you can find 1/2" or thicker foamboard, use it. 1/4" will not be near tall enough to really stand out. Since I didn't have 1/2" foamboard available, I cut out the letters twice, and glued them on top of each other, then onto the foamboard. For all the glueing, I recommmend 3M's Super 77 All Purpose glue. It will cost you about $10/can though, so it isn't cheap.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a109/slick94prix/Trunk%20Lid%20Liner/IMG_1434.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a109/slick94prix/Trunk%20Lid%20Liner/IMG_1449.jpg

 

The next few parts is really hard to get pictures unless you have someone right there with you, so there are no pictures, just descriptions.

 

Take your fabric that you plan on using(carpet in this case), and starting at one end of the liner, spray glue, and let it sit for about 20-30 seconds. This will allow it to tack up, and the carpet will stick much much better. Lay the carpet onto the glued portion, and be sure to pull on the carpet to get any wrinkles or fold lines out of it. Smooth it over several times with your hand, pressing firmly while pulling and pushing out any wrinkles. Keep doing this until you get to the letters.

 

Once you get to the letters, this requires patience, and a lot of working with the carpet. Spray your glue onto the area, and let it tack up as mentioned above. Then, lay the carpet onto the letter, and press down and around the curves. Keep pressing down and around the curves, working out all the wrinkles. Be sure that your your also covering the rest of the flat liner at the same time.

 

Now, you will get to the point where the carpet will start to fold into itself. At this point, you will have to cut the carpet along the fold. I went ahead and glued down the part of the carpet where it doesn't touch the letters on the liner. When the other section of the carpet, I went ahead with the rest of the board.

 

Once you have it all done, you will have some carpet that will cover each other. Cut it down most of the way, then glue it down to the board. Afterwards, you will need to trim the rest of the carpet to match the line created with the other piece that you glued down earlier. Warning at this point, you may get some glue on the exterior of the carpet. Thats alright, you can get it out.

 

Once you have the front of the liner completely covered, turn it over, and with the excess carpet, figure out how far over it will fold over. Then, let the carpet go, spray glue, then fold the carpet back over the back, while pulling tightly, to finish the liner.

 

Now, say you got some glue on the exterior of the carpet. What you will need to do is let the rest of the glue on the liner dry for a good period of time. A good hour or two will do. Then, with goo gone, spray a bit on the tip of a q-tip, then work at the glue. It shouldn't take too long to work out.

 

At this point, your done with the liner part.

 

As far as mounting, the way I plan on doing it is with 3M Hook and Loop velcro. You can find it at most any hardware store, but for the best hold, be sure to get the stuff that has the highest hold rating.

 

Figure out how your liner will sit in your trunk lid, and be sure there is sufficient mounting surface behind the liner to the lid. Take some soap and water, and clean the surface. Then, take alcohol and cotton swaps, and wipe the surface to remove any soaps or oils that still may be present on the lid. Then, on the liner side, apply the velcro system to it. Pull off the paper backing for the sticky side on all of the velcro pads, then take the liner and press it up against the lid. Press every area that has the sticky side of the velcro system, and work it against the lid.

 

This should do it. Any questions, let slick know.