DIY Network

Aluminum Floor-Mats: Tracing Templates From "Tricked Out" episode DTRK-111

	This 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS already has a full body-kit and fiberglass spoiler to accent the factory lines.
	The aluminum floor-mats and electro-luminescent highlighting will add some fireworks to the interior.
	Prior engine mods include cold-air intake, platinum plugs and color-matched split-loom. (3cc & 3cd)

In this episode of Tricked Out, host Andrew Totolos tackles some killer interior mods on a Mitsubishi Eclipse. On the road, this Spyder already looks amazing, so Andrew leaves the profile alone -- but he dresses up the interior with a set of custom-cut diamond-plate aluminum floor mats circled with blue-glowing "EL" (electro-luminescent) accent lighting. To tie it all together, he makes a diamond-plate foot rest and install aluminum pedal covers. These floor-mats will make any car look tough, but on a convertible the total effect is even better. With the top down, sunlight will bounce off the aluminum and throw reflections throughout the interior. Te

In this first segment, host Andrew Totolos introduces the project car for this episode -- a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder GS. This car is already an award-winner. Andrew just wants to add a little bling to it by replacing the existing floor mats with custom diamond-plate mats. He begins the process by removing the car's existing floor mats and tracing their patterns on to aluminum sheeting.

DIY Difficulty Rating for this Project: This job is a fairly easy project. We gave it a difficulty rating of 2 on a 5-point intermediate-level scale. The aluminum is thick and requires some muscle to bend it into shape, and the wiring for the lights is a little tricky. Experienced gear-heads should have no problem with it, however.

Materials used in this episode:

Standard automotive tools
4-by-4 sheet of aluminum (preferably 16-gauge)
Pedal-cover kit
Existing floor mats from car
Cordless drill
Jig saw; fine-tooth metal blades
Hammer
Flat file
Center punch
Drop cloth
Masking tape
Permanent marker
Hook-and-loop tape
Lint-free cotton rags
Rubbing alcohol
Scissors
Clear plastic tubing
Adhesive (provided in kit)
Extra wire
Electrical tape
Wire crimpers
Wire connectors
Silver paint marker
Safety glasses; protective gloves

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The aluminum used in this project can be purchased at home-improvement centers in standard sheets. Get a 4' by 4' sheet for this project to have ample material for the complete job. Or you can go to a metal-shop -- which will likely have various thicknesses of aluminum. In that case, look for 16-gauge aluminum. This thickness is thick enough to hold its shape, but still thin enough to bend by hand -- with a little muscle power.

Floormat Templates

• You'll need to mark the aluminum in a shape that will fit in the floorboard of your car. You can use the existing floor-mats as templates.

• To begin, take a look at the existing floor mats while they are still in the car (figure A). The bends and curves will have to be bent into the new aluminum mats so they will fit properly in the car.

• Take some masking tape and mark where each bend in the new floor mat should be centered before you remove the mats from the car (figure B).

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

• Remove factory mats from car.

• Since the objective is to dress up the entire foot-well area, we opted to make an aluminum cover for the factory footrest as well. Unbolt and remove the footrest (figure C).

• Take both the mats and the footrest to the workbench for marking.

• Aluminum is a soft metal, so take care with it. You'll need to mark and cut from the back, so lay the sheet face down on a drop cloth (figure D). Lay out all of the pieces on the aluminum at once with the bottom of the pieces facing up.

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

• Take advantage of the factory-cut edges whenever possible. You'll want to cut at little as possible, and if you'll use the pre-cut edges, the job will go much faster.

• Trace around the first floor mat on to the back of the aluminum sheet, being careful not to move any of the mats while tracing (figure E and F).

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  

  Figure G

• Do the same thing for both of the backseat floor mats and the driver side. Trace them at a slight inward angle so they are a bit smaller than the original floor mats to allow for the trim around the edges.

• Remember to also trace around the footrest.

• When all of the patterns are transferred on to the aluminum, use the tape as a reference to mark the general area the bends will be made in the final mats (figure G).
  

RESOURCES :

Sport Compact Bolt-On Performance Guide: Import Cars (Sport Compact Bolt-On Performance Guides)
Author: Joe Pettitt
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Voyageur Press (October 2000)
ISBN: 1884089526

Special Resources for Tricked Out, episode 111

Racing Innovations, Inc.
Website: www.racinginnovations.com

StreetGlow, Inc.
Website: www.streetglow.com

Vibrant Performance
Website: www.vibrantperformance.com