[FC] Re: rubber mats

[corvanatics@corvair.org]

> One caution - the rubber floor mats are guaranteed floor killers on any
> vehicle that sees much rain.  If your Ramp will be an indoors/sunny day
> only vehicle you're fine, but on anything else I'd use carpeting.
>

   Bryan,while we all have our opinions on this particualr issue of mats, I
would tend to disagree with you somewhat. Its not the rubber mat that kills
the
floor,its the leaks that allow water to get inside and under the mat. The
water just sits there and rusts the floor away. In a properly sealed
vehicle(good
door seals and solid sealed floorboards including around the master cylinder
access plate) that doesnt leak,the rubber backing works great. I ve used them
in my vans for many years. However ,I ve also parted out a lot of vans with
carpeting in them and have seen the results of what carpeting on a bare floor
can do. Carpet is like a sponge and soaks up water and holds it,rubber doesnt.
The water itself is the real cause of the corrosion. The good thing about the
carpets like Im talking about with rubber backing is that even if water is
spilled on them(or your other favorite beverage) it wont go thru to the
floorboard. It can sit and dry and no harm is done. These carpets are usually
used as
runners in entrance ways of businesses. They are very thin,not like other
regular rubber or foam backed residential type carpeting you would use in your
basement. The company in my area that deals in them is Cintas. Im sure there
are
similar companies in all areas. Our mechanic at work used to get them on
occasion from the driver when he came thru for about $10-$20 or so depending
on
condition. Most are still in decent enuf shape to make great mats. I ve used
them
several times myself and another good thing about then is you can take em out
and blast them at the local car wash to clean them.  Ya cant do that with
regular carpeting. I use the extra rubber scraps as drawer liners in my tool
boxes.
       Ive also used then in big sections or left whole in the cargo area of
my vans. They work great if you go someplace and need to lay on the wet
ground,such as a picnic. Just lay it on the ground  and you can hose it off to
clean
it later and no harm done.

                                                       Tim in Ky
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