C1 (1960) Trunk Mat Advice - Repair and Judging ?

[Scott W.]

The original trunk mat in my 1960 is BRITTLE….I mean you barely bend it and it cracks…you pull on it and pieces break off. I purchased a replacement from Corvette Central…and (besides the shape/color) doesn’t look much like the original….it is much more shiny and seems thinner.

I’d like to try to save the original by reattaching broken pieces, fixing splits, and preventing further problems. My current idea is to use rubber cement along with some nylon window screen. Thinking about basically gluing the screen on neatly along the entire bottom side to add some strength to it. Thoughts? The car is judged Top Flight and I’d like to try to keep it that way….so if this is a bad idea….I’m wide open to other suggestions! Thanks!!!

[Don H.]

I have seen original trunk mats with some type of backing (cardboard ?) because of the brittleness displayed on the judging floor. I don't judge interior so I can't say how they did. A wild guess would be you could get most originality points but take a hit on condition. Good luck!

[Mark S.]

I repaired my 56 trunk mat using black Plasti Dip. I also used plastic epoxy with black coloring for boat fiberglass mixed in.

[Scott W.]

Thanks Mark. That’s really interesting. Did the Plasti Dip adhere to it well?

[Mark S.]

Yes, the Plasti Dip adhered well. I would start by taping the cracks on one side to get them lined up. I would then turn the mat over and seal it. Once the seal had cured, I would carefully turn over the mat, take the tape off and seal that side. Once done, you can go back and get any areas that need further attention. My mat was really fragile, so I was careful in handling it. I would store it on a flat piece of plywood before putting it in the trunk for judging.

[Joe M.]

I observed a C1 mat that was in a thousand pieces. The owner had painstakingly place every piece on a piece of plexiglass and when finished with bottom layer, he added a top piece of plexiglass. I believe he screwed the plexiglass sheets together along the perimeter with screws. I don't recall if he glued each piece to the bottom plexiglas.