C1 Trunk mat options

[Florian W.]

I've discovered a lot of info on original, service replacement and repo trunk mats but I'm still trying to figure out which vendor will provide the mat that will do the best in judging. Al Knock claims to be using the original tooling but also warns that because of the age of the tool that the mat "won't look as good as the original." Other suppliers such as Paragon can't seem to verify that their mats have all the proper details but say that they haven't heard that they don't judge well. I currently have a later year repo mat in my '60 power top car; I would hate to buy yet another repo that would judge only slightly better.

Thanks for any opinions.

Lee

[Gary C.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Lee, what year specifically are you interested in? Gary....

[Florian W.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Gary,

The car is an early(March) '60.

Lee

[Gary C.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Lee, Romeo Engineering who advertises in the Driveline does the best available repro '57 trunk mat. Can't help you with a 60. If you start a "new thread" and use the 58-60 icon and include 60 in the title - you will probably get some replies to your question. JMTCW, Gary....

[Florian W.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Thanks for the lead, Gary. As it turns out, Romeo Engineering just started making mats for the '60. After talking to them, however, I'm more confused than ever. In addition to the NCRS judging guide, I've been using the '58 -'60 Corvette Restoration handbook by Baird and Howey. They have a very detailed section on trunk mats with several detail photos from Bowtie cars as well as others. Based on their research, mats from '59 to '62 should have a distinct diamond pattern texture on the back and have the part number inked on, both of which are very apparent from their photos. The mat offered by Romeo Engineering has the molded part number like the earlier mats and has a smooth back. The fellow that I spoke with there claims that in all his years of looking at mats, he has never seen a diamond texture back and that the inked numbers didn't appear until much later than '60. Any opinion on this?

Thanks,
Lee

[Frank P.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Lee

I have a Romeo Eng mat in my 58 and it gets the deducts just as described. I agree with the information provided by Baird & Howey. I believe it is right on. I have seen original mats, and yes they definably have a different backing.

Frank

[Marilyn H.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

The Romeo mats for a 60 loose 5 points with me - I don't think CC or Paragon have the '60 yet but CC's 61-62 mats loose 3 due to the thickness.

[Florian W.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Paragon and CC both offer a mat for the '60 with a power top, but both source it from Romeo Engineering so it's likely not going to judge well. I suppose that I could wait several months for the Al Knock mat to become available, but before doing that it would be nice to know if it will actually be more correct than what I have found so far. Has anyone had their Al Knock mat judged?

Lee

[Bill M.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

They have a very detailed section on trunk mats with several detail photos from Bowtie cars as well as others. Based on their research, mats from '59 to '62 should have a distinct diamond pattern texture on the back and have the part number inked on, both of which are very apparent from their photos.Any opinion on this?

Thanks,
Lee

My '59, assembled 12/58, has the diamond texture on the back, a 58 in the corner, and I don't see a part number molded or inked. The mat is brittle and starting to break apart.

[Chuck W.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Thanks for the lead, Gary. As it turns out, Romeo Engineering just started making mats for the '60. After talking to them, however, I'm more confused than ever. In addition to the NCRS judging guide, I've been using the '58 -'60 Corvette Restoration handbook by Baird and Howey. They have a very detailed section on trunk mats with several detail photos from Bowtie cars as well as others. Based on their research, mats from '59 to '62 should have a distinct diamond pattern texture on the back and have the part number inked on, both of which are very apparent from their photos. The mat offered by Romeo Engineering has the molded part number like the earlier mats and has a smooth back. The fellow that I spoke with there claims that in all his years of looking at mats, he has never seen a diamond texture back and that the inked numbers didn't appear until much later than '60. Any opinion on this?

Thanks,
Lee

Lee,

Apparently in contradiction to the paragraph description for '59-'62 mats, the Baird & Howey book, page 158 shows a photo of a March 60 Bowtie car mat with an imprinted part number not an ink stamp. Page 159 additionally has photos of what appear to be mats from original cars with plate stamped part numbers (see photo of stamp plate mounted upside down). Again an apparent contradiction to ink stamp only.

[Florian W.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Unfortunately, the page numbers on my CD version of this book don't correspond to the hardcopy version that you must have, but if you look a couple of pages before the first photo that you reference you'll see an explanation for this confusing situation. According to B & H, unlike all other colors, the black mats still used the raised part numbers as the dark ink wouldn't be legible on them. It worries me that I am starting to absorb some of this trunk mat trivia.

Lee

[Chuck W.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Unfortunately, the page numbers on my CD version of this book don't correspond to the hardcopy version that you must have, but if you look a couple of pages before the first photo that you reference you'll see an explanation for this confusing situation. According to B & H, unlike all other colors, the black mats still used the raised part numbers as the dark ink wouldn't be legible on them. It worries me that I am starting to absorb some of this trunk mat trivia.

Lee

Unfortunately one of the photos (the Bowtie example) is of a red mat.

[Florian W.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Chuck,

It's too bad that we can't relate page numbers on our two different versions of (hopefully) the same book. I see the pre-'59 versions of the red mat with the raised numbers and also the '61-'62 service replacement mat with the raised numbers (just before the section summary). But the photos of the original '60 and '61 red mats in my CD book don't have raised numbers, which is consistent with the text.

Regards,
Lee

[Marilyn H.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Lee - If you are going to have your car judged by NCRS you should be using the NCRS 1958-60 Judging Reference Guide - having said that, the Romeo mats have a shinny smooth back (which is incorrect) and they put a "GM" in front of the part number (which is incorrect for 58-60) so the Romeo mats loose 5 points when I judge them. However, any reproduction mat is better than no mat. 1958-1960 mats should have the stamped numbers except for the black ones. Al Knoch's mat for the 61-62 are real close but are too thick. Hopefully when he starts making the 58-60 mat he will make them thinner.

[James M.]

Re: C1 Trunk mat options

Marilyn,
When you judge a 58 - 60, would you prefer to see a good reproduction (although cut for a power top when it is not a power top car) or and original which would have condition issues?

Thanks,
James