Mustang ACC Mach 1 Floor Carpet (1971-1973) Installation Instructions
This ACC Carpet fits Mach 1 1971-1973 Fastback Mustangs.
This ACC Carpet, for 1971-1973 Mach 1 Fastback Mustangs, comes in two pieces and is molded to better fit the contour of the floor. It comes with color matched pads and with a jute backing attached to the underside. It is made of 100% nylon, just like the original.
Tools Required:
- Phillips Head Screw Driver
- 9/16 inch Short and Deep Well Socket
- T15 & T45 Star Driver
- Scissors
Install Difficulty:
- Moderate Project
1. After years of sitting in the sun, carpet tends to fade, which give a good reason to replace it. Plus, if the interior is getting a color change, installing new Mustang ACC 10612 71 601 BLACK Mach 1 Carpet may be necessary.
2. Start this installation by pulling the Mustang seats as far forward as possible to reveal the two rear seat bolts. Remove them with the 9/16" deep well socket.
3. With the rear bolts removed, push the seat back as far as possible to reveal the front two bolts. Remove them with the short 9/16" socket, then the seat may be removed freely.
4. Repeat the previous two steps for the opposite side's seat. After removing both seats, the car should look like this:
5. With the front seats removed, remove the bottom portion of the rear seat by pushing down and back to release the clips under the seat.
6. Now that the seats are out, we need to remove the Mustang sill plates on each side of the car. To do this, remove the six screws along the base of the doors.
7. Next, remove the Mustang kick panel by removing the one screw located along the door jam. Pull the panel straight out. Do this for both sides.
8. With the sill plates and kick panels now removed, we will need to remove the center console, shifter bezel and shifter knob. To remove the console, remove the three screws holding it in place: One in the back and two up at the front, which can be accessed by removing the ash tray.
9. To remove the shifter bezel, you must first remove the Mustang shifter knob. To do this, use the T15 star driver to remove the locking screw. Once the screw is removed, press the button on the side and pull up. The knob should easily slide off.
To remove the bezel, remove the four screws at each corner.
10. Now that you’ve removed everything from the front of the car that is in the way of installing new carpet, it’s time to work on the back. First, you will need to remove the quarter panels. There are six screws and two 9/16" bolts on each side.
11. Once all the screws and bolts have been removed, remove the seat belt holder from the panel by pulling the bottom out from the quarter panel and then down. After the holder has been removed, pull up on the panel and it should be free.
12. Next, remove each Mustang seat belt retractor and clip from each side with a T45 star driver.
Unclip and remove the sensor wire used to determine if the seat belt is fastened.
To remove the seat belt clip, pull the seat belt through the vinyl covering until the bolt is exposed. Then, just unbolt it.
13. Now you can easily remove the carpet! If you choose to replace the underlayment, do it at this time. In this installation, I chose not to replace my underlayment, as the old was not in bad condition. I would also suggest vacuuming the Mustang floor pan to remove any debris that has accumulated over time.
14. With your interior now being prepped, get your new carpet set out and prepare it for installation. I had it sitting in the sun for a while so it would regain its shape from shipping. Luckily the carpet comes pre-molded so that it fits easily.
15. To install the carpet, we start with the front piece. Before placing the carpet in your car, turn it over and cut around the area that doesn't have any padding. This is where the shifter assembly will be.
16. Slide the carpet under the Mustang console and lay it down around the shifter. After it is placed, make any cuts necessary for the carpet to properly fit around the shifter assembly.
17. Now, ensure that the carpet is properly centered by flattening it out while checking that the carpet is in the proper position. There should be around two to three inches of extra fabric on each side so that it will fit under the sill plate. I suggest going from the center and working your way outwards.
18. Once you’re sure the carpet is centered, reinstall the Mustang shifter bezel, along with the console. This will ensure the carpet does not move as you’re cutting holes for bolts and electrical wires.
19. Once the shifter bezel is installed, cut a hole for the dimmer switch.
20. With the Mustang headlight dimmer switch now exposed, lay the carpet down and cut along the door’s opening until you reach the base of the door. Reinstall the kick panel. Once installed, the panel will hold that side firmly in place. Repeat for the passenger side.
21. Next, we will need to make the proper holes for seat bolts. This can be accomplished by pulling the edge of the carpet up and observing where the holes are. Once you have one hole made, place a bolt in the hole so the hole isn’t lost. Once the seat holes are made, the front carpet will be correctly cut and in place.
22. Lay the back piece down and position it so that it is centered correctly.
23. With your back carpet correctly aligned, start making holes for the various components. I started with the Mustang seat belt buckle and retractor. I would suggest starting at the center once again to ensure the carpet does not move. For reference, the holes for the seat belts were 9 inches from the raised area that the seat sits on.
24. Now, with your Mustang carpet properly in place and bolted down, reinstall the interior quarter panels.
25. With the Mustang quarter panels installed, reinstall the rear seat. Be sure to pull the seat belt buckles through the holes!
26. With the back seat now installed, trim the excess carpet around the door frame so it is about half way across the bottom of the sill plate (as shown).
27. Now install the Mustang door sill plates over the carpet’s edge, smoothing out any wrinkles in the carpet and ensuring it hasn’t lifted from the floor.
28. The final part of this installation is to replace the front seats. To do this, bolt down the non-spring loaded rail first. Then, using the seat adjuster, slide the seat all the way to the front. The spring should now be aligned perfectly with its holes. Install the back bolt first, slide the seat back then install the front bolt. Do this for each side.
29. Congratulations on installing your new Mustang ACC Mach 1 Carpet!
