Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator

Adventures with ACC carpet kits

mrblaine

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A kit was ordered from Rock Auto in Essex Dark Slate for us to try and install. It didn't take long before we figured out it was molded poorly and no amount of skill or work was going to make it fit correctly. Sadly, it takes a fair bit of effort before you can fully figure that out.
The left rear corner would not go under the tub rail very far. It was stretched pretty tight and pushing further only resulted in the molded corner at the long outer edge of the inner fender being pushed up too high.
1731508063069.png

Worse, on the face of it, there is not an immediate method to figure this out. (we did eventually though)

The other side is just fine. Molded into the corner like it should. After a fair bit of poking and prodding, we got the sides and floor of the cargo area sorta installed and moved to the passenger foot well. At this point, I'm starting to get annoyed.
Both 1's should be close to the same shape.
Both 2's should fit around the roll bar the same.
Both 3's should have close to the same shape. Of note, there is a gap where the trans tunnel meets the cargo step. It can't be slid back to close that up because the cuts around the roll bar dictate fore and aft location.
4 points to big flaps that just lay up on the side of the tub instead of being cut around the bubble. Big flaps may be okay, but they would need to line up with matching flaps for the front sections to be sorta correct.

1731508825312.png

And no they don't. To match, they would be up around the green line under the door sill. Pay attention to the poor fit around the front bubble.
1731509334503.png

The left side. Better, still no flap and it does fit okay, not great, but okay.
1731509468439.png

Anyway, none of this is what I considered to be remotely acceptable and having just installed a kit in a TJ, I could not figure out why this one had edge binding. I contacted ACC to try and get some help. They explained that I was a Rock Auto customer and had to go through them. I explained that we both know that RA has the worst possible customer service so, if I had to take this kit out and throw it away and then purchase one directly from ACC, I would do so because no matter how this goes, they will wind up dealing with me so may as well start now. I eventually had to call in and get someone on the phone to get this dealt with and their answer was to sell me one while fully ignoring the terrible fit of this kit.

There were many rounds of back and forth with them telling me that the next kit would be manager inspected before it shipped. That was basically their only nod to this one being bad. We'll have a manager inspect the next. I tried to get it without edge binding so I could at least trim to fit in problem areas. Nope, only comes one way. Ya'll do see the irony in the middle C standing for "custom", right? That's the way it comes, take it or leave it. Fine.

Then I got the email as a response to me asking for some assurance the kit I was about to pay 1200 dollars for would fit and be remedied if it didn't. I was told it was custom, I owned it and it was not returnable. I have the quote from the email if anyone needs it. I eventually got them to admit that there are some areas that can not be checked without some cutting so there might be a little wiggle room there.

So, 1200 dollars later, 2 more weeks, boxing up and returning the other kit to RA, lots of time, more hassle than should be legal and lots of me just being an annoying ass because I don't like crap products from companies with stellar reviews, we get this.

This one is pretty good. We still had to do a lot of trim work since they don't offer the quick install version, but this is how the first kit should have come. (mostly)
1731510496828.png

And just to show that we kinda know how to do this, this is our trim work for the roll bar.
1731510906404.png

The front fits a fair bit better as well. We had to add a 5mm stud and use an OEM push retainer in the right foot well to hold up that section that folded back down on the floor, but all in all, the fit is acceptable.

1731511165914.png

They still can't get the passenger foot well correct but I was over it by this time and we'll just pretend we don't see it.
We trimmed the flap at the green line which you can see on the right side above.
1731511401656.png

This is how it arrived.
1731511481212.png

Lessons learned-
ACC doesn't deserve the stellar reviews we see.
They treat Rock Auto customers like second class citizens.
We paid way too much to put up with this much BS.
Custom is not in their vocabulary, their name yes, vocabulary no.
They don't like to admit when their product is crap.
If you cut it, you own it even if cutting is required to check fitment.
Whatever they are using as an OEM fitment reference is either bad or being ignored.
Edge binding sucks.
The amount of work to make it look nice is astoundingly high if you are not highly practiced in the art of automotive carpet kits.

Finally, they included a 2' x 3' section of thick padding to go someplace. When I asked what it was for, they said just stick it under the middle of the cargo floor section. I said it was half as big as it should be, they said that's the way it is? WTF??
 
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Yikes. Is there an alternative to ACC besides Bedrug or Armorlite? It seems to be the go-to.
No idea. I've never dealt with Armorlite and Bedrug is the Smittybilt version of products in the carpet world. They don't make a single TJ product I like, will own, or will install. I've done several and afterwards, just don't see the appeal. They are molded so-so. They are expensive for what you get, they are thin, and color options are crap.
 
I have used ACC carpet kits on various vehicles throughout the past and found similar issues with poor fitment.

I’m not surprised about their customer service. More-and-more I’m finding that good customer service is very hard to come by anymore.
 
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ACC doesn't deserve the stellar reviews we see.

I've heard plenty of complaints about ACC carpet in the old car world. My dad bought a red ACC carpet for his '64 Mustang last year, and it has already faded and is starting to look splotchy. He has not made contact yet, so I don't know how this will end, but I suggest people avoid ACC.
 
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Well since Black Magic Brakes has Wizard Recovery Gear I think you should expand into Jeep carpet kits...how about Aladdin's Rugs?

My bedrug fits terrible too.

-Mac

I think I'm gonna pass on that business model for the foreseeable future. I have no desire to be in the middle eastern toupée business.
 
Well damn, I've been carpetless for years and want to go back to carpets. ACC looked promising with their color options but this gives me serious second thoughts....

Thanks for the detailed feedback @mrblaine!
 
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A kit was ordered from Rock Auto in Essex Dark Slate for us to try and install. It didn't take long before we figured out it was molded poorly and no amount of skill or work was going to make it fit correctly. Sadly, it takes a fair bit of effort before you can fully figure that out.
The left rear corner would not go under the tub rail very far. It was stretched pretty tight and pushing further only resulted in the molded corner at the long outer edge of the inner fender being pushed up too high.
View attachment 572513
Worse, on the face of it, there is not an immediate method to figure this out. (we did eventually though)

The other side is just fine. Molded into the corner like it should. After a fair bit of poking and prodding, we got the sides and floor of the cargo area sorta installed and moved to the passenger foot well. At this point, I'm starting to get annoyed.
Both 1's should be close to the same shape.
Both 2's should fit around the roll bar the same.
Both 3's should have close to the same shape. Of note, there is a gap where the trans tunnel meets the cargo step. It can't be slid back to close that up because the cuts around the roll bar dictate fore and aft location.
4 points to big flaps that just lay up on the side of the tub instead of being cut around the bubble. Big flaps may be okay, but they would need to line up with matching flaps for the front sections to be sorta correct.

View attachment 572542
And no they don't. To match, they would be up around the green line under the door sill. Pay attention to the poor fit around the front bubble.
View attachment 572546
The left side. Better, still no flap and it does fit okay, not great, but okay.
View attachment 572547
Anyway, none of this is what I considered to be remotely acceptable and having just installed a kit in a TJ, I could not figure out why this one had edge binding. I contacted ACC to try and get some help. They explained that I was a Rock Auto customer and had to go through them. I explained that we both know that RA has the worst possible customer service so, if I had to take this kit out and throw it away and then purchase one directly from ACC, I would do so because no matter how this goes, they will wind up dealing with me so may as well start now. I eventually had to call in and get someone on the phone to get this dealt with and their answer was to sell me one while fully ignoring the terrible fit of this kit.

There were many rounds of back and forth with them telling me that the next kit would be manager inspected before it shipped. That was basically their only nod to this one being bad. We'll have a manager inspect the next. I tried to get it without edge binding so I could at least trim to fit in problem areas. Nope, only comes one way. Ya'll do see the irony in the middle C standing for "custom", right? That's the way it comes, take it or leave it. Fine.

Then I got the email as a response to me asking for some assurance the kit I was about to pay 1200 dollars for would fit and be remedied if it didn't. I was told it was custom, I owned it and it was not returnable. I have the quote from the email if anyone needs it. I eventually got them to admit that there are some areas that can not be checked without some cutting so there might be a little wiggle room there.

So, 1200 dollars later, 2 more weeks, boxing up and returning the other kit to RA, lots of time, more hassle than should be legal and lots of me just being an annoying ass because I don't like crap products from companies with stellar reviews, we get this.

This one is pretty good. We still had to do a lot of trim work since they don't offer the quick install version, but this is how the first kit should have come. (mostly)
View attachment 572548
And just to show that we kinda know how to do this, this is our trim work for the roll bar.
View attachment 572550
The front fits a fair bit better as well. We had to add a 5mm stud and use an OEM push retainer in the right foot well to hold up that section that folded back down on the floor, but all in all, the fit is acceptable.

View attachment 572553
They still can't get the passenger foot well correct but I was over it by this time and we'll just pretend we don't see it.
We trimmed the flap at the green line which you can see on the right side above.
View attachment 572554
This is how it arrived.
View attachment 572555
Lessons learned-
ACC doesn't deserve the stellar reviews we see.
They treat Rock Auto customers like second class citizens.
We paid way too much to put up with this much BS.
Custom is not in their vocabulary, their name yes, vocabulary no.
They don't like to admit when their product is crap.
If you cut it, you own it even if cutting is required to check fitment.
Whatever they are using as an OEM fitment reference is either bad or being ignored.
Edge binding sucks.
The amount of work to make it look nice is astoundingly high if you are not highly practiced in the art of automotive carpet kits.

Finally, they included a 2' x 3' section of thick padding to go someplace. When I asked what it was for, they said just stick it under the middle of the cargo floor section. I said it was half as big as it should be, they said that's the way it is? WTF??

I been working in auto upholstery for 12 years and I can tell you that this has been my experience with all interior kit parts. ACC is the never fits perfect but unfortunately they are the best option if you want the carpet to be removable. Seat kits aren’t any better.
 
I been working in auto upholstery for 12 years and I can tell you that this has been my experience with all interior kit parts. ACC is the never fits perfect but unfortunately they are the best option if you want the carpet to be removable. Seat kits aren’t any better.

Do car manufacturers make their interior upholstery in house? Or do they contract it out?
 
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Interesting. I put ACC carpet in my TJ last year and did not have the issues you did. My carpet also did not have any of the edge binding. I also only paid $350 for the complete kit and I got it from Quadratec of all places. There was some trimming to be done but everything molded fit well. Sorry to hear.
 
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Interesting. I put ACC carpet in my TJ last year and did not have the issues you did. My carpet also did not have any of the edge binding. I also only paid $350 for the complete kit and I got it from Quadratec of all places. There was some trimming to be done but everything molded fit well. Sorry to hear.

I have a TJ I just installed the same kit in, Essex mass backed dark slate that was just fine and just like yours, thus my irritation that the first kit looked like a completely different company made it. It has some problems that should be fixed but I know now it isn't worth the effort it will take if I could even get it done.

That was one of the key points during all of my conversations. I have one that is much better than this so I know this one isn't supposed to be this way.

I tried to get this one already cut for the rear roll bars like the TJ has, they would not do it. I tried to get the front without edge binding like the TJ, again, would not do it.
 
Do car manufacturers make their interior upholstery in house? Or do they contract it out?

OEM manufactures very little in house. They assemble stuff, they don't make it. They may own a few companies that make stuff for them though. But, every interior piece I've ever seen a label on was not made by Jeep.
 
OEM manufactures very little in house. They assemble stuff, they don't make it. They may own a few companies that make stuff for them though. But, every interior piece I've ever seen a label on was not made by Jeep.

Seconded. Auto makers now are very horizontal organizations, filled with mostly accountants and project managers. They even outsource most of their engineering to their supply chain

Cars are modular now, those modules are designed buy the big tier one guys like Magna Styer, Robert Bosch, etc.

The OEMs make specifications and the suppliers tweak their designs to fit the specs. Then send the modules in to be assembled. Some of the supply chain is even doing full vehicle assembly now…when I was at magna, they were just opening a plant down south for BMW to do full assembly.
 
I have a TJ I just installed the same kit in, Essex mass backed dark slate that was just fine and just like yours, thus my irritation that the first kit looked like a completely different company made it. It has some problems that should be fixed but I know now it isn't worth the effort it will take if I could even get it done.

That was one of the key points during all of my conversations. I have one that is much better than this so I know this one isn't supposed to be this way.

I tried to get this one already cut for the rear roll bars like the TJ has, they would not do it. I tried to get the front without edge binding like the TJ, again, would not do it.

I wonder if RA has their own "tweaks" to the ACC carpet they sell and Quadratec does the same. I know that when I purchased from Quadratec, their color choice for my interior was spot on compared to what ACC was going to sell me from their website; Doeskin (Quadratec) vs Dark Saddle or Desert Tan (ACC) ACC did have Doeskin as a color of choice on their website just not offered when I chose a 1998 Wrangler. I also only bought their regular cutpile.

I'm sure if I bought it again, I would be in a different boat. I guess I just got lucky.
 
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I wonder if RA has their own "tweaks" to the ACC carpet they sell and Quadratec does the same.

or, along similar lines, if ACC has two sets of quality checks - the units that fit the stricter set gets sold direct, and the ones that meet a lower standard goes to RA.


What's amazing to me is it shouldn't be hard. Just take the factory carpet out of a TJ and make a pattern to match it.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator