KF Floor Mats Available

[joefrazer]

The manufacturing fund has produced a new run of floor mats. They are again available for the 47-50KF and 51F, 51-5K and all HJ. Mats at this time are only available in black due to the cost of running smaller color batches. I believe that next month's bulletin will have them listed on the fund order form.

Prices are:

47-50KF and 51F - $225

51-5K - $245

All HJ - $390 and includes front and rear mats

[kaiserkid]

Are the floor mats the throw mats? For my 54 Manhattan I would receive 4 mats? Or is the mat the large 2 piece design for the whole floor pan, one front and one rear?

[pnw_oldmags]

Or are they just one piece for the Front ... hump and all!

[Gordie]

You will be getting one front floor mat for the 1951-54 Kaisers.  I don't think that the throw mats were ever available from K-F although several aftermarket manufactorers could have offered universal ones like they still do.  My '51 Kaiser still has the original front mat with cloth binding around the edges.  I doubt if the reproductions will have that cloth binding.

[joefrazer]

For the 47-50KF and 51-5K mats, they are one piece and cover just the front of the floor pan. The rear seat floor used a carpet that is sold separately.

The HJ mat is 2 peices, one large from mat and one smaller to fit the rear seat floor.

As Gordie mentioned, throw mats were a dealer add on thru their own jobber, or a Western Auto (etc) purchase.

[pnw_oldmags]

My floor mat came in from the Manufacturing Fund today!  Looks nice hump and all but as advertised it is black.  Our 53K Manhattan is Pea****** Blue.  It is my understanding the mat is supposed to be blue.  Can anyone describe or photo whether it should be blue and what shade of blue.  Thanks if you can help!!!

[pnw_oldmags]

I understand there are new paints for rubber that can be used on the Black Mat.  Has anyone tried it.  Wonder if it would rub off or be fairly permanent??

[Terry T]

Has anyone received HJ floor mats?

I have had money out since Jan 10....No mats...Project is delayed..not happy!!!

[mbflemingkf]

Jim Betts, the 53 Manhattan I used to own (now with a member in Australia) was Pea**** Blue over Cerulean Blue and had a Pea**** Blue front mat.  It truly was Pea**** Blue...very close to the paint color and it was original.  I can confirm that. 

I, too, wish I could get a new front mat in green for my car.  Really a shame they're not available in colors but I know Jim Lape's done a great deal of work to investigate the color availability issue.

[mbflemingkf]

Jim Betts, I remember on the bottom center of my original mat (this would be on the hump where it goes under the front seat), embossed into the mat was all the KF mat colors and numbers that were made.  I recall Pea**** Blue being there.  Not sure if that made it to the new manufacturer's mold though or not as I've not seen the new mats.

Perhaps the current manufacturer could recommend a paint or dye suitable for the new compound as well as some application suggestions to help adhesion of the paint/dye?

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

If you will check the factory parts list supplement (the later one) covering 1952-53 Kaisers you will find that Manhattans had mats that were color-keyed to the car color; black was used on DeLuxe and Carolina models and could be used on Manhattans if there was a factory inventory problem. 

What the club should have done (either nobody thought about it, don't know how to do it or just didn't care) was work out a "how-to" for coloring the mats.

[Cortes121]

Are black mats the only mats currently available for the 51-55k ? or are there colored mats from a previous run in stock, more specifically, coral red?

[ben-tex]

Jack I would agree with all you said above in your comment but I would suggest the part in parentheses is uncalled for. Just my thought. Not intended to be an attack etc on you...

[joefrazer]

Much discussion was had when the decision was made to have more floor mats made. Color dyeing them exponentially increases the wholesale cost by about 50% because of the low volume. To get mats that won't fall apart as they age...like the HJ mats did...the manufacturing fund had to use a better grade material, and that drove up costs. Having them made in black ended up being the only logical choice, since black is acceptable in any 51-5K. There are vinyl spray dyes that can be used to recolor upholstery and they can be used on a floor mat. How they'll hold up is anyone's guess. The manufacturer is just that, a manufacturer and did not make a recommendation either way.

[AZ_HJ]

It sure would be nice if the Manufacturing Fund would have a sample of the new Black Henry J Mats at this years Nationals. I do not want to shell out that much money without seeing what I am getting first. I bought one of the old ones near the end of the program. The first set that arrived had rips and major mouse damaged. The manufacturing fund was good enough to send a replacement set that had just two little tears that will be hidden when installed.