CD changer removal and carpet gluing

I managed to save 2.1 kg of weight in the car by removing the old CD changer, mounting brackets, and a good length of cable. The CD changer was defunct, and removal was a more involved job than I had hoped after finding that the mounting brackets were fitted behind the carpet, with small cuts in the carpet which allow the bits of metal to which the CD changer attaches to protude.

Defunct CD changer
Mounting brackets – fitted too neatly for easy removal.

A chat with Ian at TrackVRoad suggested that this was a simple task. The carpet could be peeled away from the top, leaving it attached at the bottom, and then re-fitted using spray adhesive. I popped into Halford to buy a £5 can of spray adhesive, and started work.

After peeling a bit of carpet off the top, I tried lifting the boot lining that included the filler cap cover. This came off fairly easily (it was lightly stuck down), and I could then approach the task from the bottom.

Boot with cover removed
Boot cover
Boot cover reverse - fibreglass. Note the initials of a TVR employee. There are probably more around the car.

This allowed the carpet to come up from the bottom, although the backing foam came off in places too. It was soon clear just how thin the bulkhead was between the boot and passenger compartment when I found the back of the speaker we fitted yesterday.

Rear of passenger-side speaker

I pulled-up enough carpet to get access to the CD changer bracket mounts and unscrewed them, but found the edges of the brackes sharp. Click here for a picture involving small amount of blood.

With that done I pulled out a few meters of CD changer cable, cut it off at the bulkead, then re-glued the carpet and tidied it up. I am quite happy with how it look. Close examination shows where the carpet was cut, but from normal distances it looks fine 🙂

Job done
Excess cable removed

We then glued some of the carpet on the underside of the boot lid which had started to peel.

Peeling carpet (and my wife's hand)
Cartpet glued