DYI: Installing Grommets in your Passenger Side Floormats
- Thread starter kailua
- Start date
My only guess is, is that either the dealer or the nice folks in Hiroshima got overzealous with installing the retaining hooks for the floormats.
So this morning, I went back the dealer to have the TSB for ECU reflash done and while I was waiting, I checked out other CX-7's on the lot. Some had the hooks installed like mine, others simply had the cut out in the carpet for the hooks, but none were installed. I found it odd that they would provide the hooks to be installed and yet the floormats did not have the grommet holes to support this. Perhaps for Japan and Europe it is the exact opposite?
Anyways, I either had the choice to simply remove the hooks and be done with or make life more complicated and do a DIY project for this. Since the hooks were already there, I decided to put some grommets in my passenger-side floormat.
So this morning, I went back the dealer to have the TSB for ECU reflash done and while I was waiting, I checked out other CX-7's on the lot. Some had the hooks installed like mine, others simply had the cut out in the carpet for the hooks, but none were installed. I found it odd that they would provide the hooks to be installed and yet the floormats did not have the grommet holes to support this. Perhaps for Japan and Europe it is the exact opposite?
Anyways, I either had the choice to simply remove the hooks and be done with or make life more complicated and do a DIY project for this. Since the hooks were already there, I decided to put some grommets in my passenger-side floormat.
First, I went to Lowe's and bought a grommet kit for about $8.
You will also need:
- A piece of wood, or hard foam (something to act as a backing)
- Rubber Mallet or Hammer
- Cardboard, plastic or paper to use for masking
- Sharpie or Magic Marker
- Tape measure or ruler
- Box Cutter
- Scissors
- Black Spray Paint
- 3M Masking Tape
First, you need to visually guage where you want your floormats and measure how far in the grommet hole should be to align with the retention hook.
You will also need:
- A piece of wood, or hard foam (something to act as a backing)
- Rubber Mallet or Hammer
- Cardboard, plastic or paper to use for masking
- Sharpie or Magic Marker
- Tape measure or ruler
- Box Cutter
- Scissors
- Black Spray Paint
- 3M Masking Tape
First, you need to visually guage where you want your floormats and measure how far in the grommet hole should be to align with the retention hook.
Me being a lazy bloke, I first aligned the floormat to the position I wanted it in the footwell, and then with the floormat resting on top of the hooks, I simply pushed down on the leading edge (the side facing the front of the car) until it left a mark on the bottom (rubber nubby side) of the floormat.
I then took a sharpie and drew a circle about a 1/2 inch in diameter and I now had the outline to punch out.
Next flip the floormat onto the rubber nubby side faces up and place a piece of wood or cardboard or foam underneath and punch out the outlined hole with the grommet kit. The kit is pretty straight forward and easy to use. Rather than me explain the instructions on the back of the grommet package, I will just add some photos to illustrate:
grommet Install Kit Parts:
Test: Completed grommet w/out floormat:
Test Fitting of grommet Finishing Kit:
grommet Kit Scoring Tool (Hammer away and the tool cuts through the rubber like butter):
I then took a sharpie and drew a circle about a 1/2 inch in diameter and I now had the outline to punch out.
Next flip the floormat onto the rubber nubby side faces up and place a piece of wood or cardboard or foam underneath and punch out the outlined hole with the grommet kit. The kit is pretty straight forward and easy to use. Rather than me explain the instructions on the back of the grommet package, I will just add some photos to illustrate:
grommet Install Kit Parts:
Test: Completed grommet w/out floormat:
Test Fitting of grommet Finishing Kit:
grommet Kit Scoring Tool (Hammer away and the tool cuts through the rubber like butter):
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Now, at this point, functionally, the finished product looks pretty good, however if you are a stickler for details like me, I can not stand the fact that the grommets are brass color and not black like the driver's side (could not find any black grommets at Lowe's).
So at this point, I used some 3M masking tape and cardboard to mask off the carpet portion of the floormat, leaving only the new shiny grommets in view. Next, I got out my trusty can of 99 cent flat black spray enamel paint from the local Walmart and painted the grommets black. You don't need to spray too much just a light coating to hide the brass. I did not want to spray too much and have the paint soak into the carpet portion of the mat.
I did not paint the bottom side (the rubber nubby side) because I would not see the brass color unless the floormats were removed for vacuuming. Once the paint has dried remove the tape and masking carboard and you are done.
So at this point, I used some 3M masking tape and cardboard to mask off the carpet portion of the floormat, leaving only the new shiny grommets in view. Next, I got out my trusty can of 99 cent flat black spray enamel paint from the local Walmart and painted the grommets black. You don't need to spray too much just a light coating to hide the brass. I did not want to spray too much and have the paint soak into the carpet portion of the mat.
I did not paint the bottom side (the rubber nubby side) because I would not see the brass color unless the floormats were removed for vacuuming. Once the paint has dried remove the tape and masking carboard and you are done.
jersey_emt
Member
- :
- 04 MSM #1089
Looks good!
Wow Brah!
Wow Kailua! I can't believe you spent so much time on something so small. These kind of simple project posts do nothing for our members. Do you think we need step by step explanations for such a simple unnecessary project? You obviously don't work or have a girlfriend! I bet your just a spoiled rich Islander kid with nothing better to do but play video games and spend your parents money! I left the big island for the mainland right after college because of islanders like you. And Another thing cut those nails, didn't your makua teach you anything? MAHALO!
Wow Kailua! I can't believe you spent so much time on something so small. These kind of simple project posts do nothing for our members. Do you think we need step by step explanations for such a simple unnecessary project? You obviously don't work or have a girlfriend! I bet your just a spoiled rich Islander kid with nothing better to do but play video games and spend your parents money! I left the big island for the mainland right after college because of islanders like you. And Another thing cut those nails, didn't your makua teach you anything? MAHALO!
Nice job. I should have done something like this ages ago for my P5. Now the passenger side mat rides up and leaves an exposed section of the floor.
Just curious, how come you didn't paint the grommets before you installed them? Then you could have just done a quick touch-up if the paint scratched.
Just curious, how come you didn't paint the grommets before you installed them? Then you could have just done a quick touch-up if the paint scratched.
roskoekole
Member
- :
- Mazda CX-7 2007
my stock floormats had grommets on driver's side only.
and the passenger side stock floormat had no holes at all. Is this the way most CX-7's come?
Matt
and the passenger side stock floormat had no holes at all. Is this the way most CX-7's come?
Matt
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