Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Mitsubishi Delica L400 production commenced in 1994 -- After much anticipation, the L400 arrived on Canadian Soil in 2009!
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dr_airtime
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by dr_airtime »

Why is this thread 2.0? Because in my L300 I installed a legendary one piece garage flooring where with one piece the floor wrapped up against the front engine block, walls, and even around the wheels wells which required some focused and commited angles cuts. To make it work I glued the floor down permanently to the carpet and ulpoulstrey siding. This was stressful though because I was always worried about water getting through or around, getting trapped and molding.

I am a west coast mountain biker and skier so constantly battling moisture and dirt getting in van. With the garage flooring you just sweep it out!

For my second Delica (L400) I plan om removing the rear carpet and installing only a garage liner rubber floor over the insulation. No glue. I can pull up in the summer so any moisture can dry. Only ticky thing here will be unbolting the rotating seat so I can install around the pivot-mount (or similar - not sure what the seat looks like detached).

This is a 1/2 day project in a couple weeks but for now see my custom front floor mats I made out of the same material. Looked at about 50 models at Canadian Tire and nothing could be cut\trimmed to really give complete coverage so did my own. There are some improvements as this is a “freestlye” installation to get perfect despite some general measurements and tracing the original OEM floormats!

I even reused the orignal metal grommet on the driver’s side which in hindsight was completely unnessesary since the plastic piece that holds it is pretty ‘rinky-dinky’. Still made me smile as these mats may be a worlds first!
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dr_airtime
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Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2010 3:39 pm
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by dr_airtime »

Successful garage floor install 2.0 in my 1997 L400 with the swivel bench seat. Here is a play by play with pictures attached in roughly same order! I still have a 2/3 roll of flooring if anyone wants to attempt and is in Vancouver....

Key points listed in each step. This is my second install. It is trickier than you think to get perfect!!

Step 1 - remove seat and old carpet
- my carpet was glued to less solid insulation only at the rear. Careful.
- otherwise just unbolt seat, unscrew sliding door and trunk plastic moldings and set aside.
- pull out carpet and put upside down, on garage flooring that is upside down. **very important**
- you will trace the whole thing upside down with a permanent marker because the bottom of the garage flooring is smooth for clean lines!

Step 2 - trace and cut using old carpet
- **most important** measure/think 10 times and cut once. If in doubt err on the side of larger than original carpet as you can always trim in the van!
- trace the old carpet except for the following:
1) leave 2” extra outside the stock trace of the garage door. I only left 1” and it was not enough to actually screw in the floor using the sliding door step molding
2) leave 1/2” around tricky parts
3) generally cut 1/4” around entire trace by cutting along outside of the line you drew with a permanent marker
4) add a new 45cm piece to middle front that will extend all the way up between front seats to 4x4 shift
5) trickiest part is a)piece that goes under passenger seat, b) piece that runs between and c) piece that runs under driver seat. Leave tons of room around stock carpet trace and trim inside the van!
6) leave like 3” at least at end that will stick out trunk. This is your last cut in step 3.
- cut! If you are right handed work counter clockwise
- do not cut the holes for bench seat yet. I have a trick below!

Step 3 - fitting
- this is a process of fitting, trimming, fitting, trimming. I never took the new floor out but I trimmed and fitted the parts under and arouns front seats probably 5 times each (5 x 3).
- when you are happy with general fit first start with the trickiest parts under and around front seats. Unbolt the ebrake cover piece (two 10mm bolts)
- do not “set” anything permanently yet with screws
- trim/fit the piece around the sliding door step next
- there should be no other major trims. Leave the piece sticking out the trunk till the end.
- when you arr happy with fit, take your old carpet and cut it just in front of thr bench seat holes and use it as a guide to draw out the holes to cut for the seat
- cut the seat holes with an exacto. I tried making “flaps” but nothing work and only solution here is just cutting the hole. Measure 10 times.
- install the seat. Don’t bolt it all the way down
- install the flooring under and around front seats and reinstall the ebrake cover. I drilled one hole for this in the floor
- install the floor around sliding door. Ideally you screew through the floor
- bolt down the seat, put fillers back in
- now cut the trunk piece as close to black door trim as possible and manually screw through the floor with end cap to hold in place.

Done!
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dr_airtime
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by dr_airtime »

More pics!
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dr_airtime
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by dr_airtime »

Pics didn’t attach in a rational order but here is a picture of my carpet-trace (flooring upside down, carpet upside down so RIGHT side is the left sliding door. Also the picture of the extra 3” at the trunk right before my last cut and final 5 screws to complete the install!

Also, a picture of how I used the stock carpet to trace the seat holes. Measure 10X !!
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Mr. Flibble
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Vehicle: 1995 L400 Royal Exceed
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Location: Issaquah, Washington

Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by Mr. Flibble »

Now that's a neat mod.
Canadian living in Washington USA
kurtiswilk
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by kurtiswilk »

I like this option. Where did you end up getting the flooring?
Deli Duncan
97 L400 gen 2
dr_airtime
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by dr_airtime »

Funny. For my first L300 I bought the last half of a roll off another Delica owner on Craigslist and for this one I bought a full roll off a guy on Craigstlist.

You can get it at home depot however. It is this Diamond Deck garage flooring. The stuff I installed this time may have been a bit darker than this metallic silver stuff linked below. The guy I bought it off said it was the "thicker" stuff but honestly, I don't see a difference from my first L300. You want to look closely at this tough. Regular stuff fine, but if it is too thick you'll have trouble clicking in the rear fold down seats - look at the rubber stopper, it has to sink into the flooring (formerly carpet).

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.1000 ... gKz9_D_BwE

I would reccomend getting a roll big enough to cut some front seat foot mats like I did.

FYI - A REALLY TRICKY PART IS CUTTING THE HOLE FOR THE REAR FOLDING SEATS TO CLICK INTO. You want to start small. I used an exacto and started cutting a rectangle but then noted it is really hard not to leave cracks in the flooring that could propagate over time. I kept enlarging until I found a shape that worked and I did this by cutting a "0' zero type shape so all the corners are rounded and there is not risk of cracking in the floor. Will post pics of this. DO NOT RUSH THIS. Wait a couple days after the original install till you have patience. There should be no rush to cut these holes.

Also - I'll post pics later but I made a nice solution for the pieces that drop in around the bench seat.

I've only cut one side for the folding seats click-in so far and will test it out. I'll eventually make a "plug/cover" solution for this too when the seats are folded up which is most of the time.

FYI - the roll I got was huge. 8 feet wide, very long. There is definitely enough left for another Delica if someone in the lower mainland wanted to try this. I've seen at least one other L400 in Pemberton on Craigslist with this too. You'll get it cheap too as I got a great deal on the roll I bought off Craigslist.

Off to take my Jasper to Banff today! First big road trip.
kurtiswilk
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Vehicle: 97 L400 super exceed
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by kurtiswilk »

Thanks for the advice.

Looking forward to more pictures.

I live in Calgary. The weather's gorgeous today. Hope you have a great drive it's awesome.


Kurtis
Deli Duncan
97 L400 gen 2
dr_airtime
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by dr_airtime »

Pics of my custom bench seat-pad-inserts where I epoxied in a larger floor cover piece relative to original cuts, as well as the rounded “hot dog” hole I cut for fold down seats on right side. I may actually take out the left side seat so not planning on cutting a left hole. Pretty much done the mod now and van made it from Van to Banff and back with style
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dr_airtime
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by dr_airtime »

One mistake was trying to use exoxy for those final bench seat corners covers. Was rushing and they have already come apart. Will have to re-do with some construction-grade sealant from a sealant gun.
dr_airtime
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Garage Flooring Install 2.0

Post by dr_airtime »

Update. I've definitely #winning Delica.ca the number of views on the L400 forum with this trhead. From zero to 2000 views in a couple months!

Still have a half roll of garage flooring if anyone in Lower Mainland want to give this a try!
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