I thing I found carpet to match oem Options

[PanelBilly]

https://www.upholsterysupplyusa.com/product...ver-knit-carpet

Is this the right stuff?

[wonkipop]

@scallyk9

dug up the photo of the brown carpet in mine.

original factory carpet on left with unfaded section under door sill cover strips.
replacement factory stock on right obtained 30 years ago.

this is the loop pile that went in the cars.
the early black was exactly the same. except black.
same individual white fibre fuzz in the loop thread.

i was under the impression that the LE got the loop pile. higher spec. not needle loom.
@jeffbowlsby would know for sure.

its shot through with white fibres in the original carpet threads which fade rapidly over time at least in the brown. which is different to the later black (and browns) which use a pattern of black and lighter thread loops that don't have the same white fibre mixed into the original looped threads.




additional.
71 VW 411. same loop pile. (and same fade problems)



and the very last of the 412s down the line got the same mottled/salt and pepper black carpets the 914s got sometime early in 74 replacing the original black loop pile with the white fibre fuzzy look. looks identical to the merc my mate owns built around the same time. this dates from the commencement of scirocco production when VW revised all their interior materials and ranges. the last of the aircooleds got the same new stuff.
i think even the very very last of the karmann ghias got these materials.



why the hard core VW restorers are a good place to look for the original earlier type of loop pile carpet stock. tricky stuff to source. some of the english restorers/aftermarket companies look to have gotten close to correct.

if you were a hard core 411/412 restorer you have the same problem as a 73/74 914 owner. hard to imagine a hardcore 411 restorer though (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) . not much of a market!