SVTPerformance.com Mustang GT Modding Chronicles : Mundane Mods
The first mod people usually make to their new vehicle is typically a small one. Well, I guess I’m going to be thoroughly ‘typical’ with this one. The first mod I made to the SVTP GT is a set of floormats and a trunk liner. It might not seem like much, but it means a lot to someone who lives at the beach and doesn’t want 20 pounds of sand buried in their carpet. That’s basically the situation I was facing.
When I first moved to Myrtle Beach, SC my neighbors told me that there were two things I was just going to have to deal with, ants and sand. I refuse to tolerate either. 100 pounds of granulated ant killer in the yard took care of the arthropod issue last year. That just left me with the sand. I’ll admit, you do have to live with a certain amount of grit. However, that doesn’t mean I have to like it or let it become a nuisance. So with a James May-esq sense of order I have set out to contain my silica based enemy, and my battle has been taken to the SVTP 2012 Mustang GT.
Unfortunately, the stock carpet mats leave a bit to be desired in the quality department.
That left us looking for another option. Though they may not always be the most fashionable accessory, a set of molded rubber floormats can certainly go a long way towards ensuring that your vehicle’s carpeting maintains its factory fresh appearance for years to come. With that in mind we quickly perused the Ford Accessories catalog and found a set made specifically for our GT. For those interested the part number is BR3Z-6313300-A.
They are molded from a heavy dark gray/black rubber and have a design that incorporates both the iconic “Pony” logo and some of the honeycomb styling cues from the grill. The mats are fairly heavy duty, very well made, and perfectly follow the contour of the floor for maximum carpet protection. I’m very please how well they fit and the look really compliments the rest of the car. The rear mats will see far less use than the fronts, but they are just as well constructed. I know this style of mat isn’t for everyone, but I really like them for my purposes.
This leads me to the next area of the car that could use a little protection from dirt and grime, the trunk. Since this car will be used as a test bed for many projects to come it’s pretty safe to assume that there will be a lot of tools and used parts placed into said trunk in the months to come. The scant piece of carpeting provided by Ford doesn’t stand nary a chance of surviving a few grease clean-ups. However, once again Ford Accessories has the solution to that particular problem. It’s a molded rubber trunk liner, part number AR3Z-6111600-AA.
Similar to the floormats up front, the trunk liner design also incorporates both the “Pony” logo and the honeycomb cues from the grill. I have a cargo area liner similar to this one in my 2000 Jeep Cherokee. Surprisingly, though not inappropriately I suppose, the Mopar Accessory one in the Jeep is better constructed and molded than the Mustang part. However, it would be proper to assume that one for an off-road equipped SUV would need to be heavier than one for a pony car.
That minor quibble aside, the part fits the contours of the trunk pretty well. It’s not perfect though. Due to be packed by rolling it and placing it into a small rectangular box there are some creases in the drip edges of the liner. This can easily be fixed with the application of a little heat to the problem areas. I feel that if you actually plan on using the trunk of your Mustang to haul items, especially dirty ones, this trunk liner is indispensable. It doesn’t look too bad either.
If you guys like to use your car, but want it to remain clean for years to come, you definitely need to check out these parts.
Cheers:beer: