Items needed:
- Heavy duty scissors
- Glue (I used Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive)
- Sharpie or similar permanent black marker
- "Dur-a-bull" 48" x 36" mat ($14.19 at Lowes) - See update at end of page.
Step #1:
Place the purchased mat face down on a flat surface. Remove the floor panel from the cargo area of your hatchback and place it face down on top of the mat. Using your scissors, trim off the inch or so of uncarpeted rubber edge from one of the longer (48") sides of the mat.
Step #2:
Line up the OEM cargo floor's long, flat edge (the one that meets up with the rear seats) with the edge of the mat you just cut. Make sure the floor is centered on the mat by measuring.
Step #3:
Trace the cargo floor with your marker, making sure the template being drawn on the back of the mat is identical in size to the OEM floor panel. Don't worry about the corner "flaps" hanging over the sides for now. Once the template is drawn, cut the mat alone the lines. (Note: You will need to keep the longest scrap piece of mat for use later, so don't through it away or cut it up.) You should get something that looks similar to this:
Step #4:
Take the longest scrap piece and cut it in half for easier handling. Remove just over half of one of the short-side rubber edges with your scissors (be sure to cut straight and event). Do the same for the other half of the scrap piece.
Step #5:
Put the OEM floor face up on top of the newly cut mat, making sure they mirror each other perfectly. Lift up one of the corner flaps and line up a scrap piece so that it's half-size rubber edge sits on top of the mat's rubber edge.
Step #6:
Once the scrap piece is lined up for best overall fit and look, trace the corner flap with your marker. This will create a small "flap" section that will be glued to the mat.
Step #7:
Cut along the marker lines and recheck fit and appearance. Apply some adhesive to the bottom edge of the newly cut "flap" piece and place it over the rubber edge of the mat, ensuring it lines up with the OEM floor perfectly.
Step #8:
Once the glue dries, place the OEM floor back into the hatch cargo area. Place your new cargo mat on top of the floor and check for fit. It should meet up with all sides just at the OEM floor does.
You will see the "flap line" in the corners, but it does not look unsightly. Now you have a durable cargo mat that can removed and cleaned as necessary, protecting your stock flooring from dirt and damage. Good luck!
Update: xluben over at the NASIOC forums pointed me to an even better carpet choice which should allow the entire floor to be traced and cut in a single piece, making the project simpler and cleaner. Using the large carpet allows you to skip steps 4 thru 7 making this even easier! You won't need the glue either. Here's the link to the mat at Home Depot's website:
Enviroback Charcoal 60 in. x 36 in. Recycled Rubber/Plastic Rib Door Mat
If the link is dead, try searching for Enviroback Charcoal mat or just use this link:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=site:homedepot.com+enviroback+charcoal+mat
