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Sound advice

ahudsonahudsonMember
Couple of recent 'small' probs, good solutions.

1. Sorry excuse for a radio. It was the original, with reciept and all. Sounded like it was about 30 years past its best days.
2. Too much interior noise to compete anyway.
3. Horns wouldn't get the attention of paranoid deer.

I took my car to the stereo place to replace the speakers (but using original holes, "Muntz" grills, etc) and 'new' vertical radio.

The guys mentioned how much they could reduce the 'tinny' sound of the door shut (hardly noticed before) with DynaMat. I've put the heat/sound foam all in the floor and firewall which helped hugely, but after I rapped on a door 'with' and 'without' Dynamat I was sold.

My sagging headliner was sending orange dust from the foam throughout the interior daily, so had them remove and DynaMat my roof, new foam, reinstall headliner.

They put it on the inner door skin AND on the inner door panel, so two layers separated by dead air. New Boston Acoustic speakers, repainted my Muntz grills (they thought I was nuts.) Put in a vertical dial Mitsubishi, which is WAY better sounding and fine for me, but still marginal for a stereo nut.

Odd as this sounds though, the font on the radio is a near dead match for the gauges, and in black it 'looks' right.

The doors shut like a safe. Unreal. They just 'thunk' dead in their spot and there is NO residual noise or echo. You tap on the roof and nothing, the sound just thuds to nothing.

I pulled the firewall and attached a full layer of DynaMat to the inside of the fiberglass (now atop two layers of the metallic heat/sound shield which was already on the firewall side). Plus I had to tighten my belts anyway, so made the best of it.

The car rides WAY QUIETER, but if I drop the window, that exhaust note is still right with me. The car just feels like, well, higher quality.

I then pulled my little anemic low/high horns tonight, cleaned 'em, painted them, put a NAPA 'high' tone (made by FIAMM) with my original 'high'. The things are in perfect harmony, one octave apart, very European 'pitched' and several times louder.

So, I've got less sound where I need quiet, more sound where I NEED noise, and good tunes to go with it. A good weekend.

These cars are great.
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George PGeorge PAdmin.
Adams,

Where's the pictures? I want to see that stereo in your dash.

What's the model number or appication for that vertical dial stereo?You have a good eye, so if you say it looks "right" then I'll probably want to pick one up myself.

which dynamat did they install, there's all sorts of choices?

Don't leave us hanging my friend.

George
ahudsonahudsonMember
OH YOU PEOPLE! Sure IF I'd had my brain in and camera on when all this was being done it would've been EASY then!

I can definitely get the radio shot, plus my nifty "non sagging" headliner and DynaMat type and photos of unused stuff. I truly wish I'd taken a photo or two of the firewall application I did, which was SUPERB. You'll just have to trust me on how darn good I was at that, while remaining humble as well.

Anyway, in the meantime, do a search on "DynaMat Extreme" paying attention to the 'pack' of 9 sheets, in 18x32 size (from memory). You can score it on ebay for half what I paid. (Yes, I'm an idiot but I bought it full-clip retail because the stereo shop dudes did it.)

So, to whet your photo seeking appetite, here's the ebay link....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DYNAMAT-BULK-PACK-EXTREM...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This stuff cuts easily, adheres beautifully, lays flat, and - as mentioned - deadens the vibrations, soaks noise, and makes your car tighter-sounding throughout.

For HEAT plus some noise, a closed cell lightweight foam went under the carpet and on the firewall itself. Also, cuts very easily and works nicely. A great product, no water soaking either...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Insulation-And-Sound-Dea...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Have fun. Pics to come...
R roverltdMember
I used Dynamat on my car. Cuts with utility knife, peel and stick adhesive. Can be molded around things with a heatgun. Use of a roller helps assure a good bond.

The sound deadening comes from the density of substrate. The downside is dense means heavy. And I mean heavy! So the weight concerned might skip the product. Cut into strips and logically placed one could hit a balance between eliminating the "oil canning effect" of the sheetmetal and too much excess weight. Large flat sheet are a natural area to use it. Like the doors, roof, firewall.

You can see the alum of the dynamat extreme by the kick panel and door by the window motor

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jeff6559jeff6559Member
quote:
I pulled the firewall and attached a full layer of DynaMat to the inside of the fiberglass (now atop two layers of the metallic heat/sound shield which was already on the firewall side).

Did you attach the dynamat to the metal firewall or to the insulation that's on the firewall?

If any of you are interested, here's some product sites that have good discussions of noise control technology:

http://b-quiet.com/index.html
http://www.b-quiet.com/compare.html

http://www.glacierbay.com/insulation_ultradb.asp

http://www.quietride.com/acoustishield/auto-acoustics-1...-acoustic-technology

http://www.dynamat.com/technical_sound_dbates_intro.html

http://www.coolcarceramic.com/comparisons.htm
ahudsonahudsonMember
quote:
Originally posted by jeff6559:
quote:
I pulled the firewall and attached a full layer of DynaMat to the inside of the fiberglass (now atop two layers of the metallic heat/sound shield which was already on the firewall side).

Did you attach the dynamat to the metal firewall or to the insulation that's on the firewall?



That is kinda confusing. I attached the heat insulator 'foam' material to the actual firewall structure (the 'fixed' panel beneath the rear glass) including the access panel.

Then TO THE FIBERGLASS I attached the DynaMat Extreme. It stiffened that piece, added a little weight, and most assuredly killed some noise. The DynaMat conforms to the odd shape pretty well.

As a final 'solution' (unless someone here has valid reasons to contest) I may put a thick piece of clear mylar on the back glass to reduce the surface hardness of this 'echo' panel.

I love the exhaust note of my car, but IF I want to cut the noise, I'd like to be a power window button away.
G gvillebillMember
I assume that when you said that you attached the sound deadening material along with the heat insulator to the firewall, you were talking about the inside of cabin. As a matter of clarity, am I correct in my assumption? What do you have attached to the firewall on the engine side of the firewall structure?

Not trying to kill a dead horse, but just looking for a little clarity. Thanks!

W Parmele
Gainesville, Florida
jeff6559jeff6559Member
quote:
Then TO THE FIBERGLASS I attached the DynaMat Extreme.

As a final 'solution' (unless someone here has valid reasons to contest) I may put a thick piece of clear mylar on the back glass to reduce the surface hardness of this 'echo' panel.

Dynamat works by damping the sound vibration of the metal. It only works when it is attached directly to the metal. That is why you don't have to cover the entire panel. Attaching it to the fibreglas makes it function like an absorber which will help some. (read the Quiet Ride link above)

Some people have built thermopane back windows that they report have been very good. Check the email list archives to learn more.

The other issue is to make sure that you plug up all the holes into the cabin. Here's a link to Zonkey's Pantera

http://home.earthlink.net/~rlbpantera/catpix2/index.html

Half way down the page he talks about the cabin and a major hole to the engine bay he calls "the Stethoscope." I belive he also has a thermopane window in back.

BTW, I don't think Dynamat could withstand the heat of the engine bay itself. A reflective heat barrier would be good there.
ahudsonahudsonMember
quote:
Originally posted by GvilleBill:
I assume that when you said that you attached the sound deadening material along with the heat insulator to the firewall, you were talking about the inside of cabin. As a matter of clarity, am I correct in my assumption? What do you have attached to the firewall on the engine side of the firewall structure?


W Parmele
Gainesville, Florida


Yes Bill, all the insulation I did was on the cabin side. There's very little room on the engine side, plus it's visible, gets dirty, wet, all that.
ahudsonahudsonMember
quote:
Originally posted by jeff6559:
The other issue is to make sure that you plug up all the holes into the cabin. Here's a link to Zonkey's Pantera

http://home.earthlink.net/~rlbpantera/catpix2/index.html

Half way down the page he talks about the cabin and a major hole to the engine bay he calls "the Stethoscope." I belive he also has a thermopane window in back.

BTW, I don't think Dynamat could withstand the heat of the engine bay itself. A reflective heat barrier would be good there.


Wow. Where've I been? I didn't know of Zonkey before! The "stethoscope" is hilarious, or would be if it wasn't so true! I need to go investigate to makes sure mine is plugged.

Seems the Zonkey man went to a little trouble to quiet that car down. I love the rear window treatment. That's a craftsman there.

I agree about the overheated DynaMat. It'd get too hot and do weird things. Mine is quite removed from the heat fortunately.
R roverltdMember
I was flying back from Australia, dropped of for a few days. Seems like you already got the answer. Dynamat must be adhered directly to metal, inside is better then outside. Outside, heat, water and all of the nasty stuff becomes more of a concern. Not good if water gets behind the mat and metal. So inside you have a little more protection of water seeping between the dynamat and base metal. Just extra caution.

Nice and clean, so get rid of that 30 years of dust. Won't stick to all of that build up over the years.
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