I would like to decrease the noise level inside the car at speed, has anyone done this and if so, what kinds of material did you use and where does one get it?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer

 

First off, welcome.

I've used a self-stick acoustic mat on the floorboards and inner sheet-metal of my 1997 Integra; it's made about a 5-9 decibel reduction in road noise and panel resonance.

From Parts Express, I bought a 35 square foot roll of Creative Audio Engineering's VB2 Sound deadening mat. I think I paid about $70.. h:

Installation is a breeze.
Strip out the interior and trim your mat to fit (in sections).
Heat up the mat with a blow dryer, remove the adhesive backing and tack it down. As it cools, use a blunt tool (like the handle from a trowel h: )to firmly adhere the mat without any air bubbles. To do the entire floor, the inside face of the rear quarterpanels, the doors and trunklid took me about 8-12 hours.

:cheers:

 

Perfect! Thanks a ton

 

Happy to help. :thumbup:

 

Dampening will help some with sound but you also want to look at something like ensolite. The only problem is that it takes a bit to air out and get rid of the smell.
http://www.raamaudio.com/

Its light and provides a barrier. Its different then things like dynamat that mass loads the metal and is more for preventing resonance rather then getting rid of road noise although it will still help.
http://www.b-quiet.com/vcomp.html is another place to look. i believe even cascade has materials similar.

 

I just bought 100sq ft of Fatmat sound dampner off ebay pretty cheap. I was researching, and its pretty much the same exact thing as dynamat except without the high price tag. I know people with Dynamat, so i could compare. I used probably about 45sq feet on the trunk alone. I did 2 full layers throughout the entire trunk, one layer on the celing, and 2 layers on the wheel well areas. Didnt do the cabin yet.
I can tell you this though, i had my interior BARE before doing this, only passenger and drivers seat installed. No rear panels, no carpet, no rear seats...nothing at all. Not even door panels. Once i got the trunk and the wheel wells done and went for a ride, it was about 90% as quiet as it was when it was fully asembled. I also then just took that egg carton foam stuff you use like under your bed and put that in the wheel well area behind the big black panels. Now i still have no rear seats, no carpet at all and its a bit quieter than it was fully assembled. I was pretty suprised, and im not even done yet i still need to put it the rest on the roof and the cabin.

Its not really needed on the roof, but i thought it was pretty cool instead when it rains of getting that hollow "ping" sound it kinda thuds instead. When you bang on the wheel well where its fatmatted now it gives a solid thud instead of that high pitch ping as well.

Im happy, only thing is make sure no moisture or water gets under it or you will have a nightmare like i did pulling it all up to find the leak

 

hows this stuff as far as weight goes?

 

I used the eDead v1SE stuff you can buy on ebay. No need for a heat gun or even a roller. Tar smell dissipated after a couple weeks. I bought 120 sq.ft., which is about 60 pounds. Two layers on the floor, two layers on the doors.

Yes, it does make a difference.... I don't turn my stereo on as loud as before. But in a wierd way, now you hear other sounds -- like creaks -- that you didn't before.

I have some material left, and I'm thinking about the wheel wells.... here's the question: How do you do the wheel wells? There's a black plastic liner essentially surrounding the tire; do you put the deadening material on that?

I'm thinking about adding material to the engine-side of the firewall. I can see how that would help reduce engine noise, especially at 4k rpm at 80mph on the freeway.