My current focus on Operation "Get the car modded as much as possible before the baby arrives" is ICE upgrades.

As part of this I decided to install some sound deadening.

I did lots of reading up on Dynamat, and decided to go for a locally sold Dynamat clone which works out at half the price per square metre but is made from similar materials. It's actually 0.2mm thicker, so slightly heavier.

Dynamat is designed to damp vibrations, not absorb sound, so you stick it onto a large flat panel and it stiffens that panel, making it vibrate less when sound hits it.

I decided initially to do the front doors and go from there.

I did the back of the outer skin:

With two layers on the part immediately behind the door speaker.

Then I did the inner skin, covering up most of the holes:

The plan was to make the door more like a sealed box for the speaker.

I was going to do the outer skin of the rear doors to damp road noise, but there's not much access room in there and I didn't want to remove that pristine water membrane:

So I did the inside of the door card instead:

Next was the boot sides:

I also added more inside the passenger boot side above the wheel arch and a piece on the outside of the driver side arch.

I have a couple of sheets left so I plan to do the spare wheel well.

It has definitely damped the road noise a little, but the biggest improvement is in the front speakers. The sound is clearer and the bass is much better.

It has made me wonder if I really need to install that sub I have waiting!

The material weighs about 0.9kg per sheet, so once I've finished I will have made the car about 9kg heavier.

Hello Rob

Been following the progress of your car via your website

I can recommend Spectrum Audio Sludge.

sludge

It's nasty to apply (like the worst putty/plaster you're ever likely to meet), but does get into places other deadening materials can't.

It's supposed to be a sound absorber as well as deaden-er.

I filled the bottom of my doors and loads of other cavities:

When I get my car back from tuner (:p), I'll be putting more deadening into the doors.

I've got Kicker RS65 in the Octy (£350), and Kicker KS65 (£150) in my Transporter T25.

The KS65 sound much better due the quantity of MDF and acoustic foam I was able to stuff into the van doors.

Edited 7 July, 201015 yr by snow_muncher