With new floors, new Dynamat, and new carpet on its way, I started looking for some good insulation for my '66 Mustang. My biggest problem with driving my Mustang is the heat that comes with these old cars. The motor does a good job of cooking you out. I like to do everything I can from what I read, insulation appeared to be something that can make your hot rod much more enjoyable. There are a lot of benefits to convince you to do this job but the costs can be a huge deterrent. But don't put this project off because of costs just yet.
I found a lot of different products out there. I figured that my top pick would have been Dynamat's product because of the great experience I have had with them on the sound deadening stuff but the cost killed it. Continued research pointed me to some bubble insulation stuff that I found. After more digging I found that this stuff would start out good but then not finish so strong. The bubble stuff will pop when you get in and out of the car. This will kill any benefits it can/would provide. So that is out.
So I am reading one night on a local hot rod forum and a poster there described a great product that sounded perfect and the best part is that I could get it locally for very little out of pocket. What is this great stuff? It is called
Thermwell 12 In. x 15 Ft. x 1/8 In. Self-adhesive Foil/foam Duct Insulation and you can get it at your local Home Depot for under $20 a roll. I purchased a roll so I could see if this really is the product for me.
Check it out here:
Thermwell
What is so good about this you say? Well it won't absorb water, it won't grow mold, it is foil backed (the thickest foil I found on any of these products), it keeps the hot and cold out, it kills sound, it is easy to work with, and most of all, it is
CHEAP! It also has an adhesive backing so it sticks and stays in place pretty well. Now that I had decided that this would suit my needs I picked up two rolls, some aluminum tape, got out some old scissors, and went to work.
I slowly started cutting pieces about 1' long and started putting them in place. I did have my heater out at the time so I was able to do a pretty good job at covering the fire wall. I went as high as I could and to be sure it would stay I used a little 3M sticky spray.
Once I had to the fire wall done I moved on to the passenger side and worked towards the back of the car. I would cut a piece and put it into place, then move on to the next piece. Each time I added a piece I would use the aluminum tape and use it to cover all the seams.
So after a couple of hours on a cool evening I was done. This is one of those projects that you want to take your time with and not get in a big hurry. I ended up using two rolls plus a little material off a third roll but I had some mistakes so maybe you can get it all done with two rolls. I have lots of tape left and only used the 3M spray on the fire wall.
The results are great. I started the car and can already hear a big difference in the sound. With this being a product used for home a/c & heating ducts I have no doubts that it will do a good job of keeping the elements at bay. Best part is that I did this entire project for under $50 because I already had the 3M in the garage. Now on to the carpet!
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