A Dead Interior Is A Quiet Interior
To make my truck ride quietly and be acoustically efficient, I went ape dung. Stripping the interior and cleaning it down to its original bare metal and wood, I installed adhesive backed Q-pads, the kind used in modern cars to dampen vibration. (Note those black strips on the inner panels and wheel wells). I applied the Q-pads on the ceiling, side panels, wheel tubs and along the inside of the exterior sheet metal, within the doors and under the dash as well.
I then sprayed expanding styro-foam in the crevices between the ceiling support ribs and the roof and inside the door pockets. Basically, I added insulation anywhere that vibration could arise. I followed with rubberized 3M undercoating, elastomer roofing compound, then a coating of black bed liner on the floors, ceiling and side panels.
Between the outer and interior body panels, I packed styro-foam peanuts, topped with bubble wrap. An important point to consider is that these materials will not trap moisture. I stuffed jute carpet padding on very top of the peanuts and then bubble wrap, just behind where the speakers will mount.
Finally, I glued LyMax sound and heat shielding material to the headliner and floors, wired the speakers and mounted the amps under each front seat. Next step? Carpet and upholstery. By the time I was done with my sound deadening, you could rap your knuckle pretty much anywhere on the outer body of the Burb and hear a dull thud, sounding more akin to a block of wood than sheet of metal. Overkill? Perhaps. Effective? You betcha.
By the way, that
grinning idiot in the shot above is none other than yours truly.