| There are a lot of products out there for | | | | as the protective mat that came with the car |
| soundproofing your car but there is precious little | | | | that way you know it will fit and look properly. |
| "How too" information out there regarding this | | | | Once you have the America mat cut to your |
| subject. I am here to fill that void. When | | | | liking and the underside of the hood is cleaned |
| soundproofing any vehicle, the first order of | | | | down to the paint, I would recommend cleaning |
| business is to take care of the engine noise | | | | the underside with a terry cloth rag and some |
| coming from under the hood. Most people don't | | | | alcohol. This will insure good adhesion of the |
| realize that a lot of the noise they hear in the | | | | adhesive. You can also rough up the underside |
| passenger compartment of their vehicle is actually | | | | with a fine grit sand paper on an electric sander. |
| being transmitter from the engine and the road | | | | Cover the engine with a towel or drop cloth to |
| via the tires and shocks. In essence these sounds | | | | prevent adhesive of sand granules from getting |
| and vibrations are transmitted directly into the | | | | into the motor. Now you will spray a good quality |
| hood of the car which is a sheet of steel that | | | | contact cement to the underside of the hood as |
| simply transmits the noise through the hood I and | | | | well as to the smooth side of the America Mat. I |
| into the windshield and ultimately to the | | | | like the 3M Super 77 spray contact cement. Keep |
| passengers ears. | | | | the 2 pieces apart for as long as the instructions |
| I know I know, you have some sort of fiberglass | | | | say and once the adhesive has tacked you will |
| material attached to the underside of the hood, | | | | adhere the foam to the underside of the hood. |
| isn't that soundproofing. I'm afraid not, basically | | | | You will want to use tape to hold the America |
| that is a heat shield to prevent the heat of the | | | | mat to the underside of the hood until it dries |
| engine from damaging the paint on the surface of | | | | enough to stick on its own. When the adhesive |
| the hood. It does work well for that, but it has | | | | has dried you cam close the hood and drive off. |
| absolutely no soundproofing abilities at all. | | | | The America mat can withstand temperatures of |
| What I suggest is that you remove that | | | | 240 Deg F and will literally last for the life of the |
| fiberglass hood mat and then clean the underside | | | | vehicle. |
| of the hood thoroughly. You will then cut and glue | | | | This system can also be used on trucks and |
| in a piece of 1" America Mat which is a dense | | | | motor homes. We have many customers who |
| vinyl nitrile closed cell foam mat. What you want | | | | have used the America mat to soundproof the |
| to do is trace out the underside of the hood using | | | | "Doghouse" that covers the engine from the |
| a pencil and butcher paper for example and trace | | | | inside of their coach. |
| out the cut that you want paying attention to the | | | | Now there are also materials that can be used for |
| edges and the contours. How do I cut the foam | | | | the floorboards as well as door panels and the |
| so precisely you ask? Well I'm glad you asked. | | | | back areas of station wagons or vans or the |
| The absolute best way to accurately and | | | | trunks of cars. We have also had people with |
| precisely cut any kind of foam is to use an | | | | classic cars use the America mat to soundproof |
| electric kitchen meat-cutting knife. These electric | | | | their vehicles; it can make your Corvette sound a |
| knives are readily available at Wal Mart or K-Mart | | | | lot quieter with the top up. I hope this has helped |
| and cost about $9- $12. It is well worth the | | | | you in your quest for a quieter vehicle. There will |
| investment if you plan on soundproofing your | | | | be more articles on car soundproofing in |
| entire vehicle. Basically you would trace the | | | | subsequent articles, until then, this is Dr. |
| pattern of the underside of the hood; you can | | | | Bob….Out!!! |
| actually cut the America mat to the same pattern | | | | |