Let's admit it, our muscle cars are loud and can be downright rough at times. Big-blocks always sound good in the parking lot at idle but it can be an ear-bleeding
experience once you get up to speed. Forget about having a conversation with the passenger. Sounds reverberate, and with only a thin piece of sheetmetal separating you from the exhaust below there isn't much in the form of sound dampening, or heat protection for that matter. Knowing the potentially deafening decibal readings our budget big-block might create, we hunted down a solution for quelling all that noise and heat.
A little research led us to a simple solution from Quiet Ride Solutions with their pre-cut and ready-to-install "quiet riding comfort" kits. This all-in-one package comes with everything you need to complete your interior, including Dynamat, heat shielding, spray adhesive, and foil tape. And with more than 700 kits available, finding the right insulation package for your muscle car shouldn't be an issue. For our El Camino, the kit included insulation items for everything we needed to cover, from the firewall to the rear panel, and the floorpan to the roof. To finish the job, we also went with a one-piece carpet kit from Original Parts Group, which included new Fisher door sill plates.
Installation time will vary, but in our case it required two solid days of work from start to finish. All said and done, we were rewarded with a factory-fresh appearing interior and even had a slight hint of new-car smell. Trust us, the hard work is well worth the effort; just remember to please remove your shoes first before entering.
Quick Notes
What We Did
Laid down insulation and finished it off with fresh carpet
Bottom Line
Taking your time is crucial to making it all fit
| THE SHOPPING CART |
| MFG |
DESCRIPTION |
PN |
COST |
| OPG |
'64-67 Essex carpet (Black) |
CH379 |
$200 |
|
'64-88 Sill plate screw kit |
C21027 |
6 |
|
'64-67 Sill plates (pair-ribbed) |
CHV4150 |
66 |
| QUIET RIDE SOLUTIONS |
'64-67 El Camino complete kit |
GMA 6467-ELCAK |
473 |
|
'64-67 GM A-body & El Camino firewall insulation |
GMA 6467-HC |
141 |
|
|
TOTAL |
$886 |
The beauty of this kit is...
The beauty of this kit is in its simplistic nature. Whether the Quiet Ride Solutions insulation is purchased as a complete kit or in sections, each section will come with Dynamat adhesive strips, a wallpaper roller, and spray adhesive. You also get the heat-insulated barrier and each Dynamat strip is lettered to its corresponding location.
Using the instructions, we...
Using the instructions, we first laid out each strip to get a general idea of how the final fitment would look. It's important to note that once the Dynamat strip is adhered to the surface, it's nearly impossible to remove. When you're ready to apply it, make sure it's where you want it to go.
While removing the heater...
While removing the heater core to install the firewall insulation we were met with a core full of old newspaper clippings, leaves, and sticks. Our advice is to remove the heater core and have it pressure checked at a radiator shop. In most cases, they may need a little soldering and should be good to go.
After the preliminary fitment,...
After the preliminary fitment, we removed the pieces and cleaned the area and removed anything that would prevent the strips from sticking. We then peeled the paper backing off the strips and applied them onto the floorpan.
With the strips in place,...
With the strips in place, we then used the supplied roller and pressed the entire floor firmly. This ensures complete adhesion between the Dynamat strips and the floorpan.
To cover the transmission...
To cover the transmission tunnel, we again followed the lettering instructions provided by Quiet Ride Solutions and it only required four strips to complete the job.
What is it?
Quiet Ride Solutions...
What is it?
Quiet Ride Solutions uses a fibrous padding called, "Jute". It's a fiber-tech material that reacts rather uniquely when bonded to the aluminum sheeting; it forms the damper/absorber/reflective barrier they call HeatShield. It has a thermal "R" factor of 18.3 (a thermal factor equal to about 6 inches of fiberglass house insulation). In real-world before and after testing with AcoustiShield, it reduced interior noise levels up to 18 decibels. To put that into perspective, a 10 dB reduction equates to a 50 percent drop in passenger cabin noise. Equally significant is the 20- to 25-degree reduction in radiant heat that is transmitted through the body panels, firewall, floor, and roof.
Prepping the interior for...
Prepping the interior for the firewall heat shield was more time consuming than we had originally anticipated. Taking our time, we removed the heater core and any other mismatched hardware that we would not be able to remove once the heat shield was installed.
The firewall heat shield kit...
The firewall heat shield kit comes supplied with seven plastic-ribbed plugs. Once the heat shield is in its desired location, each pre-cut hole will have a plug inserted through to the firewall. We began on the passenger side and made our way to the driver side.