4 Sound Deadening Options for Classic Chevys

Cruising around town in a shiny restored classic Chevy automatically makes you the coolest person in the neighborhood. However, despite your cool-as-a-cucumber demeanor, you may be secretly wound up on the inside from all the cabin noise plaguing your eardrums.

Unlike modern cars, classic cars don’t come with soundproof insulation. You can hear all the rattles, vibrations, and road noise inside the cabin. That can get annoying after a while, as it drowns out the stereo or any conversations you may have on the phone or with a passenger.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: sound deadening your classic Chevy. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. It’s basically lining the floor and the firewall of your Chevy with a sound-absorbing material.

If you’re looking for a place to start, here are a few tried-and-true sound deadening options to consider:

1. Dynamat Xtreme

Dynamat Xtreme is a stretchable aluminum insulation material with a thin and sticky butyl backing. Not only does it reduce cabin noise, but it also helps control the climate inside the cabin and plugs up any rust holes that may have formed on the body of your classic Chevy.

2. Dynamat Hoodliner

Hoodliner

Photo credit: Dynamat

Dynamat offers many different types of insulation, but the Dynamat Hoodliner stands out from the rest. Unlike the other types of insulation Dynamat offers that keep the noise out, the Hoodliner keeps the noise in.

Instead of a butyl backing, the Hoodliner is made of a acoustic sound-soaking foam adhesive. That allows it to handle the high and low heat conditions inside the hood. That’s why we recommend lining the hood area with this.

3. 3M Sound Deadening Pads

3M came up with an interesting way to absorb noise: a mixture of bitumen (the same black material you’d find on roads and roofs) and elastomer. This results in a thin sticker you can apply to the cabin floor and the firewall. Their Sound Deadening Pads cost $14 per roll.

4. Hush Mat Kits

Hushmat kit

HushMat Sound Deadening Kit

All three of the above options require a lot of measuring and cutting. If you’re not up for doing all the dirty work, this option is for you. Hush Mat kits are pre-cut to different sizes to make installation easier. A typical kit comes with instructions, spray adhesive, aluminum sealing tape, and pre-cut insulation material.

Basic Installation Instructions

Regardless of which type of insulation you choose to use, the installation process generally goes like this:

  1. Remove all the seats and carpet to expose the metal floor panels.
  2. Clean the floor panels of any rust, oil, or debris. You can do this with a shop vacuum or compressed air blower.
  3. Apply paint or rubberized undercoating to waterproof the surface.
  4. Install the insulation material according to the instructions on the package.

A Few Tips

  • Never store the insulation in a cold place and always install it in a warm temperature, preferably above 60 degrees. If you have to work in colder temperatures, heat the mounting surface with a hair dryer or heat gun before installing the insulation to ensure strong adhesion.
  • It’s not necessary to cover every square inch of the surface with the insulation. Try to cover as much area as possible, though.
  • The insulation has to lay flat on the mounting surface, so you will need to cut around any bolts or raised surfaces.

What have you used to sound-proof your Chevy? Tell us on Facebook!