Easy Dynamat installation

Words and Photos: Cam Benty

Along with products that are ”cut-to-fit,” Dynamat offers kits that are pre-cut and designed for our vehicle’s interior.

If you peel away the layers of any new car, it’s easy to see why they are so quiet. With sound deadener materials that soak up the sound and keep the inside of the vehicle cool (or warm dependent on the time of year), it’s no wonder. While the use of Dynamat to insulate a classic vehicle is not new, what is new is the variety of products now offered and the kits that make this installation easier than ever.

For our 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula, we were at that stage when the interior was stripped out of the vehicle, leaving the bare floor ready for padding and carpeting. The door panels were history, cracked and beyond the point of no return, the package tray was powder, and the headliner — well, there was nothing left but the bows that used to hold the headliner cloth. Perfect timing for our Dynamat attack.

First, we vacuumed out the interior and followed that with a thorough cleaning. Our talented host for the installation party was Steve Strope, owner of Purevision in Simi Valley, California. With lacquer thinner in hand, he set about wiping down the surfaces of the interior. Removing any remnant of the residue is key to getting a solid final product.

For those not familiar, Dynamat Xtreme is “a thin, super sticky butyl rubber bonded to an aluminum alloy skin.” According to the Dynamat website, it is designed “to be the most effective sound control material available.” In our experience, we noted that it does not smell and sticks where you put it. There are no drips or residue once it is installed.

Along with the Dynamat Xtreme, we installed another of its close cousins, Dynaliner. Available in 1/2-, 1/4- and 1/8-inch thicknesses, this self-adhesive soft, closed cell rubber matting reduces heat, resists oil and water, and provides a thermal barrier against heat. If you want your audio system to sound great, this is the stuff.

Both of these products are easily formable to the shape of the surface you are covering. We were able to cut them with a sharp knife to make them fit the surface. We applied the Dynamat to the interior, including door panels, package tray, flooring, headliner, and internal sail panels. The kits are pre-cut, rather than the old-style systems where you cut to fit. The time savings between the two, according to Strope, is huge. Follow along as we show you how to make your vehicle quiet and cool in about two hours.

Sources: Dynamat, Dynamat.com; Purevision, purevision.com