Enough Cabin Heat: A-Z Thoughts and Recs
09-29-2015, 04:16 PM
#1
Enough Cabin Heat: A-Z Thoughts and Recs
Ok, so here's my deal. I picked up a '69 427/390 convertible a few months ago. Non A/C with headers (not ceramic coated) and side pipes. Overall great car, but it has zero heat insulation. ZERO. Nothing. I'm in the Southeast with brutal heat/humidity so needless to say, it has been painful driving. Unfortunately, I haven't yet taken any IR gun readings in the cabin, but I don't need them to confirm what I already know: I can't be in there for more than 30 minutes without roasting.
I plan on adding Vintage Air over the winter, but for it to have any affect next summer, I'm going all-in on the insulation project. But I'm sticking JUST to insulation for now: tranny tunnel, collar, heat shields, splash shields (in place now but nothing behind them), cabin, etc. I'm not ready to add hood vents, fans, etc. And, yes, I've read hours and hours of threads on this forum and elsewhere that go into enormous amounts of details, including spending what seemed like a week reading almost every post on that 30 page "Interior Heat" thread here.
So here are my questions (in no particular order):
1. Staging tranny tunnel and heat/splash shields insulation install. Does it matter which gets installed first? Is there a proper sequencing - does tunnel insulation have to go in before the shields? I can do the shields install now, but won't have the tranny down until deep into winter.
2. Best product for tranny tunnel & shields insulation. I keep coming across two recs: DEI Floor & Tunnel Shield II and Zero Clearance. I'd rather not take out a mortgage to pay for this stuff but want something solid and that's relatively easy to work with (I havent pulled the shields down yet, but I doubt the old ties/rivets that held the original insulation are still in place). I know the major suppliers also sell cheaper insulation that's already pre-cut. Thoughts on best product, and how much will I need more or less?
3. Lizard Skin or Similar. I see this product pop up left and right. Is it worth it and what's the application process? For example, on the heat/splash shields/tunnel: is the idea to apply on both sides of the shields, the undercarriage, tunnel and as high up on the fire wall as I can go, and then come back with insulation after it? Does the stuff adhere to anything less than perfectly cleaned surfaces? Is it overkill to apply both the Lizard Skin and the insulation on top of it, whether under the car or in the cabin? Can I brush or roll it instead of spraying it? Also, saw a few posts about the generic version of this stuff (buying Micro Bubbles, latex paint and mixing it), but no follow-up on proper mixing, portions, etc. Any thoughts here?
4. Headers & Side Pipes. These darn things are crazy hot. The headers are about an inch or 2 from my steering box, and I imagine a big reason for the cabin heat - other than the obvious of not having any insulation at all. Also, the side pipes cook pretty good, especially at the exhaust tip which is perfectly positioned where my butt/lower back rest in the seat. Do most people just wrap the headers and side pipes all the way down? If I use wraps for everything (headers and pipes to exhaust tips - how much do I need - 100 ft or so? Or do they use some other insulation for the side pipes? I've read all the reasons why some people don't use wraps on the headers, but I'm more concerned about removing the heat now and I'll worry about possible corrosion later. Finally, any recs on particular wraps or other insulation options for the side pipes themselves?
4B. Headers. This is a bit of a tangent, but if I'm taking the headers off to wrap them, what exhaust gaskets do you guys recommend I come back with? I definitely have some exhaust leakage, and this would be the right time to do the "well, since I'm down here anyway..." Maybe the crushable graphite kind by Remflex?
5. Doors. Is there a noticeable benefit to insulating the doors? Again, my main concern is the heat insulation, not noise insulation. The side pipes DEFINITELY heat up the doors, especially at the exhaust tips. But would just wrapping the side pipes be enough, without also insulating the doors themselves? Most of the door heat is at the very very bottom.
6. Astro-Ventilation. I know what this is supposed to do in theory for non-AC cars, but what's the practical side of it, especially if I'm moving over to Vintage Air? Should I just seal off the intakes (at the corners of the wiper bay just underneath the wiper door assembly bolts) and call it a day? And if sealing it off completely is the answer, where should that seal occur - presumably at the source at the intake, right? The kick panel vents put in relatively ambient air for the first 20-30 minutes of a drive, but the longer the car runs and the heat soaks into everything, the hotter that air becomes. After everything is nice and heat soaked, I swear those kick panels vents shoot out nothing but hot engine heat air. And the side vents (the ones on the corners of the dash) barely put in any air at all as it is.
7. Behind-the-Seats. Given my set-up with the side pipes, is there a noticeable benefit to putting down heat insulation in the storage area behind the seats? My initial thought is to just put down heat insulation on the floor boards (and on top of the tunnel), but just to the end of the seats.
8. Cockpit Insulation. I was thinking of just going with the standard Dynomat. Is this enough, or should I first lay down some Lizard Skin, and then in the most heat sensitive areas (HA!, basically everywhere), also come with DynoLiner on top of the DynoMat, or should I go with something else altogether - like the more expensive DEI Floor Shield or Zero Clearance.
9. Disconnecting Heater Core. Is it basically a no-brainer (as in, is there a reason not to do it) to install in-line valves b/t the radiator and shut it all down during the summer months.
10. Sealing Firewall Holes. Took a flashlight last night and shined it from inside the footwells into the firewall. Definitely came through in a few spots on the driver's side, mainly from around the steering column, but one or 2 other smaller culprits elsewhere. So when everyone talks about "sealing" the firewall, what do they mean exactly? What's the product most often used/recommended to seal it? Is there one go-to filler product for all firewall holes or is it case specific? For instance, the foam firewall seal on the steering column has some opening around the edges.
Many thx in advance
I plan on adding Vintage Air over the winter, but for it to have any affect next summer, I'm going all-in on the insulation project. But I'm sticking JUST to insulation for now: tranny tunnel, collar, heat shields, splash shields (in place now but nothing behind them), cabin, etc. I'm not ready to add hood vents, fans, etc. And, yes, I've read hours and hours of threads on this forum and elsewhere that go into enormous amounts of details, including spending what seemed like a week reading almost every post on that 30 page "Interior Heat" thread here.
So here are my questions (in no particular order):
1. Staging tranny tunnel and heat/splash shields insulation install. Does it matter which gets installed first? Is there a proper sequencing - does tunnel insulation have to go in before the shields? I can do the shields install now, but won't have the tranny down until deep into winter.
2. Best product for tranny tunnel & shields insulation. I keep coming across two recs: DEI Floor & Tunnel Shield II and Zero Clearance. I'd rather not take out a mortgage to pay for this stuff but want something solid and that's relatively easy to work with (I havent pulled the shields down yet, but I doubt the old ties/rivets that held the original insulation are still in place). I know the major suppliers also sell cheaper insulation that's already pre-cut. Thoughts on best product, and how much will I need more or less?
3. Lizard Skin or Similar. I see this product pop up left and right. Is it worth it and what's the application process? For example, on the heat/splash shields/tunnel: is the idea to apply on both sides of the shields, the undercarriage, tunnel and as high up on the fire wall as I can go, and then come back with insulation after it? Does the stuff adhere to anything less than perfectly cleaned surfaces? Is it overkill to apply both the Lizard Skin and the insulation on top of it, whether under the car or in the cabin? Can I brush or roll it instead of spraying it? Also, saw a few posts about the generic version of this stuff (buying Micro Bubbles, latex paint and mixing it), but no follow-up on proper mixing, portions, etc. Any thoughts here?
4. Headers & Side Pipes. These darn things are crazy hot. The headers are about an inch or 2 from my steering box, and I imagine a big reason for the cabin heat - other than the obvious of not having any insulation at all. Also, the side pipes cook pretty good, especially at the exhaust tip which is perfectly positioned where my butt/lower back rest in the seat. Do most people just wrap the headers and side pipes all the way down? If I use wraps for everything (headers and pipes to exhaust tips - how much do I need - 100 ft or so? Or do they use some other insulation for the side pipes? I've read all the reasons why some people don't use wraps on the headers, but I'm more concerned about removing the heat now and I'll worry about possible corrosion later. Finally, any recs on particular wraps or other insulation options for the side pipes themselves?
4B. Headers. This is a bit of a tangent, but if I'm taking the headers off to wrap them, what exhaust gaskets do you guys recommend I come back with? I definitely have some exhaust leakage, and this would be the right time to do the "well, since I'm down here anyway..." Maybe the crushable graphite kind by Remflex?
5. Doors. Is there a noticeable benefit to insulating the doors? Again, my main concern is the heat insulation, not noise insulation. The side pipes DEFINITELY heat up the doors, especially at the exhaust tips. But would just wrapping the side pipes be enough, without also insulating the doors themselves? Most of the door heat is at the very very bottom.
6. Astro-Ventilation. I know what this is supposed to do in theory for non-AC cars, but what's the practical side of it, especially if I'm moving over to Vintage Air? Should I just seal off the intakes (at the corners of the wiper bay just underneath the wiper door assembly bolts) and call it a day? And if sealing it off completely is the answer, where should that seal occur - presumably at the source at the intake, right? The kick panel vents put in relatively ambient air for the first 20-30 minutes of a drive, but the longer the car runs and the heat soaks into everything, the hotter that air becomes. After everything is nice and heat soaked, I swear those kick panels vents shoot out nothing but hot engine heat air. And the side vents (the ones on the corners of the dash) barely put in any air at all as it is.
7. Behind-the-Seats. Given my set-up with the side pipes, is there a noticeable benefit to putting down heat insulation in the storage area behind the seats? My initial thought is to just put down heat insulation on the floor boards (and on top of the tunnel), but just to the end of the seats.
8. Cockpit Insulation. I was thinking of just going with the standard Dynomat. Is this enough, or should I first lay down some Lizard Skin, and then in the most heat sensitive areas (HA!, basically everywhere), also come with DynoLiner on top of the DynoMat, or should I go with something else altogether - like the more expensive DEI Floor Shield or Zero Clearance.
9. Disconnecting Heater Core. Is it basically a no-brainer (as in, is there a reason not to do it) to install in-line valves b/t the radiator and shut it all down during the summer months.
10. Sealing Firewall Holes. Took a flashlight last night and shined it from inside the footwells into the firewall. Definitely came through in a few spots on the driver's side, mainly from around the steering column, but one or 2 other smaller culprits elsewhere. So when everyone talks about "sealing" the firewall, what do they mean exactly? What's the product most often used/recommended to seal it? Is there one go-to filler product for all firewall holes or is it case specific? For instance, the foam firewall seal on the steering column has some opening around the edges.
Many thx in advance
