Matrix too noisy w/ rear seats out

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by LittleBlackDuck

How about putting a layer of plastic film over the floor to protect it, then place a plywood false floor and fill the space between them with expanding foam.

Simon

That was going to be my recommendation, or something similar: plastic film on the floor and maybe up a temporary bulkhead, foam on the plastic. It sets to a perfect mold of the floor. If you want to completely cover the entire area, consider doing it in sections. That will make it easier to remove in the future if your want to return the vehicle to its factory state.

Before it sets, you could consider bedding a piece of lumber in it (fixed in place with clamps if necessary to prevent movement while the foam sets) to provide a foundation for a lightweight plywood load floor, if you're so interested, to replace the seats.

[06Aveo43061]

I'm a guy who runs a fully stripped out Chevy Aveo. IMO I like being able to hear my car while I'm driving. The other day I slightly heard some noise coming from the front driver side tire. Stopped at the gas station, was 5 pounds low on air. You can't hear things like that in a fully sound proofed car. Also considering a lot of guys run high mileage cars, IMO it's always better to hear the car especially if it has high miles.

[basjoos]

In the back of the aerocivic, I cut a piece of coroplast to cover the spare tire hollow to produce a flat floor, then laid a trimmed piece of 3" foam over the entire back section of the car, then a piece of thin carpeting over the foam. This provided plenty of soundproofing and the soft foam served to cup and stabilize cargo in the back to keep it from being slung about as I drove.

[MPGee]

Originally Posted by LittleBlackDuck

How about putting a layer of plastic film over the floor to protect it, then place a plywood false floor and fill the space between them with expanding foam. The plastic will give a more robust outer surface and make it release cleanly from the floor whilst still bonding to the ply. Once cured it can be trimmed up and made more presentable. Be wary of the foam leaking out the sides and filling holes in the body. A variation on this (filling a plastic bag with the foam and sitting in it) is how I made custom fitted seat inserts to minimise body movement in my go kart.

Simon

Now that sir, is a genius idea. I have a giant plastic dropcloth under my desk right now that'd be perfect for this... If I end up sticking w/ this idea, I will certainly look into it!!

Biggest thing that made more livable for me right now is that I hung the factory cargo 'net across the front of the cargo area, so that stuff placed there doesn't slide forward, and I hung a cloth, so that I can easily hide cargo placed where the back seat is. Sound dampening is #2.

[MPGee]

Originally Posted by fusion210

Foam ear plugs, just roll them up and put them in. A great seal and easily removable.

GENIUS!! I will do this later today... On my way to work this morning, I eyeballed it, and it looks like an earplug will fit nicely.

Originally Posted by fusion210

Have you installed a belly pan or anything in the rear wheel wells to seal them up as well? That should keep some noise out. What about installing a partition between the front and rear? That would help with things flying forward too.

I have done no belly-panning or anything w/ the rear wheel wells... I've thought about doing a belly pan, but that seems like an awful lot of work. Plus, how would you secure it? Everything I've done to my car so far is 100% undo-able to factory. And I imagine I'd have to remove it each time before each time I bring in my car for service and then put it back.

Re: Partition between front and rear. Right now I've got a factory cargo net installed across the front of the cargo area...that's sufficing for now. That is a neat idea, though. I'm picturing one of those consumer level ones made for pets, cargo, etc, in the back of SUVs. I'll keep that in mind.

Originally Posted by fusion210

It's popular to seal up all the access holes in the inner panels. I think that will help out with your noise now without adding too much weight. Aluminum flashing cut to size/shape, butyl rubber to seal it and some screws to keep it in place.

What do you mean by sealing up access holes in the inner panels? Aluminum flashing? Butyl rubber? I'm having trouble picturing what it is you are speaking of.

[Hersbird]

My car in highschool started making this knocking sound so I just turned up the stereo. Later the knocking got so loud I could hear it over the stereo so I bought a big amplifier and new speakers.

[MPGee]

Originally Posted by 06Aveo43061

I'm a guy who runs a fully stripped out Chevy Aveo. IMO I like being able to hear my car while I'm driving. The other day I slightly heard some noise coming from the front driver side tire. Stopped at the gas station, was 5 pounds low on air. You can't hear things like that in a fully sound proofed car. Also considering a lot of guys run high mileage cars, IMO it's always better to hear the car especially if it has high miles.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to roll like you. I like the idea of the simple elegance of having nothing but the absolute essentials in the vehicle. Issue is I like to listen to podcasts and am sometimes on the phone (with Bluetooth headset, legally, of course), so having a reasonably quiet car is important to me.

[06Aveo43061]

Originally Posted by MPGee

Ideally, I'd like to be able to roll like you. I like the idea of the simple elegance of having nothing but the absolute essentials in the vehicle. Issue is I like to listen to podcasts and am sometimes on the phone (with Bluetooth headset, legally, of course), so having a reasonably quiet car is important to me.

Same as you. I listen to the Howard Stern show. Had a china FM modulator that allowed me to play my sirius over my Am/Fm radio. I only have two speakers, and at highway speeds, even at max volume, you can hardly hear it. Started using one ear bud instead of broadcasting over my 12 watt stereo. Works pretty good.

[MPGee]

Update... Stuck an earplug in that one exposed bolt-hole today.. Can't tell if that made a difference. But, yesterday, as detailed in another thread, I changed from 16" to 15" steel wheels, and that made a world of difference with the noise.