Making a 66 98 convertible top quieter
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,272
From: Northern California
Making a 66 98 convertible top quieter
Peace & quiet seems to be getting more important as I age…45 now & counting. This 98 was my Dad's and it's been with me 27 years, though college, dating, LA-SF runs and now married with kids. I just rebuilt the motor, tranny & front end, so I'm back in car-mode pursuing lots of little put off projects as time permits. Still lots of fun.
One question in my mind is how to quiet a convertible top. Mine's factory - just the one layer of canvas and pads. It's not bad or anything, I'd just like it to be a bit better.
Have any of your added a layer of headliner or other stuff to make it a bit quieter on the road?
I saw one in the boneyard one time with some kind of snap in arrangement. I was thinking some good strong Velcro might be a cool, reversible, way to do it these days. My local electronics supply place has great strong Velcro which I think might do very well, if sewn into some materials and glued/stuck on the top frame in the right places.
I'm not expecting miracles, I just wonder if it can be improved for maybe the cost of a little black headliner material – or maybe some ensolite closed cell foam. Also I have the impression that modern convertibles have more layers than our old ones. There's probably a reason...
Seems to be you'd have to make an interior layer removable to get the top to sit down correctly in the top well, but maybe not since the headliner material is only maybe a 1/4 thick. Or less.
I read somewhere long ago that a lot of the wind noise on the 60's cars was from the rain gutters & venti-panes/wind wings, which is why they eventually away. True? If so then maybe this is a pointless exercise. Please opine if that's your view.
Insulation materials seem to have come a long way from 1966, what makes sense to add or change in Mid-60’s oldses.
One question in my mind is how to quiet a convertible top. Mine's factory - just the one layer of canvas and pads. It's not bad or anything, I'd just like it to be a bit better.
Have any of your added a layer of headliner or other stuff to make it a bit quieter on the road?
I saw one in the boneyard one time with some kind of snap in arrangement. I was thinking some good strong Velcro might be a cool, reversible, way to do it these days. My local electronics supply place has great strong Velcro which I think might do very well, if sewn into some materials and glued/stuck on the top frame in the right places.
I'm not expecting miracles, I just wonder if it can be improved for maybe the cost of a little black headliner material – or maybe some ensolite closed cell foam. Also I have the impression that modern convertibles have more layers than our old ones. There's probably a reason...
Seems to be you'd have to make an interior layer removable to get the top to sit down correctly in the top well, but maybe not since the headliner material is only maybe a 1/4 thick. Or less.
I read somewhere long ago that a lot of the wind noise on the 60's cars was from the rain gutters & venti-panes/wind wings, which is why they eventually away. True? If so then maybe this is a pointless exercise. Please opine if that's your view.
Insulation materials seem to have come a long way from 1966, what makes sense to add or change in Mid-60’s oldses.
Ben
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,854
From: Snohomish, WA
Go take a look at a modern car with a convertible top. IE: a mustang or something.
They have an extra layer under that hides the top mechanism and probably acts as a headliner/quieter.
I would bet that if you were to go talk to a shop that installs/makes convertible tops they could probably fab up something that wouild work for you.
I seriously doubt velcro would work though- as it has to flex and fold properly when the top goes up and down- its going to need something alittle stronger at those points to stay in place.
They have an extra layer under that hides the top mechanism and probably acts as a headliner/quieter.
I would bet that if you were to go talk to a shop that installs/makes convertible tops they could probably fab up something that wouild work for you.
I seriously doubt velcro would work though- as it has to flex and fold properly when the top goes up and down- its going to need something alittle stronger at those points to stay in place.
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