RiCharlie,
So how much would it have cost to get the stuff installed by that shop in all the areas you ended up with in the end? I'm not interested in spending 2 days of my life installing this stuff but wouldn't mind the sound deadening.

Sorry to hear the news about your health......you might want to check out a new FDA approved therapy.....one I have worked on for a few years......it uses your body's own defence ......Approved this past June......by the FDA Made by DENDREON..........CALLED "PROVENGE"

Sound reduction
 

It cost $450 that that included labor and materials. I think it takes less than a day if you know what you are doing..

Cancer
 

Well as I said I am a Survivor.. the matter has been dealt with surgically but I just like to let all the guys know how prevalent this cancer is.. nearly 1 in 3 !!! and how easily it is detected and treated..but you have got to catch it early...

$450 seems reasonable. Anyone know a trustworthy shop around Albany NY or south of it?

Sorry I dont... but if you look up Dynamat on line and find local dealers you can start there..

I have to tell you you are only going to see about a 20% reduction in noise and not much more.. Its a noisy car and with the large tires that is just part of the deal.. I was happy because just that little difference brought the noise to a more tolerable level.. but still this is never going to be really quiet especially if you have the Sport Package.. larger tires = more noise.. I think when the tires wear out I will get quieter ones.. I am not entering this in the Indy 500 so a little less performance in return for less noise is a compromise I am willing to make..
The thing of it is that everything about this car is so exceptional that IMO it was very upsetting that the noise level was detracting from it all. But a little less noise brings it all under control..


Just so you know...and dont think this is going to sound like a Lexus when you are finished..

Okay, thanks for the info. I'll have to think about it more I suppose. :tup:

i find when i wear the bose noise reducing headphones the car is as quiet
as a lexus........:happydance:

Ok here is the final report on the cabin noise issue. I had the doors done and the rear hatch and FINALLY the car is livable. They were very surprised to see there was NO sound deadening material at all in the doors and so whatever they did made a difference.
It was really a relief and impossible to put a percent factor on it without some noise measuring device. But let me say it this way. I was really REALLY upset with the noise at first and my words were "Very Unsatisfied" . Thats sad because one such big negative can ruin all the other positives.
Now I have to say that noise is no longer a problem.. yes I would like to add special tires in the spring because the less road noise the better, IMO but I can definitely live with this and whereas before I thought I had made a huge mistake I can now say if I were grading this car I would give it an A and expect that to go to an A + when I get those new tires on. I am going with Continental Extreme DW partly because of what I have read and also because the shop I go to has a policy that if you dont like the tires you can bring them back and have the old ones put on free of charge. No risk in that! Problem is that those new tires will cost about $1300 with tax included.
Hopefully this helps. and thanks to everyone that has helped me with this issue..

What ever happened to the cabin air extractors that were supposedly being redone by Nissan? They were supposed to reduce cabin noise.

2009 Nissan 370Z Touring: Gas Station Engineering

I wondered that as well. They way it was originally discussed, led you to believe the air extractors were an open tube to the outside that just funneled outside tire noise rignt into the cabin.

Am I the only one not to find this car noisy inside the cabin? I've driven much more expensive sports & GT cars that did make more noise inside the cabin and were much less comfortable.

When I first read this forum I was affraid this car wouldn't be usable as a daily driver because people kept complaining about 1) gear box 2) noise in cabin 3) clutch 4) tires 5) blind spots 6) boot too small 7) audio being crappy (so not true), etc, etc. BUT in fact NONE OF THESE I found true, it's a superb car by all means. A lot of newbies will be turned off by what people say in this forum - just giving my 2 cents.

:iagree:

I guess it's all relative. My fiance said just last night the Z was quieter than my previous Z4M Coupe and I tend to agree.

The way our cars are designed now, window down driving is best ever with very minimal buffeting. Placing a barrier between front and rear would create such extreme buffeting, you'd pray for "stock" noise to return

Actually I have read several reviews on this car and cabin noise is an issue with a lot of reviewers.. but if you dynamat the doors and rear hatch it makes a world of difference..

i think a lot of the stuff you read on here sometimes is just guys venting.
most of the time everyone would admit they don't regret getting the 370.

at least for me that's the way i feel.. the 370 does what i bought it for...
it's fun to drive,it's fast for a v6,it looks damn good and will 5 years from now.

i may get flamed for this but to me the 350 is starting to look a little dated..
i don't think the 370 will have that problem... imho.......

I don't know about you guys, but I bought a sports car. Yes, it's loud, and it's not the easiest to get in and out of, and there isn't much room for stuff, and visibility isn't that great... and I love it. Mine is a daily driver.

My friend has an '08 G37S coupe that I drove before I bought my Z. It's much more quiet, with more room, a moonroof, digital climate control, and has an overall much more luxurious feeling. It's not nearly as fun to drive, or to look at. If you are wishing for more visibility, more comfort, and less noise, perhaps the G37 is the car for you. The Z is much more sporty, much more raw.

I absolutely agree with both assessments.

:iagree:

So do I.........

Perspective..

I solved the problem of the excess noise ( to me anyway) with dynamat in the doors and hatch and increased the rear side visibility with small rectangular add ons to the side mirrors.. I now am totally in love with this car but I was thinking, its not at all unusual for people to modify their cars after they buy them.. how many have changed the sound system or even modified the engine( something I would never allow anyone to do, but just making a point) Others have changed the shocks or added something to the paint or put in a sunroof to their cars. ( i am not talking just about Z cars)

All this cannot make up for a basically unsound car but this car is great and I consider these changes to be individual customizations to make a good car great and a great car even greater! That is my perspective.

Visa
 

Just got a letter from VISA.. they have agreed with my claim and are withholding payment.. good reasons to use credit cards!! Thought you might want to to know..Meanwhile I love this car now and the noise issue is a thing of the past.. Rough start but very happy ending..

I think alot of you guys are taking the wrong approach here to reducing road noise thus not getting the desired results. Basically you've been falsely sold that lots and lots of vibration dampers will reduce noise. A vibration damper such as Dynamat/Raamat/Second Skin/etc only purpose is to control resonance in a vehicle’s panels NOT reduce noise. So don't expect to cover your entire vehicle in a vibration damper and expect to cut a noise. If you are wanting to reduce overall noise in the Z you are going to want to also add a close cell foam and a Mass Loaded Vinyl to really reduce noise in the car. To get best results you'll not only want to do the trunk but also the floor boards and doors with a Mass Loaded Vinyl. The Z comes with very little sound deadening material to begin with so applying 25% coverage with a vibration damper with a closed cell foam with a Mass Loaded Vinyl on top will reduce road noise in your Z. Companies like Second Skin and Dynamat do sell these MLV's but they are extremely expensive.

Yeah dont use the OEM tires, get new ones and try not to put heavy stuff in ur car

So bottom line I like my new Z sport package. But question is noise cabin or isit the bridgstones if so whats a quieter tire maybe Toyo are Hankok..

This thread astounds and amazes.

It is a sports car. Want noise? Come out to Sac and i will give you a ride in my 71 240. Want a nice quiet ride? Borrow your Mom's Camry.

I agree with you on that to some extent. Why buy a sports car if you want something quiet

I had a sports car. I bought a GT and it is a little too loud. Hearing very grain of sand from the tires is tiring after a while. OTOH, a little sound proofing or rubberizing the wheel wells would have helped a lot without too muc weight gain.

A sports car shouldn't need new pads, brake venting, and an oil cooler to track.

you only really need a oil cooler.

I tracked francorchamps spa the whole day and only oil temperature was a issue brakes seemed to hold up pretty well but I guess I wasnt fast and furious enough. :roflpuke2:

My understanding is better drivers don't heat brakes as badly, so maybe you were doing better than you thought! :)

I grow weary of posts that deal with the cabin noise issue with a curt "live with it". The forum is here to support its members with information about our favorite car, not to slam members because they don't share our exact same priorities for enjoying the 370Z.

For those who track the Z, brakes and oil temperatures are big issues. Since many of us don't tack the Z not everyone will share those concerns, but you don't see people telling the racers among us to "live with it" when it comes to fading brakes or high oil temperatures. On the contrary, people are eager to offer help and advice on how to alter that car to best address the needs of that particular owner. I think that it is fair to expect nothing less when it comes to cabin noise or any other Z related issue. If you can't post something helpful, perhaps you shouldn't post at all.

With the selective use of aftermarket products the Z can be a race car, a sports car or a luxury GT. I can't understand why the hardcore preformance types get so worked up when some among us would occasionally like to enjoy a little peace and quiet at the end of a long day.

On another matter, several times I have seen posts lecturing about the proper use of Dynamat and Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) soundeadner. By now most everyone knows that Dynamat is more for resonance and is not the ideal product for sound reduction and that it works best in conjunction with a MLV like Luxury Liner Pro or a similar product. Theory aside, I have used both products in the hatch area of my Z and I have to say that an application of Dynamat (about 85% coverage) made a BIG difference. The improvement form adding Luxury Liner Pro over the Dynamat was noticeable but not that big of a deal. I have posted liberally on this very thread about my experiences with both products.

What road noise?... Turn the stereo up? Roll the windows down? I got it....get an exhaust. :driving:

Yet another helpful post to turn up the radio, what insight!

That has been my experience too.. the car was far too noisy for me and my wife but an application of Dynamat in the hatch and doors made a huge difference. I am now planning to dynamat the wheel wells.
Dynamat saved me.,. I absolutely could not stand the loud noise. What was meant to be a pleasant fun trip for my wife and I and turned into a buzzsaw the very first day!!..but now that has changed:tup:. just in time for 18 inches of snow!!:shakes head:

I see you're from New England. I had Seamless Costom in Worcester put Lizard Skin coating all over the car. Much nicer ...
The real problem is the rear wheel wells and matting over that in the trunk and floors. They ring on course roads. The Lizard skid can be sprayed into the small supports in the wheel wells which you can't do with matting.

They also added some rear speakers at the same time. They smooth out the blast you get from having just front speakers. Nice job. Talk to Justin.

I have the base coupe with the sport package and base radio.

When the tires get old, I'll replace them with quieter ones. Thar should help as well.

Love the car....... Goodluck :-)

The Nissan 370Z fits the definition of a true GT (Gran Turismo), a high performance vehicle designed for high speed, long distance travel in comfort and style. I love my Z but find that the road noise really takes away from the comfort of mid to long cruises. You cannot even hold a conversation with a passenger at 70 MPH with the stereo off and windows up with raising your voice considerably and the excessive noise takes a lot away from the enjoyment of music regardless of how loud it is. Yes, I know it's a sports car, I've owned many. I like a good exhaust note and engine growl when pushing it, but when at speed and in 6th gear there is no excuse for the car to be as loud as it is. Nissan dropped the ball on the design. I'm also convinced that the majority of the noise is tire related, as soon as I hit a smooth patch of non-grooved asphalt on the freeway the sound drops at least 10 db.
Tire noise levels will be a major factor when it comes time to replace the OEM's.

the 370 is a 2 seater it's gonna have some cabin noise...
but i don't like to use the word noise or even loud...

20% is not much of an improvement using materials...

i think on the sports package which i have it the bridgestones....

even the 50 grand vettes have some road noise....

the over weight stangs and camaros are quite.... but i'll pass on those..

Whatta scolding, GuardDad! Nevertheless, you are correct. I put some dynamat in the hatch this afternoon, and it seems to make a substantial difference. Only drove it once so far though, during rush hour and with my daughter playing the stereo.

I attach a photo taken with my cell phone, facing toward the rear of the car. One box of dynamat from Bestbuy for 70 bucks covered the whole hatch area (12 sq. ft.). Weighs less than 10 pounds. I didn't have to remove all the interior molding, clips and body panels - just took out the spare tire and slid out the big styrofoam blocks. Was a 4 hour job though, and I am exhausted.

I am still trying to figure out why road noise bothers people so much :confused:

I agree with Jessobear, the OEM tires have gotten terrible reviews regarding the noise levels. If possible, swap them out for Michelin Pilot Sports, great tire, great ride and much more quiet. You would think that Nissan would change their tires out after all the complaints regarding the Bridgestones.