How effective would it be to just lay a layer of the stuff (not stuck on) under the hatch carpet? Obviously not the greatest, but quick and dirty and worth 1-2dB?

Not very. It's a hatch so you really need to do the whole interior to have a meaningful impact on sound.

Scott, above is a total hacked and edited version of your quote. I mostly agreed with what you said but had to change some words and delete others. The real quote is just back a page so if anyone wants to see that please do so.

The car has a more solid sound now, yes, but I wouldn't call it revolutionary.

As for the pebbles, I was hoping for more. There is a difference. They used to go tink plink tink plick and be really loud. Now they are more like dink donk dink donk, and aren't quite as noticeable, I think because it's not as shrill sounding.

I think it's an improvement but, since it's so slight......

.....is it really worth all the work? I'm not sure. This was a total PITA!!! Only time will tell if it worked for me. I think if I just unconsciously stop noticing it then it worked. If a month from now I still notice it all the time then I might need to go to the next step. I think the real cure for the pebbles is more rubberized undercoating in the wheel wells. FatMat sells paint on stuff by the gallon, which is probably where I'd start my hunt. Paints on blue so you can see where you've done, and dries black. I think rubber stuff on the outside will act like a padding to help the pebbles bounce off with less metal sounding noise. If I ever do it I'll be sure to report here.

4 hours? Wow, you cruized! :eek: All my plastic trim pieces, foam stuff and spare tire were already out, and it still took me about 4-1/2 hours the first day (when I ran out of material after 5 sheets of 18 x 36), and about 4 hours the second day (for another 5 sheets of material). All in all if I had started with panels still in this would have been a 10 hour job, easy. Now I will say that I took my time and tried to do it right. I tried to clean all the surfaces with 409 (but this was hard too with all the wires and protrusions sticking out), and I really tried to work the FatMat really well down into all the cracks & corners etc. I tried to cover all the holes. I used larger "fitting" pieces when possible, and took my time trying to cut stuff fairly accurate (Smaller pieces are inevitable eventually though, especially as you wind down and find little spots you missed). I also had 1 full sheet left over when done, so I re-did the fender wells doubling up material best I could with the 1 limited sheet. I also took 5 minute breaks every 45-60 minutes or so to stretch my legs out. I wanted to be able to get out without falling into the car so this was good for me to do. Basically I tried to be that perfectionist you talked about, but failed too due to it just being a PITA. I'm not sure if my work quality was as good as professional, but I'm certain it could have been done a lot worse. It was the best I could do.

I've got lots of pics which I will post when I get time. Here's one of me climbing around in back....:icon23:

So for those of you doing this, it took me 9 full sheets at about 18 x 36 to cover most of the trunk. I used my 10th left over sheet to double up on the fenders some. Best tools are your fingers, a micro fiber cloth to help your fingers slide as you push, some good plastic handled scissors to both cut and to push the material into corners with the handle, and that roller thing they supply you with. Make sure you bring a bottle of water in with you, as well as a folded towel or something else padded to sit on. Use your knuckles to rap on the metal areas to see what's most important to do, and make sure those areas get covered.

That's all I got for now.

Cheers ---- Bonzo :tup:

I want to know is Dynamat or Q-Quiet what once is better????

Insulating
 

Its hard to say which product is better since we only use what we use and not the other options. I used an insulator for ductwork bought at Lowes called Frost King. Looks just like Dynamat and a bit thicker. Hard to say since i never used Dynamat.

:iagree:

Only way to really tell would be hard. Since there are several ways to do this (lets just say 5 for this discussion, but there are many more), you would need 5 of the same car, all installed by the same guy using the same amounts of material, then driven and tested over the same roads under like conditions, and probably using a sound level meter to be scientific about it. Otherwise it's all just opinions and hear say. Installers might be able to give the best options, but their experiences can be flawed. Using Dynamat in a big custom van may make a huge difference, but using Q-Quiet in a Camaro might not make as much difference. And even if the installer did do 2 Z's, it would probably be weeks or months apart, and memories aren't always clear with this.

My recommendation after going through all the pain to do it would be not to skimp if you can afford it. Do some research on your own, pick a brand that seems to have a good product, and if they have different options, like thick = $, thicker = $$ & thickest = $$$. Go with the $$$ thickest of that brand and be done with it.

Dynamat has the name, but there are others that are the very similar if not exactly the same, and possibly even better. I chose FatMat because it offered the same sort of product at a cheaper price. If I had to do over I would have bought the better level material though. I just got the regular FatMat, but they make 2 other better ones. My mistake. But if you are considering FatMat, don't use Amazon or the like, because it will cost more. Go direct to FatMat and shipping is free. Also, do NOT buy the trunk kit. #1 it won't be enough, and #2, it's priced higher. If you want to do the entire trunk area, buy the 50 sq ft Bulk package, it's the best deal.

Cheers --- Bonzo :tup:

Wow, I cant believe people go thru all this time and money over a little cabin noise. Personally, it doesnt bother me what-so-ever. You guys are crazy :icon17:

:tup: :iagree: but maybe it doesn't bother me because i drive mine on weekends mostly cruising around.

US CRAZY?? :eek:Maybe you are DEAF..:tup::bowrofl::roflpuke2::icon17:

:iagree:

:tup:

I spent less than $40 on the Frost King stuff thanks to rebe945, worked well.

:tup: thank i will try that this weekend

Yeah $50 and one hour of time to cancel out tire and road noise (and making the exhaust and engine sound better) is just INSANITY! Who has that kind of time or money?!

:tup:

I hope Frost King is stable. Had a buddy that used homeowner stuff in his RX7. When it got hot it (a) melted, and (b) smelled like hell. He took his whole interior out to try to scrape the goo out. After days of scraping and cleaning with acetone, the car still reeked of hot tar until the day he sold it. It had dripped down into every nook & cranny.

Frost King may be ok, but just a word of warning to those who use stuff not designed to withstand the heat that a car interior can generate.