I was reading my own post and had to laugh at myself...who else buys a sports car and then posts about wanting to take a nap in it!:icon18:

I can see the commercial now... The new Nissan 370ZZZZzzzzzzz: The anti-andrenaline machine for thrill-avoiders who want to slow down their heart rate. (shhhhh.)

:bowrofl:

The new ZZZzzzzz with cadillac suspension, ultra quiet lexus exhaust 300lbs of damping and a new even quieter model. The 370zzzz E.(lectric)

My first car was a '65 Mustang that my Dad purchased new in May of '64. The tuner market wasn't as mature then as it is now but I still did a LOT* of stuff to that car but the one thing I never did was add sound deadener. Fast forward 44 "short years" and I'm adding sound deadener, bad things CAN happen to good people!

That car was so loud (the headaches started at 45 minutes but the first 44 minutes and 59 seconds were heaven) that when I came home late I would cut the engine a 1/2 block away and coast up to our house, good times!

I really don't understand peoples dissatisfaction with the noise level.... I drove the BMW Z4 at the time I was deciding on which car to buy and the main reason I didn't choose it over the Z was it was TOO refined and quiet for my tastes.... and I am 44.

That being said, the Z was not TOO noisy, but had the right amount of character in its voice to make me feel that I was in a real sports car.

The addition of Berk's, HKS and intakes made the real difference and now I am thrilled to start the engine let alone cruise the highways or city streets.... I really do Love the sound of my car!

Having come from a G37S Coupe, the Z is definitely louder inside than the G, BUT is so much sharper (for lack of a better term) in terms of steering feel and handling, that it's no contest for me. Easy trade-off.

The only issue I have with cabin noise is when I try to talk (via bluetooth) on the phone at highway speeds (70+ mph). I have trouble hearing. Maybe it's just my 53 year-old ears finally starting to fade.

For me, the noise is all part of the experience.

I RESPECT ANY PERSONAL MOD, no matter what it is. I just hate that NISSAN feels they have GT up the Z because americans can't appreciate TRUE JDM. If you expected the Z to be BMW like? Get a bimmer!!!
If you want 450 V8 horses... get a bloody stang or camaro. But don't buy a Z and say..
I wish I had trunk release. Buy a G37
I wish it was quieter. Buy a G37
I wish it had a V8. Jdm sports cars never been v8. Wish for FI, not a v8.
I wish the tires weren't so noisy. Buy new tires

When I wish for something its. A warranteed oil cooler, a brake cooling slot intergrated into the body or internals, FI model or eventually DCT like the GTR. These types of wants are conducive to JDM culture. Respect the culture. Its like the camaro in 4cyl. Hahahahaha... what a joke. Does anyone remember during pre-production of the camaro that chevy was talking about a 3650lb 250hp turbp 4. Hahahahahaaaaa. A turbo 4 in a camaro is like tits on a bull.

MOD what you like just don't make complaints to nissan that aren't condusive to jdm culture. I rather nissan stop making the Z in the US if its like that?

The thing is i want it both ways... sharp and quick sports car yet something that I can take long distance and relax in...

I do road trips of 10 hours or more in the Z. No problems!

I do too. Although I've found that for a big guy like me, the base seats are more long-term comfy than touring.

Funny thing is, my Lincoln is supposed to be more luxurious than the Z but the Touring seats are way more comfortable than the Lincoln!

I love road trips in the 370!

Originally Posted by Guard Dad View Post
I think a lot of the "cabin noise" controversy arrises from the intent of the driver. If you want an aggressive sports car that reinforces the sports car experience with every turn of the wheel the stock Z is your ticket. If you want a car that expresses it's aggressive side "on demand" a little sound deadener goes a long way.

How about this for a concept: At WOT or during aggressive driving the engine and exhaust noise should sound like a sports car. Or cruising with the windows down should offer the sports car experience.
But going on a 400 mile round trip freeway cruise at 75 MPH and with a passenger shouldn't cause you to have to talk in a very loud voice to have a conversation, or have to turn the stereo up to 15 just to enjoy some tunes, or leave you fatigued from the excessive noise level either.
This car is a GT. I find no discomfort from the ride or the seats on long drives but the road noise really is unacceptable.

DwightFrye, after careful and comprehensive analysis I have determined that you are a "aggression on demand" kind of guy.

Nothing personal towards you Guard Dad. I was actually agreeing with you that it would be nice to have the sports car sounds on demand and not have it being annoying as a daily driver or touring car.

We are in agreement! I too am an "aggression on demand guy" I like to know I'm driving a sports car when I'm on the gas but the rest of the time I prefer the car to be in GT mode. Hence my classifying you as "aggression on demand" rather than "constant aggression" type.

What is JMD and what is MOD?

Mod as in modification, and JDM as in Japanese Domestic Manufacture, or something along those lines.

Yes its japanese domestic manufacturer or japanese domestic market depending on context.

Have you had any sound dampening done? I have and it really changes the car for the better..especially on long trips... i have a six and a half hour ride scheduled for tomorrow..

Why even buy a car that qualifies as unacceptable?

Because a test drive doesn't tell you everything.

That's where the370Z.com comes in! :tup:

I wouldn't trust anybody over there:ugh2:

You can't trust the370z.com because some people over there have traded the Z in for Mustangs. Lol jk.

Changing the tires to Michelin Pilot Sports has changed my life. The little lady no longer mentions road noise and drone. The number one complainer outside "the forum".

Even better is the handling. The Potenza's were fine. These are better. I doubt I will get the 7200 miles out of the Michelin's like I did the Bridgestone's. They are so soft.

That's what I intend to do. I'm seriously looking into pilot supersports. But the reviews since january of 09 have stated this car has a ridiculous amount of cabin noise, whether reviews were positive or negative,cabin noise has been conclusive in every review so, why buy?
Red Zed, on 1 test drive I knew the Z was loud. I cranked up the bose/nav all the way and still heard NVH. I hit 105mph on my test drive because I wasn't walking away not knowing all those little things. I can understand buying this car in 09 and the NVH issues not being so real to buyers. But 2010??? No excuse for not knowing this. So I see where luna Z is coming from.
I still stand by the fact that I respect any mod and modding for comfort is fine. . Its just complaining about a known fact is pretty dumb. I owned a G37s and I gotta say, the difference in general performance is negligable. You barely feel a difference until you start hitting corners at high speed and steering feel has some more heft on the Z. Get wider tires and they feel heavier.
The G is quieter, has way more features, has 2 extra seats and leather is standard. Looks ridiculous with a 1.5 or 2inch drop and spaced. Even accel times aren't much worse, 4.9 on the auto vs 5.2 on the manual. Just a tick slower than the Z's 4.6 and 4.9 with lateral grip matching a base Z with .94g. They get even closer on the quarter mile and the exhaust sounds better.

Me personally, I wanted a smaller pkg. Dfw highway driving is like being in a war on wheels, so having the maneuverability of a small car was better for me. But contrary to most of the exaggerations on here between the Z being sooo much better. I think they are pretty even for people just looking for a fun to drive car that you intend just to speed every now and again and drive a little aggressive. Which is what most of you guys do anyway.
In a G,NVH is very good and has 100lbs of insulation the Z doesn't have. Lol. I recommend a G before a BMW. At least you get a real lsd and sport brakes, something bmw doesn't provide for there so called sport coupes. Add an oil cooler and you're good to go. :)

This.
If it bothers you, then mod/fix it and your problem is solved.
If you've been caught off guard by the cabin noise, you didn't do your homework before buying. If a quiet cabin is high on your list of priorities, the 370Z is probably the wrong car for you because sound deadening is not one of its strong points. Even with a full treatment of Dynamat and other sound deadening materials, it will still be louder than something that was designed with a more luxurious intent.

Again, it's all relative and a matter of personal taste. While the dB meter might say it's loud inside my car, it's not nearly as annoying to my ears as my working environments which include a salon filled with a bunch of gossiping women trying to talk over blow dryers and convention centers with a bunch of haircare manufacturers trying to drown out each others stage presentations.
Maybe I just like how much noise my car makes because I feel like it replaces the testosterone I lose on a daily basis at work :icon17:

The last part of this thread is one of the funniest things I've read on the forum! :inoutroflpuke:
There's a huge upside to working in a salon though... I know the hot women ratio must be descent. :tup:

Update:

I've now had a chance to put a few freeway miles on the Z since adding Raamat to the cockpit floor and I'm happy to report that a noticeable improvement has been achieved. The low frequency resonance coming from the foot well has been reduced sufficiently as to be a non issue. The car is in no way a luxury cruiser but it is now possible to listen to the sound system at normal levels and conversation can be conducted in a normal manner.

The take away is as follows:

If the Z's noise environment is a problem for you (and for many of you it is not) I believe that I have identified a straight forward three step procedure for addressing you concerns.

1. Apply Dynamat Extreme or Raamat to the hatch, wheel wells and door panels for a big reduction in road noise. I'd do this one again in a heartbeat.

2. Apply Luxury Liner Pro to the hatch and wheel wells for a further reduction in road noise. This stuff is heavy and not cheap, I liked the subtle improvement, but I'm not sure I'd do it again.

3. Apply Dynamat/Raamat to the B pillars (to about shoulder level) and to as much of the bare metal under the carpet as is possible, for a reduction in resonance from the front of the car. This makes a nice improvement but is only worth doing if you are at least doing step 1. Without step 1 the cabin is too noisy to notice the improvement from this mod. This requires removal of a lot of the interior and is probably only worth doing if you are gutting the interior for an audio upgrade or similar mod. The actual amount of Dynamat/Raamat is about 24 square feet which equals about 12 pounds.

It has been pointed out by others that Dynamat/Raamat is a resonance reducer and not an especially effective sound deadener and that a mass-loaded-vinyl (Luxury Liner Pro is a MLV) is necessary to achieve meaningful improvements. My experience would suggest that Dynamat/Raamat is very effective in the Z. It is thin so it doesn't complicate reinstallation of the interior trim pieces. It is easy to install and bonds well to the structure of the car. It weighs about 1/2 pound per square foot. MLV's are about 1+ pound per square foot and are intended to be installed over Dynamat/Raamat and as a system system weigh 1.5+ pounds per square foot. MLV's are 1/4"-3/8" thick and can complicate reinstallation of interior trim pieces. MLV's have to be glued to the car and sometimes getting a good bond on a irregular surface can be a problem. MLV's cost at least 2-3 times as much as Dynamat/Raamat. In my opinion the big payoff is in the hatch and if I was doing a do-over I would consider a double layer of Dynamat/Raamat in selected areas of the hatch and skipping the MLV.

If anyone has questions please post them here or PM me.

^^ nice post, guarddad! :tup:

See this is why in spite of my personal tastes. I respect all mods. One thing that bugs me is some of the sound that eminates from the wheel well. I may consider adding that lux liner to the wells only. It may reduce some of the tire vibrations and noise. For me the rest id leave alone, but that's me.

Thanks for the idea. :tup: quick question though... do you think lux liner will reduce the pebble knocking as well? Everytime a pebble hits under there I think I broke something and slow down. Then realize... damn it was just a pebble in the wheel well. Lol

While you were posting I amended my post, check it out.

MLV's are great stuff and I've got leftovers if you are interested, but Dynamat/Raamat is outstanding for reducing sand and pebble noise and would be my runaway first choice in any sound reduction program. It's difficult to apply and bond a MLV to the complex shape of a wheel well. Dynamat/Raamat installs and bonds on wheel wells easily and this more than makes up for what it may lack in absolute sound suppression capability compared to a MLV.

Is Dynamat just some material you cut down to whatever size you need? How easy/difficult is it to install the Dynamat? How long do you think the install took? Will the Dynamat add much weight? If someone oculd post a DIY, that would be great! (If there is one already, sorry)

Thanks!

This is a long thDynamat and/or Raamat (D/R for short. Similar products from different companies, Raamat costs a little less, Dynamat is better known, they seem to be about equal in performance) is a DIY version (about 0.050"-0.060" of an inch thick) of the asphalt/rubber sound mat the factory installs on cars to suppress/reduce unwanted sound. D/R is self adhesive and foil backed. It is pliable and fairly easy to work with. It trims with household scissors or a utility knife. Do a search on this site or youtube for "Dynamat installation" for actual installation tips. Also you can review this entire thread for more details.

This is a long thread, check it out from the beginning. In prior posts I've discussed weight, coverage and cost in some detail.

By hatch do you mean boot?

In the U.S. the cargo area in a Z coupe is commonly referred to as the hatch and in the roadster it's usually called the trunk so take your pick as to which one would apply in your case. I have accumulated a fair amount of experience with the coupe but haven't done any work on a roadster although much of what I've learned should apply to the roadster as well. I'd be happy to share what I've learned if that would be of any value to you, just let me know.

Yes but only if by the boot you mean the hatch..

ha ha , bloody americans! always getting things mixed up :bowrofl:

Ive organised to have my doors done with dynamat extreme and the "hatch" area done with dynamat extreme then with Dynaliner on top.

Selected Dynaliner over Dynapad because it seemed pretty similar and it has a adhesive backing already on it.

Does anyone know the thickness of Dynaliner I can get away with using?
I still want all trimmings to fit afterwords.

It comes in 1/8" 1/4" and 1/2"

How thick was the luxury liner pro you used?

I have read on here that as the years went on, people noticed that the NVH got less and less in the 370Z's and Nissan added material. Fact or rumor?