i love it! especially on road trips! i used to have one years back and now that i have one again i wonder why i waited so long to get one again.

 

Robin -

Can you supply some info on this? Like even a link to what you bought?

 

Okay, I finally got the MINI back from the shop and I can honestly say that the roadkill and sound mat have made a huge difference. As soon as I got into the car some of the first things I noticed were: the doors have a more solid feel to them, you can't even notice tire or exhaust noise on city streets and the car seems more solid. I know it sounds weird to say that the car feels more solid from adding sound reduction materials, but it honestly does. It also doesn't have squeaks or rattles like it used to when you hit a bump or large cracks in the road.

On the highway, I can notice that the sound of the tires and exhaust are less noticeable, so now the wind noise from the windows is the most noticeable thing (as well as engine noise). Unfortunately nothing can really be done about the window noise unless MINI redesigns the window/door seal design or installs thicker glass....and I don't see either of those things happening anytime soon.

In regards to excess weight, it added about 80 pounds and this has not made a noticeable difference in the acceleration of the car. It has made it more solid feeling which is really a nice unexpected bonus of doing this type of work to your car.

They did mention that removing the door/window panel was more difficult than they anticipated. It took more time then they expected (they stayed 3.5 hours after close just to finish my car) but luckily they didn't charge me for the increased labor. The price actually came down again since my last quote, so I was out the door at about $2,100 tax included....totally worth it imho. as i mentioned to my MA before, it would be great if MINI offered this type of work as an option from the facotry, or even better, made their cars more insulated from the factory! :-) wishful thinking, i guess.

i tried to take some before and after sounds tests to see how much of a difference it made and in my initial tests the dB reduction was extremely minimal, like less than 3-5 dB difference. while this is nowhere near what I was hoping the dB reduction would be, I can say that to me, it does sound as if it has reduced the sound greater than a 3-5 dB difference. it could be because i'm only testing ambient (airborne) noise and not impact (surface) noise. i will try to post this info sometime this week.

they were supposed to take before and after photos of the entire car, but the installers didn't see that note on the ticket, so they were only able to snap pics of the doors before and after. i will try to add those photos sometime this week. If anyone has any questions, I will do my best to answer them.

 

Are you concerned about the robustness of Damplifier on the exterior of the car on the wheel well metal? As it is relatively protected from the elements, unlike underneath the car like the floor pan.

What are your reasons for switching to the Spectrum product for the wheel wells? There are definitely more complications involved with the application, masking, spraying, waiting, spraying, waiting, then putting it back together, etc.

Just curious as I am getting ready to do mine as well, and have also been considering Spectrum.

 

What's a good price for a bulk pack? Amazon has it for $145 right now. Is that a good price?

I am in no hurry to get it but I figure once I get up the nerve to replace the rear speakers, I might as well do this while everything is out of the way. How did others handle the holes for the "christmas tree" trim rivets, bolt holes, etc?

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...floormats.html

 

Dynamat Xtreme is $279.00 at Crutchfield.

 

Wow. I love Crutchfield's customer service/return policy, and they've actually amassed a pretty good knowledge bank over the last 35 years, but some of their prices are insane. You can get the same 36 sq. ft. Dynamat Extreme kit on eBay for $135 shipped.

 

Ouch! I wonder what the price +shipping would be.
Since I have Amazon Prime, two day shipping is free, so the Amazon price is looking better all the time.

I have been looking at RAAMmat as well, based on this evaluation. Has anyone used it?

 

I just bought some RAAMmat last month. It is slightly thinner than Dynamat but you get 2x the sq for half the price. More pliable as well, so there is no need for a roller to install it.

 

Yep, talked about it back in post #28, I liked it and the customer service was quite good. Like has been said the material is slightly thinner than the dynamat extreme but it costs quite a bit less. As for using this type of sound-deadening my opinion is a little mixed. Though I'm sure it helped some, I'm nost sure it was worth the effort to put it down. Perhaps I just need to deaden other areas in addition to the rear floor. I'm really considering doing parts of the doors next.

 

Have you installed any yet? Happy with the results?

 

I'm getting ready to replace the rear speakers, which means everything will come out back there. I just don't want to miss the opportunity - but I really don't want to go through it if it's not worth it. Did you perceive any improvement in audio sound quality? Do you think that this product is inferior to Dynamat?

 

I think so...I wasn't going for luxury car quietness, instead of covering the entire floor and side panels I did the tap test and placed pieces on panels that sounded tin-y.

Recently I also did the rear tire wells, so I'll have to get back to you on those results. But so far I'm pleased....it is a MINI after all. I think I only used half of the roll so far. I suppose if you wanted to squelch road noise further you could easily double up in key areas.

 

So you think it's a worthwhile endeavor while I have the back stripped out to do the rear floor and side panels? I am just as interested in improving the harmonics in the car as I am with reducing road noise. Getting both would be awesome.

 

I'd say yes...placing it on the panels that are thin and resonate will help make the car sound more solid.

This is what Rick from RAAMaudio suggests when installing it:
"Start with a single layer of RAAMmat, being extra careful to press it into the various bends and crevices that are plentiful on the floor. The rap test will really help. Find any areas that still resonate when tapped. Add another layer. Keep going until the entire floor is deadened. Remember that when you are testing for resonance, if you are kneeling on the panel you are testing, your body weight is damping the panel - so don’t do that. "

Joe

 

Joe, thanks for the info. I'm starting to lean towards the RAAMmat, since it seems to do the job and looks like it may be easier to install.

 

Well, after a little research, I've decided to go with Dynamat. Apparently, there have been some recent production issues with the RAAMmat, resulting in extremely gooey rolls. I'm sure it's a fine product, but I don't want to take the chance of getting some of this stock, even though RAAMmat is replacing it free of charge. Once I disassemble everything, I don't want to have to do it again. I just bought a bulk pack and a roller of ebay for $129 shipped.

 

The Dynamat Bulk kit showed up to today. Next weekend, I plan to install it, along with new rear speakers. I'm starting to print out all of the instructions I've gathered from NAM members. I make sure to take pics.

 

Allocate plenty of time.

 

I have two full days set aside

 

I finished my Dynamat install today. It was an incredible amount of work. My fingers are cut and my back is sore from all the contortions of the install. I can already tell a huge difference. I took all the interior out last night, and drove to the post office this morning. It sounded like the boot was open. This evening, I took it for a spin before putting the interior back in. It was like night an day. The ride was much quieter. So I am impressed so far. Here's some pictures:

 

looks great. thanks for the pics and review. i dunno how i'm going to ever be able to set aside a day or two to do this.

 

One day, you will need to get into those access panels to change the fuel pump or filter, etc. Make sure you do not seal anything closed that needs to be accessed.

 

5 minutes with a good sharp razor knife and those panels can be exposed no problem.