Want to doll up firewall inside engine compartment

I heard about dyno-something looks like tin foil space age stuff, supposed to take the heat. As you know I am putting in new engine and just want to jazz it up while I have the chance any suggestions or pics?

Dynamat - probably Dynamat Extreme for high heat areas. A reflective coated sound absorber.

http://www.amazon.com/Dynamat-10455-Xtreme-Bulk-Sheets/dp/B00020CB2S

You can also check out B-Quiet, which is a less expensive alternative, but much the same.

Eddy sounds like he is more concerned about appearance, not sound.

True, but his first sentence sounds like it's describing Dynamat. Both it and B-Quiet are "tin-foil space age stuff, supposed to take the heat." Properly applied they not only work well, but dress up the engine compartment. I don't think I'd describe mine as being "properly applied", however ;-)

Eddy, I can help design you some aluminum pieces. Very easy.
Especially since your engine is coming out; cardboard templates are cake to make when the walls of the engine compartment are exposed with all the hanging parts removed.
We did that stuff for Tom DeWalt last year in no time lfat, out of leftover pieces of aluminum he had lying around on a roll.
Makes for a well-dressed compartment ...
Rivets are pretty much free. ...

Here's my answer to making it look good -- but I wouldn't recommend hacking away most of the car:

If you still want sound and/or heat insulation, you could put it behind the aluminum panels. Have your cake and eat it too.

My first choice - make your own aluminum panels - used pre-polished aluminum. I used that for all my floor tin. Looks great.

Second choice - cause I'm a cheap bugger and also because I happen to like the sound of an engine and tranny at work. Go down to Home depot and buy a water heater insulation blanket kit. It is two sided tin foil, with some nice felt insulation in between. Nice finish on both sides. That is what is on my firewall and side panels - just glue it on. You even get some silver tape in the kit to cover up your mistakes.

Cory - You have pressed in design ridges on yours. What does it take to do that? Is it some type of English shaping wheel? Thin aluminum without some relief tends to drum and gets wavy looking. I think 1/16 aluminum might be ok. I'm a fan of the tooled machine look on face surface like old Cobra dashes. I read where you can do it with a drill press and sanding/buffing drum. On an outlay the polished diamond plate might look good too - but too butch for a classic. I've seen the diamond plate drilled like a peg board - which would be good if there was insulation behind it. I'd stay aways from anything that the cooling fan might ingest (ha, pink faced insulation).

You need a bead roller. Something like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93364

~WB

Thanks all, I think the Dynamat is what I need, hate to but a whole pack of over $100. DOes anyone want to split a pack or have some leftover enough to do the job that they want to sell? Ues not interested in the sound just looks. Thanks again for the input

Eddy:

For a WHOLE lot less money you could get a large sheet of aluminum diamond plate from the Home Depot, make up a cardboard template and cut it to shape and simply bolt it to the firewall. Snazzy, fireproof and cheap (and more macho looking than some foil-covered dynamat).

I'm just sayin...

BTW: Another Speedstah Guy from Beaufort, Peter McEwan, did an "engine turned" firewall plate for his Speedster, then then did all of the heat shields in engine turn as well. Really came out beautifully, but hours of work.

What is "engine turned"?? It's like the dash trim on a Pontiac Trans Am - lots of regular swirls in the metal with a rotary stone. each one done individually, and each one take about 5-10 seconds to do by hand with a drill press.

That's exactly what it looked like -- two rolling pins with a step on one and a notch in the other; roll the crank, hold the metal ...
Easy-Peasy.

Yeah, I've always wanted to play with one of those but couldn't justify the expense.

~WB

I found this to be an interesting "wrinkle" to bead-rolling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU1TG1YDIWQ&feature=channel
(don't throw away your old skateboards!)

That's a pretty cool innovation in metal shaping. Who woulda thunk of using a skateboard wheel?

What is engine turned?

Did a search, try this for a ref. :
http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~eamonn/et/et.htm

Whos got the bead roller Cory? I'd love to do door panels for my "Crazy 8"

Well I decided to go with the Dynamat and went to a local car stereo place and they wanted $43 for 18"x32" and I figured it might take 3 sheets, went on ebay and got the same for $15.99 a sheet. I just love ebay. I will put up some pics when I get done. Thanks again for all the help

Does the dynamat stuff actually reduce the enging compartment sounds? How much in term of %?

Marty

When I get back from Africa, we'll go to Harbor Freight. The best thing about them -- there's one off of 695 near Baltimore or Route 1 in Laurel -- is that they aren't very expensive.
I really like the effect of rivets on the overall project. Sheet metal is pretty easy to work with.

Sound was not the issue in my car, going for curb appeal with the new engine.

How about PU truck bed liner then - Rhino Liner or similiar product. It goes on thick and looks great. Quick and easy - probably no more flamable than fiberglass.

I use pre-painted aluminum panels, they the type that are on enclosed single car trailers and come in a few different colors. Should be able to get them through a trailer retailer. Make card board templates and transfer to the aluminum.

Hey - those paint-on pickup bed liners come in colors too! Not just flat blak any more. Check out Eastmen catalog or website.

I used a material that is made for jaguar they use it on some parts of the floor .It is available from www.gahh.com