Door Insulation

[videobob]

I am building my 14th Delorean Time Machine and this particular one is special because this one is not for a customer, it is for me.
This will be our official shop car and my personal car and I want it to be as perfect as can be.
After building over a dozen of these we know our way around the car and there are little things I have always wanted to do.
This is one of them.

I always thought it was lame that there was no insulation inside the doors other than the headliner.
In Texas, the sun is like a lazer focused on our thermos like cars and you can feel the heat cooking your head.
Especially when you are as big as I am and your bald head is almost touching the headliner!!!
So this is my solution...

This is VIN 5906, October 1981, gray, 5-speed.
As we all know, this is the best run of the car and why I am keeping it!!!

First, let's marvel the "Cave Paintings"
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First step was to spray in black rubber to deaden the sound, insulate and use as a glue to hold in the next layer.
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Next was to add in some silver bubble wrap insulation,
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Next was some good old fashioned R-13 Fiberglass,
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I sealed this in with some of DMC's fiberglass backed replacement headliners.
I can't wait to get it out next summer and do some temp tests!!!

[Kenny_Z]

My lungs want to close up just thinking about being trapped in that enclosed area with fiberglass insulation inches above my head. I'm allergic though so maybe it won't effect you.

Keep in mind that it will be shedding glass fibers. You will be breathing in these fibers. I think your silver material is more than enough. There's a reason that stuff is not used in cars.

[sdg3205]

My lungs want to close up just thinking about being trapped in that enclosed area with fiberglass insulation inches above my head. I'm allergic though so maybe it won't effect you.

Keep in mind that it will be shedding glass fibers. You will be breathing in these fibers. I think your silver material is more than enough. There's a reason that stuff is not used in cars.

It does look like there is a good lip to put a layer of sealed moisture barrier on to prevent this. Once the fir trees inhabited those holes it would be decently air tight.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I would think you should just build up layers of that foil bubble type you already used. Remember the headliners need to take up some of that space. I like the idea of insulating that area since it has no ill effect and will probably reduce some noise.

[Nicholas R]

This may be a pretty good idea for Florida too. I'm thinking I do something like this next summer too. I'm interested to see the temp test results.

[DrJeff]

I've got some Eastwood Thermocoustic Barrier showing up on Tuesday. I think I'll add this to my list. Shouldn't add too much weight to the doors?

[Tillsy]

I've got some Eastwood Thermocoustic Barrier showing up on Tuesday. I think I'll add this to my list. Shouldn't add too much weight to the doors?

Being directly alongside the hinge point wouldn't impact the strut/torsion weight wise anyway...

[anywhen]

This may be a pretty good idea for Florida too. I'm thinking I do something like this next summer too. I'm interested to see the temp test results.

In the deep south, I joke about riding around in a microwave oven. When I had Rob Grady install a new window motor in my car in Gettysburg, the new motor apparently is heavier than the original. The passenger door now opens slower than the driver side. No big deal but, it is an example of how well these doors are engineered. I would not put to much extra weight on the door. Insulation is very light but the sound deadening material like Dynamat is very heavy.

[SS Spoiler]

What about spraying some foam insulation into the hard to get spots, like the edges of the doors?

[Rich W]

I would think you should just build up layers of that foil bubble type you already used. Remember the headliners need to take up some of that space. I like the idea of insulating that area since it has no ill effect and will probably reduce some noise.

I would follow Dave's recommendation of building up layers of the foil bubble insulation vs. using the home fiberglass type, for a number of reasons.

The biggest reason to not use home fiberglass type of insulation is that the designated insulation value only applies when the fiberglass material
is not compressed. Since the headliner will most likely compress the fiberglass insulation (and reduce the air gap between inner/outer surfaces),
the R-value will be significantly decreased. Other factors, including wicking moisture, will also cause more problems than it will help prevent.