Where does all the noise come from ?

[Jim Clement]

I have a very nice restored 1957 Early A coupe.
new engine mounts, beautifully rebuilt engine and transmission, all door seals appear to be good, intact and in the correct location.
After the initial paint, and after the installation of the wurth sound deadening, I installed a layer of "Bequiet" sound absorbing mat everywhere on the inside of the car, including as much as practical in the doors, and a double layer at the back bulkhead wall, then the sound deadening package from Stoddard.
My car is still very loud at highway speeds, enough so that conversation is difficult inside the car..
My question is:
Does anyone - hoping for some one how has an understanding of acoustics know where all the noise come from ?
I suspect in different amounts:
1) road noise from the small narrow tires ?
2) transiant vibrations from the engine and transmission ?
3) wind noise coming through the door seals ?

Anyone have some good ideas on how to reduce the noise in the passenger compartment ?

That said, when I had the car all packed up with luggage and spare parts to drive to the west coast holiday in Vancouver and Utah the noise was less..

[Jules Dielen]

What type of noise are you mostly hearing? Wind noise or engine noise?

If engine 'rumble' check if the S pipes are not touching the body or the trumpets in the bumper guards. It reaonates through the entire car. No insulation helps against that.

The tires are usually a problem on newer cars with much wider tires unless they are severely feathered.

[Jay Darlington]

don't feel alone. my 58 cab is the same, i expect a cab to be somewhat noisier but its bad. a radio in your 356 ha you'll never hear it unless you are putting around town. on the HI way black top composition and age make a big difference.
Jay D.

[David Jones]

My 59 cab is quieter than my 64 coupe which is close to my 59 coupe in sound level.

[Martin Benade]

I’ve never experienced it but I hear that if the heat pipes on the longitudinals are replaced with plain pipe, not the muffling pipes, it will bring in lots of noise. Unless your car was very rusty that’s probably not your problem.

[David Jones]

Martin, that is a good suggestion except that the pipes in the longs are metal on pre T5/6 cars I believe. The sound muffler is the long insulated pipe attached to the tube where it goes into the chassis. Remember the later cars have the short valve box.

[Martin Benade]

That may be correct, not sure.

[Jules Dielen]

Good point made. Some of those reproduction heater boxes do not even have a rubber seal, and some original seals are hard as a rock - that may not 'muffle' much.

[Pete Indelicato]

Just open both windows and don't pay any attention to it--it's an old car.

[Mike Wilson]

Put modern sound deadening in the doors, floors and engine bulkhead. It'll help.

Mike

[Martin Benade]

I am afraid he already did that.

[Mike Wilson]

You are absolutely right, Martin. I read his post too quickly. It was Wine O'clock....

Mike

[Graham Kerr]

Whilst my tub has a bunch of Dynomat in most areas, I found a source of general noise was coming through the central tunnel which was amplifying engine and especially transmission noise into the car. Come this Winter when I shall pull the engine and gearbox out for a re-build I shall endeavour to get some sections of Dynomat into the inner part of the central tunnel. I have access to the tunnel where I have relocated switchgear to this area.

[John Hearn]

Very important that the gear-linkage access cover for the "monkey" motion is insulated on the inside and correctly fitted.
Also the gaiter around the shaft is present.
A lot of noise will be transmitted through the center tunnel if these items are missing or in bad condition.
KTF
John

[Tom Wavrin]

I wear foam earplugs on long drives and never turn on the radio. I think we’ve gotten used to the quietness of new cars and have forgotten how noisy cars were 60 to 70 years ago, especially driving with the flow of traffic these days.