Under Cowl Insulation

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Joined
Dec 24, 2013
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Location
Minnesota
My Car
71 convertible
Does anyone have the insulation that attaches to the cowl/firewall behind the dash panel and over the pedal box?  Mine is long gone and I can't find any reproductions.  This is not the heavy mat that fits the width of the firewall - this is the lighter, plastic faced jute-like stuff that disintegrates into a pile of dust after 35 years.  I am most interested in a pattern I can use to make my own.

So if anyone is removing their dash panel anytime soon, please keep me in mind.

 
You are in luck. I took one out of parts car that is 99% intact and kept for that reason, lol.

when I re worked under dash in my 73 I just used the stick on foam and foil. Did not by the sheets of gold Dynamat just some cheap stuff.

The piece on top next to the cowl is the fiber mat that falls apart with a very thin piece of black poly on it. Then there is the firewall insulation pad that is heavy and much thicker. I left that in my vert.

Some pics.

I can cut you a pattern from painter paper and send if you give me address. The only piece that was missing was on the outside of one of the cowl vents. This was a non AC car so had two went holes. AC would not have the big hole on the L.H. side.













what is kim kardashian's son's name

 
These are not reproduced. David I will PM you as well. If you could make me a pattern I would greatly appreciated. I pieced my original back together and would like to correct someday. I do know from a couple of concourse forums that guys find jute material and then use spray adhesive to attach low mil black plastic sheeting. I would avoid use of a garbage bag as they have additives for UV breakdown in them.

 
This one was in Grand Rapids Michigan all of it's life so not lots of heat there. I will be looking at mine in the 73 soon. Should be in good shape. I will do a tracing and see if I can somehow do a dimensional drawing. Will be tough. The California car was just dust falling out everywhere.

I will post in a thread so everyone can find it. No need to PM not looking to profit from it.

 
These are not reproduced.  David I will PM you as well.  If you could make me a pattern I would greatly appreciated.  I pieced my original back together and would like to correct someday.  I do know from a couple of concourse forums that guys find jute material and then use spray adhesive to attach low mil black plastic sheeting.  I would avoid use of a garbage bag as they have additives for UV breakdown in them.
Do you know where they are sourcing the jute?

 
If you make a tracing and add a grid I can take that and make a full size PDF that can be printed on a standard printer, taped together, and cutout.  

The grid can be any size...just square and consistent  Maybe trace with a sharpie and the grid with a fine pen.  Then take a photo as centered as possible.

Chris

 
I despised this aspect of the tear down on my car... the AZ heat and sun had crystallized the "jute", so it just disintegrated both on top of all of the under dash components and in my hand when I went to remove it.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
the AZ heat and sun had crystallized the "jute", ...
Few weeks ago, went fixing the brakes light switch and made the mistake to try to adjust the fitting this one better. It felt.

I want at some point to replace this insulation too, but when you say "jute", do you have a synomym for it? When I translate its like the english, only the "jute" I know isn't really that fluffy layered material, its much rougher and stronger. Bags are made out this material. This is very light and I'd say toward cotton like. Jute as I know it would make a very poor insulation too as it would retain moisture.

So if you have a pict or a link I could see of this "jute" material or another name to describe it, that would help me to find some overhere. thx.





 
When I was looking I went to a heat and air conditioning supplier. Was going to put the semi rigid fiberglass duct insulation but went with the stick on foam with foil. Not going to be judged at the shows I go to. I did get some of the under carpet pad that is like ground up rags to go back under the carpet and also for the pads on the rear wheelhouse to protect the top when down.

The material under the Cowl that Ford used is some very light insulation and not jute. I do not know that the under carpet pad would ever stick good enough and just fall out except where something is in the way.

The pic Fabrice posted sort of answers a thought I had. Did Ford have one insulation that had the cut out for the L.H. vent but left it in place for an AC car. That looks like the piece that fell out.

 
totally, its hold by very tiny bits of the plastic layer. Make sens to have all ready and just push or leave a piece depending on order list.

@Don C,

Found some results and got to see that "jute", which is what I've used else where but not called jute here :) Learning everyday, thx!

 
Mike,

I had typed this up before but when I went to get pics it all went away, lol.

I finally found the right bin with the insulation in it. For some reason it is always the last one I look in, lol.

I put masking paper on the drafting table work bench and put the insulation on it. Not really a straight edge on it except the ends. One end was missing so I measured from vent opening and allowed for that.

I do not think a jute material or carpet underlay will ever work. Too heavy. It looks like the factory sprayed contact cement and put the insulation in place first thing. They had installed one of the air vents on top of the insulation in one place. If you use something heavy you will have to use some type fastener to keep it in place.

I will send Mike the first layout. I thought I was going to cut them out but best not to. I will go down the list of PM's sent and do as I have time.

Pics of the layout.

Also a pic hanging on wall in the workroom. I use to go to Ohio Truck during launch each year we supplied bunch of parts to them. Hanging on the wall in the Buck room was a blueprint of a Model T. I ask one of the guys if I could get a copy and he scanned and sent to me. It got crumpled up over the years before I put into the frame.

If someone was going to try to reproduce this they were made using a process called steel rule die sometimes called a cookie cutter die. They are usually made by sawing a piece of plywood with band saw and inserting a hardened steel blade in the slot. In the press it came down and hit the material and cut against a hard rubber surface or sometimes piece of wood.

















 
There is a 20 oz Jute on eBay that is 1/4 in thick. I think this would be sufficient, but do not know for a fact. For a little over $8 for a yard I woud say it was worth a try.

 
Fabrice:

@Don C,

Found some results and got to see that "jute", which is what I've used else where but not called jute here :) Learning everyday, thx!
I thought that was probably the case. I believe that what we call jute padding was originally jute fibers bonded, not woven, together. Today's "jute" padding seems to be recycled cloth fibers, and the old name kept being used. The padding in older cars was the brownish colored fibrous material.

 
I have a couple of different weights of jute on the way. I'll figure out what works best and transfer Dave's tracing to some fiberboard. That way I can make some reasonable copies if anyone is interested.

 
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