'72 Engine Sound Pad

[MoparBoy72]

I have thrown out very few parts from my '72 but the two that sting the most are the rusty original muffler (w/tip) and the deteriorated/de-laminated engine sound pad.

I have seen a number of threads where this sound pad is asked about but there seem to be no real solutions. To be clear, this type of engine sound pad looks to have been used in a select window of 1972 [calendar year] production. From what I have read a portion of the 1971 calendar year produced units had the earlier jute/burlap type sound pad. My car was produced 4/72 and the engine pad I threw out in my youth was just as pictured in Gearby's post in this thread: http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...l=1#post905761

[edit] Per Steve's note below factory use of this basket weave engine sound pad was used as late as 12/72 for 73MY production.

I have been cleaning and preparing most of the sound absorbing material in my car and got to thinking about how to tackle the engine sound pad. The pattern of the inner rear wheel house linings look to be identical however these are on burlap versus the self deteriorating foam of the engine sound pad.

Looking up these parts in the manual I did notice there is a listing for just the sound pad material (sold by the meter, 999.913.006.00), however from online photos this material pattern looks to have been updated at least in the mid-1980's.

In lieu of finding the correct material my next thought was if I could get close. This has me currently looking at grey VW basket weave material.

https://www.jbugs.com/product/Y-BASKETWEAVE.html


I could then adhere this material to a modern foam lining. Please let me know if there are safety concern with regards with this approach or if you know of a better solution.

Thanks all,

[911MRP]

Hi Andrew
The engine sound padding in my MY 73 12/72 production RS that fits the description

Certainly not burlap. A foam that is degrading onto brown or grey dust behind a surface that has a faux wave to the plastic. Sort of brown.

I'd like to replace it with the same but never seen correct and of imagine even if NOS was available it would have degraded in the way old foam can do.

Later replacement black plastic rubber pads are not correct nor are the burlap.

I too would like an appropriate solution but need to be sure anything used is not a fire risk in an engine bay. Maybe I'll have to use burlap but that is not as it was originally on this car as far as I can tell.

Steve

[nickb4]

Have you seen this:
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...ight=sound+pad

[911MRP]

Yes but not the same stuff.

[MoparBoy72]

Steve and Nick,

Thanks for the notes, I will edit my statement in the first post to reflect applicable build date range for the grey/brown/tan pseudo basket weave pattern on self destructing foam engine sound pad. Maybe basket weave engine sound pad for short...

The engine sound pad by Alex is certainly very nice but my car was fit with the basket weave type and I am looking to see how close I can get.

[MoparBoy72]

I ordered some samples from a VW vinyl reproduction company so I could see the color and scale of their basket weave pattern. Well as you can tell none of these are spot on for color and the pattern is smaller on the sound insulation pattern.

I cut a 1/4" strip off of the brown vinyl to do a quick flammability check. Lit from my trusty MAP torch, the vinyl sample strip self extinguished each time it was lit. The only other positive quality I found from these samples was that they were reasonably thin.