ACC Mass Carpet VS Sound Deadening Mat

Cheapskate207

The left one hangs a little lower
Jan 12, 2020
691
506
103
Maine
As these cars get older the interior slowly starts to wear out. Something that will restore the appearance of your interior dramatically is replacing your dirty, stained and otherwise worn out carpet. ACC seems to be the popular choice for replacement, offering two choices of the the factory cutpile style molded carpet. "Standard" is regular carpet with padding where factory equipped. "Mass backed" carpet is basically a rubber backing that acts as a sound deadener. I have some questions:

Is the mass backing worth it?
Does using sound deadener and standard carpet yield better results?
Is sound deadener worth it?
What's everyone using for sound deadener these days? I see some cheap options on amazon.

I'm considering refreshing my interior this winter and started looking into carpet. I saw the option for mass backing and wondered how it stacked up against sound deadener in the floor. Mass backing is an 100$ option. You can get 36 square feet of Noico Sound Deadening Mat for 66$ on amazon. I assume sound deadener mat is more effective but have no experience with it.
 
  • Sponsors (?)


I've only used the standard stuff. There is a mega thread somewhere about sound deadener, but what I remember is a couple of things.

Different sound deadeners do different things. The "dynamat" style stuff is to reduce noise from vibrations, which is why it is popular around speakers and subwoofers. The Jute style is to absorb external noises, like your droning exhaust. You will probably want a combination of both.
 
I put Dynomat from my toe board to the tail lights, back when I did it that was about the only stuff around that was for heat and sound, I didn't have the ac fixed on the car but there is a noticeable difference in both, also did the truck and when I replaced the carpet I could not get the thick backing for the diesel trucks so I removed the backing from my old carpet and glued it to the new and there is a big difference in floor heat in the truck.
I wish I would have done the roof now.
 
I did my car, floor, firewall, roof, doors, trunk, dash, center console. I have a serious sound system though, and I had zero concern about added weight. It made a huge difference. Road noise was reduced, random vibration noises nearly stopped, also a very noticeable reduction on the amount of heat I would feel through the trans tunnel on a hot day.

If you’re on a tight budget, Home Depot carries a product called “Frost King” duct insulation. Do a google search on using it for sound deadening. About $20 a roll of 1’ X 15’. I’ve used it and if you double layer it, it’s just as effective as Dynamat.
DE6CA8CD-AAC7-4F89-9B4A-A94BDAD108EE.jpeg
 
I did a previous car with stinger roadkill. It was my DD for a while and was so noisy inside you couldn’t even talk on the phone.
The installation of the deadened was such a massive change that it forced me to start chasing small squeaks and rattles inside the car because it was so quiet. It was amazing.
 
Noico pads are not coming off. They have a strong adhesive backing them. Thats what I was worried about. Only because if they dont work. My issue was heat-my underside gets hot. Noico works well and it cost me forty bucks. I also used it to fill in my collar for my aftermarket steering wheel. You can find other uses for it.
 
As these cars get older the interior slowly starts to wear out. Something that will restore the appearance of your interior dramatically is replacing your dirty, stained and otherwise worn out carpet. ACC seems to be the popular choice for replacement, offering two choices of the the factory cutpile style molded carpet. "Standard" is regular carpet with padding where factory equipped. "Mass backed" carpet is basically a rubber backing that acts as a sound deadener. I have some questions:

Is the mass backing worth it?
Does using sound deadener and standard carpet yield better results?
Is sound deadener worth it?
What's everyone using for sound deadener these days? I see some cheap options on amazon.

I'm considering refreshing my interior this winter and started looking into carpet. I saw the option for mass backing and wondered how it stacked up against sound deadener in the floor. Mass backing is an 100$ option. You can get 36 square feet of Noico Sound Deadening Mat for 66$ on amazon. I assume sound deadener mat is more effective but have no experience with it.

You are definiitely correct on our cars wearing out from years of use and abuse. Carpets take a beating no matter how hard you try and protect them. Even more-so, the underlying materials that take the brunt of our cleaning products too. The mass back loaded carpets are nice for the basic restoration. Mostly your decision will be based on use and future goals for your foxbody. What's your overall agenda and purpose for the car? Attack this area just like you would the performance side of your build. You wouldn't hopefully put cheap parts in the motor, transmission, and suspension of your ride. Treat your interior the same. I see you're looking at the Noico line of products on Amazon. While effective, Noico is not the best out there, even for the price tag. Noico is a asphalt based sounddeadener. Depending on your location, and sun exposure, you may not want the smell of asphalt to always be present in your car. Unless you drive with the windows down all the time. You want to find butyl based deadeners. The greater the thickness, the more it will reduce noise, vibration, and increase insulation. Most products now range from 50-80 mil thickness. Most common household name is always DynaMat. Their lower end products for soundeadening are okay, but asphalt "rubberized" based constaints. Still going to fail at some point. Just not as fast as the Noico product. My top two picks out there were sounddeadenershowdown and secondskin. Don over at sds was a great and knowledgable guy. Gave great advice, and charged hardly nothing for his superior product. Sadly he has closed his doors forever. My second, but first choice, is Secondskin. Great product, with great reviews, and customer service. Check these guys out when you get a chance. As for your questions:

Is the mass backing worth it? Depending on how you want your interior to sound and feel, definitely. Can you save some coin, and go with a nice low cut pile, also yes.

Does using sound deadener and standard carpet yield better results? Depending on the products used, and the orientation of those products, Yes.

Is sound deadener worth it? Most definitely. But again, how do you plan to use your foxbody? Weekend warrior? Cruiser? What's her prupose? I ask cause in all reality you're putting weight back into the car. Negating any weight saving s you may have done previously. So only you can decide if it really is worth it.

What's everyone using for sound deadener these days? I see some cheap options on amazon. Fore go the cheap options if this is a keeper foxbody. If you plan to keep this car for the rest of its years definitly do not cheap out. If this is just a for now project, then do as you please. Heck why even dig into this project for a short enjoyment? Like stated above I chose SecondSkin. Their CCF, MLV, CLD tiles are great product lines. They have more options, but these are the main components in my car. I'm shootng for a whisper quiet inteior. I want to be able to have a conversation with someone on the HotRod Power Tour, and not have to scream over the engine noise or radio. Even have a phone call conversation without all the wind noise too. In the pic I used Spectrum in the 5 gallon bucket. It's basicallly bedliner material and Por 15 put together. You can spray or lather it on. You only need about a 2 mil layer with this product. I did core support to rear light panel. The boxes laying down are their butyl based soundeadening mats. These are their Damplifier Pro pieces. These were applied to the car's interior sheet metal. From firewall to rear light panel. This sandwiched the floor and rear trunk fully. The metal has no room to vibrate or let outside road noise in. In the standing box is their MLV roll, Luxury Liner Pro. It's a MLV and CCF mated together. It will increase the noise barrier a substantial amount too. This is just the floor pieces. Doors, trunk, trunk lid, pillars, and roof are done using some of these and other products from SeconSkin. Just the flooring alone was a world of difference. Now with the rebuild, I can take it further.

1607776448965.png



1607781134368.png
 

Attachments

  • 5c074916-0f9c-4618-9e52-f5474eb3e344[1].jpeg
    5c074916-0f9c-4618-9e52-f5474eb3e344[1].jpeg
    214.5 KB · Views: 130
I think you can use dry ice to remove sound deadener fairly easily.

@mark007 fantastic feedback. My car is just a street car. I’m not trying for whisper quiet but simply “better”, since I’d have the interior out anyway. I don’t mind how the car is now but I will use some type of mat if it’s reasonably cheap. My budget for this is fairly low, as it’s not a huge priority for me. I’m in Maine, where the temp is very mild, so that is something to consider. I think I’ll go with the mass backed carpet regardless if I decide to use sound deadener.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I think you can use dry ice to remove sound deadener fairly easily.

@mark007 fantastic feedback. My car is just a street car. I’m not trying for whisper quiet but simply “better”, since I’d have the interior out anyway. I don’t mind how the car is now but I will use some type of mat if it’s reasonably cheap. My budget for this is fairly low, as it’s not a huge priority for me. I’m in Maine, where the temp is very mild, so that is something to consider. I think I’ll go with the mass backed carpet regardless if I decide to use sound deadener.
In the scenario of just simply "better" you can run a good sounddeadener with just 25% coverage, and achieve way better results than stock. It's just how you place the tiles and padding. My interior is overkill as I'm also a audiophile, and want my times in this car to be pure enjoyment. So yeah I went way overboard than I needed too. If you have the time, and spare change, do atleast a Por15 coating underneath. Then add a MLV(anyone of choice) with the mass backed carpet. It will be leaps and bounds better than stock. You'll thank yourself later. Post up which ever way you go. Would definiitely like to see the results.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
You are definiitely correct on our cars wearing out from years of use and abuse. Carpets take a beating no matter how hard you try and protect them. Even more-so, the underlying materials that take the brunt of our cleaning products too. The mass back loaded carpets are nice for the basic restoration. Mostly your decision will be based on use and future goals for your foxbody. What's your overall agenda and purpose for the car? Attack this area just like you would the performance side of your build. You wouldn't hopefully put cheap parts in the motor, transmission, and suspension of your ride. Treat your interior the same. I see you're looking at the Noico line of products on Amazon. While effective, Noico is not the best out there, even for the price tag. Noico is a asphalt based sounddeadener. Depending on your location, and sun exposure, you may not want the smell of asphalt to always be present in your car. Unless you drive with the windows down all the time. You want to find butyl based deadeners. The greater the thickness, the more it will reduce noise, vibration, and increase insulation. Most products now range from 50-80 mil thickness. Most common household name is always DynaMat. Their lower end products for soundeadening are okay, but asphalt "rubberized" based constaints. Still going to fail at some point. Just not as fast as the Noico product. My top two picks out there were sounddeadenershowdown and secondskin. Don over at sds was a great and knowledgable guy. Gave great advice, and charged hardly nothing for his superior product. Sadly he has closed his doors forever. My second, but first choice, is Secondskin. Great product, with great reviews, and customer service. Check these guys out when you get a chance. As for your questions:

Is the mass backing worth it? Depending on how you want your interior to sound and feel, definitely. Can you save some coin, and go with a nice low cut pile, also yes.

Does using sound deadener and standard carpet yield better results? Depending on the products used, and the orientation of those products, Yes.

Is sound deadener worth it? Most definitely. But again, how do you plan to use your foxbody? Weekend warrior? Cruiser? What's her prupose? I ask cause in all reality you're putting weight back into the car. Negating any weight saving s you may have done previously. So only you can decide if it really is worth it.

What's everyone using for sound deadener these days? I see some cheap options on amazon. Fore go the cheap options if this is a keeper foxbody. If you plan to keep this car for the rest of its years definitly do not cheap out. If this is just a for now project, then do as you please. Heck why even dig into this project for a short enjoyment? Like stated above I chose SecondSkin. Their CCF, MLV, CLD tiles are great product lines. They have more options, but these are the main components in my car. I'm shootng for a whisper quiet inteior. I want to be able to have a conversation with someone on the HotRod Power Tour, and not have to scream over the engine noise or radio. Even have a phone call conversation without all the wind noise too. In the pic I used Spectrum in the 5 gallon bucket. It's basicallly bedliner material and Por 15 put together. You can spray or lather it on. You only need about a 2 mil layer with this product. I did core support to rear light panel. The boxes laying down are their butyl based soundeadening mats. These are their Damplifier Pro pieces. These were applied to the car's interior sheet metal. From firewall to rear light panel. This sandwiched the floor and rear trunk fully. The metal has no room to vibrate or let outside road noise in. In the standing box is their MLV roll, Luxury Liner Pro. It's a MLV and CCF mated together. It will increase the noise barrier a substantial amount too. This is just the floor pieces. Doors, trunk, trunk lid, pillars, and roof are done using some of these and other products from SeconSkin. Just the flooring alone was a world of difference. Now with the rebuild, I can take it further.

1607776448965.png



1607781134368.png
So to your point and the OP, if I put down sound dampening CLD (Kilmat), then Luxury Liner pro MLV + foam, then Mega Zorbe hydrophobic melamine foam (heat insulation/sound absorbing) = is it worth it to add Mass Back to the ACC carpet (or is there even enough room for all those layers)?