Nissan 370Z Forum - View Single Post

ocfoilist · 03-29-2011, 05:24 PM

I'm afraid I don't really understand the logic that this kind of ambient noise is a positive thing and that people shouldn't be interested in sound dampening their Z's. While I agree that the sound of a beautiful engine or an aggressive exhaust can be pleasant to hear, I don't think the majority of Z owners relish the sound of tires slapping the pavement. To me, tire roar is an unpleasant sound that makes it hard to have a conversation in the car or listen to music and after a 6 hour road trip, it can get pretty irritating. And let's be honest, it's not rocket science to make a quieter cabin environment.

To that end, it isn't particularly difficult to install sound dampening material, nor does it add an excessive amount of weight to the car. Adding Dynamat to the cargo area, floor and doors added a whopping 30 lbs to my 3,200 lb vehicle. Adding my weight pushes it up to almost 3,400 lbs and I can't see how 30 lbs is going to make any significant difference to the performance. I track my Z fairly regularly and I had it on the track both before and after the dampening. I felt absolutely no difference and would be very surprised to find any objective research that shows 30 lbs. slowing the car down enough to feel.

I also don't think that putting a bit of sound dampening material takes away from the "sports car" feel of the Z. I intentionally did not dampen the firewall and so I can still hear the engine, which is nice. Although the dampening did not eliminate the road noise, it did help to reduce it. It's a shame that Nissan chose not to add ANY dampening material to the vehicle. Regardless of a person's individual tolerance to this kind of noise, the road roar clearly irritates a large segment of the Z community. Given a choice between a 370 with no dampening and lots of road noise and a Z that is 30 lbs or so heavier but has less tire roar, I'll take the second option any day. I can't hear the road noise on the track, but my Z is also my daily driver and that accounts for far more time in the driver's seat.

03-29-2011, 05:24 PM	#147 (permalink)
ocfoilist Base Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 202 Drives: 09 Blue 6m 370zT/S/N Rep Power: 16	I'm afraid I don't really understand the logic that this kind of ambient noise is a positive thing and that people shouldn't be interested in sound dampening their Z's. While I agree that the sound of a beautiful engine or an aggressive exhaust can be pleasant to hear, I don't think the majority of Z owners relish the sound of tires slapping the pavement. To me, tire roar is an unpleasant sound that makes it hard to have a conversation in the car or listen to music and after a 6 hour road trip, it can get pretty irritating. And let's be honest, it's not rocket science to make a quieter cabin environment. To that end, it isn't particularly difficult to install sound dampening material, nor does it add an excessive amount of weight to the car. Adding Dynamat to the cargo area, floor and doors added a whopping 30 lbs to my 3,200 lb vehicle. Adding my weight pushes it up to almost 3,400 lbs and I can't see how 30 lbs is going to make any significant difference to the performance. I track my Z fairly regularly and I had it on the track both before and after the dampening. I felt absolutely no difference and would be very surprised to find any objective research that shows 30 lbs. slowing the car down enough to feel. I also don't think that putting a bit of sound dampening material takes away from the "sports car" feel of the Z. I intentionally did not dampen the firewall and so I can still hear the engine, which is nice. Although the dampening did not eliminate the road noise, it did help to reduce it. It's a shame that Nissan chose not to add ANY dampening material to the vehicle. Regardless of a person's individual tolerance to this kind of noise, the road roar clearly irritates a large segment of the Z community. Given a choice between a 370 with no dampening and lots of road noise and a Z that is 30 lbs or so heavier but has less tire roar, I'll take the second option any day. I can't hear the road noise on the track, but my Z is also my daily driver and that accounts for far more time in the driver's seat. __________________ Proud owner of a new 167.2 inch, 3278 lb baby Z! Stillen CBE & G3 Intake // Stillen Lightweight pulley // Stillen Oil Cooler // Goodridge Braided Stainless Steel Brake Lines // ACT HDSS Clutch& Alum Flywheel