Hood insulation

[Alexander]

Here's a photo of what it looks like using roofing felt (aka Tar paper, roofing paper).

This is 3 sheets laminated with weatherstrip adhesive, cut 1/2" oversize to a paper pattern, then slipped in between the two hood panels -- held in place with quarter size dabs of silicon sealer under the tar paper. Cost about $30 total.

The color is off in the photo -- it's really not that light.

That looks much better than what I have. In fact, it looks very neat. What brand and type of tar paper is that - 15lb or 30lb? Will the tar paper withstand the engine heat, or will it ooze out tar?

[bcomo]

I bought the roofing paper at Home Depot -- no special brand, probably 15 lb. IMO It's better to laminate several thinner pieces than it is to use one thick piece. The same reason that plywood is made with laminated sections. Laminated material resists sagging. I've had this on for 1 year and no sags or droops. Also very water-proof (40 days of rain in Texas so far). Tar does not ooze out, BUT it will smell like tar paper for about a week -- then nothing.

It is not affected by engine heat plus ambient temperature in Texas of 95 degrees. Actually, the engine heat initially helps the tar paper take a "set" to the contour of the hood.

I'll take a close-up of one of the sections, so you can see more detail, and post it on Thursday -- IF it doesn't rain again.

TIP: Cut three small squares and test fit the thickness between the hood pieces. The max thickness that you can use is governed by the smallest space between the hood pieces. In my case three pieces filled the area between the hood outside and inner structure in all places.

Painting: I didn't spray paint the tar paper. The inside of my factory trunk insulation is painted. I don't know if you can get an even spray on tar paper using spray paint-- maybe someone can try a one ft square test piece and let me know if they do this.

[bcomo]

Here is a close-up of one section.

[tbird430]

I'm the 2nd owner of my 1960 TBird and it has never been wrecked. It still has the black UNPAINTED tar paper type material under the hood, 1 of the side peices had sagged down and was eatten by rats so I pulled it out a long time ago. Heck, I wish I had saved it now, I could had mailed it out to VTCI or someone....

[bcomo]

Does mine look close to what your original looks like?

If you could take a photo it would be great to compare. I think that your original insulation would be darker than what I did -- is that right?

Darned rats ---

[Alexander]

The original hood insulation was colored tan to black. They eliminated it sometime in 1960. From that point on, they just used dabs of caulking between the two layers of the hood to prevent vibration.

The hood insulation was painted in the factory, when they painted the hood. They did not mask it off. Depending on the color, there was some soak through the insulation, so on some cars, especially with lighter colors, it looks like the insulation was unpainted. Darker colors tended to discolor the insulation.

[bcomo]

Alexander:

I know that my trunk was never repainted, so the painted insulation in my trunk should be from the factory.

So, what would be your call if you were me?

Spray paint the hood insulation, or leave it alone????

[Alexander]

I would mask off the insulation. The second spray painting of the insulation will color it more than the original spraying.

[bcomo]

Alexander:

Sorry -- I'm not understanding that.

You are you saying is that you would mask the insulation and spray paint it with two coats of the black -- probably semi-gloss? Correct?

[Alexander]

From the photos, it looks like your car is black. You will probably see that your trunk insulation is black also, but has no gloss and has the texture of the of the original insulation. If you are repainting the inside of the trunk, mask off the insulation, and paint the metal parts the same gloss black color as the exterior. If you paint it without masking, the insulation will assume the gloss black color, which would not look right.

[bcomo]

I guess my original question got garbled -- my old age.

My question is not with the trunk.

My question was - should I paint the hood insulation to make it darker, or should I leave it the way it is in the photo?

[tbird430]

My car is WHITE with black tar paper like insulation under hood and in the trunk. I don't remember any white "overspray" on this material, but I will look again and try and get some pics....

[Alexander]

I guess my original question got garbled -- my old age.

My question is not with the trunk.

My question was - should I paint the hood insulation to make it darker, or should I leave it the way it is in the photo?

I would leave it the way it is. It looks neat.

If you feel compelled to do it the way they did it in the factory, I would first test out spraying black paint on a spare piece of tar paper. Put it against the hood. See if you like that look better than what you have now.

[bcomo]

Jon -- Thanks. I'll look forward to seeing those pics. Would be be really interesting to see. No other 60 T-Birds here.

Alexander -- Thanks also. I have too few things to be compelled about these days
-- I'll probably wait untill tbird430 posts his pics, and then do a test piece as you suggest -- good idea.

Heck -- where else in the world can grown men get excited about reproducing original hood felt and what color it should be? Life is good; and this web site great !!!!

[dgs]

The original hood insulation was colored tan to black. They eliminated it sometime in 1960. From that point on, they just used dabs of caulking between the two layers of the hood to prevent vibration.

Ah. I was going to comment that my '60, original except a repaint, has no insulation, only a few dabs of caulk type stuff. Mine was fairly late production, July 26th 1960. Among the last 10,000 Squarebirds made.