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Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:17 am

Hi All,

I am in the process of ordering/collecting the various items that I need for the '79 vert. One of my projects for this winter is cleaning up and painting the engine compartment. In its current state, I am missing about half of the 3 tar boards (left was removed by PO, front is about 1/2 gone and in peices).

What was the original purpose of these (I am assuming heat and sound barriers from the mail compartment)?

Any issue with complete removal and just repainting the engine bay?

What about the aftermarket chrome shrouds?

I would appreciate a few comments on the pro's and con's of each. And maybe a few engine compartment pics showing the various options.

Thanks in advance
Greg

Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:49 am

If you dont mind a ton of heat and noise entering the car behind the back seat, sure go ahead and leave em out. If not, and im sure you dont wan thtat, im sure there is somebody around that sells them either repro or otherwise.
I was going to do a layer of Dynomat under the 'tarboards' just as an added layer of soundproof. I like my German cars quiet, like the wife's Audi SMOOTH SAILING!

Sun Nov 08, 2009 6:26 pm

If you decide to order new ones, get quality. I bought the cheapest thing and regreted it. They won't even hold themselves in place.

Sun Nov 08, 2009 6:30 pm

The tarboards help with the sound.

Aftermarket shrouds do not cool as well as the factor one.

When you mom took the turkey out of the oven she put tin foil on it to keep the heat in. Chrome shrouds are like tin foil.

There's nothing wrong with keeping the tarboard.

Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:35 pm

Painting the firewall looks great if well done but is a bit noisy.

Be very careful on choosing tarboard. We had a member here lose an engine recently due to it. The cheap versions are very thin and can be sucked in by the fan therefore blocking airflow. I use the German tarbaord which weighs a full 32lbs. Then layer over the top with the textured from JC Whitney (only thing I buy from them) for those that just can't take the original flat look. It is only half the thickness of the German and I use a few sexnuts to secure the two layers together. I also have three sets from MAMW that are the worse crap I have ever seen sitting in a corner. These were brought to me by customers that I refused to install. Good luck

Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:19 pm

I bought my '71 Convertible near Sacramento and tried to drive it back to Maryland over Labor Day weekend. I noticed the tar board didn't look right and stupidly thought I could take care of it when I got home. :oops:

I made it as far as Des Moines before it started spewing shiny metallic oil all over the engine compartment. Fortunately, I found Russ Wolfe and left it in his capable hands for repairs.

Good news is I am going to pick it up on Thursday. :D

Beware crappy tar board.

Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:23 pm

tailwaggers wrote: Beware crappy tar board.
It's not the tar board.... it that the person who installed it did not secure it correctly.

The firewall has a number of spikes that are pushed through the tar board and then bend over to hold it in place. If the spikes have broken off then the installer should of used some other mechanical fastener like sheet metal screws.

Tar board, gets soft when the engine compartment gets warm. It tends to collapse from its own weight.

Blame the PO...

Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:34 am

Glenn wrote: tailwaggers wrote: Beware crappy tar board.
It's not the tar board.... it that the person who installed it did not secure it correctly.
...

Blame the PO...

You are right, of course. Russ had to secure the new tar board with sheet metal screws and fender washers to ensure it would stay in place.

Actually, I blame myself. Not that smart to take a 39 year old car on a 2800 mile drive before getting to know it a little better. I've had VWs before, but it has been 27 years since the last one so I am essentially starting over.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:49 am

Expensive lesson, but you're smarter now.

Russ is a good guy and he'll get you home.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:54 am

I used the cheap tar board, secured every single spike coming out from the firewall, and the crap STILL sagged and sucked into the fan. Ran about 10 miles on the freeway like that, toasted the engine. Smokes like crazy now, lesson learned.......will have to have it rebuilt in the spring.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:45 am

MoparFreak69 wrote: If you dont mind a ton of heat and noise entering the car behind the back seat, sure go ahead and leave em out.

I don't know about the heat aspect. The 110 I'm rebuilding has no engine tarboard because VW never installed it due to it being a very basic, cost cutting model. I'm sure if heat was an issue, they would have made sure it was there. It will be noisier though for sure.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:11 am

I have no tar board, it's a little more noisy, but I sure as hell don't mind the heat this time of year!
and in the summer I have never noticed the heat, oh the things vent windows can hide..

Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:15 pm

ive gone for the clean option and repainted my firewall instead
used to have tarboard and a louvered firewall over the top

to get around the heat/noise aspect all ive done was got some sound deadening insulation like Dynamat which also has a foil heat barrier as well as stuck it to the inside of my parcel tray area

theres been no change in noise or temprature but i have noticed alot less panel vibration if i crank my subs up
louvered firewill used to rattle like a bitch if i did that