TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Jan 09, 2005 9:18 am

about a year and a half ago i installed some very nice firewall insulation in the engine compartment of my 70 beetle when the new engine went in. i think it came from westcoastmetric or wolfsburgwest or one of the bigger names in quality parts. very heavy board and looks original.

well, the side pieces are beginning to shrink and are moving in close to the dual dell's. i want to replace them with something that might last a bit longer. i thought these would.

any suggestions or tips on how to keep this from happening again? has this happened to anyone else out there? is there a better way to secure the two sides to the metal?

just looking for some input.

Sun Jan 09, 2005 9:47 am

I didn't install the side pieces due to space limitations.

You could always glue them to the car, but I wouldn't.

Sun Jan 09, 2005 9:59 am

I reburbished a 66 for my son, his first car. The original side insulation pieces were shrunk to the point the tabs would not fit. I also wanted to dress up the area.

I purchased some firewall insulation pieces from a standard autoparts supply. I removed the old insulation. I installed two standoff bolts that were long enough to go through the new insulation. I cut a piece of stainless steel and glued the new insulation to the back. I then drilled the SS and attached insulation. I placed the new piece over the standoffs and used two SS thumb nuts to hold it into place. I dont know how long this will last but the car has been driven about 3k miles and all seems ok so far.

Mark

Mon Jan 10, 2005 12:22 pm

You can check out John Henry's BUGSHOP.ORG website. I recall he "made" the insulation for the engine compartment and outlines it on his '57 Resto section...