insulating foam..any users?

[Guest Anonymous]

many years ago Ilived in a dorm at Valpo. My roomate and I decided to soundproof the dorm room with the then new expanding foam spray cans. We got it from JC WHITNEY, and it was a German made auto product. Research lead to discovery that German Capri's and other cars had foam put in rocker panels, etc. as a rust block and structural strength reinforcement, as well as a quieting mechanism. This was BEFORE the stuff was popular in house construction. Anyway, has anyone done more recent experimenting? Lots of 2002 panels that might be weak, esp. as foam is now available in high expansion, low expansion, and no expansion versions. Any thoughts?

[Guest Anonymous]

Had a '73Capri 2.6ltr in late '70's used GreatStuff in forward r-panels. Seemed to retard the inevitable here in the snowbelt. No adverse effects over folowing 2 years after which I sold car. Can not say how well treatment worked long term. Recently purchased '74 ex-malaga 2002 which is structurally solid but has racketball size rust spots in outer rockers just behind door rear jamb line (h2o source undetermined so far)...as well as flinstone footwells from pedal box axcess hole, drain plate leaks> h2o intake, ventilated spare tire well. Just today had footwells replaced by local body guy using 20ga. steel, welded in. Inner rockers are solid. Since cash flow precludes body shop repair of rest, I plan on doing the GreatStuff thing to these rocker spots, overlaying with rubberized undercoating, glassing the spare tire well with 30oz. glass/West System epoxy before snow this fall...

[Guest Anonymous]

I recall someone suggesting stiffening the frame rails by injecting them with foam.

[Guest Anonymous]

I recall reading an article in European Car about this stuff several years ago. Note that the foam they used was a two-part epoxy specifically designed to stiffen auto chassis, not the household stuff. I cannot imagine the latter would be useful in stiffening the body in any meaningful way, and would probably be a real pain to work through if any work needed to be done later. It would also trap any residual moisture, so if you do use it make sure everything is absolutely bone dry before proceeding.

[Guest Anonymous]

A few years ago my buddy and I cut up a crappy '02

parts car. The PO sprayed what looked like the

household "great stuff" in the rear interior panels

under the hinged windows. Water had been

leaking into those areas, and the foam was

creating a rust trap wherever it was up against the

metal.

I'd suggest NOT spraying that crap in an '02,

especially in the rockers, if water is leaking into

them, the foam isn't going to save them. You'd

have to stop the leak to really protect them right.