Hot Rods Roadster hearing protection

Wear a helmet I guess. I don't understand.

 

I just hope I haven't inadvertently started one of those famous HAMB heated discussions on the preferred headwear for a person of a particular age........
All I know is that roadsters are cool, especially @Blue One 's, and the noise and wind is part of the thrill..... to a point.

 

No heated discussion... We all KNOW Johnny was cool!!

 

I really think he's talking about wind noise, but in the cool of the morning a hooded sweatshirt works well. Evidently his hearing is still pretty good, but that should change in a few more yrs. Problem solved!

 

I have a pair of custom moulded earplugs, that i use while playing and attending gigs, they still allow you to hear whats going on but filter damaging frequencies.

Super comfy and not bank breaking considering what they are saving.

Most hearing aid establishments can at least take the moulds for you.

 

Hello,

There are many ways to protect the ears when in an open roadster or any car that has wind blowing past your ears. The cold is one reason for inner ear calcium build up for hearing loss. It can be whistling wind, freezing temperatures, loud exhaust noises or just loud music, plus a combination of all of those examples. Air whistling by your ear is colder than 98 degrees, making your body react. The reaction is to protect the inner ear for sound. Hence, hearing loss from various sources.

Some protection is better than none. But, agreement is in the defensive mode, tone down the exhaust noise of the whole muffler system or re-route the headers away from the driver/passenger area, downward underneath or below the body. Your style is nice, but there are drawbacks for enjoyment.


My ear doctor, an Otolaryngologist, ran hearing tests, checked the canal and came up with causes and solutions. He said hearing loss was from noise and cold rushing past the ears. He asked whether we rode motorcycles. When I mentioned our Harley Sportster during our 20 something days without helmets, he said those were over the 88 decibel limits and we were sitting directly over the pipes.

Then he asked me if I surfed. When yes was the answer, he said the cold was responsible in motorcycle riding without a helmet and in cold waters of the ocean during surfing sessions. Plus, loud rock music, mechanical/industrial sounds in a shop, etc. He went on to ask almost the whole growing up years. Why?

Jnaki

He said that cold air rushing past the ear, the loud reverberations of music with and without headphones and for surfers, cold water sloshing around the open ears all built up a deposit of calcium under the thin skin to help in a “barrier” of sorts for body protection. It was just not one thing, but a combination of many things, with the recent 40 year span of surfing/hot rod/motorcycle noises contributing to the hearing loss.

So, after an intricate surgery, he had custom fitted, ear canal blobs made and that helped tone down the noise, but could carry on a conversation. But at least, it kept out the cold water and what water did get past, it became warm from body heat and now, was not affecting hearing loss as with cold water or air.

These custom made inserts twisted into the ear canal and fit perfectly. The original blow in, expanding foam filled up every area that was needed for a custom fit. Yes, they are for surfing in cold waters, but the Otolaryngologist said they could be used for skiing in the winter or sailing on the cold ocean air blowing past as we went farther into the deep ocean. Despite, all of this, my wife still says I am hard of hearing… or as I mentioned, selective listening at times…HA!

So, noise plus a combination of cold air is damaging. The CHP in So Cal does not allow any inner ear plugs or listening devices while driving. They will pull people over when they see fit. YRMV

 

Go to a hearing specialist and have a custom pair of earplugs made, well worth the $$ and very comfortable. I tried all sorts of off the shelf earplugs and they worked somewhat but would start to be uncomfortable after a while. I know your pain as I drive my roadster a lot. People don't mind spending big $$ on car parts but baulk on something as useful as proper earplugs.

 

I'm 74 and have the usual hearing loss from working construction and motorcycles. I still ride, my junk has a muffled sporting sound, no open pipe nonsense..The last few years I started using ear plugs, a bit late I suppose... I noticed something odd, riding in town was more difficult to co ordinate the clutch and throttle when starting from a stop...Didn't realize how much I relied on engine sound...

 

I just remove my hearing aids. WHAT!

 

Out on the open road, going 70+ mph, I know what you mean by the wind noise really getting to be too much.
I've been using blue tooth ear buds for music with ear muff type hearing protection over my ears... The type you'd use in the shop working on something. I know it may look funny, but it sure makes a difference.

In town, I wear nothing at all -- needing to hear what is going on around me.

 

I can relate. I remember coming home from gigs and my ears would ring for hours, I'd go to sleep with my ears just ringing away. But I think it was the cymbals that did the most damage, especially when I play bass and am just to the drummers left side, the ring from the high hat cuts like a knife. I have permanent damage to my right ear that it actually hurts, it's painful, when exposed to loud music now. I can't take it, I have to wear plugs. In my band we've gone to real low volume now, a bunch of old guys with small amps, & a soft hitting drummer. Venues we play at, and sound guys, really prefer it that way. You run out of places to play when you play so loud they won't have you back.

This is type of plugs I use when for loud gigs, usually jams where you can't control all the players volumes. I struggle inserting the foam plugs, these just pop right in. And I can control how much sound reduction I get by how far I push them in; just inserted a little bit just cuts a few db's, just what I need; or I can push them all the way in for full noise reduction. And they are reusable; I keep them in a little plastic container with a flip lid, take them out to use and put them back when done and they've good for the next time. Foam plugs get dirty and disgusting real fast.

I can relate to the OP's concern though, a good long ride at freeway speed in my 30 pickup will leave my ears howling. The wind noise is worse than the exhaust noise.

 

Well I guess there is one benefit to wearing hearing aids. I just pop them out when things get too loud. I drive the heck out of my Deuce roadster and a trip to Louisville takes two 7 hour driving days. It's not only road noise, but the wind can also beat you up. I even tried "wind wings" but they really don't offer much protection. It's one of the reasons I built my Woodie. Driving my roadster is like driving a four wheel Harley, driving my Woodie is like driving my living room couch.

 

My tinnitus screams in my ears all the time. 45 years in a steam power plant with the first 10-20 with no protection. Racing and loud music at the Rendezvous Ballroom hearing Dick Dale and sitting next to the stage at the Golden Bear didn’t help for sure as a start when young.. Later life riding a HD with a Thunder Header finished me off.
Down to 85 decibels isn’t good enough.

 

A beanie over my ears makes a huge difference . even with ear buds in listening to music I it dosnt need to be so loud

 

Great discussion guys, I’m not going to be ordering from Axil, especially after Joe Blow posted the link to the Amazon reviews.

I do have several pairs of custom molded silicone earplugs that I had made for use in the welding shops while teaching.

They are definitely more comfortable than the foam plugs and they work.
I was trying to come up with something with a little technology but it’s obvious that it’s not perfect.

The good old ear plugs will win the day.

I had thought about removing the Porters and swapping in a pair of Hushpower mufflers but I’m not sure on that.

 

Three old men sitting around talking, one says "it's windy today", the second says "no it's Thursday", the third says "I'm thirsty too"

I find wearing your shooting ear plugs work well and they make blue tooth ones so you can add some tunes. Watch local driving laws but they have been relaxed with everyone using ear buds these days.

 

My suggestion is silicone plugs made by Mack’s earplugs.com. Not the ones in the jar from Amazon previously posted. These don’t go in the canal, they sit over your ear opening. I use them in the shop, in my coupe. Best I’ve found.According to the manufacturer reduces noise by 22 decibels
Love your RPU, admired it for while now !
They call them Pillow soft silicone putty earplugs.

 

Check out musician's ear plugs. Molded to your ear but have a little swappable plug for different dB reduction values. The plug is just a chunk of plastic with tiny holes drilled or molded in. The beauty is they do not change the tonal qualities of what you are hearing. Same sound waves just less amplitude getting through because of the small holes.

 

I've never had a cool roadster but I did have a Sunbeam Alpine for a bit. I don't like open cars, messes up my long hair, too windy, too noisy. I think I would rather have worn a motorcycle helmet if I were to take it for a long drive.

I never left the neighborhood on my motorcycle without a helmet even before it was illegal to do so. too much wind and noise in my face.

 

I have worn some 3m Peltor ear muffs and they were nice. I see they make some ears bud style also. Here is the link https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/v000153970/

 

I just visited an audiologist yesterday and the concensus was that I need hearing aids in both ears. She asked me if I was exposed to loud noise and I told her all the usual suspects: playing in bands the last 55 years, loud motorcycles, loud cars, loud concerts, and the crowning jewel, two years on an aircraft carrier signal bridge. (USS Midway)

 

Go to the VA. No cost to you. Just don’t say all the stuff after your service time….
You deserve them..

 

Have you also considered motorcycle baffles slipped into the headers to cut some of the exhaust noise?

 

Suggest checking out earbud/foam plug type available at gun shops, inexpensive, wife wore these in our Roadster, I use these shooting, though if I'm going to shoot a lot I use the headphone type. I grew around racing, raced myself for many years and we didn't start running mufflers until mid 80's, back then nobody I knew used any type of ear protection but we were wearing head socks and helmets, I believe my hearing is pretty good for an old timer, do not require hearing aids, surprising as all my cars had pipes, but mufflers of some type as IMO no mufflers is just too loud on a long cruise. A hard hitting race engine will make hair stand up. heart rate increase, a stock or mild engine with straight pipes is just annoying, your car, your deal and a Very Nice car it is, Enjoy ! One economical fix would be 100 mph tape over ears and would remove ear hair, a 2fer. LOL.

 

I use these on my bike. You can hear emergency vehicles, etc., But they do quiet exhaust and wind noise. if you have a cycle gear close they carry them.https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai...jx9_fw66z2AhVMJzQIHQiWAc8Q9aACegQIARBH&adurl=

 

Are you nuts? You are supose to wear out just like your roadster p/u. HAHAHHAhahah!!!!

 

And request VA disability for that hearing loss. You deserve that too! I don;t know if you are of home buying age but did you know that the VA waives their entire funding fee if you have any VA disability? That and get a stipend in the mail every month. That can save $12,000 real fast. And thank you for your service!

 

Noise cancelling would be the way to go as they wouldn't muffle out everything. The little foam jobbies that go in your ears drive be crazy after about 20 minutes. Make my ears start to hurt. I wear 3M bluetooth earmuff style hearing protection to mow my lawn and even that gets to bothering my ears after a couple hours (mowing my yard is a 3.5-3.75 hour job). It's like a pressure differential grows.

 

Wind in the ears is tiring. A knitted cap like twenty8 posted would help that.

2 years of fun already? That's great. Seems like it wasn't very long ago, the final details of your build were challenging you and you had to wait till the next spring for your maiden voyage.

Everybody's right. Your roadster looks great. And one good-looking Y block to boot.

 

Don't laugh...
But I use marble's, And You can carry them in your pocket an they don't get Funky like the foam one's