has anyone bought/installed the hood insulation/sound deadener fot the 1.8t? does it reduce the noise significantly? would it lead to overheating in the summer?($80 for the insulation and fasteners at clair parts)<br>

If you want to make your engine run warmer, get it.<br>It does get very Hot in the 1.8T even a non-chipped one.

I would recommend installing the hood insulation. Note that the primary element that is "insulated" is noise, not heat. If this were such a bad thing, Audi wouldn't have included it on the '99 1.8T's. I ordered the insulation and connectors through the dealer for less than $80 and installed it in less than 10 minutes. I've noticed that it cuts out most of the unwanted, high pitched "noise" while allowing the attractive engine growl to come through. It is subtle, but noticable. I would recommend it.<p>Wesley Walls<br>'98 1.8TMS

My friend retrofitted it to his 1.8t, but i decided not to. The car isn't that loud to begin with, so I don't need it to quite my car. And, with the insulation in place, it makes it harder for heat to radiate off of the engine.<p>Christian J. Long

Yeah, but what about the paint? Mine is Red hibiscous and it seems that the hood area is really affected, especially when you get mud that flash-dries when it hits the hood. Any thoughts???