OK, lets face it, our cars a 10-20 years old and the interiors were built very cheaply by todays standards. My 87 rattle like a little bitch and the 88 convert is a little less but it still drives me NUTS. What have you people found to causes of squeeks, wind noise, road noise etc and how did you fix it. I am sick of this...take a ride in a newer car...hell my brothers 91 lumina with 130K on it did not have NEARLY as manny rattles in it.....like 1 or 2 suttle ones. It is really driving me nuts and i am going to sell the IROC convertible and get a 94-97 Z28 convertible.....

 

Welding in a SFC will help a lot. Unfortunatly Alston (the brand I have) has abandoned the ThirdGen market in favor of the 4th Gen's. Steve Spohn is supposed to have a version available soon. Kenny Brown sells a set that works for the 'verts as well. The problem with 99% of the SFC's is they are perimiter mounted, so they don't fit in the 'verts because of our sheet metal reinforcement that ASC mounted just behind the GFX. If you've lowered the car or installed polyurethane bushings in place of the more compliant stock rubber ones it only makes the situation worse. More of teh road vibrations are transmitted to the body rather than being absorbed by the softer springs, shocks and rubber mounts. Remove the interior screws and use trim adhesive on them and re-tighten. Dynamat on the body and inner door skins helps some to kill the resonance and vibrations. Also make sure there isn't anything loose in the jack storage area. I wrap all the items (jack, handle, etc.) in plastic bags and reattached them. The door handles and the rods that actuate the latch are also areas to look at. Good luck, Lon.

 

thanks, but does ne one know about rattle coming from the top itself? They are so loud a numerious.....the car is not bad with the top down....

 

Good question...I know I'm gonna need to restore my car and I have noticed the rattles but haven't really done anything yet.

 

I was going to mention this as well. It's the only one that really bugs me. But I don't drive that often with the top up. I still need to investigate and resolve this. I assume it to be caused by worn plastic bushings in the top mechanism combined with loose fastners. Lon

 

My "top-up" rattle was caused by that crap plastic piece over the driver's/passenger's head. I removed the screws and it shut up quite a bit.

I'll start tracing the other ones and removing each squeak one at at time.

 

In my case I can feel movement in the top frame just over my head while driving. I can grab hold of the top (Coincidently in the area you've described) and pull on the frame from above and the noise goes away for the most part. I just haven't investigated yet what is loose there yet. Be careful when tightening the frame bolts. A customer of mine found his frame had been tightened excessively to the point that it caused the "Flip Rods" to bend like horseshoes. He bought a new set from me and installed them only to discover the top was too tight. It needs some movement. If you'll notice the frame near the #1 bow (which latches to the windshield) will shrink inward as it is collapsed. In case you're wondering the "Flip Rods" are 3/16" heat-treated rods that attach from the frame to the #2 bow and flip it up as the top is lowered on 89-92 'verts. Good luck with chasing the rattles. Lon

 

thanks...ne one have any other ideas....like known rattles from below the car....i know my rear heat sheilds are tight....i just did a gas tank/rear end swap and i made sure to tightn down those suckers.

 

i don't have a vert but one time my shocks we not put in properly(long story) and i couldn't figure out what it was for the longest time till itook them off and put them back on myself...

 

On my convertable, the main rattle on the top is the plastic trim on the front part of the top. I have to retighten the screws up there occasionally to stop that. The other one is somewhere on the latch that holds the rear of the top down. Haven't really tried to stop that one yet.

The main fix for a rattley top: put the top down. I don't know about you, but I only drive the 'vert on nice days because I always want the top down.

 

yeah well unlike you, i have to drive the camaro, rain or shine.....altho i don't in the snow... ne way, yeah and it is just now starting to warm up....and i not sure a 10.5 hour trip going 75 will be too plesent.....i think i might want to top up some of the time...altho a 6 hour trip doing an avg or 60 was not too bad.....got a nice tan ....i am not joken....

 

I have the same problem, I went to the Chevy parts counter and sked about new plastic bushing things and they told me they don't have them and I would need to go to a Top shop to get them, although you can get the bolts for the tops from GM. Anybody finds anything else let me know. The vert is also a daily driver for me. I am planning on going to the top place and ask them some questions this weekend so if i get any info i'll let you guys know

Chris Valk
1991 Camaro RS 305 Convertible 700-R4
3.23 (zexel-torsen) Posi out of a ’99 Z, 4 wheel disk, S-10 Flush Center Caps, Flowmaster, KYB GR-2 Shocks, ’00 WS-6 Springs, Performance Suspension Poly-Graphite Bushings, !cat

1989 Camaro RS 305 T-top World Class T-5 (rebuilt)(all RPO Codes Match except wheels, taillights and grille) 3.73 Posi, Checkerboard Taillights, 87 Iroc Wheels, N64 Aluminum Spare, Iroc Sway Bar, Power everything Flowmaster w/ dual-dual tips, 3" exaust, 91 Z Grille

 

Some rattles I've found...

the rear plastic hatch panels,
the spare tire/jack not down all the way
the dashboard top loosening up

the "inner" weatherstrip along the door windows cracking apart from the inner door panel (vibrates when the windows down)

the window guides at the top of the door (with door panel off) loosening up, or not pressing against the window like they should (be careful adjusting these so you don't crack the window)

the little springs inside the outer door handles breaking off so the handle is "loose"

door panels rusting away at the bottom so the outer door skin and inner panel vibrate against each other instead of being "one" unit

there's an "X" formed by two steel rods in front of the radiator (from below the car), and a piece of hose should be placed where the two rods cross each other, so they don't rattle against each other (** BIG noise problem for my car! I gotta put a hose clamp on that piece of heater hose one of these days, but I always forget)

fender bolts and bumper cover bolts loosening up (especially by the hood latch)

license plates vibrating

Hopefully some of these help. I want to figure out how to tighten the dashboard against the firewall; sometimes if I hit a bump, I see the whole dash jump up. I hear that the dash might've been held on with fricition fittings from the factory, which loosen up- instead of bolts which can be tightened again, the fittings must be replaced or fabricated. So...

 

I found that fixing my door hinges on both of our T top cars seemed to solve a lot of rattle problems. The Spohn SFCs solved the rest.

 

my roommate describes my car as a "rattle trap" and I don't disagree with him.
how difficult was it to intall new door hinges? do it yourself or a shop? $?

thanks a lot!

 

Well, I only have a coupe, but I know that all of us have basically the same dash. Here is what you do. Take off your dash pad. There should be two speed clips on both sides of the car, where the dash actually bolts to the firewall. The speed clips are on "extended arms" that come out about 6" from firewall. There is one on the top, right by the vents, then one under the dash, behind the middle concealer panel next to dash. I found that the clips rattle really bad. If you take foam or dynamat or an insulator, stick some of that in there, those rattle really bad. Also, check the door lock rods and opening rods, they are held to the door by plastic holders, and very thin foam seperates them from rattling off the door. Take some dynamat or ice-water from home depot or menards for roofs and lay some on the door, under the rods. I also found that if your door is not properly aligned, you can have excess road noise. Other than this, I think everyone else covered it all.
Later

 

The following thread may help to some extent:

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=124084

JamesC

 

louder exhaust + louder stereo = less rattles:sillylol:

 

how much?