ok so i'm driving the car for like the first time in two weeks
sort of cold out w/rain and all

so i have the heat / defogger on med
everything is working fine
then for some reason i put the window down
and WOW talk about a racket **** you could
hear it over the exhaust and radio

clicking rattling etc........

any idea's

My guess is that something is loose. I know that is pretty vague, but it can be a number of things. I have a rattleing in my door when the window is fully rolled up.

Do you have power windows?

I think the gears in the motor may be stripped.

Check for a rattling heat shield, exhaust about to fall off, etc....

ok thats cool and i hope that's all it is is somthing lose....... BUT
i mean over the radio & exhaust (dynomax super turbo) while in traffic going 50..... it just sounds like hell

i will have to play with it tonight after work

yes i have power windows but they work just fine a biit slow but...
the exhaust is about 1 month old
heat shield is on tight we checked it out a few weeks ago b/c of another sound that was from inside the new cat......

i only get the noise when the heater is on!??????

Check for a bad bearing in the AC compressor and in the heater blower motor. My 85 had that problem -- had a bad bearing in the compressor. Wouldn't hear it as much when the heat was off. Check out the "clicking noise" thread. The method I describe in there helped me diagnose what was bad.

Ugh...you can say that again about the noisy compressor. Mine isn't very loud, but it vibrates quite a bit, makes a nasty hum, and sucks what feels like about 15 horsepower. It takes 3/4 throttle to do a normal acceleration..not even remotely fast. Isn't too loud though..just makes a funny hum noise and you can hear there's something wrong with the engine tone.

ok thanks guy's as always you've pointed in the right direction
i'll keep ya posted
thanks again

well we only need the compressor for a/c right? so now that its winter, what would happen if you disconnect the connetor from it? will that stop it from going on? Or only plug that in when you want a/c?

The compressor is used for A/C AND the defroster.

As far as the rattling, it's very possible that the compressor is making the racket. It also could be the belt tensioner. Sometimes with the a/c on, the tensioner will "bottom out" and click at idle.

Ever forgot to put that bracket back on that holds the belt tensioner to the alternator? I did.... THUNK, SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLL SCREEEEEEECCCHHHH!! I thought my belt was melting.....