ps374

I just read and old article on the 1984 Corvette road test. Two 1984's one a Z51 car and another a regular standard suspension were both driven on regular roads for a extended road test. I know there have been many posts on this issue on the forum and from the ones I read some C4 owners deny that squeeks or rattles were ever and issue. It also appears Chevrolet had a whole service manuel on how to remove rattles and squeeks for dealers to use for early Corvettes. The reason i pose this question is the authors of car and drive claim these cars which were new rattled and squeeked from the factory. Many of the posts I have read claim 96 C4s are rattle and squeek free. So I must assume Chevrolet took care of those issues through the years. But was the early C4s rattle traps straight from the factory reguardless of there $25,000 plus price tag? My 84 has squeeked since day one but i bought it used. Has anyone owned one of these Early C4s new and did they squeek and rattle over bumps?

tunedport85inject

i think you know that the Z51 84 suspension rate was the stiffer ever made by GM.In fact the next production year it was slowed by 50%,i 'm saying 50%!!.This means that an harsh ,rough attitude of the car over bumps was a DNA condition.Next you have to agree with me that even in new factory condition most of interior parts were pouarly designed from the factory.Quality of material and design of assembly were not a "must" and for sure not world class,as a sport car like this deserved.Mine is a 85 Z51 and even after new bilsteins,new tires,she still rattles and squeaks.You can hear windows rattle (and cushions are new),you can hear the locks rods inside door pannel rattle,you can hear the clamshell hood rattle over ps lock,dash assembly rattle over bumps,plastic trim rattle ,even my leafsprings when the car is cold squeak over bumps.Can you bring a car like this to an Audi A4 2014 interior quiet class?yes ,drop 100 labor hours into your garage,have total interior dismantled,make a full dynamat floor pan ,doors ,rear cargo job.fix every single plastic pannel and trim with adesive foam stripes behind,take care of door loocks rods,cuz they lost their clips and rattle full time (put foam between door and rods where they run...and probably you end up...with minor rattle and squeaks...from 94 interior design gained a level of quality acceptable interm of insulation and noise reduction.

abdo

I bought my '86 coupe new and I don't recall having a problem with squeaks or rattles. Over the years some squeaks would develop primarily with the targa top. I applied some silicon grease to the weatherstrip and to the front posts of the targa and it is quiet now. The rattles are probably common to most Corvettes other than the new ones.

MavsAK

I think it also depends if you have a clear or solid top.
Neither of my clear tops were quiet beasts by any stretch of the imagination.

My fiberglass top on the other hand, is quiet. The car sounds much more solid now than it did before buying the fiberglass top. Now I have some new rattles in the trunk area that I notice for the first time... but that's more cheaply fixed with some velcro, foam and new screws....

abdo

I believe you are right about the solid verses clear targa top. I now wish I had ordered the solid top for my red '86. The appearance is better.

Also, in thinking about the first years I owned the car, I remember the rear spring also squeaked for awhile. After a year or two, the squeak went away. The driver's window also rattled a little when it was down. I put in new "cushions" in the door and that took care of it.

pezter22

I have a '84 Z51 manual car and much of the squeaks and rattles came from previous owners not replacing screws after installing a custom stereo. Once I removed the old stereo and replaced all the missing interior screws I had no interior creaks or moans.

Ugh, I did find lots of drywall screws. Now replaced.

mrmmoore

The only issues I am currently experiencing is a squeak behind the dash pad someplace and I think the rear hatch glass latch.

On a lighter note, no rattles, except when I have to drive some rough road, then its my back with the z51 suspension.

GREGGPENN

I'm not sure you can hit A4 quiet, buy you can affect serious improvement. I've gone the 100hr dismantle/reassemble route. Since then, I drove a 55k mile 96 that had been babied according to the owner. I thought mine was light-years better in terms of solid/quiet appeal. (And, that's allowing for my sidepipes!)

As such, I'm not sure I can say any C4 left in terms of "acceptable insulation and noise reduction". But, all you have to do to appreciate a C4 is get in a C3. In fact, that's exactly how I ended up buying a C4 after originally wanting (and looking at) a C3!

tunedport85inject

When i jump into my dayly driver 98' Alfa Romeo Spyder it seems the car has no engine, and litteraly fluctuate over street cuz of state of the art interior Momo and insulation even after 16 years and 110k miles...but i'm sure not all c4's act the same way in terms of noises , lots of car were really abused and got lots of bubba fixes

Churchkey

Your driving a raw "sports" car, get used to it or get a Lexus, maybe a C6 they are "refined".

My 4x4 Super Duty is quieter @ 80 mph than either of the C4's I have owned.

The 99 FRC had less insulation & noisy run flats = felt like I was in a steel drum when driving it.

My quick fix for any year Vette noise issue = Run the windows down, adjust the radio volume, mash the throttle & enjoy the ride in your Corvette. Its not boring, it has personality.

tunedport85inject

I agree a good song and volume fix all noises....

QCVette

The early cars were prone to buzz/squeeks/rattles. Even at the assembly plant it was a known issue. They actually made an internal manual to address the issues in the plant.

namvette69

When I first got my 87 (used) it did have squeaks and rattles. It was mostly just loose screws in the interior.

jgalfo

Wow that's good to know. now I appreciate my car a little more since the squeaks and raddles are tolerable and just occur when going over sharp bumps.

John

Paul Workman

IIRC, I believe I read (probably in one of my coffee table books) about an engineering manager who came over to Corvette from Cadillac. The story goes that he focused on such issues - making the 94+ Corvettes much more solid and squeak free.

The same might have been applied to the ZR-1s as well, beginning in 1990 MY. Oh, the top started to squeak a little, but I tightened up the bolts and that ended that. So... I dunno. I've never experienced the problem, and this is my 12th year of driving one. Now the 69 C3 my wife has...is another issue.

GILSWHO

I'm an original owner of a late manufactured (1 of last 500 made) 1984 base suspension. Rough roads like those found in the northeast caused rattles & squeaks. With the targa top off, there was cowl shake and rattles. Roof on it was fine. I used to tighten all suspension points every 6 months or so when i first got it. I still have the vette and it still the same, maybe less, but it's been 30 years and 67000 miles.