I just got a '82 CE and drove it for the first time. Love the car but not all the rattles. I thought it might be the hatch glass. I tightened the adjusters and the glass seems pretty solid. Is there something else that rattles a lot on these cars? Any help is appreciated.
On a funny side note when the car was delivered I searched in the glove box, console, dash and drivers door for the button to open the hatch. When I finally put the drivers seat down to get the box out of the back I finally saw the release lever. I got a good laugh out of it.

 

I really don't want my comment to be taken as coldly as it sounds, but the fact of the matter is this: You purchased a 34 year old car.

You cannot strike any sort of relationship between this car and a modern car.

Think about what a dreamy ride the 1982 was when it was new? Back then, perhaps you'd purchase an "old car" as a project. Reaching back 34 years, you'd be looking at a few real gems: The 1948 Nash Super 6. A nice 1948 Hudson with "step down" floorpan. Or maybe a 1948 Chevy Fleetmaster.

My point is that you can't make ANY comparison relative to power or comfort between a 1948 and a 1982, just like you can't make ANY comparison relative to power or comfort between a 1982 and today's vehicles.

I'm sure through tinkering with it, if they bother you that much, you could probably eradicate a lot of the rattles. You could also replace all the dry-rotted seals and MAYBE make it relatively weather-tight and perhaps, to a lesser degree, sound-tight. It will never be as air-tight as today's vehicles.

Enjoy it for what it is and you'll love it. Want it to be comparable in noise and comfort to your 2014 Honda Accord and you'll be sorely disappointed.

Or you could go my route: Install an INSANE big-cam engine and LOUD sidepipes. Now you don't have to worry about rattles! (or a radio).

 

Loose interior panels make squeaking noises and the speakers will rattle if they loosen up. Since your car is new to you, check the storage compartment on the passenger side. Make sure the Jack is secured and the anti rattle rubber bumpers are in place.
You need someone else to drive the car while you climb around hunting down areas where noise is detected. Just coming on the forum saying you got rattles is a very very very open question. Anything and everything can rattle or squeak ....

 

Mr. Hugie82's comments are on point. I really don't want to be a splash of cold water. Congrats on the purchase and I hope it is everything you want it to be. They are VERY fun cars and this is a VERY fun community. I am VERY happy I own my rustbucket.

One by one, I'm sure you'll fix the things that bother you.

Just enjoy the car along the way, is all.

 

I had rattles for years and still do to some extent, but using Dynamat has significantly reduced them. It is not a quick job since you have to pull all of the interior out (I didn't pull the dash), get the Dynamat down, and then put it all back together. I did mine a little at a time and the biggest difference was putting the Dynamat in the doors and adjusting the anti-rattle pads for the windows, so if you do it I'd start there. As someone said above, enjoy it along the way, that's why I did a little at a time so I didn't have the car torn up for weeks or months at a time. The stuff isn't cheap, but it does make a difference.

 

Concerning the tires, how old are they and what do you have the cold tire pressure set for. If the tires are more than 10 years old the rubber will harden. If you set the cold tire pressure to the number on the sticker and that number happens to be 35 psi it will ride hard, try 33 psi.

 

I know it's a 34 year old car. I also have a "69 GTO. No rattles in the GTO. I was just wondering if anyone knew of common rattle areas on these cars. It is a 30,000 mile all original car. All weatherstripping is in great shape. No offense taken by the way. I had a '80 I bought new and remember it well. I will check the jack and speakers as it sounds like it is in the back. Thanks. I will enjoy it rattles and all.

 

Don't give in - I've methodically eliminated 90% of the rattles in my '82. Believe it or not, most of them emanated from the interior trim where hard plastic meets hard plastic, mainly from the doors, up. I unscrewed every trim piece, and discretely inserted a piece of insulating tape (I.e. electrical tape) where it would rub, both, plastic-on-plastic (hey, old plastic gets hard and less forgiving in a flexing environment), and plastic on steel (i.e. windshield surrounds). I found that simply tightening didn't always work.

You can get rid of the typical door-closing rattle by removing the door panels and properly positioning the foam insulating blocks. I fabricated my own with household packing foam

When you replace your carpet (and the original carpet insulation that is the source of much of the vintage car smell), you absolutely need to install the hushmat, or equivalent knock-off because you won't believe the positive effect on NVH reduction.

The rest of it is isolating and insulating/tightening. It takes time, and cold weather certainly brings out the worst. It will never be the same as a modern car, but pretty good.

 

Some pretty good comments about rattles in a C3 above^

The C3 frame, contrary to what some people think, is not very stiff, especially by today's standards...it will flex a lot going down the road. The problem is not that the frame is not beefy enough (it is very heavy, essentially a truck like frame) but the fiberglass body offers no vertical support...it cant being fiberglass. On my 78, the biggest advance by far for the least dollars that I have done over the past 32 years, to improve the ride and handling, was to install a front spreader bar between the 2 front upper control arms AND as a by product, the whole car is MUCH quieter now in terms of squeaks and rattles since the spreader bar helps prevent chassis flex. I also installed behind the seats under the vertical trim piece covering the top seat belt mountings on each side a steel tube with heim joints on each end that connects the upper seat belt mounting to the seat bolt mounting in the floor (and frame), tying the birdcage tighter to the frame it sits on...Hard to explain but this mod too helped eliminate squeaks and is unseen to the observer.

The rod is essentially the rod shown hear in the shark bar kit (which BTW would greatly help with rattles in a C3 since anything you can do to stiffen the frame will eliminate rattles):

http://www.vetteworksonline.net/cata...products_id=20

 

Tires are new. I did dynomat everywhere on my GTO, my Trans Am and a '69 Firebird I built for my brother. It is pricey but was worth it. This car is like new inside and want to keep it as original as I can. This one rattle is loud and sounds like something is loose and hitting something when on rough roads which is all roads by my house. Checked the speakers and Jack, wasn't it. I will find it. Sounds like it is right behind drivers seat. Battery hold down is missing so maybe it is that. Spreader bar sounds interesting. I will check on that. Love the car other than that one loud rattle. I'll post what I found when I find it as it might help someone else.

 

That's an interesting idea, got any pix?

 

They rattle much less with the tops off and the windows down.

 

This could be the snubber bushing at the front mounting point of your differential. I had to replace it on my '79 and it also made a difference. This was years before I did the Dynamat.

 

I would like to see this too - I'm interested in this mod, but not in the entire shark bar kit. Any pictures?

 

I did not take pictures of the bar connecting the seat belt mounting point up high to the floor and I would have to partially disassemble the interior trim piece to do so but it is like the rod with the heim joint in the link above in the sharkbar link...

 

Thanks, I'll take mine apart and figure out what you did.

 

Make sure the spare tire tub is tightened up but before you do that, take it down to check your spare for condition and air then see if there is anything else rattling around in it. I have seen people throw everything in there from the jack and lug wrench to tools and rags....

 

I'd bet you a cold Pepsi that it's unrelated to the battery unless you've already noticed it shifting abnormally. Mine was sitting loose as well when I bought it without noise issues. So, it could be in the hatch release mechanisms (you're a lucky dog in that feature department - just saying that I'm envious); or, it could be a spare tire carrier related issue, an exhaust mounting/alignment issue due to a brush with a steep driveway/curb, or a top shock mount/flattened grommet - especially if they are original-ish shocks. Things like that may have been put off due to the low mileage.
My car only had 42,000 miles when I bought it three years ago from the wonderful couple who originally purchased and always garaged it - but, it still felt like a lot of things required replacement or rehabilitating purely due to age (door seals, pinion seals, fuel pump, 22 yr. old/hard tires with 3/4 of their tread life remaining, et al.
The C3 is one of the most stylingist cars on the road and in a class all their own (and with enthusiasts in the same upper sphere), but it does come at a cost for that style and svante guard technology.

 

FOUND IT. I can not believe this made that much noise but this was very loud. I opened the hatch and tapped along the black plastic piece that goes around the back above the sun shade. On the drivers side it made a loud noise and nothing on the other side. Pulled it loose and put in some weather strip, reinstalled and no more noise. Drove car and now there is very minor plastic noise that I can't even hear with the radio on.
I really didn't think it was the battery but noise sounded like it came from that direction.
I will be checking out everything underneath soon. Everything on it is original except for tires, brake calipers and pads, belts, power antenna and valve cover gaskets. I think I will change the hoses for piece of mind.
Plenty of cold Pepsi in my fridge, come on over and have your choice or regular or cherry. Now if they would hurry up and get my garage/ workshop built.
Thanks everyone for the ideas.

 

Interesting... my '82 has a loud rattle from behind the driver's seat when I hit low RPMs under load. I thought it might be the compartment lid(s), but it does sound like it's higher up on the body than that. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be exactly the same thing you found. Thanks for posting this!