C4 weaknesses
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 6,715
Likes: 2
From: Santa Teresa New Mexico
That might work in Arizona but in Mn they all still rust, the imports just rust faster.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,971
Likes: 9
From: The reason time exists is so everything doesn't happen at once
Most C1's and C2's have been restored and aren't driven enough anymore to develope squeaks and rattles.
The colder it gets the more squeaks and rattle I get form both my 69 and my 93. As the car and/or the weather warms up the noises go away.
The colder it gets the more squeaks and rattle I get form both my 69 and my 93. As the car and/or the weather warms up the noises go away.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,011
Likes: 0
From: Texarkana TX
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,443
Likes: 4
From: Grand Rapids Mi
I've had a few cars that don't rattle eg. Mercedes, Lexus, Acura great for wife just not real fun to drive? 
For that my C-4's are hard to beat!! That is one of hangups on going to C-5 or C-6 just don't have that rough edge that I still like in a "Sports Car" 
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
The C4 is a sports car.... with a tight suspension designed to handle corners with a lot of lateral force. Most of the cars you think of as not rattling aren't designed for this. That's the diff.
When a vette was new, it wouldn't have squeaked or no one would have bought one. You just need to keep up with the squeaks as they occur before they're all around. As my other cars age, they get squeaks too. No biggy.
When a vette was new, it wouldn't have squeaked or no one would have bought one. You just need to keep up with the squeaks as they occur before they're all around. As my other cars age, they get squeaks too. No biggy.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,194
Likes: 27
From: Monroe Twp, NJ
I think from what Im reading a lot of the Corvettes problem are related to the fiberglass body. I have owned four Saturns Two trucks and two cars and they are squeekie little bombs. As the weather gets colder they are noiser. I admit my 06 has come lightyears ahead of the older onces but they are all plastic (ploymer) and they were all noisey.Guess thats partly why the new Aura, Outlook and Sky are all metal. The Corvette however has a much stiffer suspension than any Saturn and that of course is a recipie for noise disaster.Its comforting however to know my Corvette is nornmal and that Im not driving a car past owners abused to no end.
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Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: Portsmouth NH
My '94 is a lot tighter than my '72. The '72 had T roofs and they always made a squeak noise. My 94 is pretty quiet on the highway but will make some noise on rough roads. Like someone else said, I installed flowmasters and they hide a lot of other noises
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Instructor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 125
Likes: 1
From: Tarpley Texas
My squeaks move and change sound depending on temp and speed in my 92 Coupe. On the open interstate she is squeak free.... I make it a game to see if I can find them, the kids think she is talking to me. And if all else fails and I really need a squeak free day, the Bose volume **** is handy and well known to distract you from the squeaks and road noise....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,564
Likes: 950
From: Communist Colorado
Heres a few weaknesses for the 4th generation:
All TBI engines are weak @ 205hp
Digital dashes
loose tilt columns
headlight gears
weatherstripping
4+3
windshield delam(ZR1)
fuel injector failure (early ZR1)
sunvisors floppy & lights quit in the vanity mirror
plastic panels bust through where screws fasten
hatch shocks
wheel bearing assemblies
clearcoat problems
Bose speaker amps & head units suck
door hinge spring breaks
power antennas
power seat motors & bladders
thats enough for now......
All TBI engines are weak @ 205hp
Digital dashes
loose tilt columns
headlight gears
weatherstripping
4+3
windshield delam(ZR1)
fuel injector failure (early ZR1)
sunvisors floppy & lights quit in the vanity mirror
plastic panels bust through where screws fasten
hatch shocks
wheel bearing assemblies
clearcoat problems
Bose speaker amps & head units suck
door hinge spring breaks
power antennas
power seat motors & bladders
thats enough for now......
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 859
Likes: 8
Every C4 I've ever owned has squeaked and rattled to no end. But it's never bothered me because A) I have a loud exhaust which drowns out the sound of the rattles and B) I usually have the radio turned up to the point where it would be impossible to hear the squeaks and rattles.
Usually the people who complain about the rattles are the same people who complain about how hard it is to get into a C4 and how the interior is not luxurious enough. In my opinion, those people shouldn't even be driving Corvettes in the first place, maybe they should buy a Cadillac and see how much they like that. Personally, there's no car I'd rather drive than a Corvette, and I really wouldn't change anything about a
C4. Everyday I get to drive my C4 is a great day in my book.
Usually the people who complain about the rattles are the same people who complain about how hard it is to get into a C4 and how the interior is not luxurious enough. In my opinion, those people shouldn't even be driving Corvettes in the first place, maybe they should buy a Cadillac and see how much they like that. Personally, there's no car I'd rather drive than a Corvette, and I really wouldn't change anything about a
C4. Everyday I get to drive my C4 is a great day in my book.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,017
Likes: 634
St. Jude Donor '10
IMHO the biggest weakness is the frame. Just think how a C4 would perform with the hydroformed frame like the C5 has!
Funny thing about rattles. My 198k mile 85 didn't have any when I sold it! Honest. If it developed on I found it and fixed it, that only happened a couple of times in 8-9 years. The hood squeaked until the car warmed up when the temps were below 30 but other than that she was tight. My 40k mile 88 b2k didn't have any either. The astro top squeaked but I replaced it.
Funny thing about rattles. My 198k mile 85 didn't have any when I sold it! Honest. If it developed on I found it and fixed it, that only happened a couple of times in 8-9 years. The hood squeaked until the car warmed up when the temps were below 30 but other than that she was tight. My 40k mile 88 b2k didn't have any either. The astro top squeaked but I replaced it.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 4
From: Mt Laurel NJ
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
I have been reading a lot about C4 Corvettes being prone to squeeks and rattles in various articles and books. Most contribute it to the stiff suspension on the C4 design.I can attest mine has plenty, but I thought it was just my high milage Corvette. I rarely however read about C1 and C2s having that problem, the complant there is usally water leaks.Is the C4 the most squeekie Corvette ever built? Some owners on this forum claim their C4s are quiet as a mouse???, I dont get that because even when these cars were new from what I read complaints were flooding into Chevrolet from new Corvette owners that the cars were to noisey and rode horrible.
Randy
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 9,933
Likes: 103
From: Peoria Arizona.. Resident Gold Cylon
re:squeaks and rattles
Several years ago I was riding with my bro,Micky Davis, in his 96 LT4 CE. He turned to me and said:"Hear the squeeks and rattles? I love every f%#king one of em." Mick had the right idea. If you are looking for a super quiet car buy a Buick,or Caddie, or one of them *** thinges.
Just put a B&B exhaust system on it. You will never hear those squeaks and rattles again.
Goldcylon
