Early Car Door Wind Noise

RSBob · RSBob's Garage

Have an early car and the door wind noise below the A pillar, around the dash is driving me nuts over 50 MPH. Have new weather strips and bought a bag of useless plastic bits which are supposed to reduce wind noise. Since I am compulsive when it comes to rattles, and noise, its driving me out of my freakin mind. Turning up the radio or stepping on the go-pedal only work for so long.

Grazie

kokkelix · 05-29-2003, 11:10 PM

I've got exactly same problem. Noise on drivers side where A pillar and dash meet.

I hope that someone has got a solution for this.

LeRoux Strydom · 05-29-2003, 11:12 PM

Well, my SC also has the wind noise around the A-pillar. I fixed some grommets running mirror cables to the door (accessible from the trunk), replaced the door panel plastic lining, adjusted the door alignment a couple of times, all with no success. So I would also be grateful if someone can suggest another source of wind to look for that I can plug.

LeRoux

Jim Richards · 05-30-2003, 03:04 AM

Same problem on our 73E.

zymurgist · zymurgist's Garage

Starting to look like TADT (They All Do That). My '70 whistles unless I lower the windows.

zotman72 · 05-30-2003, 04:34 AM

I got the same problem on my '72T coupe. A recent 2.5K drive from Colorado to Monterey and back, it was driving us nuts. However, we did put a lot of double sticky tape foam along the edges of the door frame and upper roof line. This did help significantly but looked like hell. HTH.

Sunroof · 05-30-2003, 04:47 AM

Okay, I feel you pain.....

I took my 73.5T from Atlanta to St. Augustine recently and hauling butt down the interstate was like driving in a loud swirling vortex as noise goes. My wife had and idea and that was, she took several good old paper towels and rolled them up into a small cone shape (3 inches long) and jammed them in that little space between the pillar and dash.

My golly, like magic the sound went away! But, talk about ethetics? I do keep napkins onboard for such a contingency; however, I did cover the hole in the rear portion of the door (under) with duck tape as recommended ealier and it did manage to help. I also bought the so called "quiet kit" that consisted of several plugs, but the cost was not worth it. I believe the key is to find a way to plug that gap where the wind comes thru the door/body gap and desires to exit at that pillar/dash gap.

As crazy as it is, try that paper jam and if someone can design something more pleasing in appearance, I will be your first customer.

Regards
Bob
73.5T

True Brit · True Brit's Garage

Yep, same problem - 73'E. Had you noticed that when you press the door seal from the inside as you're going along (holding on to the steering wheel with the other hand, of course), it mostly goes away? I'd heard that you can get a small spacer which, I guess, fits just behind the seal and pushes it out slightly. I must admit I haven't tried this yet although it sounds logical.

zymurgist · zymurgist's Garage

The PO told me that all the rubber on my car is new. (Except the tires

) I still have a gap between the window frame and the rubber on the body. Granted, my passenger side door is ever so slightly misaligned, but I can see daylight in that gap on both sides. I was thinking a quick and dirty fix might be to buy some sticky backed felt strips and put them on the window frames. The only problem with that is that quick and dirty fixes have a way of sticking around for a long long time, and I'd rather fix it properly.

gregk1 · 05-30-2003, 06:28 AM

My 66 does it also it rattles to, but doesn't leak to bad, It's just the way it is when things are OLD you know Like lower back pain, I would try to work on the compulsive part of the problem and it should be fine

JTO · 05-30-2003, 07:41 AM

I have these plastic wedges Lynn is talking about on my car. They have been around for years. According to my friend, Scott Clarke who posts here often, my car is a lot quieter with the wedges than his without.

My $0.02.

Troy

RoninLB · 05-30-2003, 08:05 AM

the window frame is somewhat adjustable.. the window is the determining factor for how much play you have to play with ........Ron

zymurgist · zymurgist's Garage

That's cool! I was wondering if there was any adjustment possible since there are screws in the door jamb that appear to hold the window frame in place.

I guess to really do it right, one would have to remove the upholstery panel from the door in case the window needs to be moved far enough to make the frame fit tightly. Correct?

RoninLB · 05-30-2003, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by zymurgist
one would have to remove the upholstery panel from the door in case the window needs to be moved far enough to make the frame fit tightly. Correct?

remove the door panel.. I think one of the frame adjusting screws is on the top door ledge.. been awhile.. I also think there are 2 more screws... the window is kinda fixed.. I never tried shimming the window.. so you gotta figure that the window must move freely in the frame track.. you don't have a lot of adjustment, maybe 3/8 at the top of frame from full in to full out.. and still keeping the window free to move.......Ron

zymurgist · zymurgist's Garage

Right... the window frame can't move much without causing the window to bind... but I was wondering if the window regulator mechanism provides for in/out adjustment of the window itself. I would assume that you loosen the window regulator to allow more freedom of movement for the window, adjust the frame so it seals properly, and then adjust the regulator so the window moves freely up and down the frame.

I've done similar adjustments on my '77 Corvette, where glass alignment is essential since there are no window frames... but I've never been inside the doors of my 911 as yet. (And like most body work, I imagine that it is a royal PITA!)

Evans, Marv · 05-30-2003, 11:38 AM

A long time ago, I read another thread about this. My '72 made the same noise. In the thread I read, somebody said they had located some 3/4 inch round rubber seal material and replaced the stock seal with that - and it completely took care of the problem. I looked for it for a long time in several places (Pomona swap meet & others included), but never located any. Maybe if somebody could locate some & try it, they could let us know how it works & where to get it.

zymurgist · zymurgist's Garage

That sounds like it should work.

I'd like to try to make it work with the rubber that's on the car... the paint job is about 5 years old and all the rubber was replaced at that time. I don't know where he bought his rubber... if he didn't buy it from Pelican, maybe I'd be better off with the 3/4 inch round seal...

RoninLB · 05-30-2003, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zymurgist

, and then adjust the regulator so the window moves freely up and down the frame.
I imagine that it is a royal PITA!)

I never had to adjust the regulator.. so I guess it could be shimmed, because it's direct bolt on.. so that would bring the window top closer to the roof..

it's not a big deal doing the frame adjustment.. once the panel is off it's a wham bang.........Ron

Halm · 05-30-2003, 02:11 PM

Or just get a Targa and then there is so much wind noise you have no idea where any of it is coming from.

Tinker · 05-30-2003, 05:31 PM

The later cars use a second seal that attached to the shell around the front and top portion of the window frame. These were missing from my car after a repaint and it was noisy. Noticeable difference after I added them. Still a slight noise. I imagine you could add them to an early car. They attach with tiny stainless screws.

All else fails......get a better stereo and play it loud at speed.

Tinker