squeak

[Jon Hile]

My 84 Targa has developed the most annoying squeak. Sounds a little like keys clinking together (but that would be far too easy). Seems to be most evident when driving at residential speeds (<35 MPH) and when the car bounces on small road bumps.
It sounds interior and somewhere in the back seat area. I've gone through and tightened/checked everything I can find and all to no avail. I know rattles and squeaks are just part of the deal (I've owned this car for eight years) but this one is really TOO much.
I've also checked the shocks (by bouncing up and down on the door threshold), no squeak. I've checked the engine compartment, again, nothing loose, no squeaks. I've even removed both seat and re-tightened the allen screws on the runners. (Also checking for anything loose under there...)
Got any other ideas? HELP! I'm going out of my mind here...

[vash]

ya gotta let someone else drive the car while you are moving around listening and pushing on things. i suggest a parking lot to do this with, safety first. i have a crazy squeak too. but that will have to wait...

[azasadny]

My car squeaks, then just when it's driven me nuts and I decide to find the squeak, it stops. After a week or so, it starts back up again. I guess it's not bad for a 30 year old car, my 2 year old Ford Taurus squeaks worse....

[geof33]

Three things, check the contact area of the back deck to the window. Chack your rear speakers, for tightness (these always work loose). And it might be your top. Mine has a rattle/squeak that is the burlap cross piece vibrating inside the top. Not much can be done about this without a tear down of the top. When your driving, press up on the top in the rear sections and I bet this gets it...

One other thing is the rear clips might need a lube/adjustment sometimes they can squeak as well.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by Jon Hile
My 84 Targa has developed the most annoying squeak. Sounds a little like keys clinking together ...SNIP

Like keys clinking together? (tinkle)

It's not LOUD enough!!

[Jon Hile]

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll be checking the targa top clips and the back interior deck.

[steve911]

It might be the targa pins themselves holding the top into the targa bar. Lube them with a non-greasy silicon lubricant - I got mine from NAPA, though the exact name escapes me at the moment.

[Jon Hile]

Finally isolated that annoying squeak. It turned out to be a couple of the seat springs in the driver's seat.

Over time, the plastic wrapping that slips over the hooked end of the spring (attaching to the seat frame) had worn through. The result was some metal on metal contact.

I removed the seat and gently worked the leather up, removing the metal clips as I went. Slipped the springs off their holder and removed the worn plastic casing. Took some 1/8" heat shrink tubing and shrink-fitted to the spring hooked end and put it all back together.

Problem solved, no more squeak and I learned A LOT about how the seats coverings are installed. Should come in handy if ever I choose to recover them.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions everyone! (Some of the posts on leather seat recovering were invaluable.)