New 911 owner with some pics and a question

[500_19B]

Happily I have been able to add an '85 Carrera to my '87 944S and it looks to be a very strong, solid and original car. It is not perfect, with some cosmetic issues (most notably the warped leather dash - which I know will be expensive to rectify) but is otherwise very good. The paint is original and in pretty good shape, the underside is very clean, the engine strong, smooth and quiet (no valve racket) and even the 915 seems to shift pretty reasonably. I drove the car home last night and loved the throttle response. It will take a while to get smooth though, this is a very different feeling car.

The one item that I have not been able to get an answer to (from my searching) is how quiet are the interiors (in terms of squeaks and noises)? When I go over sharp pavement imperfections, I get some sounds as though not everything is screwed down tightly... A sort of slightly loose sound. It is not horrible, but I wonder what impressions other coupe owners have?

Thanks!!

Now for some pics (its Prussian blue with cork leather):

[Rot 911]

My '86 coupe has zero squeaks or rattles with 146,000 miles on it. People are amazed at how rattle/squeak free it is.

[esample]

Congrats on your new obsession. That's a very nice color combo. I really like the cork interior. My '86 is very rattle-free and the only squeaks I currently hear are from the soon-to-be-replaced sway bar bushings.

-e.

[KFC911]

What Kurt said...mine is remarkably tight and quiet with no rattles or squeaks whatsoever (after I located and removed the broken window regulator piece rolling around in my driver's side door ) some time ago.

[Mr.Puff]

My '84 Targa is a squeakfest. I have solid mounts though .

[gtihop]

Originally Posted by Mr.Puff

My '84 Targa is a squeakfest. I have solid mounts though .

same here, especially with the targa roof on!!!

[hcoles]

I really like the color combination.. after you get used to the car for awhile...you can start tracking down the squeeks... or get a louder muffler.

[Barrpete]

My windows rattle. From what I've gleaned from other posts there are some parts that should hold the windows that often fail. One day I will rip into it, but for now it's really not that bad.

[oregonmon]

Squeak free here too. Great sport seats and love the cork. I would like to put a leather shifter boot on my car too instead of the funky accordion rubber thing.

[wolf]

nice car. great interior.

[stevemfr]

Originally Posted by amjf088

When I go over sharp pavement imperfections, I get some sounds as though not everything is screwed down tightly... A sort of slightly loose sound.

That's probably exactly what you have - slightly loose pieces. There's no easy answer, you'll have to chase them down. It's one of the reasons I let very few people touch my cars. When things are taken apart, they need to be put back together exactly the way they were i.e. all the original screws in the correct places, etc. If the factory put a wire tie on a loom somewhere, its generally not over-engineered but belongs that way to keep the loom from slapping as you tool down the road. In my experience from working in several different shops, a lot of techs are too lazy/don't care/believe they know better. Good luck - nice car!

[Zef]

I love this color combo. Welcome and have fun.

[easelboy1]

Occaisional squeaks on my Coupe. My Targa like other folks posting is indeed a squeak-o-rama (but darn it is fun to drive!).

Just pick and chose your battles!

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Barrpete

My windows rattle. From what I've gleaned from other posts there are some parts that should hold the windows that often fail. One day I will rip into it, but for now it's really not that bad.

Do a search on broken window regulator when you do...here's a thread about my "door rattle" from a few years back. Lot's of threads discussing it as it seems to be a very common occurance.

Can someone identify this window/door part?

[WPOZZZ]

Those sport seats are hot!

[500_19B]

Originally Posted by stevemfr

That's probably exactly what you have - slightly loose pieces. There's no easy answer, you'll have to chase them down. It's one of the reasons I let very few people touch my cars. When things are taken apart, they need to be put back together exactly the way they were i.e. all the original screws in the correct places, etc. If the factory put a wire tie on a loom somewhere, its generally not over-engineered but belongs that way to keep the loom from slapping as you tool down the road. In my experience from working in several different shops, a lot of techs are too lazy/don't care/believe they know better. Good luck - nice car!

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I think you are right Steve, last night I identified a couple of loose items (pretty easily) that were related to the sound system (aftermarket). I will just disassemble everything one part at a time and re-assemble properly - starting with the doors (good tips on the windows too, KC911 and Barrpete). I have been working on an extensive 944 project for a few years now in which I disassembled everything down the tub and am now rebuilding, so with the help of my new Bentley's manual, I should be able to set the Carrera straight.

Thanks to the replies here, at least I now know that the cars (especially the coupes) are supposed to be normally tight and quiet (except for the engine of course, but that is how I like it!!)

Great forum BTW

The previous pictures were from the seller, here is the new (to me) dream machine in my driveway:

[FastCarFan]

Congrats on the new car & welcome to the best info source you could ever imagine.

As for squeaks/rattles, my '88 coupe (with about 55,000 miles) has literally 1 rattle. The wiper stalk rattles if I don't hold on to it -- it will be fixed soon. Other than that, it is amazingly free of squeaks/rattles.

Oh, I did think of 1 squeak that occasionally makes itself heard. At cooler temperatures (below 50 degrees, I think), the front torsion bar (or something in the front suspension) squeaks a bit when going over bumps. But it is completely temperature sensitive & I don't hear it 90% of the time I drive the car.

[gerrygug]

Welcome and enjoy your new ride.
What was the purchase price? I am interested as I have an 84 I may want to sell.

[rusnak]

Nice color combination. I would paint those anodized center caps and replace the lug nuts though.

My '84 feels solid and makes no squeaks whatsoever.

Typical sources of squeaks: Solution:
door panel screws, esp. top cap panel: tighten
dash knee pad screws under dash: tighten
rear interior screws: tighten
seat belt mounting bolts: tighten
center console and controls: remove console, tighten to floor with new hardware
front a-arms and torsion bars: replace a-arms or replace a arm bushings
radio: remove, replace with proper support bracket
front hood latch: grease front hood latch and hood catch
door latch: grease door latches
front hood light switch: small amount of grease on the light actuating lever
mirrors, esp after repaint or bodywork: tighten

[Paulporsche]

Welcome. Car looks nice. Cork interiors rule!

My 77 w/ 183,000 mi has virtually no rattles. Wish I could say the same for the '99 Contour.