Wind Noise

[heyitsrama]

I've been slowly getting my 260z to a condition where i can just hop in and start driving it around. One thing that has been bothering me since i got the car is the amount of noise that enters the cabin. While i understand that these are not modern cars I've been trying to do what i can to reduce road noise. So far I've done,

Sound deadening on : Doors, Boot, firewall(interior), Transmission tunnel, floor pans, under seat (drivers side), inside quarter panels, inside spare tub.

Weather stripping: doors + window felt.

Interior: Extra padding under the mats.

 I feel like the majority of the sounds that come from the car are wind noises. (esp at freeway speeds) I think that the quarter window seals are shot, and that i should order the inner and outer seals,

Is the seal linked below applicable to the early 260z chassis?

https://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic03a09/34-1017-1

 

I do also think that the rear hatch gaskets need to be replaced (all of them they leak water), but thats going to need metal work. probably this summer.

Are these cars known to have wind noise? I've never been in a "completed"  240z so I have nothing to compare my car to.

 

[heyitsrama]

I guess to add to this, are there seal recommendations for the hatch outer//inner? Something out of the McMaster Carr catalog? Or off another vehicle? 

[grannyknot]

As you know these are noisy cars even when completed but from your description it sounds like you still have a few seals that need replacing, that quarter window seal works well on any Z 70-78.  It may or may not be original to the early 260's though.

You could try the paper test on the hatch and doors to see how tight the seal is, open the hatch and place a sheet of 8x11 paper on the seal where you think it may be leaking air or water, close the hatch and see if you can easily pull on the sheet of paper from the inside.  You could loosen and adjust the hatch bolts and the catch so the entire hatch is sitting lower and squeezing the seal better.  I'm using a Kia Sportage door seal for my hatch seal and it works great, there is a join at the deck lid and the profile of the pinch weld isn't a perfect match for the Kia seal but it does work well for me.

[wheee!]

My 370Z sounds like a rock concert on the best of days.... not much has changed!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[heyitsrama]

4 hours ago, grannyknot said:

As you know these are noisy cars even when completed but from your description it sounds like you still have a few seals that need replacing, that quarter window seal works well on any Z 70-78.  It may or may not be original to the early 260's though.

You could try the paper test on the hatch and doors to see how tight the seal is, open the hatch and place a sheet of 8x11 paper on the seal where you think it may be leaking air or water, close the hatch and see if you can easily pull on the sheet of paper from the inside.  You could loosen and adjust the hatch bolts and the catch so the entire hatch is sitting lower and squeezing the seal better.  I'm using a Kia Sportage door seal for my hatch seal and it works great, there is a join at the deck lid and the profile of the pinch weld isn't a perfect match for the Kia seal but it does work well for me.

The outter seal is basically non-existent, while the inner is torn in certain sections. Paper test instant failed ?.

Perhaps I’ll take a look at taking the deck lid under the knife sooner to get the these all sorted out.

lady time I checked the Kia Sportage seal was kinda pricy, maybe the McMaster seals that are used as door seals would also fit in this area? 
 

I priced out the seals last night, ~$250 ???.

at least I don’t have multiple projects. 

[Zed Head]

You could probably find a low miles Sportage in a wrecking yard.  The seals peel off easily and can be reused.  Probably cost $30.

[grannyknot]

I'm too cheap to by new, I just get them at the wreckers, I think I paid $10 a piece for them.  There are a few universal type weather seals that could be made to work.

[heyitsrama]

It looks like we might have a couple weeks without rain here in California, i think ill be able to tackle the rear hatch issues as well.

I don't see a Sportage around me thats younger that 2000. but I'll keep my eyes open for them.

I was looking at this thread.

I saw that the lower panel for my car is also rusted out, so ill have to go in and repair all of that, are there spot welds that I can access for the top? I want to try to save the top panel if i can.

I was able to hammer form a edge to this scap sheet i had when i was forming the floor pans.

[heyitsrama]

It looks like there are some spot welds above the plate holder, and maybe inside the car. I’ll have to look on the inside to see if there are any more, I would assume there are. 

[grannyknot]

I've tried to do the same thing, to get the deck off without cutting spotweld holes through it but there are some welds that are so close to the tail light panel that I just couldn't do it.  I ended up drilling the spotwelds from above then when all was repaired plug welding the deck back on and grinding the weld flat and a smear of filler over top.

[heyitsrama]

@grannyknot yeah it gets a little difficult to control the depth of the drilling, i dont think it will be a problem to fill in the holes that i ended up with. the mid section is not too bad...

I've been debating to order the top section. If i can save the money then why not? But then again fab time adds up.

top section is removed, going to head over to the shed and try to make a section that i can replace, worst case tomorrow ill order all the stuff.

the right side is going to be a bit annoying to get through. I think someone has been here before on the car, i saw some questionable welds on the car.

I dont have a spot welder, would drilling out a hole on a new panel, then welding them to the bottom section be appropriate? i see the 3m body glue that some people use, i think i have some left over form the floor pan i did, i think that could also be used.....

 

 

 

[grannyknot]

6 hours ago, heyitsrama said:

I dont have a spot welder, would drilling out a hole on a new panel, then welding them to the bottom section be appropriate?

Absolutely, that's a plug weld. With perfect prep the 3M panel bond might work well but personally I think I would have to weld those pieces together.  I would just be afraid that if that bond did lift off or crack the repair job just got a lot more difficult, with welding you know the job is done once.

Z cars consistently rust in those two spots on either end of the deck lid and I'm sure it is because the rain gutter on either side stops 3-4" too soon so all the water that drains off gets dumped right on to the deck lid.  Those corners also slope back a bit so standing water can sit there until it evaporates. While your in there you might consider adding a couple of small extensions like this that will take the water off the car completely.  At least the next restorer 50 yrs from now won't have to deal with the same problem.