New 5 Speed Box

[Roland Grant]

On the advice of this forum, a couple of weeks ago I left my CSi with my nearest E9 specialist (Munich Legends) and had a 5 speed overdrive box fitted. My trip there was round the bottom of the M25 - London's orbital motorway - with an engine buzzing away at 4k+ rpm and wind noise like I'd left a window open.

I picked the car up yesterday and my journey home was far more composed, also the fuel guage for once didn't visibly drop over the hour's journey. The wind noise however is still there. The guys at ML were telling me about a CSi they had driven and serviced recently (immaculate and unrestored) with just 30k miles on it. That apparently was whisper quiet, so what I've learned to put up with in terms of wind noise isn't necessarily the norm, its just the norm with restored and or 35 year old cars.

Whilst the car was on the ramp the mechanic showed me round the bottom of the car. There were some areas of concern apparently around the four ends of the cills. "These will need opening up, you'll probably need to budget around £x,xxx." "We'll leave it as good as new though and inject and apply all the latest rustproofing to stop it happening again"

Sound familiar? And so it starts....

Regards

RG

 

[Honolulu]

USA style

You've just touched the tar baby and you're stuck fast to it.

I wonder if temporarily removing the outside mirrors would quiet down the car, or is it that you need door gaskets all around? Guess which one is the less expensive option.

 

[Roland Grant]

Wind noise

I'd always asumed, with the car's pillarless windows, at above 55 - 60 mph the seals just basically blew out and weren't up to doing their job any more. The noise I'm describing comes from that area, which is right next to your ear in any case. I've not driven anyone else's CS so I don't know whether mine is noisier than others. I am wondering if it's fixable, or are they all like that; It's all part of their 'charm'.

 

[Malc]

Hi Roland
I suspect your door seals and window seals are going. However that said technology has marched on since these cars were built so it is bound to be noiser than modern cars. I put new door seals on my 2002 which helped but the wind roar is still there

As to the four corners of the sills..... What can I say welcome to the club :roll:
Malc

 

[dp]

in addition to the "obvious" (weatherstrips) :

***Door latch hardware adjustment play in latching mechanism, wear on the latch post on the pillarless b-column sill, missing rubber tip on the latch on the door.

***Inner and outer door-to-window squeegie/weatherstrips

***Window and wing window frame adjustments, wing frame felt channel

***Window sealing (rubber at lift mechanism)

***window lift alignment / adjustment

Are you missing the trim strip on top of the window?

After you do these, similar focus on the rear window mounting.

Then after all this is "may" be that your car's body has sagged/tweaked enough that those spots will NEVER seal well again :wink: