For the past few weeks, I’ve been driven to the verge of madness trying to identify a chirping noise coming from somewhere in the front part of my 68. I hear it only when the car is moving and it doesn’t usually start until after I’ve been driving 15 minutes or so at speed. But once it starts, the sound is pretty much constant, like a couple of crickets playing dueling banjos. The sound is unaffected by engine speed, gear selection, coasting in neutral, and steering back or steering. It does seem to vary in volume depending on speed, being loudest at about 45 mph, quieter as speed increases from there. I don’t think its a loose fender, hood latch or grill/headlight issue as I can’t reproduce the sound by pounding on these parts in the driveway. I’ve greased the upper control arms and sprayed WD40 all around the sway bar bushings, strut bushings and spring perches without any effect. Any ideas?
Check the brakes. if it takes 15 minutes of driving before it starts it could be a thermo issue. Get up to speed and put it netural and coast. Apply the brakes and see if it changes or goes away. Also check the cooling fan to make sure it’s not rubbing the fan shroud. Could be a belt also. Could have a wheel bearing getting dry and starting to go. That would start making noise after you drove awhile and got some heat into it. Just some ideas where to check.
You seem to be indicating that the sound is definitely external but it almost sounds like a speedo cable squeak?
When it is happening, any variance with speed?
Does it have A/C? Id check your belts too just to be sure.
No A/C. Definitely sounds like it’s coming from the front passenger part of the car. I’ll pull the front wheels tonight and check bearings and brakes. Thanks for the ideas, guys.
Yeah that sounds like a speedo cable to me. I’ve never owned a 60’s or 70’s car that didn’t have that issue as far as I can recall. The '79 Cutlass Supreme maybe didn’t? But yeah, totally speedo cable.
Get it warmed up to where it’s making the noise and then jack up the rear end to get the wheels off the ground, and then put it in drive and see if it makes the noise still. If it does it’s for sure not the front brakes (which it totally could be) since the front wheels aren’t moving.
When I had my 71 cougar, I had the same thing. It turned out to be a rubber bumper that the hood rests on when closed. you also have a hood ground, not sure if it could be rubbing with not enough spring tension to mount to the under side of the hood. I used petroleum jelly on mine and no more squeaking.
I think I found it! As I was getting ready to jack up the driver side front to pull the wheel I bumped the end of the front bumper and heard the sound. The way it echoed made it sound like it was coming from the engine compartment but as the car wasn’t running I knew it had to be something else. I wiggled and pounded on everything until I was able to duplicate the sound by tapping the bumper sideways with the back of my hand. Went looking for a loose bumper bolt and discovered one of the bumper guards had worn the paint off a tiny spot on the valance. Stuck a small piece of vacuum line over the edge of the guard at the spot and presto, no more chirping.
Nice find! Some of these old car sounds will drive you BONKERS…
You got out of that one way to easy…Glad it wasn’t nothing serious or expensive.
The upshot of all of this is that my suspension is now fully lubed. Thanks for all the suggestions, guys.
I just noticed yesterday that when I slammed my trunk I heard crickets from the front. Engine not even running. So the first place I’m gonna check is the bumper guards. If that’s it, I will buy you a beer!!!