I just traded in my 06 Laser Red G35 6MT coupe because it was burning oil. Got home with my 07 Daytona Blue 350Z Enthusiast last night.

I really like my G but I really like this Z too. Interior fit and finish on the Z is better than the G if you can believe it. Z rides better and is quieter too.

However, there is a rattle coming from the back whenever I go over a bump at fairly low speeds. It sounds like it is coming from the rear shock tower brace assembly and it may be the crappy plastic that covers that monstrosity of design. So I'd like to pull some of that plastic off and see if I can isolate the noise and maybe use a shim or something to shut it up.

Does anyone know how to remove those panels? It feels like you could just pry them up but I don't want to break anything.

Anyway, any help appreciated. Even with this minor rattle it is still better than the G. The G was a rattle trap on the interior.

 

Most of the interior panels just pop off. I have an 07 as well and its new enough that the plastics aren't brittle yet.

My hatch rattles a little bit, which is common. There are a couple ways to remedy it. I just turn up the stereo.

 

I guess it could be the hatch. There are adjustment springs on the hatch. I might can adjust those for a tighter contact.

 

pics of g35 and 350z?

 

Here's the G. Bone stock:





No pic of the Z yet. Also bone stock. Daytona Blue. Enthusiast. Nothing much to see. The only mods it will likely get will be suspension. Maybe some black track rims.

I honestly like the retro classic looks of the G35 better than the 350 or 370Z. Don't like the G37 coupe either. Just a matter of taste. If the G didn't have an oil burning VQ I'd still have it, but I do really like this Z. Can't wait to get it on the track.

 

The rattle is going to drive me crazy. It is not the hatch. It really sounds like it is coming from inside all that plastic that wraps around the shock tower brace. Isn't there some sort of emergency hatch release in there? I wonder if that's what is doing it.

Any body else got this rattle? It is only when on bumpy city streets. Sounds like loose plastic rattling around inside cheap plastic. Fortunately it does not do it at all on the highway. Unfortunately most of my driving is in town.

I could just turn the radio up......but the radio in this thing is worse than the one in my 10 year old Ford F150.

 

I pulled out the spare, the jack, tools, carpets and even the plastic and styrofoam that surround the spare. Still rattles.

It just baffles me. This car is like new in every other way.

I wonder if the hatch lift pistons would rattle when fully compressed? I already checked their mounting points. Tight.

I don't think I'm going to be able to find or fix this.

 

Did you end up finding out what it was?

I just bought an 04 used and I have the same annoying rattle. I'm going to try a few things on my next day off to see what I can find.

 

Have you checked out the "rattling/clunking in rear" thread by any chance? It's a huge thread regarding rattling in the rear hatch area. There are videos of the sound some of us hear. I myself have a clunking in the rear that bothers me. You should take a look at some of those videos and see if your problem is the same as ours.

 

Look for the videos in this thread. https://my350z.com/forum/maintenance...n-rear-21.html

 

Thanks for the link. I'm going to read that whole thing and try everything out. It's really annoying. I'll post my results.