Rattle problem solved

[stu]

Don't know if this has been spotted before, but last night after a long process of elimintation I found it.

'Rattle' started on the way back from Le Mans, where it had been extremely hot and we'd done a lot of miles at or around the legal limits (but never above).

There were various pitches and metallic clangs coming from under the car. Noticeable as we got on and off the ferry, when the car sounded like a dinner service beign tumble dried in a cement mixer!

First thought being that it might be the rear anti roll bar (again - as the dull clunk sounded a little familiar), the fuel tank straps or a heat sheild (might have bottomed out once or twice!).

Into my local independent experts and we didn't find anything too conclusive, put put some packing under the fuel tank (my god, what a job it'd be to drop the fuel tank!). Rattle still there, though we did notice that the exhaust could foul the rear butt strut.

Got down under the car last night and noticed that the rear exhaust hanger, at the back or the rear silencer box, had actually come off it's mountings. It has 4 tiny little spot welds that had all given up and it was the exhaust sometimes clanking and sometimes, just the bracket resonating (it's like a fancy rattle) against the mounting or the rear bumper.

I fixed it by drilling the welds out of the bracket and then using tucker pop rivets to refix.

Easiest access was gained by removing the spare wheel carrier.

I was surprised by this as the car's only a 99V and hasn't had the exhaust off or anything that might have caused more fatigue on the welds.