Strange noise, thoughts?

[coffeedart67]

Coming back from a cruise this weekend with my 67 Dart, 273, automatic, pulled off the interstate and stopped and heard a noise that at first sounded like something hitting the fan, shifted through the gears after about 10 seconds the noise went away. My first though was of the repro fan shrouds sagging and hitting the fan, then I remembered I don't have a fan shroud either oem or repro, DOH! Stopped for ice cream and checked under the hood and nothing in the fan. The noise came back about 40 miles later when I stopped at another exit. There was a heavy side wind and I remembered that the drivers side rocker trim pops out of a couple of the clips, got home and it was about 1/4" from the body and tapping it I could get it to contact the body. Could this have been my noise? I did sound like it was coming from drivers side. Plan on checking tranmision/ starter shield. What else should I check. It sounded like something coming in contact with a rotating part.
Thanks
Aaron

 

[red67gts]

sounds like the trim could have been the noise. It is hard to make the clips hold sometimes

 

[Done Swimmin]

Common fan/metallic noise from slant 6's when factory installed block heater was optioned. They drove the core lug in and shoved in the block heater. The core plug works its way to the water pump and under the right conditions (RPM) it touches the pump impeller and sounds like someone it hitting the fan blades. Mine only did it on deceleration from high RPM as in pulling up to a stop sign. As soon as you touched the gas it was gone. Had to pull the pump to get it out.
Pete

 

[coffeedart67]

v8, 273.