Stepho's 1975 update for the weekend(with pics).

[stepho1975]

Hello guys! Thought I would give you an update on what I have been doing over the weekend. (with pics of course)

To start off practically nothing on the car is original, it had been repainted inside and out, the engine had been swapped etc. So naturally the car isn't going to be winning any awards, I just want to have it for me to enjoy and take my girlfriend out in it on a friday night.

When I got the car home and started tearing it apart I found the bird cage to be very badly rusted. I went to a corvette junk yard and they said the easiest thing to do was to take the body off from the bird cage back and replace it with a different one for $1,500. We looked around a bit and didn't even find a birdcage in wonderful shape. So we opted to take the body off from the birdcage back... and patch the one I have.

Over the weekend I got the back half of the body off and started patching the birdcage (not pictured). The welds that are pictured are from when the body was still attached. (don't pick on me too much its hard to weld around fiberglass lol)

 

[fine69]

Hi Stepho,

Pretty big job. Was there evidence of the birdcage rust before you started taking it apart?

 

[stepho1975]

I knew there was some rust, but I got a good deal on the car. I probably should have looked into more, but I was kind of naive at the time.

 

[topless82vette]

without taking one apart to the extent you did, is there other ways to tell if there is hidden rust on this bird cage? I have cowl shake on mine which is only reason I am asking but mine could be attributed to something else as well since mines a convertible without the proper dash braces. But when I look in where the door hinge bolts are, front door jambs, under windshield header mouldings, outer windshield trim, I don't even see so much as surface rust but after seeing your pictures it could be hidden under alot.

prior to convertible conversion it never had this cowl shake but was immediately noticeable after and I did add a new power steering control thing which I never adjusted. So I'm wondering if that could be the cause as well.

 

[XLR8]

Wow! Looks like you've got your work cut out for you. :ugh

Just remember to post lots of photos as you progress.

Jane Ann

 

[stepho1975]

without taking one apart to the extent you did, is there other ways to tell if there is hidden rust on this bird cage? I have cowl shake on mine which is only reason I am asking but mine could be attributed to something else as well since mines a convertible without the proper dash braces. But when I look in where the door hinge bolts are, front door jambs, under windshield header mouldings, outer windshield trim, I don't even see so much as surface rust but after seeing your pictures it could be hidden under alot.

prior to convertible conversion it never had this cowl shake but was immediately noticeable after and I did add a new power steering control thing which I never adjusted. So I'm wondering if that could be the cause as well.

You have the interior panels removed don't you? Once I removed those I could see all the rust. If you have those removed and all you see is surface rust, i think your good.

 

[topless82vette]

You have the interior panels removed don't you? Once I removed those I could see all the rust. If you have those removed and all you see is surface rust, i think your good.

I have every possible thing out of my interior and don't even see any surface rust anywhere, so I guess my car is fine. It's also sat in a garage about the last 10 years.

 

[stepho1975]

I have every possible thing out of my interior and don't even see any surface rust anywhere, so I guess my car is fine. It's also sat in a garage about the last 10 years.

Yes I think its safe then. Once I took the interior panels out I could see all the rust on mine. I think mine has been sitting outside for the past twenty years until I bought it about eight months ago.