eSTAM

I've noticed few rust issues on my upper windows area (that the mirror bolts to) and along the hinge area of the hood. I haven't climbed underneath yet but are the any issues I should be looking for regarding the rust on certain parts of the chassis? Many thanks for any pointers.

VeryUnoriginal

Your Corvette's body panels are all fiberglass (at least to the extent of my knowledge), so I'm not sure what could be rusting. Pictures of said rust would help us out

ch@0s

eSTAM

Thanks Very Unoriginal (hoping to increase your knowledge) and ch@0s for lurking, I can certainly post pictures if I'm able to post pix's. If you look just north of the light shroud under the hood of an '84 you will notice a metal part that things are bolted too that runs the width of the hood which on mine is rusty and will need digging out and replacing.

My mirror was busted off and you can see a metal strip that the mirror is bolted too that is definitely rusted and due to the damaged mirror is bent and the rusted part is beyond recognition and will definitely need replacing. Pictures of said rust will follow if I'm able to post pictures.

My post was basically to ask whether there were other parts under the body (chassis) that would need checking to make sure the vehicle was safe to drive. The Vehicle is nearly 30 years old and would be nice to hear from some forum experts that can explain some areas to look at and check for issues related to this model.

Tks....

FASTAZU

Could have been a flood car or come from an area along the coast. Everything is replaceable at a cost.

WVZR-1

You don't mention your location or the "history" of the car. If the car was purchased and "driven" all year in the northern sections of the country that see road salt the conditions you mention maybe are to be expected. If it wasn't garaged that would add to the conditions I'd think.

You can have your car inspected on a lift for the condition of the "critical" parts that could be affected by similar exposure. You would want to pay or ask that particular attention be paid to the brake and fuel hard lines. All of the suspension components that aren't aluminum could use a check out also. The bolts on the end of the rear spring might need a "close" look. If there's any doubt replace anything that could be of concern.

The frame rails and any other structural metal parts are generally considered accessible. The only thing that isn't accessible that could be of concern is the windshield frame area. If you've any plans for paint and maybe a restoration of the car you need to have the windshield pulled, checked and repaired. It's not inexpensive. If it's a driver - do just that drive it after checking the undercarriage!

There's nothing unusual about a 30 year old car that maybe has corrosion issues.

Z51JEFF

What exactly do you think all that fiberglass is bonded to?I replaced the windshield in an 84 years ago and when I got the windshield out the WS frame had some rust in the top.This was from a car that had been in Ca form the start.These cars will,do rust.Theres a 92 ZR-1 in Alaska that the owner had to replace the rear frame cross member because of rust.

mazdaverx7

Yup, there's quite a bit of metal in the C4. The entire birdcage is made of steel. Windshield frames are common rust areas. Case in point on my 94 that was originally a FL car:

here are some before pics of the rust that the dealer repaired:

mtwoolford

The tray under the battery

and

the frame under the tray under the battery

also, expect to find all the vacumn lines in the vicinity to be rotted also.

VeryUnoriginal

You make a great point. I thought the OP was talking about body rust, and that's why I was saying I'm not sure where the car could rust. Should have clarified more. My brain wasn't quite working right that day either, it was a long day at work.

Z51JEFF

Thats where my 84 was rusted.

eSTAM

Thanks Very Unoriginal. I appreciated you comments, made me go out there and check some more. My OP mentioned where I saw rust and my closing question was "I haven't climbed underneath yet but are the any issues I should be looking for regarding the rust on certain parts of the chassis?

My only concern in my OP was Chassis areas that can't be readily seen unless on a hoist. Safety was an issue and wanted to know if there are any areas of concern with these years of chassis that maybe weak spots that should be checked. I would hate to cross some of our railway crossing hear and have the car break in half.

I'm from Michigan just north of Detroit and the vet has seen very little salt and have owned it for 18 years, with only 84K tender miles on it. It needs a new interior and a paint job and before I spend the kind of money I wanted to make sure the lower structure is in good shape.

I have a friend with a hoist so any pointers on what to check regards to areas that are hard to see regarding the chassis would be of great help. Many thanks... Dave