Birdcage Advice Needed
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
Birdcage Advice Needed
I am finished working on the chassis on my project and now working on the body. I have rot on the birdcage in several places and I'm undecided if I should remove the entire fiberglass or just patch the four or five areas. I would like it to look good where the lower b-pillars meet the rails. It seem like a lot of work to remove all the fiberglass and I don't know if it will all go back on properly. Should I take out the birdcage get it sandblasted and order the pieces that I need from Caledonia? The car does not have the original drive train if that make a differences and it's a 1964 model. Here are the pictures the circled areas are rotted.
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Brand new frame, 383 motor, tremec 5 speed, rebuilt t-arms and diff. I took off the rear quarters and front end because they were flaired and the buckets were filled in.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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[/IMG]Brand new frame, 383 motor, tremec 5 speed, rebuilt t-arms and diff. I took off the rear quarters and front end because they were flaired and the buckets were filled in.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,360
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From: Seattle Area WA
Those are all pretty common areas for rust. I would sandblast those areas and fab some new steel patches and MIG them into place. The rocker channel is tough if you can't flip the car over. I removed the rocker channel cover, front pillar and aft pillar cover when I repaired very similar damage to my car. You will probably have to remove that driver's door pillar cover to do a good job on that windshield area anyway.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 596
Likes: 3
From: Felton Ca
No expert here
I am no expert but if I didn't fix it correctly I know it would always be in the back of my mind. Looks like you have gone to far to turn back now. Good luck with what ever decision you make. Greg
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,215
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From: NJ Hockey beer league
A good metal fabricator can make the parts you need and weld them in without damaging the fiberglass. As you know I completed a repair of this type and am very pleased with the results and strength. Do one area at a time so you don't loose your birdcage alignment.
Your number 3 mounts are about like mine were, I think fabricated sleeves are the way to go for that part.
If you need a hand, give me a call.
Pilot Dan
Your number 3 mounts are about like mine were, I think fabricated sleeves are the way to go for that part.
If you need a hand, give me a call.
Pilot Dan
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,438
Likes: 1,255
From: Sarver Pa
2021 C1 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I was at Spring Carlisle today and noticed Michigan Vettes had sections of birdcage for sale. I have never seen these before, they looked real nice. You might want to check it out. They had the pieces you need from the looks of it.
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Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,798
Likes: 13
From: Southeastern VA
A good metal fabricator can make the parts you need and weld them in without damaging the fiberglass. As you know I completed a repair of this type and am very pleased with the results and strength. Do one area at a time so you don't loose your birdcage alignment.
Your number 3 mounts are about like mine were, I think fabricated sleeves are the way to go for that part.
If you need a hand, give me a call. Pilot Dan
Your number 3 mounts are about like mine were, I think fabricated sleeves are the way to go for that part.
If you need a hand, give me a call.
Pilot DanR/Jeff
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
Likes: 1,926
From: Washington Michigan
You can get all the parts you need, NEW, from Caledonia Classics (Gary Crump) in Belding, Michigan, (888) 245-5224. See my article on the new birdcage parts in the July issue of "Corvette Enthusiast" magazine, just hitting the mailboxes this week. 
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 188
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From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
Those are all pretty common areas for rust. I would sandblast those areas and fab some new steel patches and MIG them into place. The rocker channel is tough if you can't flip the car over. I removed the rocker channel cover, front pillar and aft pillar cover when I repaired very similar damage to my car. You will probably have to remove that driver's door pillar cover to do a good job on that windshield area anyway.
Thanks.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 188
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From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
Thanks,
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
A good metal fabricator can make the parts you need and weld them in without damaging the fiberglass. As you know I completed a repair of this type and am very pleased with the results and strength. Do one area at a time so you don't loose your birdcage alignment.
Your number 3 mounts are about like mine were, I think fabricated sleeves are the way to go for that part.
If you need a hand, give me a call. Pilot Dan
Your number 3 mounts are about like mine were, I think fabricated sleeves are the way to go for that part.
If you need a hand, give me a call.
Pilot Dan
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 188
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From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
And thanks everyone else for the feedback and encouragement.
Eddie
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Central NJ
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08
I got the car from an e-Bay seller in NJ. I believe the car was originally from Michigan because I found a pen, when I removed the interior, advertising a local bank. Here what it looked like when I bought it. Originally it was white.
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It would be great to find some history on it. But I doubt that will happen.
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[/IMG]It would be great to find some history on it. But I doubt that will happen.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Formerly DFW Missing Texas Now in NJ
That was a good article. Any chance there will be a follow up on how to actually install the new cage????
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 919
Likes: 174
From: Adelaide South Australia
Anything else is just a patchup job IMO.
Mine didn't have rust in the lower area like yours, but riddled in the lower windscreen area, rear dock lock area, and even under the bonding strips in the front area of the roof area;- and yet that looked fine before I pulled it all apart.
Yep, it's a pain in the #*rse to do, but the ONLY way to do it, regardless of what anybody eles is telling you.
It's a frightening thought, but let's be honest, these cars are getting old, and unless they've spent their entire life undercover and on the West Coast, most will have varying degrees of rot problems in the birdcage area. I guess if you don't see them, you don't worry about them, but they are there.
I knew mine was bad, but I was shocked when I got into it, and the car was purchased as supposedly a West Coast car:- well it might have been in its later years.
It's about time some enterprising company started building replica birdcages I think.
Good luck with your project.