Dads Car
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: Rocklin California
Dads Car
Here is what I found behind the kick panel on the drivers side. The passenger side is worse. What kind of trouble am I in? 
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...96e84ba79b.jpg
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...96e84ba79b.jpg
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: Rocklin California
The rust is all the way thru. The passenger side you could put a golf ball thru. I will post better pics soon. Is this the infamous "bird cage" that I have read that is very hard to repair?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Yep, birdcage. If it's rusted all the way through, it can be repaired, but it's very hard to do and it's time consuming and expensive.
Is this a car you are buying from your Dad or are you just trying to help him fix it?
Do some more digging. Pull the windshield header trim piece and the A-pillar trim. Check for any rust around the windshield.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: Rocklin California
This is the story behind the car and why I HAVE to restore it. My father purchase it in 1988, being a "car guy" he had always wanted one. He drove it for a few years on and off. His health started failing so the car sat most on the time. We lost my dad to cancer in 1994. My younger brother,who lived next door, took possesion of the car but didn't drive it much because it was "Dads car". So there again it sat most of the time. Two years ago my brothers health also started to fail. On Sept 22 I lost my brother also. So you can see, I need to restore the Vette as a tribute to both my father and my brother. I know it is going to be a job but it is just something I have to do. 
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
5 Best & 5 Worst Corvette Daily Drivers
Joe Kucinski
The Headlights of Every Corvette Generation Explained
Joe Kucinski
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!
Joe Kucinski
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: Rocklin California
I don't mind learning to weld it's just that I have never done body work and don't know where to even start. Should I keep going with the body removal? I have all the mounts removed and am now working in the engine compartment. 
Pro
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 707
Likes: 31
From: Pitman NJ
What year it is it and what drive train does it have?
Please post more pictures of the problem area, along with the rest of car. This forum loves pictures...
For the reasons you stated, I would go down the path of fixing the car. If you were trying to make money on the car, then it would be a different story.
Please post more pictures of the problem area, along with the rest of car. This forum loves pictures...
For the reasons you stated, I would go down the path of fixing the car. If you were trying to make money on the car, then it would be a different story.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 402
Likes: 4
From: Nassau
Its not that expensive if you do it yourself. How far up does the rust go? There are inserts you can get that you can use to replace that section from underneath after you take the body off. There is a rocker channel that runs between that mount and the mount in front of the rear wheel that can also be replaced when the body is off. The only real pita repair will be if the steel below the windshield is rusted out. You will have to take the front clip off to get to that. Don't get me wrong these aren't exactly easy repairs but anyone with a welder and some determination and alot of spare time can do it.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: Rocklin California
blk79nj, it is a 73 coupe with a 350,not original engine. Thank you all for all the encouragement. Being my first attemp at a restoration, sometimes it just seems overwhelming. I just need to remind myself that I am not on a time schedule. I will post more pics asap. Thanks again for all the help.
Bubs
Bubs
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: Rocklin California
Forgot this, does anyone know of a body shop or any person, in the Sacramento area, that is knowledgable with these older vettes? I don't want to just pick someone out of the book. I would like them to have experience with these cars.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Bubs
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Bubs
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,711
Likes: 2
From: Rochester NY
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 872
Likes: 3
From: Cortlandt Manor New York
I appreciate the fact that this car has sentimental value and it is important to you to restore it but you need to fully evaluate it before you start.
With rust that severe in the kick panels you had better have the rocker channels evaluated, as well as the frame. These repairs are not to be taken lightly and should not be attempted without some pretty good mechanical skills. If you take it to a restoration shop who has experience with Corvettes make sure they evaluate all the items before they touch it. The oldest trick in the book is to repair one item and when done point out another in an unending litany of repairs. Some restoration shops will do this to generate cash since they know if they hit you with a total repair bill you will probably run for the hills.
Since you do not have a set timetable the first priority is to evaluate the car and then make it safe to operate. Good luck with your project and remember the folks on this forum have probably already dealt with any problem that you can come accross.
With rust that severe in the kick panels you had better have the rocker channels evaluated, as well as the frame. These repairs are not to be taken lightly and should not be attempted without some pretty good mechanical skills. If you take it to a restoration shop who has experience with Corvettes make sure they evaluate all the items before they touch it. The oldest trick in the book is to repair one item and when done point out another in an unending litany of repairs. Some restoration shops will do this to generate cash since they know if they hit you with a total repair bill you will probably run for the hills.
Since you do not have a set timetable the first priority is to evaluate the car and then make it safe to operate. Good luck with your project and remember the folks on this forum have probably already dealt with any problem that you can come accross.