birdcage rust worrywarts
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,983
Likes: 6,211
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
Actually, back in the 70's when the windshield in my '68 just cracked from the top for no apparent reason, the shop replacing the W/S called me over to show me the rust holes in the W/S frame, near the crack. It was their opinion the W/S crack was because of the rusted weakened WS frame.
That said, I totally agree that people get way too crazed over the birdcage rust issue. Ive been through dozens of these cars over the years, and the fact is windshield frame rust is common. Period. It doesnt mean the car is bad. Ive had them fixed.
Im waaaaaay more interested in the side rail/kickup rust issues. Way more important.
That said, I totally agree that people get way too crazed over the birdcage rust issue. Ive been through dozens of these cars over the years, and the fact is windshield frame rust is common. Period. It doesnt mean the car is bad. Ive had them fixed.
Im waaaaaay more interested in the side rail/kickup rust issues. Way more important.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,084
Likes: 14
From: Airdrie Alberta
Im waaaaaay more interested in the side rail/kickup rust issues. Way more important.
My doors were rubbing the quarter panels the kickups were so bad and my rocker channels were crusty enough it was bulging the fiberglass in the sills. All better now after
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
P/Owners had properly painted the entire car, so RUST per se was not an issue when I bought my car...the inside padding/headers were gone and rusted out support ribbing, so that was replaced....while I had it all down, I pulled that stainless trim, having seen leaking over the top bow/gasket, and having had experience with other convertibles over some years, I pulled all the trim, and flooded the entire w/s channel area with RTV black from caulking gun size tubes, rebedded the trim, and wrapped black vinyl over top of the stainless..from under the trim up and over to below the new header....that whole thing is buried in RTV now, totally water PROOF, been that way for years....being as it's a '72, the fenders are much closer to the glass, so I filled all the gaps from lower trim stainless/fender area down to inside with RTV also....rust out/leak NOW, bitch...
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 924
Likes: 2
From: Kearneysville West Virginia
I have one in my garage right now that is so bad, that when you close the door with the window rolled up, the windshield frame will clearly move or flex forward when the door glass contacts it.
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 24,160
Likes: 78
Yes
I watched the windshield frame fall off an old jeep because of rust. The owner was puttering in reverse, hit the brakes, and there was a *crunch* as the windshield & frame fell backwards. It missed his head by inches. The glass hit the top of the steering wheel, broke, and smashed his hand up pretty bad in the process.
So yeah, I'm comfortable being a rust worry wart.
Anymore stupid questions?
I watched the windshield frame fall off an old jeep because of rust. The owner was puttering in reverse, hit the brakes, and there was a *crunch* as the windshield & frame fell backwards. It missed his head by inches. The glass hit the top of the steering wheel, broke, and smashed his hand up pretty bad in the process.
So yeah, I'm comfortable being a rust worry wart.
Anymore stupid questions?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 924
Likes: 2
From: Kearneysville West Virginia
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Yes
I watched the windshield frame fall off an old jeep because of rust. The owner was puttering in reverse, hit the brakes, and there was a *crunch* as the windshield & frame fell backwards. It missed his head by inches. The glass hit the top of the steering wheel, broke, and smashed his hand up pretty bad in the process.
So yeah, I'm comfortable being a rust worry wart.
Anymore stupid questions?
I watched the windshield frame fall off an old jeep because of rust. The owner was puttering in reverse, hit the brakes, and there was a *crunch* as the windshield & frame fell backwards. It missed his head by inches. The glass hit the top of the steering wheel, broke, and smashed his hand up pretty bad in the process.
So yeah, I'm comfortable being a rust worry wart.
Anymore stupid questions?
But i didn't ask about a Jeep. I was wanting to know of anyone has seen a catastrophic windshield or door failure on a C3 due to birdcage rust.
I understand that you have to be careful purchasing a C3. No argument there. But for someone who has a car of sentimental value the tolerable limits will be greater. Do you junk a car you've spent 30 -40 years with or keep on moving while closely monitoring things all the while. Mine has a lot of rust. I've vacuumed a lot of rust over the years. But it's still solid in my opinion. If i spray rust preventative on, i may get another 20 years out of it and that's all i need.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 2
From: Melrose Florida
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 24,160
Likes: 78
Wrong
No qualification as to specific vehicle was made. Thus I may infer that you are asking about all vehicles.
So yes, you did ask about a jeep.
Define catastrophic. I've seen pictures posted here as late as this very week showing swiss cheese metal all around the windshield. Lean on something like that the wrong way, and it very well could be "catastrophic".
I mean you're asking how bad does it have to be before it falls apart all on its own. That's basically what your line of questioning boils down to isn't it?
Originally Posted by turtlevette
have you ever seen a windshield break or collapse because of rust?
So yes, you did ask about a jeep.
I was wanting to know of anyone has seen a catastrophic windshield or door failure on a C3 due to birdcage rust.
I mean you're asking how bad does it have to be before it falls apart all on its own. That's basically what your line of questioning boils down to isn't it?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,053
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Define catastrophic. I've seen pictures posted here as late as this very week showing swiss cheese metal all around the windshield. Lean on something like that the wrong way, and it very well could be "catastrophic".
I mean you're asking how bad does it have to be before it falls apart all on its own. That's basically what your line of questioning boils down to isn't it?
I mean you're asking how bad does it have to be before it falls apart all on its own. That's basically what your line of questioning boils down to isn't it?
Did you test the swiss cheese to see how big a load it will take? You might be surprised. A car that has some rust holes in the bird cage is not necessarily ready for the scrap heap.
I asked if anyone has ever seen a C3 failure in the windshield or door and nobody so for has. That says something.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 971
Likes: 7
From: roanoke va
I don't know what you define as a failure but I have seen a whole lot of c3's with busted windshields with no apparent cause and then look it over a find a severly rotted windshield frame.
There has even been a few post here where guy's had windshields replaced and then had another broken glass right after the replacement only to find severe rust and then figured out flexing was causing the broken glass.
There has even been a few post here where guy's had windshields replaced and then had another broken glass right after the replacement only to find severe rust and then figured out flexing was causing the broken glass.
