First post. Forgive me if this topic has been covered before. I searched a bit but didn't come up with an obvious answer.

I inherited a relatively plain 71 convertible. Brands Hatch Green, green vinyl interior, lower horse power 350, power steering, power windows. It had one owner who bought it new. other than the rivets in the front nose popping out, the body is perfect. Everything matches and I have all the documentation. However, the frame is good and rotten.

The car has some sentimental value and I told myself I'd buy myself a corvette when I turned 40 anyway. So I've been talking to various restoration people about what's involved etc. I have the fortune of having two dedicated corvette shops within easy driving distance as well as a general restoration guy who's done some corvettes in the past.

It is NOT my goal to have a show car. It's my goal to have this family 'heirloom' in safe workable condition and make use of it until I can't anymore and then pass it on to someone else.

They have been relatively consistent in their analysis of what needs to be done but there's one area where they differ that troubles me a little bit. The left side of the window frame shows some rust. I've been told that this is part of the birdcage and therefore really needs to be in good shape.

The difference comes in the scenario for fixing it. One of the shops claims that in order to fix it, you have to take the entire nose off the car and replace everything. It's his belief that if you have to do this, then it's not worth restoring the car because this will add thousands to the restoration. The other shop says that you can cut pieces out of the fiberglass to access and replace or repair anything that is rotten. Both have been in business for about 35 years and done dozens of these cars so I have to believe both approaches have merit otherwise they probably wouldn't continue to be in business.

Anyone here been round this block before and have any insight to share?

Also, if there are any Hudson Valley, NY area people who've had cars done, I'd be appreciative of a private message contact to share your experience with your shop. Thanks!

 

I spent three and a half months repairing my windshield frame working weekends and after work. Depending on how bad it is a good welder can repair holes by fabricating patch pieces. If the lower corners have to be repaired there are two options.First pull the complete nose off or cut the fender corners off and glass them back on when finished making the repairs. You really can not tell how much rust you are dealing with until the windshield is removed. If you search here on the forum or Google birdcage repair you will find some examples. By the way the car sounds awesome.

 

Being this is a convertible, you definitely want this part of the car to be as sturdy as possible. How bad is the rust? Are we talking small holes or substantial rot? Is the window frame on this side rotten at the bottom behind the fender? A picture would be great.

I am finishing an '81 t-top vette right now. I found some small holes along the top of the frame when I removed the windshield. Repairing this was pretty easy and not expensive.

 

How much is "some" rust?

Correct.

Depends on where the rust is located and how extensive it might be.

Possibly, but also depends on where the rust is located. Have either of the two shop owners seen the car and inspected the rusted area?

It is possible to repair the windshield surround portion of the birdcage without extensive bodywork. The limiting factor is the location of the rusted area.

You can order the 1971 assembly instruction manual (AIM) and take a look at the factory diagrams of the birdcage and how it was assembled. You could then determine the extent of your area needing repair and might come up with an overall view of what will need to be done.

Corvette aftermarket providers carry windshield surround repair pieces.

Post pics.

 

How about you post up some pictures of the rusted area's... There are plenty of peeps on this forum that can help you access the damage and possibly put you in the right path.

I did an extensive write up about this and have it on our site in PDF format if you want to upload it you can for free... (forum member perk)

http://willcoxcorvette.com/repairand...lp.php?hID=306 Just click on supporting document.

I've done this job from simple to as hard as it can get (removing the front end)...



Willcox

 

I appreciate everyone's responses. I just wanted to develop some confidence in the shop that I have ultimately chosen to do the restoration before pulling the trigger on it.

 

I put a photo in my album that shows what rust I can see without taking any pieces off. There's another and smaller part on the left post at the top of the post but I couldn't get a picture of that through the glass.