Hi Guys

I have posted here before regarding the issues I have with the birdcage channels on my 73 .
A few guys recently asked on the forum about repairing the same type of problems I have . This is how I went about repairing mine .

Forgive the way I posted these pictures but I am trying to send with an I pad and this is a mission I can't get it to do more than one up load at a time .

In the pic above you will see how I started to remove the channels , only one at a time though , I was worried about the front and rear sections collapsing if I took out both at the same time even though they were supported. In this first picture you can see how I started taking out the channel.
You will see from the other pictures later how things progressed

Cheers guys ,

John

 

Hi Guys,

Just wanted to show the underside with the channel removed . I will post some more pictures later,

John

 

The tech showed me the only rot hole he found and is going to fix it but it this on mine related to what you are fixing?

 

Hi,

I think your issue is slightly better than mine
If you look at the picture where you will see the cuts from a grinder you will see the large rust hole where the mount fixing should be . There is nothing left at all .

I know that there are fix panels available for the door post section and the rear mount , but when i saw the consition of the channels in general i decided to cut them out and fabricate complete channels from front to back .

I fabricated the new channels out of 3mm thick mild steel , cut the mount holes after lining it up with the chassis positions and then powdercoated the channels for protection . Where i live in South Africa there is very little corrosion issues as i am about 600 km's from the coast so they should never rust through again in my life time

I will post some more pictures as i get a chance , just another way of doing this type of repair and i havent had to take all of the fiberglass body panels from around the birdcage .

I was not happy welding new panels onto a rust infected channel that i couldnt properly clean and treat thats why i went the route i did , but i agree the easier route would be to cut out and fix the areas with the panels that you can purchase .



John

 

It'll be worth it when you're done John. I went throughout the same thing. It was a pretty hard job but now I know that it's rock solid. Rick

 

Hi Rick,

thanks a stack , this isnt the easiest task you will ever do on a vert that's for sure

I think its esier than trying to uplaod the pics from my i pad to the forum though just cant get the thing to load more than a picture at one time

I figured given the state of my channels i would be better off replacing them completely and not just adding the repair panels to badly corroded metal that i couldnt properly get at or treat so this was my way of attempting this repair , not everyones method i grant you .

I will try and upload some more pictures of how bad the issue was really . The strange thing is the windshield section still has its original black paint from the factory as does the rear section and its all solid . I think the pillars held the water from the rain or washing and rusted out the mount sections over the years .

Have to make some new seat belt anchor brackets that weld to the channels and then i can finish off the drivers side channel and fit the anchor brackets and i should be just about there and ready to refit onto the chassis which i also re did while it was out .

Thanks for the encouragement keep a look out for some more photo's



John

 

Hi John, that is a very difficult fix but it came out very nice and will be a lot stronger. That is a major problem with my donor 69 in fact that is why it is a donor along with a rusted frame. Keep up the good work.
Roger

 

Hi Roger ,

I think the hardest is working underneath the body all the time and I can't wait to get it completed but I won't rush it , besides I have rebuilt everything on the chassis front to back but still need to rebuild the big block .

This will be my next challenge after I finish the birdcage repair and before I put the body on the chassis.

You can see from the picture I just posted , how this looked and why I took the complete channels out of both sides .


John

 

Hi All

Just a one more picture for those that are interested or need to get an idea of how they can go about the same type of repair . This one is of the new drivers side channel I fabricated in place of the rusted out old piece . I had this powder coated after I cut in all of the required holes


John

 

This is the raised dolly the body is fitted onto , it allows me room to work underneath and I can push the chassis underneath once I have finished working on it for the day



John

 

Wow John, That part looks great. I removed mine, repaired it, then reinstalled it. I didn't use the stiffening reinforcement parts that the vendors sell.

Outstanding fabrication job. Very impressive! Rick

 

Hi Rick,

Thank you for your kind comments . Sure wish I could have got mine out and saved them , but I think they were too far gone . Do you have pictures on how you managed to get them out without destroying them ?

To do that is the work of a craftsman I had to be a butcher with mine

Here is another pic with the new passenger side channel fitted

Cheers for now ,

John




QUOTE=69L46vert;1588151734]Wow John, That part looks great. I removed mine, repaired it, then reinstalled it. I didn't use the stiffening reinforcement parts that the vendors sell.

Outstanding fabrication job. Very impressive! Rick[/QUOTE]

 

Hi All,

Just another pic of the new channel from the rear of the car, you can also see the repaired mount as well



John








[/QUOTE]

 

Here's some pics John.

 

Hi Rick, not that I have any intentions on doing the birdcage, I am just curious as to how you get to expose all of the framing. How does the body separate.
Roger

 

Hi Roger, Pretty much just used heat gun and chisels. Some sawing too. Then after repairs were done and welded back in, just bonded it all back together. Definitely one of the more difficult jobs imo. Rick

 

Yes , that does look like a very difficult job but it can be done. Very interesting. Thanks Rick!
R

 

Thanks for taking the how-to pics.

 

Hi Rick,

Awesome pictures , and i think anyone who reads this thread will have more insight now into what needs to be done in order to do a nice repair job.

Your craftsmanship to remove the channels then repair them and put them back is fantastic . I will have some glass work to do the way i took mine out , and i am not sure yet on how it will come out but i reckon a good instruction book and i should get it looking quite good , although i was scared to take out the panels unlike you.

I should be able to re -fit the new drivers channel within the next week just have some final trimming and adjustments to make before i weld in situ . Will post again when the job is done .

Thanks again for a great insight into what needs to be done to repair the plague of the C3 . Awesome job mate



John

 

Thanks for the photos and great information in this thread!

I'm going to have to replace the frame on my car due to rust and part of the bird cage on my car has been replaced by the PO. I'm concerned about the condition of the rest of the bird cage. Is the bird cage visible in the sill plate area when you lift the body off the frame?