Birdcage transplant
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Joined: May 2006
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Birdcage transplant
I have my 71 Coupe that was totaled and a 1979 that I plan on using as a doner for any parts that will interchange. Does anyone have info. or experience with such a project? Maybe some great websites for info? I've been in the body restoration biz for better than 25 years and have done a few C3's in my time. This will be the first though in such depth, there are differences of course but the core of the cars are pretty much the same. I'd like to go as far as removing the body panels, front clip, firewall,rear clip, etc. As to access the the metal birdcage and media blast or maybe even dip and e-coat it and go from there re-assembling this car. Yes it would have been much easier, and cheaper possibly, to buy a really nice project so to speak. But, I would never have a C3 in completely rust free condition as this would produce. Frankly, I love tearing cars down to the bone and rebuilding them. Any good resources for this info and/or materials would be great..
I have a manual but it doesn't show much on measurements. I suppose I could get the 79 stripped down enough to make a million measurements and record the with pictures and lots of notes before cutting anything up. The easiest solution would be to just switch out the rear clip from my 71 onto the stripped rear section of the 79 birdcage. Thus keeping the 79 birdcage and front clip un-touched, almost.. LOL Then do my transplanting of 1971 parts to the 79 front clip. I have bought the fiberglass sections from a Ebay seller of all the defining differences between 79 and 71. All I need are the front bumper brackets and headlamp/header cross members for the front nose. My fear is the 79 birdcage being rustier than the 71 birdcage. The 79 Corvette wasn't parked inside storage 'till 2006 and the 71 has been inside since approx. 1974 or 75 The 79 has 109,000 and the 71 has only 24,000 it was totalled by the one and only original owner 40 years ago and has been stored inside since. This is why I would like to remove and replace only the damaged parts of the 71's original birdcage. So far I know the 79 has a solid birdcage, at least all except the rear lower part of it behind the seats and the bottom of the "B" pillar (latch plate. I haven't been able to access that area visually yet.
I have a manual but it doesn't show much on measurements. I suppose I could get the 79 stripped down enough to make a million measurements and record the with pictures and lots of notes before cutting anything up. The easiest solution would be to just switch out the rear clip from my 71 onto the stripped rear section of the 79 birdcage. Thus keeping the 79 birdcage and front clip un-touched, almost.. LOL Then do my transplanting of 1971 parts to the 79 front clip. I have bought the fiberglass sections from a Ebay seller of all the defining differences between 79 and 71. All I need are the front bumper brackets and headlamp/header cross members for the front nose. My fear is the 79 birdcage being rustier than the 71 birdcage. The 79 Corvette wasn't parked inside storage 'till 2006 and the 71 has been inside since approx. 1974 or 75 The 79 has 109,000 and the 71 has only 24,000 it was totalled by the one and only original owner 40 years ago and has been stored inside since. This is why I would like to remove and replace only the damaged parts of the 71's original birdcage. So far I know the 79 has a solid birdcage, at least all except the rear lower part of it behind the seats and the bottom of the "B" pillar (latch plate. I haven't been able to access that area visually yet.
