looking for perhaps my last Corvette !
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,125
Likes: 673
From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
looking for perhaps my last Corvette !
I have been on the hunt for a C3 convertible, I had a coupe 15 years ago, got in a bad accident in NYC (No the Corvette wasn't part of this ) but having the company I worked for abandond me and I had a hell of a time just trying to save my home, but that has gone by in the past, and I'd like to get another C3, but the thing that bothers me is finding a car with a good chassis and birdcage. When I bought my last C3 I laied down and was able to look the chassis over in the most sensitive area at the rear kickup, and I know I need to take off the kick panals to see what the bottom of the birdcage to see what it is like in there, so that eliminates buying on any action site, which also need to hire an appraier for a pre-puchace imspection. Is this the right way to go about this ?
Thanks !
Thanks !
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,282
Likes: 7,862
From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
My take on it as a long time C3 owner.
Mileage means absolutely nothing. A super low miles car has sat and sat. Nothing worse for machinery of any kind is to sit unused. NOTHING.
your thoughts on frame and birdcage are online. Look closely around the windshield trim trying to look under it as much as possible as well.
A car with a really solid frame and birdcage with extremely good paint is the target.
Brakes, engine's, interior's are realitivly easy. Suspension is almost always in need of work, also easy compared to frame, birdcage and paint.
find the model your looking for with a good frame, good birdcage and excellent paint. Then deal with the rest.
I'd rather that car with a great birdcage and wonderful paint in a color I love with no engine and a ratty interior than one than runs fantastic with a perfect interior that needs paint. And the birdcage.....
well, it's a parts car then and you know it.
Some rust in the frame, not really that big a deal. Patch panels are easy to weld in.
.
Mileage means absolutely nothing. A super low miles car has sat and sat. Nothing worse for machinery of any kind is to sit unused. NOTHING.
your thoughts on frame and birdcage are online. Look closely around the windshield trim trying to look under it as much as possible as well.
A car with a really solid frame and birdcage with extremely good paint is the target.
Brakes, engine's, interior's are realitivly easy. Suspension is almost always in need of work, also easy compared to frame, birdcage and paint.
find the model your looking for with a good frame, good birdcage and excellent paint. Then deal with the rest.
I'd rather that car with a great birdcage and wonderful paint in a color I love with no engine and a ratty interior than one than runs fantastic with a perfect interior that needs paint. And the birdcage.....
well, it's a parts car then and you know it.
Some rust in the frame, not really that big a deal. Patch panels are easy to weld in.
.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,221
Likes: 448
From: Loir Valley Sarthe, France
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Are you planning on doing work on a car you buy, or getting a nice straight, rust free car to enjoy driving? If the latter, I'd suggest an inspection certainly, things will have moved on a bit since your last C3 and having someone who knows the cars might be a help if you have been "out of the game" for some years. If you are a competant mechanic who enjoys all that spanner wielding, then pretty much what 4-vettes says, although interiors can become pricey if they need a lot!😄
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 11,125
Likes: 673
From: SE Pennsylvania
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
Oldtimer
I can do a lot of the work, I acutally enjoy the work, But my fear is the birdcage, I know what to look for in the chassis, but with the birdcage, it could be minor or major and I suppose I can pull the kick panels and see if there is rust, but how do I inspect the windshielf frame, and how do I get the perspevtive seller to allow that ?
Thanks for all your help !
Thanks for all your help !
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,282
Likes: 7,862
From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
2025 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
2022 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
Look hard down in the lower corners below the windshield glass. Look at the area where the vin is stamped. The lower corners that are hard to see but can be seen with the hood open are problem areas. The upper corners are also problem areas and hard to see. Look under the edges of the moulding as best you can. If it's real bad rust will peek out. The number 2 body mounts behind the kick panels will tell a lot as well. I've seen guys on here get excited by minor surface rust in this area. These cars are old. Don't let minor surface rust scare you. The key here is minor.
not many sellers are going to let you remove the moulding around the windshield as it's difficult to remove without damage.
You can only do your best.
not many sellers are going to let you remove the moulding around the windshield as it's difficult to remove without damage.
You can only do your best.
NCM Grand Opening Veteran
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 20,979
Likes: 384
From: South of giving a damn
St. Jude Donor '11, '17
Also look in the C3 For Sale section. Generally the members cars are correctly listed and described. Remember Reagan though, Trust but verify.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 14,426
Likes: 8,231
From: Napa Valley California
When I purchased my 73, I took a high intensity led flashlight with me.
If you shine it down into the windshield corners you can see the lower areas pretty well.
Remove the t tops if it’s a coupe and look as best as you can
Crawl in as best as possible and shine the light up under the dash and see if you can see any hints or rust particles laying on top of the components, vent tubes or wiring harnesses.
Push in on the carpet along the suspect areas and see if any particles are hiding there.
Another area to look for rust is the trailing arm pockets.
If those are in bad shape, there is probably rust elsewhere.
I personally wouldn’t ask anyone if I could remove kick panels or anything else to inspect for rust.
I would ask them if they would remove them and have them off when you arrived for the inspection.
If they refused I still might go look and the car anyway.
Personally I wouldn’t start removing parts from my car for any potential buyer.
If you shine it down into the windshield corners you can see the lower areas pretty well.
Remove the t tops if it’s a coupe and look as best as you can
Crawl in as best as possible and shine the light up under the dash and see if you can see any hints or rust particles laying on top of the components, vent tubes or wiring harnesses.
Push in on the carpet along the suspect areas and see if any particles are hiding there.
Another area to look for rust is the trailing arm pockets.
If those are in bad shape, there is probably rust elsewhere.
I personally wouldn’t ask anyone if I could remove kick panels or anything else to inspect for rust.
I would ask them if they would remove them and have them off when you arrived for the inspection.
If they refused I still might go look and the car anyway.
Personally I wouldn’t start removing parts from my car for any potential buyer.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 951
Likes: 215
From: Foothills of the Adirondacks.
This. Too many weird people asking all king of crazy demands when trying to sell anything online these days. You remove one bit, and they will ask you to remove this and that, and it will not stop, until they will tell you they will think about it and ghost you.