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This is the LHS A pillar, does the door gap look alright and what about the base of the A pillar and the dash with what looks like bubbling? Would that indicate rot?
Last edited by lowdercaleb; Mar 26, 2024 at 05:27 PM.
Pulling the kick panels is not that difficult, If the seller wouldn't let me verify the status of the birdcage at the #2 mounts, I'd pass even if the owner was "adamant" that the car was rust free. Trust but Verify!
The underside doesn't look too bad but I would be pulling off the kick panels to look at the bird cage and interior window trim and looking it over very closely.
The underside doesn't look too bad but I would be pulling off the kick panels to look at the bird cage and interior window trim and looking it over very closely.
I forgot to mention, this is not my car, this is a car that is for sale that I am looking at... the gentleman does not want the kick panels to be pulled, he is adamant about the car having no rust.
Pulling the kick panels is not that difficult, If the seller wouldn't let me verify the status of the birdcage at the #2 mounts, I'd pass even if the owner was "adamant" that the car was rust free. Trust but Verify!
I forgot to mention, this is not my car, this is a car that is for sale that I am looking at... the gentleman does not want the kick panels to be pulled, he is adamant about the car having no rust.
You can drop a camera probe down over the top of the kick and see the mount. No disassembly required. I used a Milwaukee. Others use cameras that run off their phones. It’s how checked mine prior to an auction.
Looks like the heater core is rotted , he has cut the hoses off .
Missing the shield on the bell housing.
There's a weld repair ? on the passenger side lower A arm mount .
That indeed does look like rust swell at the base of the windscreen .
Both inner and outer window glass scrapers are broken on the drivers door .
Starter motor missing its front support mount .
Passenger side seat belt mount is rotted with rust , its pushing away from the fibreglass and the captured nut is broken , looks like he has put a bolt in from the bottom to hold it all together .
Looks like a car the owner has had enough of and is moving it on .
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
look at the rear kick ups just in front of the rear tires that area will rust badly and the rear body mount behind the rear tire as well. That underside is pretty pristine. I would say there was a undercoating on there that looks like its wrinkling. Doesnt look like he has a rear main seal leak or a power steering leak. Looks like the rear calipers are okay too.
Do the borescope thing to inspect the kick panel body mounts. Look upwards behind the dash as well as downwards to the bolts. Also inspect the frame in the area of the rear lift pads - the "kickup" of the frame for the rear suspension is welded there and can accumulate mud and debris in the pockets that will rot out the joint.
Windshield A-pillar: (the posted pic isn't high enough detail to see this clearly) As far as the bubbling at the windshield, my '72's sealant goo is not pretty and could be mistaken for rust jacking, but if you look closely with a flashlight, it's evident that it's sealant. The factory was less than careful with cleaning up excess schmoo. How does the pillar look at each end of the VIN tag where the rivets are?
I wouldn't worry too much about the gaps unless it really looks off or is binding when you operate the door. There was/is a lot of variability from car to car concerning panel fit.
(BTW, with the side drain bolt, that appears to be a replacement oil pan.)
From: Loud, Raw and Dangerous 1968 327 4S in Southern California
On my car I can take a mirror inside the car and look up the of the top of the window shield areas and see what the top of the birdcage looks like. You have to look in from the outside of the glass. Car does look sprayed and/or coated as the bolts are black. Overall from the pictures it looks pretty decent compared to most. All depends what you are looking for and the cars price.
This. You can get a borescope/endoscope/usb camera for cheap on amazon or ebay.....
Don't fall in love with a rust bucket. Bring and extra flashlight ....slender one to assist the USB scope light. As mentioned below you can snake it over the kickpanel and eyeball it..... if you bring a laptop or a tablet you can get a bigger view than with a phone
Originally Posted by lickahotskillet
You can drop a camera probe down over the top of the kick and see the mount. No disassembly required. I used a Milwaukee. Others use cameras that run off their phones. It’s how checked mine prior to an auction.
There is activity on the bottom A-pillar that is bad enough to want to see behind the kickpanels......if the seller has an issue with this, thank him for his time and walk away......thousands of other Vette's out there.....
Photo #1 shows evidence of the car being jacked up with a floor jack by the cross member. While not a criteria for judging this particular car, it's not a preferred jacking point without a piece of 2 X 6 to distribute the jacking forces.
Photo #1 shows evidence of the car being jacked up with a floor jack by the cross member. While not a criteria for judging this particular car, it's not a preferred jacking point without a piece of 2 X 6 to distribute the jacking forces.
You’d be hard pressed to find a Vette that DIDN’T have this “feature”. Some guys fix them, but it’s really only an aesthetic issue.
2025 C3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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I don't like the gaps, if that door is fully closed it's way off which could indicate a previous front end collision / repair. The hood gaps are off too, cant see passenger side or the other gaps in the door closer to the handle but again this is way off. Yes it all can be adjusted but why is it like this ? I also don't like what appears to be rust / bubbling at the lower post by the vin tag which ( SHOULD BE BLACK ) if there is rust there, then you can be assured there is most likely rust under the chrome or in other places you cant see. More pictures would certainly help.
While the frame doesn't look bad, it appears to have had a quick rattle can job over rust, pitting and even dirt.
There's no shortage of sellers who claim to have beautiful rust free Corvettes, Fieros, Saturns and DeLoreans that are rolling deathtraps ready to snap in two.
Thoughts? Looking for rust.
