Thanks everyone!!! I planned to get the front rotors installed, but TBH they're kicking my butt. Of the 8 pistons I think I fouled 6 of the seals during insertion. I've ordered new ones and a seal tool, but does anyone have any advice for getting them to seat properly?

I had zero problem with the rears, and almost zero success with the fronts?!?!?

 

Interesting! Thanks for posting this issue. Those of us who might attempt the same can learn from what happened and the (hopefully) good insights/solutions that will follow.

 

Things are getting scary around here. I'm almost done with chassis re-assembly, so my gaze is moving over to the cart where the body is resting.

I have a lot of work to do on the birdcage, including an almost complete rebuild of the windshield frame. I'm going to have to come up with a strong plan for that.

The current outline is:

• The front clip is removed, as are the firewall and doors. Those need to be removed from the cart and put somewhere out of the way.
• I cut the rear door pillar cover off, so the remainder needs to be removed from the rear quarter panels
• The transom I built needs to come back into the garage and the birdcage needs to go up in the air.
• I need to clean up the rockers and body mounts, to prep them to lie back on my pretty frame
• I plan to cover the frame and much of the chassis in heavy-duty wrap paper to protect it, then lower the body back onto it - copying the spacer/shim from original assembly
• Clean/grind the birdcage, ensuring the windshield frame is the only portions that need to be replaced/repaired
• Repair birdcage
• Rustcoat birdcage
• Profit

A completely different set of skills than what I've been doing, and a bit scary!

 

It does sound daunting, but as much as I've seen you get done, I know you'll get it licked.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I don't think anything on the list is particularly hard, I just think there's a lot of room for mistakes due to inexperience that could haunt me later.

I'm watching a ton of videos and mentally prepping.

 

"You can do it". If you run into a problem...spend a day relaxing and another few hours eyeballing the situation...the answers will come to you.

GET advice from members...sometimes I condense and combine the advice into a plan that I can handle.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm pretty split down the middle on the project, in 2 different ways:
- On the fiberglass side of the project: Half the videos I've been watching show it as a pretty simple process, once you understand the how. The other half have me scared to death I'll miss one shim (or secure a panel 1/8" off on a bonding strip) and never align the doors or hood properly
- For the welding: Half the videos show it as as "just drill out the old spot weld, clamp parts in place, prep the new parts, spot weld together - done!". The other half have me worried that I'll screw up the size and the new glass won't fit in, or I won't get the angle perfectly right and the top will leak forever.

Good times.

 

Google C3 Birdcage repair and try a search here on the forum.
There have been numerous members who have done the same work you are looking at, with little or no experience.
You can purchase all new reproduction sections of the windshield frame and the birdcage itself from several of the corvette vendors.
I was recently reading a thread where the member repaired sections of the lower windshield frame without removing the front clip.

If it’s something you can’t do I know some people have bought low dollar parts cars with good birdcages and just swapped bodies.

 

Yeah, I've been doing a ton of research. Videos, pages, threads, etc. There's a ton of good info out there, which has given me the confidence to try.

I already have a whole box of the parts needed for the windshield, they mock me every time I ignore them and work on an easier (more fun) project.

The front clip is already off, I'm working on removing some more of the rear next. I have the crazy idea in my head that the whole birdcage needs to be cleaned up with a shiny new coat of paint on it.

Then I can figure out how to reassemble the body panels, from the rocker covers all the way up!

 

Closing up some loose ends before moving over to the birdcage stuff.

I picked up a seal tool for finishing the front calipers. I'm not exaggerating even a little about how much easier they made inserting the seals.



10 minutes and the calipers were ready for installation.



Front brakes done.

 

They look AWESOME! Cool tool to get ‘em done too.

 

Really nice!

 

I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, I'm trying to get ahead of the next phase of the project: getting the birdcage back to where it should be.

That's going to take a lot of logistics for me to be prepped, which is what I'm trying to work on.

 

Well quite messin around man. Tired of waiting!
Wish I was as far along as you. Been sidelined on mine for a bit due to work hours and mosquitoes in the work area (faux garage/carport). As good as yours is looking I bet it’s really calling your name.

 

Ha, it definitely is, but I also don't want to rush things and wish I'd taken different steps along the way!

My big focus right now is on getting the birdcage back to where it needs to be. The chassis is really coming along, with the "only" things that need to be done being getting the engine and trans back in. I have the plan for that, but haven't decided on the birdcage yet.

I've been going back and forth on how to tackle the welding job for the windshield frame, and don't really feel confident doing it myself. A good friend of mine who also has projects brought over his guy yesterday, and we discussed the plan forward:
I've already removed the front clip, firewall, rocker covers, and both front and rear pillar covers. He wants me to also remove the entire rear end and have the birdcage acid dipped, followed by re-priming & and painting or powdercoating. Then get all the body panels back on, the doors, and even the convertible top - BEFORE tackling the removal and re-installation of the windshield parts. He believes that most failed windshield jobs have been due to shops believing they can get all the math right with measurements and templates. He wants everything in place and leveled before touching the windshield.

I understand what he's saying, since the other shop I talked to said it should have been done before removing the body. I just hate the idea of doing welding work after all the panels have been replaced.

Any thoughts?

 

I’ve seen many members on this forum who have welded their windshield frames with the body panels attached.

I purchased a couple large welding blankets at Harbor Freight to lay on or wrap around anything next to where I weld.
Nothing burns through those blankets and I would double them up around or on any body panels.

I’m no professional welder but I found it is easy to learn.
What I can tell you is that the windshield frame, bird cage and frames on our vehicles are thin enough material that you can use a small mig welder to do any welding.
Mig welding uses gas and solid core welding wire so there is little to no slag splatter flying around making the welds nice and the areas around the welds clean.
I would avoid using flux core wire without gas if you can avoid it because you don’t need it and there is a lot of slag flying around.

If I was doing any windshield frame welding or repair, I would set the windshield in place, tack weld in any replacement pieces, remove the windshield then weld in the pieces.
That way you know the windshield is going to set where it needs to be.

 

Sounds like solid advice OCB. I never thought of something as simple as placing the windshield in there temporarily to ensure fitment. Between that and any t-tops or other roofs being able to properly seal up/gap up/line up would have me seriously biting my nails.

 

Thanks for the pointers. I'm definitely planning on mig, I just don't really want to do it myself.

The challenge I have is that I need to replace ALL the pieces, so they're worried about making sure it all goes back together.

 

If you are replacing the entire windshield frame and everything is already removed, why not just purchase a complete birdcage and start putting panels back on.
There have been birdcages up for sale in the C3 parts for sale section that are in really nice shape.
You might even find a complete windshield frame ready to weld on.
Try running a thread in the C3 parts wanted/ parts for sale section and start a thread in the C3 General section.
Someone might have what you need sitting on their shelf or may know someone who has one.

 

That's an interesting take, I never considered that there may be birdcages out there for purchase and that I could replace the whole thing.

I haven't yet removed the rear clip, but I have already purchased the new parts to rebuild the windshield frame. At this point I figure I'm already invested a bunch into it, so it might be worth it to just keep going and remove the rear clip, have it dipped, then prime / paint it?