BlackRocket

I am considering removing the bird cage from my '69 vert. Body is completly off and there is some rust under the door sills. To remove the front clip seems easy enough, but how does one get the bird cage out of the cabin???

It seems like you would have to cut out the floor boards and the firewall? Am I missing something here???

Also, once apart how easy is it to get back together and aligned properly?

wombvette

IMHP if you have to ask this type of question, you probably shouldnt be attempting this proceedure. I think that I would try to expose the places that need work and repair those. But, if you are determined, check out my page here. It might give you an idea or two. They are midyears but the construction is more or less the same as the C3s.

http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/commun...pid=303869&ck=

chevy69

I guess it really depends how much repair you are talking about. I did repairs to my rocker channels and windshield frame and did not have to unbond the front end. My door posts were clean, and so was my cowl area. I must stress that the 2 repairs I made are not for the faint of heart. They require a lot of careful measuring, cutting and welding and if you do these wrong you can really screw up your car. It's really a ton of work, but I'm glad I tackled both of these the jobs.

In the windshield, my rust was in the top corners (primarily) of the windshield frame and in the center of the windshield frame where it "T"s. I used a donor windshield frame and replaced mine from above the VIN tag area (both sides) on the pillar and up and into the T.

There are replacement rocker channels available (I got mine at Zip) and quite a few guys here have done this replacement. It requires a lot of careful measuring, cutting, grinding, measuring, cutting grinding, cutting, grinding, and did I mention cutting and grinding

They weld in, so you will need a good MIG welder (and good experience welding) to do the job properly. I use a Millermatic 175. This job removes any doubt about what is attaching my car to the frame. Redwingvette has a website out there with a bunch of pics. His site was helpful. Also search on "rocker channels", and you will find other posts, including mine w/ pics. It's a lot of work, but when it's done you'll have a solid foundation.

clive

Did my rocker channels. It was the worse job I ever did. I had over 20 hours removing (air chisel, die grider, cut off wheel) Then I welded it in at the #2 and 3 access areas. I bonded it under the sill and rivets. I feel confident about it now but, I don't think I would ever tackle the whole bird cage. I think of a spine transplant.

BlackRocket

OK I get it....A LOT OF W-O-R-K to remove the bird cage!!!!!

Maybe I'm being too picky...the rear inspection ports are clean as well as the fronts. The bottom of the rockers have medium surface rust and the tops of the rockers where the frame bolts go through and top of the rockers in front inspection port are pretty rough. Do those of you that have been there before feel that I should just clean up and forget or replace the rockers??? (See pictures below).

If I just "clean up" what rust remover works well and doesn't affect the fiberglass?

Thanks!

Bottom; (with body dolly in view)...

Top bolt hole...

Rear inspection port...slide to right of screen...

Front inspection port...

clive

Those do not look at all bad to me. If there are not holes in them I wouldn't bother with it. POR them up good and maybe some spray sealer where you can't brush.

gte718p

Don't touch it!!!!!!

Everything you posted showed surface rust. Wire brush, POR 15 and your good to go.
Been there done that, have the horror stories.

Jarrett

chevy69

If they don't look like this, leave 'em

68 NJConv 454

I agree they look great! Don't remove anything, just wire brush and POR like advised. I've heard the Eastwood rust encapsulator is also very good. Just brush the surface rust off and get that POR in every nook'n'cranny you can get a paintbrush or spray gun in.

Black 82

That ain't rust. This is rust...

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1368939

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1384527

Your car looks printine. Except maybe for that fuzzy rear inspection port pic. Is that a rusted hole? If so, maybe just pull off that glass panel with the inspection hole in it (you can see pics in my first thread above) and weld a patch over the rusted hole...

chevy69

Dayyyyaammmn Black 82, you make the rust I've had to deal with look like child's play

Good work

Black 82

I dunno Chev. Those rockers look pretty swisscheese-like. Great looking project you have. Rolling frame looks great. I'm just getting back into mine for the winter. Hopefully I'll have the underbody done by spring.

BlackRocket

Thanks guys for all the input....I was interested in pulling the bird cage since I like doing everything first rate, sand and neutralize the rust then primer and re-paint, but I'm too concerned about getting everything back together correctly. The tops of the rocker channels seem to be very bumpy and there is NO rust through at all. Black 82, the spot in the rear inspection port is only some thick paint that has split and is peeling back.

So do you feel that to R&R the rocker channels is worth the hassle, I don't know how I could possible clean the top surfaces without pulling them first.

Thanks!

chevy69

I know what you are going through. The body is off, you are into it up to your elbows and you want to do everything right. I feel the same way. Mine didn't look terribly bad (especially from underneath) till I went after them with a pick for 30 minutes or so. Originally I thought I could patch them, but at the end of the day I ended up cutting them out and replacing them. You can see from my pic above how bad they really were. This is a picture of the top of them.

My pockets behind the inspection plates (rear - #3 mounts) and the kick panels (front #2 mounts) looked good, very much like your pictures.

These cars rust weird. My only bad spots were the rocker channels and the windshield frame - I got lucky in the other areas like door pillars and cowl, as they were solid and still painted.

IMHO, I would see if you can locate any rust-through in your rockers by tapping it with a pick. If there is no rust through, I would not try to replace them. Clean them up and paint them

Black 82

Like Chev suggested... Go at the rockers with a pic or a plastic hammer from the underside. If big chunks don't fall out leaving holes, maybe just cut the glass covers off and hit the top of the rockers with a good rust encapsulating paint. Even if big chunks do fall out, if its far from the body mounts - in the middle of the rocker span - in addition to the rust encapsulator on the top side, I would just cut out the bad parts and weld in patches from the top.

Jimydc

Ray, In referance to your post and photo of 2/05/07, Donor Part. I need to know how it was made or where it came from. I have a 77 coupe and the drivers side needs replacement. I purchased a rocker channel and insert but cannot locate a Door Lock Piller Reinforcement.
You can email me at carpenter@wekz.net if you like. Thank you for any help.
Jim C.

Twin_Turbo

OMG That IS ugly!! .. oh wait...you were talking about the channels

turtlevette

Ouch,

I must be a bad influence on you.

paulywannafly

mr womble you summed it up so well

cchristo

Well, don't mean to hijack, but......I'm sort of new around here, and I was wondering if someone could help me figure out how to put my left rear tire on the other side, and vice versa? I know, I know, if I have to ask someone how to rotate my tires, I probably shouldn't attempt it, but dag-nab it, that's why I'm in this hobby!