Rust help for the New Guy
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: centreville va
Rust help for the New Guy
Hi, I got myself a few weeks ago, a 79 l82 with a rebuilt 30 over bored engine with a mild cam, holley 750 carb and headers.
The car runs strong, but a lot of the wires were cut and mangled, vampire clamps all over the place, you know the story.
To the point, rust.
The frame is mostly rust free (some light surfrace rust) but no rott and is solid. Floor pans are solid too.
There are 2 spots, that i need help with...
- Back on the passenger wheel well, where the birdcage mounts to the frame, half of the mount from the birdcage is gone, (birdcage part, the frame part is solid). sorry if i m having trouble describing it.
btw, the wheel well is gone ( i need to replace it or fit a new one)
-the other spot is on the front of the birdcage right under the windshield directly above the front birdcage mount point (a pilar). This is the typical spot on the A pilar rust. Is hard to tell how much rust is in there since i have not taken the front clip or windshield out.
But from the inside of the car, i can tell there is some rust in there since 2 holes the size of 1/2 penny are present. I taped on the area and it has a solid metal noise and no new holes where formed.
Rust debris where present on the Frame mount cavities.
Also when rains hard, there is water present in the foam/fleece like material directly attached to the top of the metal on the birdcage under the dash.
I don`t own a garage, so i can`t take the frame off the car, or have a lot of the car dissembled since the HOA gets unhappy at me for working on my cars.
What would be the best course of action ?
So far i ve striped the interior, preped and painted the floor pans with frame saver.
I was thinking prepping the under dash area and painting the A pilars, with the same paint or por 15... but is there anything else i can do to prevent the rust from going further ?
Someone suggested navy jelly and then prime and pain ...
The car is not completely original, it has a monza stile front clip and the interior used to be olive green but now is deerskin color. But runs strong, drive nice and is my vette
Thank you for being patient with the new guy !
The car runs strong, but a lot of the wires were cut and mangled, vampire clamps all over the place, you know the story.
To the point, rust.
The frame is mostly rust free (some light surfrace rust) but no rott and is solid. Floor pans are solid too.
There are 2 spots, that i need help with...
- Back on the passenger wheel well, where the birdcage mounts to the frame, half of the mount from the birdcage is gone, (birdcage part, the frame part is solid). sorry if i m having trouble describing it.
btw, the wheel well is gone ( i need to replace it or fit a new one)
-the other spot is on the front of the birdcage right under the windshield directly above the front birdcage mount point (a pilar). This is the typical spot on the A pilar rust. Is hard to tell how much rust is in there since i have not taken the front clip or windshield out.
But from the inside of the car, i can tell there is some rust in there since 2 holes the size of 1/2 penny are present. I taped on the area and it has a solid metal noise and no new holes where formed.
Rust debris where present on the Frame mount cavities.
Also when rains hard, there is water present in the foam/fleece like material directly attached to the top of the metal on the birdcage under the dash.
I don`t own a garage, so i can`t take the frame off the car, or have a lot of the car dissembled since the HOA gets unhappy at me for working on my cars.
What would be the best course of action ?
So far i ve striped the interior, preped and painted the floor pans with frame saver.
I was thinking prepping the under dash area and painting the A pilars, with the same paint or por 15... but is there anything else i can do to prevent the rust from going further ?
Someone suggested navy jelly and then prime and pain ...
The car is not completely original, it has a monza stile front clip and the interior used to be olive green but now is deerskin color. But runs strong, drive nice and is my vette
Thank you for being patient with the new guy !
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 74
From: Palatine, Peoples Republic of Illinois
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18
NCM Sinkhole Donor
I think your first job is going to be to determine the extent of birdcage rusting. If the birdcage is bad nothing is going to fit right and you will loose body integrity. Do a search on birdcage problems and you will find a ton of posts on the topic.
Good Luck! Welcome to the forum!
Good Luck! Welcome to the forum!
Former Vendor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 766
Likes: 3
From: Charlotte North Carolina 704-394-5150
Welcome to the forum!!!
WARNING!!! LONG COMMENT POSTED
Now, professionally speaking, you have problems... Potentially BIG problems.
Like mentioned by Raphiki, You MUST determine the extent of the "birdcage" rust.
IF the rust is in the mounting locations of the birdcage or in the lower windshield frame sections, I feel you pain along with many of my previous customers who have suffered the same fate. These areas MUST have the structural integrity that they were designed to have or you are putting your time into a project that will give you much grief in the future. That is unless you are planning on just looking at your car and not actually driving it.
There is no easy fix for the area in front of the rear wheel wells. Remember that the fuel line runs in the area of your rust problem and any welding that you try to perform there may cause for "problems" if you don't do something about removing or SERIOUSLY protecting the fuel line from weld spatter or heat. The body panels will more than likely need to be removed to allow proper welding of used parts that you can buy and have installed. Unless you plan on fabricating the patch panels required to repair this area correctly. Either way...I have been there and done that...and it is "fun" to say the least. It is repairable, but is a bit time comsuming and somewhat precise on getting the steel back to as close to factory as possible.
Now on the windshield area, that is a whole other story. IF it is rusty on the inside of the frame sections. By using a borescope with a light, it will tell you the extent of the internal rust. IF you have no access to a borescope, try calling a plumber who may have one to check for blocked pipes. If that all fails, then you are at the mercy of "the way it is". And that really sucks. Because.... if you do not know how bad your rust is in the lower windshield frame, you could be chasing re-occuring leaks and integrity issues for a long time. Replacing the lower windshield frame is a job, but at least there is a company that reproduces the steel repair panels. I have used them and they work great. But it is an extensive job. Manay people will not do it becasue of the amount of tear down that is required to gain access to installing the panels correctly is like I wrote, EXTENSIVE. Some Corvettes are just not worth the effort, I wrote SOME not ALL. It is your choice, but you can't bypass a weak birdcage and expect everything to be A-OK.
If you remove your windshield and front clip and find that the upper windshield frame is rusty, It can be replaced with a bit of time and patience, but... if you are welding it to rusted and weak posts or lower frame panels, to me.. it is only a BAND-AID fix.
Using POR-15 or other rust stop products is a good choice , but if the thickness of the steel has been sacrificed due to the rust, all you are doing is protecting weakened steel. And like I mentioned, IF it weakens the integrity of the birdcage, then it is a waste of time.
I do not know you personally, but I DO want you to be driving a safe car. And eventhough your frame is in good shape, thats great. But if you get into an accident, and someone hits you above the frame, like with an SUV. then the integrity of the steel in the birdcage is IMPORTANT to at least somewhat protect you. The internal "birdcage" steel isn't much, but with all of the "fiberglass" used in making the car, reducing the structural integrity of the birdcage is game of " Russian roulette". Once again...In my professional opinion.
"DUB"
WARNING!!! LONG COMMENT POSTED
Now, professionally speaking, you have problems... Potentially BIG problems.
Like mentioned by Raphiki, You MUST determine the extent of the "birdcage" rust.
IF the rust is in the mounting locations of the birdcage or in the lower windshield frame sections, I feel you pain along with many of my previous customers who have suffered the same fate. These areas MUST have the structural integrity that they were designed to have or you are putting your time into a project that will give you much grief in the future. That is unless you are planning on just looking at your car and not actually driving it.
There is no easy fix for the area in front of the rear wheel wells. Remember that the fuel line runs in the area of your rust problem and any welding that you try to perform there may cause for "problems" if you don't do something about removing or SERIOUSLY protecting the fuel line from weld spatter or heat. The body panels will more than likely need to be removed to allow proper welding of used parts that you can buy and have installed. Unless you plan on fabricating the patch panels required to repair this area correctly. Either way...I have been there and done that...and it is "fun" to say the least. It is repairable, but is a bit time comsuming and somewhat precise on getting the steel back to as close to factory as possible.
Now on the windshield area, that is a whole other story. IF it is rusty on the inside of the frame sections. By using a borescope with a light, it will tell you the extent of the internal rust. IF you have no access to a borescope, try calling a plumber who may have one to check for blocked pipes. If that all fails, then you are at the mercy of "the way it is". And that really sucks. Because.... if you do not know how bad your rust is in the lower windshield frame, you could be chasing re-occuring leaks and integrity issues for a long time. Replacing the lower windshield frame is a job, but at least there is a company that reproduces the steel repair panels. I have used them and they work great. But it is an extensive job. Manay people will not do it becasue of the amount of tear down that is required to gain access to installing the panels correctly is like I wrote, EXTENSIVE. Some Corvettes are just not worth the effort, I wrote SOME not ALL. It is your choice, but you can't bypass a weak birdcage and expect everything to be A-OK.
If you remove your windshield and front clip and find that the upper windshield frame is rusty, It can be replaced with a bit of time and patience, but... if you are welding it to rusted and weak posts or lower frame panels, to me.. it is only a BAND-AID fix.
Using POR-15 or other rust stop products is a good choice , but if the thickness of the steel has been sacrificed due to the rust, all you are doing is protecting weakened steel. And like I mentioned, IF it weakens the integrity of the birdcage, then it is a waste of time.
I do not know you personally, but I DO want you to be driving a safe car. And eventhough your frame is in good shape, thats great. But if you get into an accident, and someone hits you above the frame, like with an SUV. then the integrity of the steel in the birdcage is IMPORTANT to at least somewhat protect you. The internal "birdcage" steel isn't much, but with all of the "fiberglass" used in making the car, reducing the structural integrity of the birdcage is game of " Russian roulette". Once again...In my professional opinion.
"DUB"
Last edited by grandmastercorvette; Jun 26, 2009 at 06:44 PM. Reason: paragraphs
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: centreville va
Welcome to the forum!!!
WARNING!!! LONG COMMENT POSTED
Now, professionally speaking, you have problems... Potentially BIG problems.
Like mentioned by Raphiki, You MUST determine the extent of the "birdcage" rust.
IF the rust is in the mounting locations of the birdcage or in the lower windshield frame sections, I feel you pain along with many of my previous customers who have suffered the same fate. These areas MUST have the structural integrity that they were designed to have or you are putting your time into a project that will give you much grief in the future. That is unless you are planning on just looking at your car and not actually driving it.
There is no easy fix for the area in front of the rear wheel wells. Remember that the fuel line runs in the area of your rust problem and any welding that you try to perform there may cause for "problems" if you don't do something about removing or SERIOUSLY protecting the fuel line from weld spatter or heat. The body panels will more than likely need to be removed to allow proper welding of used parts that you can buy and have installed. Unless you plan on fabricating the patch panels required to repair this area correctly. Either way...I have been there and done that...and it is "fun" to say the least. It is repairable, but is a bit time comsuming and somewhat precise on getting the steel back to as close to factory as possible.
Now on the windshield area, that is a whole other story. IF it is rusty on the inside of the frame sections. By using a borescope with a light, it will tell you the extent of the internal rust. IF you have no access to a borescope, try calling a plumber who may have one to check for blocked pipes. If that all fails, then you are at the mercy of "the way it is". And that really sucks. Because.... if you do not know how bad your rust is in the lower windshield frame, you could be chasing re-occuring leaks and integrity issues for a long time. Replacing the lower windshield frame is a job, but at least there is a company that reproduces the steel repair panels. I have used them and they work great. But it is an extensive job. Manay people will not do it becasue of the amount of tear down that is required to gain access to installing the panels correctly is like I wrote, EXTENSIVE. Some Corvettes are just not worth the effort, I wrote SOME not ALL. It is your choice, but you can't bypass a weak birdcage and expect everything to be A-OK.
If you remove your windshield and front clip and find that the upper windshield frame is rusty, It can be replaced with a bit of time and patience, but... if you are welding it to rusted and weak posts or lower frame panels, to me.. it is only a BAND-AID fix.
Using POR-15 or other rust stop products is a good choice , but if the thickness of the steel has been sacrificed due to the rust, all you are doing is protecting weakened steel. And like I mentioned, IF it weakens the integrity of the birdcage, then it is a waste of time.
I do not know you personally, but I DO want you to be driving a safe car. And eventhough your frame is in good shape, thats great. But if you get into an accident, and someone hits you above the frame, like with an SUV. then the integrity of the steel in the birdcage is IMPORTANT to at least somewhat protect you. The internal "birdcage" steel isn't much, but with all of the "fiberglass" used in making the car, reducing the structural integrity of the birdcage is game of " Russian roulette". Once again...In my professional opinion.
"DUB"
WARNING!!! LONG COMMENT POSTED
Now, professionally speaking, you have problems... Potentially BIG problems.
Like mentioned by Raphiki, You MUST determine the extent of the "birdcage" rust.
IF the rust is in the mounting locations of the birdcage or in the lower windshield frame sections, I feel you pain along with many of my previous customers who have suffered the same fate. These areas MUST have the structural integrity that they were designed to have or you are putting your time into a project that will give you much grief in the future. That is unless you are planning on just looking at your car and not actually driving it.
There is no easy fix for the area in front of the rear wheel wells. Remember that the fuel line runs in the area of your rust problem and any welding that you try to perform there may cause for "problems" if you don't do something about removing or SERIOUSLY protecting the fuel line from weld spatter or heat. The body panels will more than likely need to be removed to allow proper welding of used parts that you can buy and have installed. Unless you plan on fabricating the patch panels required to repair this area correctly. Either way...I have been there and done that...and it is "fun" to say the least. It is repairable, but is a bit time comsuming and somewhat precise on getting the steel back to as close to factory as possible.
Now on the windshield area, that is a whole other story. IF it is rusty on the inside of the frame sections. By using a borescope with a light, it will tell you the extent of the internal rust. IF you have no access to a borescope, try calling a plumber who may have one to check for blocked pipes. If that all fails, then you are at the mercy of "the way it is". And that really sucks. Because.... if you do not know how bad your rust is in the lower windshield frame, you could be chasing re-occuring leaks and integrity issues for a long time. Replacing the lower windshield frame is a job, but at least there is a company that reproduces the steel repair panels. I have used them and they work great. But it is an extensive job. Manay people will not do it becasue of the amount of tear down that is required to gain access to installing the panels correctly is like I wrote, EXTENSIVE. Some Corvettes are just not worth the effort, I wrote SOME not ALL. It is your choice, but you can't bypass a weak birdcage and expect everything to be A-OK.
If you remove your windshield and front clip and find that the upper windshield frame is rusty, It can be replaced with a bit of time and patience, but... if you are welding it to rusted and weak posts or lower frame panels, to me.. it is only a BAND-AID fix.
Using POR-15 or other rust stop products is a good choice , but if the thickness of the steel has been sacrificed due to the rust, all you are doing is protecting weakened steel. And like I mentioned, IF it weakens the integrity of the birdcage, then it is a waste of time.
I do not know you personally, but I DO want you to be driving a safe car. And eventhough your frame is in good shape, thats great. But if you get into an accident, and someone hits you above the frame, like with an SUV. then the integrity of the steel in the birdcage is IMPORTANT to at least somewhat protect you. The internal "birdcage" steel isn't much, but with all of the "fiberglass" used in making the car, reducing the structural integrity of the birdcage is game of " Russian roulette". Once again...In my professional opinion.
"DUB"
I ve got some pictures of the inside.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0183.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0187.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0193.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0198.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0204.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0206.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0229.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0235.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0255.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0205.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0221.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3hsqmEY856s/Sk...2/IMG_0222.JPG
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: centreville va
Welcome to the forum!!!
WARNING!!! LONG COMMENT POSTED
Now, professionally speaking, you have problems... Potentially BIG problems.
Like mentioned by Raphiki, You MUST determine the extent of the "birdcage" rust.
IF the rust is in the mounting locations of the birdcage or in the lower windshield frame sections, I feel you pain along with many of my previous customers who have suffered the same fate. These areas MUST have the structural integrity that they were designed to have or you are putting your time into a project that will give you much grief in the future. That is unless you are planning on just looking at your car and not actually driving it.
There is no easy fix for the area in front of the rear wheel wells. Remember that the fuel line runs in the area of your rust problem and any welding that you try to perform there may cause for "problems" if you don't do something about removing or SERIOUSLY protecting the fuel line from weld spatter or heat. The body panels will more than likely need to be removed to allow proper welding of used parts that you can buy and have installed. Unless you plan on fabricating the patch panels required to repair this area correctly. Either way...I have been there and done that...and it is "fun" to say the least. It is repairable, but is a bit time comsuming and somewhat precise on getting the steel back to as close to factory as possible.
Now on the windshield area, that is a whole other story. IF it is rusty on the inside of the frame sections. By using a borescope with a light, it will tell you the extent of the internal rust. IF you have no access to a borescope, try calling a plumber who may have one to check for blocked pipes. If that all fails, then you are at the mercy of "the way it is". And that really sucks. Because.... if you do not know how bad your rust is in the lower windshield frame, you could be chasing re-occuring leaks and integrity issues for a long time. Replacing the lower windshield frame is a job, but at least there is a company that reproduces the steel repair panels. I have used them and they work great. But it is an extensive job. Manay people will not do it becasue of the amount of tear down that is required to gain access to installing the panels correctly is like I wrote, EXTENSIVE. Some Corvettes are just not worth the effort, I wrote SOME not ALL. It is your choice, but you can't bypass a weak birdcage and expect everything to be A-OK.
If you remove your windshield and front clip and find that the upper windshield frame is rusty, It can be replaced with a bit of time and patience, but... if you are welding it to rusted and weak posts or lower frame panels, to me.. it is only a BAND-AID fix.
Using POR-15 or other rust stop products is a good choice , but if the thickness of the steel has been sacrificed due to the rust, all you are doing is protecting weakened steel. And like I mentioned, IF it weakens the integrity of the birdcage, then it is a waste of time.
I do not know you personally, but I DO want you to be driving a safe car. And eventhough your frame is in good shape, thats great. But if you get into an accident, and someone hits you above the frame, like with an SUV. then the integrity of the steel in the birdcage is IMPORTANT to at least somewhat protect you. The internal "birdcage" steel isn't much, but with all of the "fiberglass" used in making the car, reducing the structural integrity of the birdcage is game of " Russian roulette". Once again...In my professional opinion.
"DUB"
WARNING!!! LONG COMMENT POSTED
Now, professionally speaking, you have problems... Potentially BIG problems.
Like mentioned by Raphiki, You MUST determine the extent of the "birdcage" rust.
IF the rust is in the mounting locations of the birdcage or in the lower windshield frame sections, I feel you pain along with many of my previous customers who have suffered the same fate. These areas MUST have the structural integrity that they were designed to have or you are putting your time into a project that will give you much grief in the future. That is unless you are planning on just looking at your car and not actually driving it.
There is no easy fix for the area in front of the rear wheel wells. Remember that the fuel line runs in the area of your rust problem and any welding that you try to perform there may cause for "problems" if you don't do something about removing or SERIOUSLY protecting the fuel line from weld spatter or heat. The body panels will more than likely need to be removed to allow proper welding of used parts that you can buy and have installed. Unless you plan on fabricating the patch panels required to repair this area correctly. Either way...I have been there and done that...and it is "fun" to say the least. It is repairable, but is a bit time comsuming and somewhat precise on getting the steel back to as close to factory as possible.
Now on the windshield area, that is a whole other story. IF it is rusty on the inside of the frame sections. By using a borescope with a light, it will tell you the extent of the internal rust. IF you have no access to a borescope, try calling a plumber who may have one to check for blocked pipes. If that all fails, then you are at the mercy of "the way it is". And that really sucks. Because.... if you do not know how bad your rust is in the lower windshield frame, you could be chasing re-occuring leaks and integrity issues for a long time. Replacing the lower windshield frame is a job, but at least there is a company that reproduces the steel repair panels. I have used them and they work great. But it is an extensive job. Manay people will not do it becasue of the amount of tear down that is required to gain access to installing the panels correctly is like I wrote, EXTENSIVE. Some Corvettes are just not worth the effort, I wrote SOME not ALL. It is your choice, but you can't bypass a weak birdcage and expect everything to be A-OK.
If you remove your windshield and front clip and find that the upper windshield frame is rusty, It can be replaced with a bit of time and patience, but... if you are welding it to rusted and weak posts or lower frame panels, to me.. it is only a BAND-AID fix.
Using POR-15 or other rust stop products is a good choice , but if the thickness of the steel has been sacrificed due to the rust, all you are doing is protecting weakened steel. And like I mentioned, IF it weakens the integrity of the birdcage, then it is a waste of time.
I do not know you personally, but I DO want you to be driving a safe car. And eventhough your frame is in good shape, thats great. But if you get into an accident, and someone hits you above the frame, like with an SUV. then the integrity of the steel in the birdcage is IMPORTANT to at least somewhat protect you. The internal "birdcage" steel isn't much, but with all of the "fiberglass" used in making the car, reducing the structural integrity of the birdcage is game of " Russian roulette". Once again...In my professional opinion.
"DUB"
I ve got some pictures of the inside.
Former Vendor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 766
Likes: 3
From: Charlotte North Carolina 704-394-5150
I would like you to post pictures of the rear body mount rust problem.
From the photo's that you sent it looks like many that I have seen. Some that I have seen are much worse than what you have. I would bet that the windshield has been replaced and probably was done "not the best that it could have been done".
Are you planning on removing the windshield? The reason I ask is that much more can be found when you CAREFULLY remove the upper T-Top "T" stainless steel molding and windshield/pillar moldings.
Before you do, water test the car ( if possible at this point) and note where the leaks are. When you water test it, I like to shoot water up in the air and make it come down like heavy rain.
You could have the problem in the panels that are attached to the firewall that allow the front clip to be bonded. These panels can cause a problem, especially if the car has been in an accident, due to the "pop" rivets may have let loose and/or the caulking is hard and dry and now not bonding like it need to be.
You will get a much better picture of whar is wrong when the windshield has been removed. And do not be surprised if it cracks when it is being removed.
The upper windshield frame panels can be replaced, so I'm not to worried about it, I just need to see the extent of the exterior area earlier mentioned.
You MAY BE able to save the rusty windshield frame area with POR-15 or similar product, but you may be required to cut slits in the steel and peel it back so you can look inside and determine if it is mild or heavy rust that is eating away the steel instead of being surface rust. and then decide what you need to do. I WILL be glad to advise you. BUT I will need good photo's and written text of what you have seen and tested.
"DUB"
From the photo's that you sent it looks like many that I have seen. Some that I have seen are much worse than what you have. I would bet that the windshield has been replaced and probably was done "not the best that it could have been done".
Are you planning on removing the windshield? The reason I ask is that much more can be found when you CAREFULLY remove the upper T-Top "T" stainless steel molding and windshield/pillar moldings.
Before you do, water test the car ( if possible at this point) and note where the leaks are. When you water test it, I like to shoot water up in the air and make it come down like heavy rain.
You could have the problem in the panels that are attached to the firewall that allow the front clip to be bonded. These panels can cause a problem, especially if the car has been in an accident, due to the "pop" rivets may have let loose and/or the caulking is hard and dry and now not bonding like it need to be.
You will get a much better picture of whar is wrong when the windshield has been removed. And do not be surprised if it cracks when it is being removed.
The upper windshield frame panels can be replaced, so I'm not to worried about it, I just need to see the extent of the exterior area earlier mentioned.
You MAY BE able to save the rusty windshield frame area with POR-15 or similar product, but you may be required to cut slits in the steel and peel it back so you can look inside and determine if it is mild or heavy rust that is eating away the steel instead of being surface rust. and then decide what you need to do. I WILL be glad to advise you. BUT I will need good photo's and written text of what you have seen and tested.
"DUB"
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 330
From: Indy Indiana
there is another solution to your issue.... drop back and punt... spare yourself the thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours you will spend fixing the issue and sell the car.. whether the rust is mild or extensive, just sell the car and buy another one with your now enhanced knowledge...
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: centreville va
there is another solution to your issue.... drop back and punt... spare yourself the thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours you will spend fixing the issue and sell the car.. whether the rust is mild or extensive, just sell the car and buy another one with your now enhanced knowledge...
new engine, new brakes, good tires, dif, no frame rott. Would be hard to find another car under 7k that has all that plus a perfect birdcage.
right?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: centreville va
I would like you to post pictures of the rear body mount rust problem.
From the photo's that you sent it looks like many that I have seen. Some that I have seen are much worse than what you have. I would bet that the windshield has been replaced and probably was done "not the best that it could have been done".
Are you planning on removing the windshield? The reason I ask is that much more can be found when you CAREFULLY remove the upper T-Top "T" stainless steel molding and windshield/pillar moldings.
Before you do, water test the car ( if possible at this point) and note where the leaks are. When you water test it, I like to shoot water up in the air and make it come down like heavy rain.
You could have the problem in the panels that are attached to the firewall that allow the front clip to be bonded. These panels can cause a problem, especially if the car has been in an accident, due to the "pop" rivets may have let loose and/or the caulking is hard and dry and now not bonding like it need to be.
You will get a much better picture of whar is wrong when the windshield has been removed. And do not be surprised if it cracks when it is being removed.
The upper windshield frame panels can be replaced, so I'm not to worried about it, I just need to see the extent of the exterior area earlier mentioned.
You MAY BE able to save the rusty windshield frame area with POR-15 or similar product, but you may be required to cut slits in the steel and peel it back so you can look inside and determine if it is mild or heavy rust that is eating away the steel instead of being surface rust. and then decide what you need to do. I WILL be glad to advise you. BUT I will need good photo's and written text of what you have seen and tested.
"DUB"
From the photo's that you sent it looks like many that I have seen. Some that I have seen are much worse than what you have. I would bet that the windshield has been replaced and probably was done "not the best that it could have been done".
Are you planning on removing the windshield? The reason I ask is that much more can be found when you CAREFULLY remove the upper T-Top "T" stainless steel molding and windshield/pillar moldings.
Before you do, water test the car ( if possible at this point) and note where the leaks are. When you water test it, I like to shoot water up in the air and make it come down like heavy rain.
You could have the problem in the panels that are attached to the firewall that allow the front clip to be bonded. These panels can cause a problem, especially if the car has been in an accident, due to the "pop" rivets may have let loose and/or the caulking is hard and dry and now not bonding like it need to be.
You will get a much better picture of whar is wrong when the windshield has been removed. And do not be surprised if it cracks when it is being removed.
The upper windshield frame panels can be replaced, so I'm not to worried about it, I just need to see the extent of the exterior area earlier mentioned.
You MAY BE able to save the rusty windshield frame area with POR-15 or similar product, but you may be required to cut slits in the steel and peel it back so you can look inside and determine if it is mild or heavy rust that is eating away the steel instead of being surface rust. and then decide what you need to do. I WILL be glad to advise you. BUT I will need good photo's and written text of what you have seen and tested.
"DUB"
In the meantime, this weekend i was taking the trim out adn noticed the windshield was... loose in some spots.. i got a windshield tool and took the windshield out in 1 piece without a scratch.
Here are the pics of the rust i found. i wish i had took better pics before i started wirebrushing and cleaning the old rust.
the A pilars had surface rust, but was enough get the butyl strip to not adere anymore. so the windshield wasn`t hard to take out.
the center part of the birdcage had VERY little surface rust.
The 2 big holes, im asuming are factory for ventilation ? should they be pluged?
Thanks again !
matt
Former Vendor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 766
Likes: 3
From: Charlotte North Carolina 704-394-5150
Matt,
Well I was right, the windshield was installed incorrectly. It should not have been that easy to take out. It should at least had urethane as an adhesive to hold the windshield in place. Good for you in getting it out "without a scratch".
Your new pictures did not show up, I have seen the interior shots but still need to see that body mount, exterior windshield area. Especially the area at the lower windshield frame corners where it meets at the pillar post/a-pillar.
joewill is correct in some way. If the rust is extensive, and where it is located is labor intensive to correct......sometimes it is best to sell it and start with another car.
I have lost count on how many people I have told that to over the years. Like I had mentioned earlier, it is much easier to replace a rusted out frame, than replace some of the internal birdcage components that are key to structural integrity.
Are you planning on removing the front clip?
"DUB"
I need to see good photo's of the areas the rust has affected.
Well I was right, the windshield was installed incorrectly. It should not have been that easy to take out. It should at least had urethane as an adhesive to hold the windshield in place. Good for you in getting it out "without a scratch".
Your new pictures did not show up, I have seen the interior shots but still need to see that body mount, exterior windshield area. Especially the area at the lower windshield frame corners where it meets at the pillar post/a-pillar.
joewill is correct in some way. If the rust is extensive, and where it is located is labor intensive to correct......sometimes it is best to sell it and start with another car.
I have lost count on how many people I have told that to over the years. Like I had mentioned earlier, it is much easier to replace a rusted out frame, than replace some of the internal birdcage components that are key to structural integrity.
Are you planning on removing the front clip?
"DUB"
I need to see good photo's of the areas the rust has affected.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: centreville va
Matt,
Well I was right, the windshield was installed incorrectly. It should not have been that easy to take out. It should at least had urethane as an adhesive to hold the windshield in place. Good for you in getting it out "without a scratch".
Your new pictures did not show up, I have seen the interior shots but still need to see that body mount, exterior windshield area. Especially the area at the lower windshield frame corners where it meets at the pillar post/a-pillar.
joewill is correct in some way. If the rust is extensive, and where it is located is labor intensive to correct......sometimes it is best to sell it and start with another car.
I have lost count on how many people I have told that to over the years. Like I had mentioned earlier, it is much easier to replace a rusted out frame, than replace some of the internal birdcage components that are key to structural integrity.
Are you planning on removing the front clip?
"DUB"
I need to see good photo's of the areas the rust has affected.
Well I was right, the windshield was installed incorrectly. It should not have been that easy to take out. It should at least had urethane as an adhesive to hold the windshield in place. Good for you in getting it out "without a scratch".
Your new pictures did not show up, I have seen the interior shots but still need to see that body mount, exterior windshield area. Especially the area at the lower windshield frame corners where it meets at the pillar post/a-pillar.
joewill is correct in some way. If the rust is extensive, and where it is located is labor intensive to correct......sometimes it is best to sell it and start with another car.
I have lost count on how many people I have told that to over the years. Like I had mentioned earlier, it is much easier to replace a rusted out frame, than replace some of the internal birdcage components that are key to structural integrity.
Are you planning on removing the front clip?
"DUB"
I need to see good photo's of the areas the rust has affected.
I cant remove the front clip, till i get a place to work on it.
let me try the pictures again.
you can browse thru the hideff images here
HIGH DEFINITION IMAGES
ignore the invalid certificate, is becouse is a self signed certificate.
I have not got yet to the #body mount to take pictures, the car is in an incline and i ll need to take the wheel off to take good pics.
Former Vendor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 766
Likes: 3
From: Charlotte North Carolina 704-394-5150
Matt,
You DO have some issues with the lower windshield area. Good thing is that it can be repaired....but may require further removal of bad steel so a good view of the integrity of the inner steel can be determined. Thus causing further action in rust removal or prevention. both sides are bad not as bad as I have seen in the past.
Before you get to crazy in the windshield area, photo's of the body mount need to be posted whenever you can get to it.
And yes, I do believe it MAY be in your best intrests to aquire some place where the car can be inside while these repairs are being made. TRY not to cover the car in plastic due to trapping moisture like a greenhouse and other areas can begin to rust. I know you got to do what you got to do...but... no need in creating other problems. This moisture can effect wiring connections and if you have exposed body panels without paint, can possibly create issues that can effect the final paint if not taken into consideration.
"DUB"
You DO have some issues with the lower windshield area. Good thing is that it can be repaired....but may require further removal of bad steel so a good view of the integrity of the inner steel can be determined. Thus causing further action in rust removal or prevention. both sides are bad not as bad as I have seen in the past.
Before you get to crazy in the windshield area, photo's of the body mount need to be posted whenever you can get to it.
And yes, I do believe it MAY be in your best intrests to aquire some place where the car can be inside while these repairs are being made. TRY not to cover the car in plastic due to trapping moisture like a greenhouse and other areas can begin to rust. I know you got to do what you got to do...but... no need in creating other problems. This moisture can effect wiring connections and if you have exposed body panels without paint, can possibly create issues that can effect the final paint if not taken into consideration.
"DUB"
