Birdcage Help
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Boca Raton Florida
Birdcage Help
Ok I wanted to check and see if my birdcage was rusting away like everyone says they do and sure enough the upper member at the windshield was gone. I ordered a new one from Caledonia in Michigan. I checked it to the one I removed and it has the same radius but was 1/4" longer, so I cut 1/8" off each end and now they are the same. The problem is in the middle as you can see in the picture it seems the frame of the cage has moved. The center of the T-top is 1/2" from the new cross member. All my dimensions are good at each window post. I do not recall the top springing back when I drilled out the spot welds. I can put the old frame back in and I have the same issue now.
[B]I need help, Please
I do not seem to be able to upload the pics.
Ok, I got a picture to upload, it seems the camera I was set at such high quality it would not let me upload. \
Thank you for the help in uploading pics.
[B]I need help, Please
I do not seem to be able to upload the pics.
Ok, I got a picture to upload, it seems the camera I was set at such high quality it would not let me upload. \
Thank you for the help in uploading pics.
Last edited by team_tribble; Apr 24, 2010 at 05:28 AM. Reason: Add a picture
Racer
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 351
Likes: 48
From: Penn Yan NY
Ok I wanted to check and see if my birdcage was rusting away like everyone says they do and sure enough the upper member at the windshield was gone. I ordered a new one from Caledonia in Michigan. I checked it to the one I removed and it has the same radius but was 1/4" longer, so I cut 1/8" off each end and now they are the same. The problem is in the middle as you can see in the picture it seems the frame of the cage has moved. The center of the T-top is 1/2" from the new cross member. All my dimensions are good at each window post. I do not recall the top springing back when I drilled out the spot welds. I can put the old frame back in and I have the same issue now.
[B]I need help, Please
I do not seem to be able to upload the pics.
[B]I need help, Please
I do not seem to be able to upload the pics.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/help...tep-guide.html
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
From: Boca Raton Florida
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
TeamTribble-
I'm not sure where Caledonia gets the upper frames, but I would have to guess the same place everyone else gets them.
What I am sure of is the upper frame and corners supplied by CSC (more than likely where the header came from) were about as close as possible to the originals up to a year ago and then they were modified again to match the original header from my 1970 in the last year... they are a perfect fit!
We do this job often in our shop.... and we have done two of these in the last month. It is not an easy job to perform that's for sure!
I'll offer you a little advice and I hope it helps... Sit the windshield in the frame mocked up. I suspect that the header needs to go up a bit and I can't tell from the picture but it may need to be tilted backwards a little too! You can confirm this with the windshield in the frame!
There should be at a minimum 1/4" from the top of the windshield to the header edge for the clips in the center of the windshield! This is one dimension that is a must and can't be changed unless the windshield is a new one and cut wrong.
The wiper arm mounting bracket can not be moved! If it is moved it will interfere with the wiper arm transmissions so this is a fixed measurement you can use to verify the location of the header bar location!
The center T-top bar must mate up to the header and it's not. The only way to achieve this is for the header to either go up and/or tilt backwards.
Check these things and post back..
Willcox
I'm not sure where Caledonia gets the upper frames, but I would have to guess the same place everyone else gets them.
What I am sure of is the upper frame and corners supplied by CSC (more than likely where the header came from) were about as close as possible to the originals up to a year ago and then they were modified again to match the original header from my 1970 in the last year... they are a perfect fit!
We do this job often in our shop.... and we have done two of these in the last month. It is not an easy job to perform that's for sure!
I'll offer you a little advice and I hope it helps... Sit the windshield in the frame mocked up. I suspect that the header needs to go up a bit and I can't tell from the picture but it may need to be tilted backwards a little too! You can confirm this with the windshield in the frame!
There should be at a minimum 1/4" from the top of the windshield to the header edge for the clips in the center of the windshield! This is one dimension that is a must and can't be changed unless the windshield is a new one and cut wrong.
The wiper arm mounting bracket can not be moved! If it is moved it will interfere with the wiper arm transmissions so this is a fixed measurement you can use to verify the location of the header bar location!
The center T-top bar must mate up to the header and it's not. The only way to achieve this is for the header to either go up and/or tilt backwards.
Check these things and post back..
Willcox
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Apr 24, 2010 at 08:29 AM.
