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just a touch of surface rust nothing to be concerned of. the worst spot is usually inside behind the lower kick panels under the dash its the only area on my car thats kinda ugly.
Awesome, thanks for all the replies. Should I still wait for bird cage rust pictures or safe to move forward
Absolutely , wait for extra pics , those pics so far are not of the "normal rust areas " . While they look great , you can easily have rotted body mounts/windscreen surround in the bird cage as well on that car.
the thing i like is nobody did nuthin to make that underside prettier. besides putting in a new exhaust-with dual cats. look at the underside pics of this guy. how to restore a frame with 1 can of black paint. look above the rear spring at the heavy surface rust where the paint missed. THIS is why i say NEVER buy from a dealer. https://www.harwoodmotors.com/vehicl...ls.php?id=1315
Find the worst area of rusting on a frame member. Then grab a medium sized Philips screwdriver and stab it into that rusted area to see if it breaks thru the metal. If it doesn't, you don't have any serious rust problems underneath. Now, that is NOT to say that the windshield frame isn't in worse condition. But, not to worry....yet....
What I see in the photos does not appear much more than surface rust. After 40 years, I had more 'rust' than that....
True duals with cats! Someone has upgraded that car a bit.
Here's my 79 for comparison, with a similar frame and the same exhaust mod. I don't see anything to worry about.
Be sure to ask for photos inside the kickpanels, and a clear shot of the VIN tag (which can show rust around the window frame, plus you'll want to confirm the VIN).
Last edited by Bikespace; Jun 15, 2021 at 12:55 AM.
overall looks pretty decent but as posted above seeing random sloppy rattle can underneath. all the brake components sets my ocd off bad lol
Rather just see it pressure washed real good. A buyer that doesnt "have eyes" wont know any better and will assume the cars nicer than it is...
If anything putting a fresh exhaust on woulda done him good.
big john, you talking about this car? https://www.harwoodmotors.com/vehicl...ls.php?id=1315 this is another car a newbie posted. this rattle can job is not the car astbird? is talking. it is an example i posted showing why you need to look CLOSE when everything underneath has been painted. or attempted... and astbird? did PO screw up creating his username? like Blesting70? (now bluesting70)
I've searched some other posts, is there any way to evaluate the condition of the birdcage in addition to just inspecting from the underside and doing the screwdriver test? My '77 L48 is pretty clean, but there is surface rust on the frame and some loose rust flakes in the drain holes. I'd like to have some confidence in it before I start spending money on more horsepower...
I've searched some other posts, is there any way to evaluate the condition of the birdcage in addition to just inspecting from the underside and doing the screwdriver test? My '77 L48 is pretty clean, but there is surface rust on the frame and some loose rust flakes in the drain holes. I'd like to have some confidence in it before I start spending money on more horsepower...
You can't tell much of the birdcage (windshield and t-top structure) from the underside and frame. If removing interior trim on the side pillars and header is not an option, shine a flashlight through the windshield and see what you can see of the metal framing all around the top and sides of the windshield. You are focusing on the surface behind where the glass mounts and around the VIN tag on the driver's pillar. Look for more than a rusty coloration - swelled, flaking metal is a sign of a significant issue. Removing the t-tops, if equipped, can also reveal swollen structure in the way the chrome and stainless trim lies.
Another area of inspection is seen by removing the interior side vent "kick" panels below the dash in front of both doors. This reveals the bottom of the birdcage where it bolts to the frame. Again, you're not looking for surface rust that scrapes off with a screwdriver to reveal shiny metal -- you're looking for flaking metal on the structure and flakes of metal that have fallen from the pillars and collected by the bolt.
Also keep in mind that even a moderately rusted birdcage in and of itself is not a huge concern if the car is going to spend its future in a protected environment such that further corrosion is significantly slowed.
It is a lot easier with a 78-82, since you can take out the glovebox insert and gauge cluster, but check behind the dash, and also check under the carpet behind the seats. I found rust in my 80 in these places, but not enough to concern me for my application.
The seats come out with 4 bolts, so there's no excuse not to pull them.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...orvette-6.html roll down to post 107. read. and please start a new thread with your questions. when people realize they are reading 2 or 20 year old posts, they just back out. then the mods come in and lock the thread anyway...
Too Much Rust?
