If the dealer is that confident have one of his guys pull a piece of windshield trim to see some of the birdcage. He probably wont but...
Youre doing the right thing getting it up on a rack. Youre seeing what the car really is, not the paint job.
Surface stuff...i dont like either but as long as it isnt flaky looking or holes youre probably ok.
I get a lot of crap for saying "its just a car" but seeing it from the underside as you see...yup.
Easy to get caught up in the paint interior, lipstick I call it.
Good luck!

Check the bushings on suspension front and rear..if they are old that is absolutely a bargaining chip. Not super easy/cheap and makes all the difference in the world how these cars handle track and drive. Know more than the seller if you can!

 

There is no frame rust in the photos above. This is what frame rust looks like:








I bought the car anyway and just fixed it.

Lars

 

Thanks cv67.
I agree completely. I hardly care what color it is or whether it's a T-top or a convertible. I just require that the frame and birdcage are not requiring any sort of body-off restoration work. This car was originally an LT-1, but the motor has been swapped out for a damn '84 truck engine! Ugh, but I love looking at a 6500 rpm redline...
Good advice about the suspension. Yeah, it's hurtin'...and I'll be sure to mention it.
Thanks, again.

 

In your photo at the engine and Porsche poster, the area you're asking about isn't the frame. The yellow arrows show the inward curving frame to accommodate the front suspension. The blue arrow is a bolt-on triangular "splash" panel, that yes, does look like it has an irregular hole where one shouldn't be. This panel is easy to replace if you desire.

For any area you are concerned about, tap on it with a hard object, like a screwdriver to "feel" the structure. If the screwdriver easily chips off, crumbles, or enters the metal, then it's quite rusted. Surface rust won't chip off anything other than a very fine powder. As everyone else said, there's nothing in these photos that are concerning.

Now, inspect all around the windshield with a flashlight, looking for a layered, rust-colored, crusty look to the structure behind the glass. Also look at the chrome trim where the convertible top or t-tops latch to the frame - this trim should lay smooth and not look like something is pushing it up from below -- which would be happening if rust is swelling the birdcage metal.

 

Run your fingers across the top of the windshield, on the inside, up tight to the trim. Should feel 'smooth' and no rusty bits fall out.

 

Your photos look good to me. Now having said that, really need to pay a C3 knowledeable person to inspect for rust. I take a screwdriver and hit on the frame everyplace accessible and see if it sounds like ringing metal and not "thud" rust. Also check keyholes in frame and see if the shape looks original and crisp. And since the birdcage is sheetmetal, (maybe 1/16" original), check it throughly. You can remove the kick panels and look up the A pillars plus study the edges of the windshield glass and put a white sheet on the floorboards and slam the doors a few times and check for rust flakes to get an idea of the windshield frame condition. Also pull on the windshield a little and see if you get excessive flex. Even so, you can have holes in the windshield frame under the glass. Ask if windshield was replaced in recent memory. All can be fixed and no C3 is zero risk. But if you do the checks above, and it passes, odds are good it is ok. Hope this helps and this is what I do.

Another thought for you. I had an opportunity to go on the best tour of my life and see the Corvettes owned by
Corvette Parts in Wagenborgerweg 25
www.corvette-parts.nl
info@corvette-parts.nl
tel: 0596 542022

I know these guys know Corvettes and C3's and can likely advise where and how to get a knowledgeable inspector to check it out. Might cost some coins but way cheaper than cost of fixes.

 

A rusty birdcage is not necessarily the kiss of death, either. If you lack the skills and equipment to make the repairs, yes, it will likely put the cost of repair out of reach for a lot of folks.

 

Also a good trick is to put a white piece of paper on the floor driver and passenger side and then open and close the door a couple of times. On mine, some fine rust was on the paper. Then on the body mount under the kick panel on that side was an inch deep in rust flakes. The body mount was perfect, but the flakes were coming from up the windshield frame. I recently finished a body off restoration on this car. Looking at the two and three body mounts on each side, you would have thought the cage was perfect. Wrong, needed two thirds of the windshield frame replaced, as well as a hole lower that my guy accessed from behind the dash. I would rather replace a frame than do birdcage work. I am not trying to scare you, but don’t assume that since one spot looks good, that it is all good. Below are a couple of pics of the repairs needed on my car, that the body mounts looked perfect with no rusty bolts.

 

And this is what my 2 and 3 body mounts, and trailing arm pockets looked like before discovering the rust, other than all the flakes in the passenger #2 mount. So you see, you really need to be thorough because cages problems can be well hidden.

 

Hi, some thoughts/answers to your questions above;

• I agree - this forum is great; I've learned a lot and give back when I can.
• '84 truck engine - that's an interesting combo. But you'll do something about that if you decide.
• Cold and rainy? I grew up (actually, my wife would argue that I 'aged', not grew up) in Seattle so the weather there never bothered me. :-)
• Not a parts dealer. But like many on this forum, I'll help out a fellow gear head when I can. I've sent a few parts around to others, including a forum member in Australia who needed a couple of shock mounts. I've also been the recipient of a few parts I was looking for where the forum member wouldn't take any $ for them either. Great group of members here.

I wish you the best in your hunt. If this car works out, kindly start a 'journey thread'. If this car doesn't work out, keep hunting - we'll help. Best, Paul

 

Ha! My worst nightmare!

 

Thanks 67:72.
But don't worry, I know what the frame is. I suspect you didn't read the footnote below that image where I did not mention the frame. Still thanks for your response.
Good to know that that panel with the hole in it is "...easy to replace..." I wonder what could've caused that.
And thanks for the tips about how to check the windshield frame for (excessive) rust. I will do that if/when I can get to the car. I'm in the NLs and the car is in France. So, it's not like I can easily pop over there to do the checks. I do plan to visit that place on my way home from a French vacation later this month...now that so many of you have reduced my fears of deal-breaking frame rust.
Thanks, again,
Steve, in the NLs

 

Hi Dirty Dalton,
Thanks again for your advice.

 

The Windshield Frame is prone to rust and there really isn't an easy way to see without removing all the Trim. Have a good look at the Serial Number area for rust, You can also look straight up under the dash. Most of this can be fixed with out to much effort unless its in the lower corners right where the front fenders overlap. Quite often 90 percent of it is just fine and a spot or two is rusted out. How hard is Europe on rusting out cars ? Every picture I saw looks to be an ideal Canidate.

 

Thanks 20mercury! Excellent advice. I will be taking a white sheet with me when I visit the car in a couple weeks.

Indeed, I need to get up north to see Corvette Parts one of these days. Our price for "gas" is 3-4 times what it is in the US. And I'm stuck driving a super-thirsty Range Rover, so popping over there (2.5 hours) is not without cost. Still, gotta do it one of these days.

Thanks, again.

 

Thanks Paul! I only "know" it's a truck engine cuz the brain trust of this group figured that out for me. I don't know how, despite all my Googling.
Yeah, Seattle is comparable weather-wise...unfortunately. And, sadly (to me), we've had zero snow this year. Will go hunting for snow in a couple weeks and then stop by to see the 'vette in question on the way home.
Thanks, again.

 

Thanks 69ttop502!
Yeah, this rust thing has me really scared. It's like "buy a C3 Vette - find rust" and pray it doesn't require MAJOR work. I'm happy to treat surface rust, but the lengths SO MANY guys are going to in order to fix structural issues is scary.
Thanks, again.

 

Thanks Gale,
There's a pic' of the VIN area that looks fine, but it's only a small field of view. I wish that pic' showed the area further down. Well, I'll check that out myself when I can finally get there in a couple weeks...if the car is still there.
This part of Europe is hell on cars in the winter...if one were to take it outside. But mine will live in a dry garage the entire winter.
Hey, thanks for the encouragement!!! :-)

 

Thanks, again, 69ttop502,
You say they you don't mean to scare me, but rest assured, YOU DID!!!
Nevertheless, enough folks here have been positive enough that I plan to check out the car, if I can, and eventually bring it home.
I really appreciate your providing all the pix and your advice.
Cheers,
Steve

 

Thanks wwiiavfan,
At first, your reply was encouraging, but then you mention "skills and equipment". I have some of each, but perhaps not enough. The cost would be the main hindrance as I'm in the Netherlands where parts and labor costs can be issues, too.
Thanks, again,
Steve, in the NLs