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That picture does not provide very much to form an opinion....remove the speaker. But....you can count on there being rust on a C3 Corvette. Unless it was living in a dry state like Arizone or California.....its rusted and probably needs major repairs. Much of the rust is hidden.....but its there. Sorry....but that is just reality.
Have to agree. With that speaker in the way really hard to see down inside the pocket. And down inside is what you need to see.
And yes, some rust is expected. Some cars are better than others.
my car comes from the salt belt. Yet my birdcage is in really good condition. But then I have owned it since dirt was new and it was never driven in winter.
So, location can obviously help. But is not always the total answer.
Bottom line, get that speaker out of the way and look down inside at the number 2 body mount. Do this on both sides. Then get a look at the windshield frame.
In Sweden this is not a cheap car. Insist on removing the trim around the windshield. And look closely at these number 2 body mount areas as well as the rest of the frame.
I simply would not buy a car with any birdcage rot. Usually the areas not easily checked are far worse than what you can see. Only exception would be if you were doing the work yourself. I would rather replace a frame than virtually any birdcage work.
I would imagine he doesn't have the luxury of passing on corvettes with any signs of rust, as the availability in Sweden doesn't hold a candle to the number of cars available to us in the states.
Hi Lennart, Welcome, and congrats on deciding to move forward on a C3!! As you've already figured out, these are great cars - beautiful lines and lots of fun. They can also be a bit of a nightmare if you aren't careful.
You're doing the right thing in coming on the forum to ask for help - lots of really helpful people here.
As you already know, in your area of the world you don't have a ton of C3s to choose from. I would recommend that, now you've made the decision to get a C3, enjoy the hunt and don't settle. It may take you a while longer in the EU to find what you really want, but that's okay. Keep your emotions in check (easy for me/us to say - this is exciting stuff!) and stay as methodical as possible as you go through a checklist of items on each candidate car.
If you have a hard time finding a car that meets your wants/needs, you might consider importing a car from the US where they are more plentiful. It might cost a bit more, but in the end could be better if you find the right car here. Many people on this forum would be willing to check out a car for you that's in their area.
As mentioned, I would recommend staying away from a C3 with cage rust. Many enthusiastic forum members have repaired cages but unless you can do the work yourself it's just too labor and money intensive.
While you may have fewer candidates in Europe, I recommend making sure you have at least a short list of 'must haves'. For example, if you really want a stick car don't settle for an auto and visa versa. If you really want a convert, don't settle for a coupe and visa versa.
If you've been lurking for a while, I'm sure you've seen this video but just in case I'll post it below. I think it's pretty good.
Keep us informed on your hunt and have fun!! Best, Paul
PS: My grandparents on my Mom's side are from Denmark, and from Sweden on my Dad's side. Been there several times and you live in a beautiful area with wonderful people.
Rust on Corvette frames and birdcages seems like the number one factor in what makes one buyable or not.
If you have the mechanical abilities to make the repairs or to replace the rotted sections, then consider that as well.
There are several threads going right now where other members have found extensive rust on the frames and the birdcages of the cars they currently own.
They have done wonderful work replacing the damaged areas with aftermarket weld in pieces and their frames and birdcages have come out wonderful.
I myself would not purchase a corvette with a rusted frame or birdcage because I do not have the ability to make the repairs myself or wish to take on that extensive work, but you might be ok taking that on.
It’s always nice to see another classic car saved.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Rust on Corvette frames and birdcages seems like the number one factor in what makes one buyable or not.
If you have the mechanical abilities to make the repairs or to replace the rotted sections, then consider that as well.
There are several threads going right now where other members have found extensive rust on the frames and the birdcages of the cars they currently own.
They have done wonderful work replacing the damaged areas with aftermarket weld in pieces and their frames and birdcages have come out wonderful.
I myself would not purchase a corvette with a rusted frame or birdcage because I do not have the ability to make the repairs myself or wish to take on that extensive work, but you might be ok taking that on.
It’s always nice to see another classic car saved.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Indeed. Being one of those C3 owners who went through a full chassis replacement last year, I can tell you it is neither fun nor cheap. In fact, it is a very time consuming and expensive endeavor. And it still goes on, as it's still disassembled for its upcoming paint job.
As great as the experience has been (and continues to be), I'd much rather be doing routine maintenance and driving my '69 than disassembling and reassembling it in my free time. If you can justify and afford to, purchase the best example you can get your hands on, and one that doesn't need a full restoration, or worse, frame and birdcage restoration - after a thorough PPI from a knowledgeable party, of course.
Yea, I am torn for you. I have seen so many horror stories over the years. In my case with my 69, my #1,2, and 3 body mounts looked great, with nice green color and hardly any rust. And my windshield frame needed extensive work. Just no way of knowing without extensive disassembly to know. I realize also where you are, you don't have a lot of cars to chose from. Such is the problem, but I would still recommend buying a car that has a solid birdcage, to whatever extent you need to go to confirm it.
Good luck, and be sure to check it for the same rust at that kick panel, body mount #4 aft of the rear wheel, and where the frame kicks up just in front of the rear wheel.
Corvette Bird Cage Rust
