Being in the Northeast, rust is a major concern with my first Corvette purchase. Everyone advises to check the birdcage for rust. Are there any tricks to finding hidden rust? Do I need to remove any trim to find it? A step by step procedure for checking for the most common rust spots would be greatly appreciated!

 

There are several areas to look. Behind the kickpanels is probably the easiestt place to find it, just removen the kickpanels and inspect the area around #2 body mount for rust.
The frame around the windshield isn't easy to check but if you have water leaks around the frame, especially behind the dash be very suspicious.
The sills are another point of rust, because they're covered with fiberglass it's hard to check but from the underside w/ the sill covers removed it is possible to shine in there witha strong light and look at the general status of the metal.

Go to rusty daves site (NHVette), everything you want to look at rusts (or rusted) on his vette

 

The rocker channels are visable if you look up between the rocker trim plates and the frame. It is the metal between the frame and the fiberglass. If you see that this area is rusted out then the bird cage has got to be repaired/replaced. remove the little cover if front of the rear tires and see if the body mounts (#3) are holding up as well as the kick panels mentioned above.

 

I agree with everything above, but also check the windshield edges especially arounf the VIN tag on the driver's pillar, and you may see rust or brown stains on the paint....bad sign....look up and under....near and above the fuse panel above the driver's clutch foot...left side....shine a flash up there really well, and see the rust, if any....same on pass side....
any questions, feel the padding on the w/s interior up top...listen for that crunchy crackers sound...rusted out metal bracing in the padding itself....
caused by W/S frame leakage, and or T top center leaking....
check behind seats for seat damage, and check the belts the entire length for rust stains...indicated roof leakage, and rusted out overhead bracing....

jGENE

 

I agree, but, it's unlikely you'll find a completely rustless 'cage anywhere. The North amplifies the problem.

Imagine driving on a semi bumpy road and having rust flakes rain on you from the w/s header. Discouraging? :yesnod: Fixable? :yesnod:

Here's a place where you can SEE most all of it. (Not mine, but I'm on the same path... :rolleyes: )
http://www.mcspeed.homestead.com/Index.html (Click on '69 Vette)

The bottom line is, what is YOUR limit.

 

ONe thing I did notice with the changeover to rubber in front bumpers was the elimination of chrome on the fenders next to the windshield and of course the wiper door, that area was opened up quite a bit and so this fix for windshield leaking would require more inventiveness than just my fix alone...
maybe plug that wide area up first with plumbing pipe wrap...rubber...

I took off all the chrome moulding strips around the windshield, cleaned up everything really well, blew it out, let it dry in the hot sun...and that evening....
took about 3 tubes of RTV black caulking gun size tubes, filled the fender gaps up entirely, inside and out....also filled the grooves all the way around the windshield, and then rebedded the chrome in the clips back in place as if stock....yes it may make the stripping a super bitch to get off again, but guess what??? NO WATER....no rust....

also since my car is a convertible, and all GM cars I have had demonstrate leaking on/over the front top bow/windshield...regardless of weatherstripping condition.....I had noticed ONE Gm car that did not....my Lemans convertible....
SO....I decided to wrap that top chrome/stainless in my '72 vette here with the same black vinyl the Lemand/GTO used....and guess what, combined with betting hell out of everything with RTV, and then gluing that vinyl down...I can do 80 mph into the wind and rain, and not one drop comes in the car....

extreme??? yeh, do the job??? submarine.....

GENE