It has been a while since I gave you an update.

I just uploaed pics as of Saturday 9/6/03. I started this project on 7/20/03 and got bogged down for almost three weeks with delays on the frame, trailing arms, and powder coating.

Since I replaced the entire bird cage, things don't always fit the same. Over the next couple of days/weekends I will be hand fitting the doors to get nice tight jam openings.

Next...paint the jams, intall a few more parts and roll it back to my buddies house!!!!!!!!!

Here is the link with the pics.

http://mcspeed.homestead.com/Vacation.html

 

OMG, are you serious?
you started this at the end of july and it's almost done?

Where is that passing out icon!

this pic I think says it all...

 

Yep, dead serious.

Like I said, I would be basically finished if there had not been some delays on the frame. I used that spare time to build the 383 for my C4...which it is now in, but waiting on the intake work to be finished.

I try to work smart, and work fast.

It will appear to go slow from here as the finite details take time (fitting the doors, prepping and painting jams, etc.).

I am doing all of this in exchange for some other parts including a brand new Richmond Six speed for my 69.

The sooner the 71 is out of my garage, the sooner I can jump on the six speed install!

 

Are you sure the 03 is not 00? That is absolutely amazing work in such a short timeframe.

 

Great job, it sure is a good feeling when the body gets put back down on the frame.

 

:cheers: Very nice work Mike. I can tell from your pix you missed nothing.
Now I can see from the pix with your doggie standing in the middle of what looks like metal and something what I could call the birdcage. Seeing others doing frame-offs has me wondering about the condition of my ’74s internal metal. When I bought my shark with California roots I took a good look at the frame for repairs/scars and found nothing bad. Hoping to do a frame-on resto I feel a little worried now. How do I access the birdcage for inspection? Don’t fiberglass panels cover it? Is this normally removed for restoration?
I did buy rubber body mounts for replacement as I can see my rear most mounts are badly rotted. Visible front mounts are weather cracked but intact but haven’t removed the covers to inspect mounts on inside. I guess I need to ask how bad can it get and where all should I look? :confused:

 

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :thumbs:

 

Started in July??? Tell us you don't work for a living. Or don't you sleep? Nice work. Craig :cool:

 

Fantastic job. I cant wait to see the finished project :thumbs:

 

The inner structure is mostly covered by fiberglass panels. You can't really see them all that well with the car in one piece. You can however remove the kick panel on the interior and inspect the condition of the inner frame where the #2 body to frame mount bolt is located. This is a good clue. Look around the windshield frame. If you have your dash out, look up at the under side of the windshield frame/cowl. It is common to have significant rust hiding in there.

Finally, if you pull the body from the frame, you can look up from the bottom at the condition of the lower rocker rails.

I too am a big skeptic of the "high dollar" frame of restorations out there. I know from seeing this now multiple times, that even a otherwise very nice C3 can hide some hideous rust just enough out of sight to be undetected.

I would hate to pay $25-$35K for a high dollar C3 and have actually bought a rust trap!

I work a regular 40 hour a week job. Today I kicked back, went to church, took a nap, and only got about 2 hours in on the car. I am experimenting with a 4x10 work schedule that gives me Mondays off. So, I plan on doing quite a bit in the morning.

Right now I am having to hand fit the doors. I have my own little tricks for that.

I believe I can to the next one even faster. The more of these I do, the better I know what to expect and how to prepare for the process to get it done faster. Kind of my own version of Monster Garage....or shall we say McSpeed Garage!

 

Well, it looks as if you and I are at the same point in time. I just put the body back on the frame last week. Luckly the only rusted area was the windshield frame which I welded on a new section. Frame and birdcage were only surface rusted and cleaned up nicely. However, I painted the body before I put it back on the frame, I hope that was not a mistake. And yes I have done everything myself on my spare time, even the paint and body. :cheers:

 

That's pretty fast work and in your spare time you built a 383 ?

I can't change my mind in that short period of time :lol:

 

Well it looks like maybe Brian(Redwingvette) has lost his speed championship for a body off birdcage repair. Considering that all he had to replace on his birdcage was the sills. :D Seriously, you are a serious workhorse. I just spent a week doing some minor fiberglass repair on the front of my car, and I'm not finished!
I'd like to hire you for about 2 weeks, I'm sure that you could have my car in show room condition in that amount of time.
Great work, great craftsmanship!
Keep it up.

 

:thumbs: :cheers:

 

Chris, that the fellow I met who you did the Steeroids for???

wasn't his vette blue???

GENE

 

Great job! And quick! What a tremendous amount of work. :smash: I have taken a motorcyle completely apart and did not think it would ever be put together again. I cannot imagine taking my car this far apart.

 

nice job... I also can't believe the time you've been working on the car... Just amazing!! :thumbs:

 

It looks to me like your trying to take all the credit when its obvious your dog did all the work :D :D Good job. :cheers: :cheers:

 

:thumbs: Thanks for your input Mike. I'm glad your expertise is still free as none of my vette resto books address this (bird cage). Man this forum gets better every week.
And congratulations again. :cheers:


[Modified by cardo0, 10:18 PM 9/7/2003]

 

Nope, that car is now in North Carolina. It was also a 71. I had to pull the motor, replace all the seals, clean, detail, paint....install the steeroids...AND replace the transmission on that machine!

That was the project that kept growing (the grey 71 convertible). Everytime I took something off, I found three more things to fix!!!!!!

I like to post these pictures because the "bird cage" is still a huge mystery to most Vetters. Very few, if any pro shops will take a C3 to this extreme, so even they are often surprised to see them come this far apart.

Here is one bad part about it. When you replace this stuff, the original geometry is all wrong now. The doors will not fit back without grinding and filling on the fender and rear quarter panel. At least...they won't fit back to my satisfaction. This is where some serious time comes in.