Corvette C3 birdcage and rust
Although the body of the C3 Corvette is made of fiberglass, rust can be found on the frame or in the birdcage, which can be difficult to notice.
The birdcage refers to the metal frame that surrounds the Corvette's cabin and supports the body panels around it. The same birdcage and frame were used throughout the Corvette C3 generation.
Rust problems are often around the windshield and pillars, as well as the mounting points of the birdcage and the radiator core support. Perhaps the most critical place to look for rust in a birdcage is the frame mount points, which can be inspected from the passenger compartment behind the kick panels.
1975 and older Corvettes had fiberglass floors, so there was no risk of rusting, unlike the 1976-1982 cars, which have a high chance of rusting due to leaking T-Top weatherstrip.
When you are buying a C3 Corvette for yourself, it is important to check for rust problems, as they are generally the most expensive things to fix. I recommend checking out the Corvette C3 Buyer's Guide from Corvette Ben and Cletus.
Ten Rules For Buying Your First C3 CorvetteC3 Corvette Buyer's Guide
Checklist:
Remove the door sill plate and the kick panel in the footwell, from there you can see the birdcage and frame fixing bolt and part of the birdcage.
With a headlamp, stick your head into the footwell and look straight up, you can see part of the birdcage from there.
Remove the rear tire and open the small hatch in the wheel housing, from there you can see the vulnerable part of the birdcage, which is the frame part in front of the rear tire.
A-pillar i.e. inspection of the windshield frame. The metal of the A-pillar can be seen from the outside at the edge of the windshield.
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Other articles
General information:
- Corvette C3 years
- Corvette Specs, Colors, etc. by year:
1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 - Is the Corvette C3 always a Stingray?
- Corvette C3 charts
- Corvette C3 books
- Mako Shark II
- Corvette L88
- Greenwood Corvettes
- Reader's Wheels: Corvette 1968
- Restomod Corvette C3s
- Corvette C3 Buyer's Checklist
Technical:
- Corvette C3 & Rochester Quadrajet
- Corvette C3 engines
- Corvette C3 transmissions
- Corvette C3 RPM calculator
- Corvette C3 emission systems
- Number matching and RPO
- Corvette C3 oils
Interior and Exterior Features:
- Corvette C3 Special Editions
- Corvette C3 cockpit / gauges
- Corvette C3 seats / seatbelts
- Corvette C3 door panels
- Corvette C3 emblems
- Corvette C3 side pipes (1969)
- Corvette C3 wheels
- Corvette C3 luggage racks
- Roof Options of the Corvette C3
