Birdcage Primer

[Joe S.]

I'm cleaning up the bottom of my 63 before we paint it in the next few weeks. I have access to the birdcage from underneath. There is still alot of the original greenish primer, some overspray of the white lacquer, and of course som edirt and surface rust. Cleaning it up is easy, but what would be the best thing to brush/spray on it to protect it and look reasonable?

I'm also cleaning up all the underneath support braces (seat tracks, corner pieces, etc. that are riveted underneath). I figured I would just hit them with a wire wheel on a drill, tape them off, and hit them with some rustoleum. Anyone have a better suggestion?

Thanks




Joe's 63 FI Convertible

[Ron Still]

Re: Birdcage Primer

Joe,
What I did on my 66 was remove everything, sandblast, prime, paint and re-install with new rivets. It's a bit more work but if you have access to a sandblaster and have an air hammer for setting the rivets it's pretty easy to do.

For the birdcage, I used a portable sandblaster and got every spot I could inside and outside the car. Then I used a rust inhibiter primer I got from Eastwood (can't remember what its called now) and then covered it with the green zinc oxide paint available from Quanta. It looks great, like new and I can sleep better knowing there is no rust eating away the birdcage anywhere. It was a lot of work and time consuming but well worth it.

Ron

[Jim T.]

Re: Birdcage Primer

Not the same color of green is a product by Dupont, 215S Acrylic Primer. The label says that it is "A highly corrosion-resistant acrylic lacquer type primer for use under standard refinishing systems, especially in critical areas, to prevent rusting." Comes in a 13 oz. spray can. A professional Corvette body/paint person that guided me in repairing my windshield framing of my 70 recommended this product to me 17 years ago.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Birdcage Primer

Joe, my favorite is PPG DP-90LF (black) epoxy primer.

If the metal has rust, you would have to mask off the body and sand-blast the bird cage to near white metal as Ron recommended. Application of any paint over a surface that has been cleaned of loose rust, but is still basically a rusty surface, will be compromised to some degree unless you use POR which has its own set of problems. If you want the bird cage to have the original green color, you would then have to topcoat the epoxy primer with another paint, either zinc chromate, a zinc chromate substiture, or any coating with the proper tint and gloss.

It all depends on your goals for the car, and how much work you want to put into making the underside look good. Almost anything you do will look good for a little while; how long that good appearance holds up is determined by the work you put into it.

[Stephen L.]

Re: Birdcage Primer

Joe,
I just did this very task. I used the Olive Drab Chromate primer available from Long Island Corvette. Looks great. After painting I went back with a cotton swab and laquer thinner and removed the paint from all the rivets as they are unpainted from the factory in these areas. I did grind off the rivets of the seat braces so I could refinish both sides of the braces. Re-riveting is a snap with an airhammer. Just "buck" (back up) the rivet head with a large hammer or piece of steel
Looks like you have a great shop to work in....

[Joe S.]

Re: Birdcage Primer

Thanks to all for the info and suggestions.

One thing I am still unsure of though. Were the little metal brackets, supports, and corner pieces also painted with the green Zinc Chromate primer before undercoating or were these either natural or just black?

As you can see from the pic below, for 40 years old, I think the bottom looks pretty good after a few good hours of cleaning (more pics on website). Still have more to do but I'd like to just protect these metal parts with something rather than pull it all part.

I am going to do some mroe work on cleaning up the birdcage and I ordered the primer from Quanta today. Again, thanks for the suggestions. I would love to sandblast underthere and I do have a portable unit. But I do not want to do it in my garage and have no way to get it outside and up in the air. I think some more work with a wire wheel and some primer/paint and it will last another 40 years of Sunday driving and look good.




Joe's 63 FI Convertible

[Chuck S.]

Re: Birdcage Primer

I'm no midyear expert, Joe, but based on my 70 experience, I doubt that any of the riveted tapping plates, brackets, and other underbody items are zinc chromate primed...only the birdcage. I have found zinc chromate primer on the birdcage and some aluminum parts.

I would expect finish on underbody items to vary according to application; some were phosphated, and some were dip-painted black in my opinion. For example the two long sheet metal strips running across your car in the picture were also certainly dip-painted black, but I'll have to leave these details to people who know these cars.

[Stephen L.]

Re: Birdcage Primer

The forward seat anchor brackets are definitely painted semi flat black. The rivets are natural. The rear seat anchor points appear to be natural with natural rivets

The seat belt anchor points I'm not sure about...possibly Cad plated. I made mine natural with natural rivets.

The splash pan brackets (also Accelerator) are also black with natural rivets.

There was not any undercoating on the floor surfaces...only in the fenderwells for sound deadening.

You can check all this out in NOLAN ADAMS RESTORATION GUIDE in the under car photos

[Joe S.]

Re: Birdcage Primer

Based on the responses and what I read, not to mention more importantly what the car looked like when I tore it down, the pic below a is pretty good representation (I hope!). I also hit it with the white from the side as that was what was there when I took the rockers and body off. There was quite a bit of white paint on the side of the pans and seat supports themselves, not to mention the corner brackets.




Joe's 63 FI Convertible