Frame rust

[Walter F.]

How common is frame rust on C2 and C3 Corvettes. I have been told MANY Corvettes have such rust and they are unsafe to drive even if the car looks great from the outside. Can you tell without taking the body off the car?

[Joe L.]

Re: Frame rust

How common is frame rust on C2 and C3 Corvettes. I have been told MANY Corvettes have such rust and they are unsafe to drive even if the car looks great from the outside. Can you tell without taking the body off the car?

Walter-------


It's a VERY common problem for Corvettes that have spent all or part of their lives in areas of the country that salt the roads in the winter. Of course, that's a large part of the country and there are lots of Corvettes that have spent all or part of their lives in such areas. Once rust begins, it proceeds inexorably.

For the most part frame rust is not too difficult to detect and does not require removal of the frame TO DETECT. Simply raise the car on a lift. Inspect the frame and suspension pieces for "pock-marking" characteristic of severe corrosion. Then, with an ice pick or similar sharp tool, probe the frame in all areas. If you can push the ice-pick through the metal, you know there's a serious rust problem.

Corrosion damage that renders a frame in need of serious repair or replacement, HUGELY devalues the car. A lot of folks just cannot accept this and try to peddle the car to someone who isn't the wiser. Don't get caught in that trap.

As bad as corrosion-induced frame damage is, what's worse is corrosion induced damage to the "birdcage" (the steel understructure of the passenger compartment). This kind of damage is very hard to detect and usually impractical to repair. However, serious frame corrosion damage is a "clue". Unfortunately, there can be birdcage corrosion without serious frame damage. Serious birdcage corrosion renders a Corvette "terminally ill".

[Gary R.]

Re: Frame rust

Hi Walter,
Keep in mind these cars were not collectible until years after they were made, as a result many were driven daily. In the states with exposure to snow and ice the sand and salt mists from driving packed inside the frame and ended up at the back of the frame to sit and rot from the inside out. The caulking along the top of the windshield chrome wasn't the best and moisture worked in and caused rust to form under the trim and into the metal birdcage of under the fiberglass. This often would extend down to the body mount nuts on the frame.

I have seen trim molding ballooning up from rust expansion. I have put my hand through frames. Look at a lot of cars and some look great with nice paint but underneath the Titanic has less rust on some of them. Parts that can be replaced, like trailing arms, can be done reasonably but birdcage or frame rot is another story. Anything can be fixed, the value of some repairs may exceed the value of the car.

[Scott S.]

Re: Frame rust

My recommendation to locate the Rust in a frame is to sit in the Corvette and look where you wallet is in your back pocket! The frame kickup area is prone to corrosion. Also take a knowledgeable friend with you to aid in the inspection.
Happy Hunting,
Scott

[Alan S.]

[Michael J.]

Re: Frame rust

Many times the miles on the car are not reliable to judge rust. In those places like the upper Mid West, East Coast, etc. where salt was used all the time in the day, it doesn't take many miles. Here is a picture of my approx. 36K mile '64's rear frame kick-up area. Luckily, the birdcage is solid, but that rear area gets all the salt and spray.