Uncorvettable

I am looking at a 69 after owning a 60 and a 67. Time to jump into a C3! The question I have is about a car that had frame rust. It is a northern car and has been exposed to salt a long time ago. The bird cage looks good (from what I can see and check).

The rear by the kick ups was repaired with welded steel and then repainted. It seems to be a very clean job with new plates/metal on the bottom and sides of the frame transitioning to the repaired area. Very solidly done and then repainted. As I said the enitire undercarriage and suspension looks very good with no rust. There is NO key hole in the back by the kick up where the repair was done! However as I said the everything else is clean and all other frame areas are solid.

I had a vette with bad surface rust but a solid frame in the rear kick ups. I knew it had to be fixed someday, but waited 15 years of fun driving until I did. This frame is much more solid.

So, am I fooling myself that it is solid? (It looks good body panels fit perfectly). Does the lack of key holes hid rotting from the inside?

Does it affect the value?

Appreciate some experts thoughts.

69Vett

did they cutout all the old rust and weld in new fabricated plates?
or they they just tack on more steel for reinforcement?
If done right 100% and you can not detect the repair...at all, thats good.

if anyone can look at it and say what the heck is that ? Pass and keep looking
This is one of the most important structual supports on the C3.
That would be a deal breaker for most serious C3 buyers.

capevettes

If you are sure the rust is confined to the kickup area and it was properly repaired, to me it's not a deal breaker but an opportunity to negotiate. It can be an indication of rust elsewhere, like in the trailing arm areas, but I have seen many where the rust was confined to the kickups and really didn't diminish an otherwise solid car that much.

0Road-Race Vette

100%

A goog repair is an INVISIBLE one. If you can see the repair, then it was hacked. I dont care how solid it is.

Unless the car was a steal, and you would have $$$ left over to properly fix that, I would walk away.

Uncorvettable

The repair was clearly a reinforcement. The car was fairly priced, but not a screaming deal.

The owner seemed miffed that I didn't buy, but he also told me that others have walked away after inspecting and having strong interest.

I will head the advice!

78Vette-SA

Just a couple of pics to make you feel a little better.

eastltd

I'm not sure I would consider this an invisible repair, but it was done with replacement components rather then patch panels.

69Vett

Nicely done, now see if the other guy had pictures like this,
showing the correct repairs and documented with pictures.
I would be good to go... with this repair. 69VETT

0Road-Race Vette

VERY NICELY DONE

Uncorvettable

There is no way the repair is that clean on the car I am looking at. In retrospect, I did see some bubbling under the paint on the frame (no doubt some rust) as well as some flaking inside the front key hole area.

There is no doubt that the car has some rust issues in the past.

On the birdcage, the area around the vin and the posts was clean. Given that is was a northern car, is it possible that the rust is only on the undercarriage?

eastltd

I doubt the rust is limited only to the frame. My car spent its life in a northern climate and the rust extended from the frame kick-ups to the rocker panel, #2, 3 & 4 mounts and the top of the windshield frame.

Thanks all for the nice comments on the frame repair. Here is the before & after.