What are the first areas on the frame to get rusty? How can you tell if a C3's frame is rusty that it's unsafe to drive the car?

Any C3's over there in the east coast ever get so rusty that the major beams in the frame crack apart?

Can you stop frame rust by spraying it with POR-15 or EXTEND? I guess you'd have to get the stuff inside the frame beams eh?

|UPDATED|4/4/2004 10:57:41 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Vette frames are most likely to rust just in front of the rear wheels at the "kick-up". I've heard of them being bad enough that you can stick a screwdriver through them.
Most of the time they are repairable with new sections, not a job for a novice.
New frames can also be had as well as good used frames.
If you are considering buying a car with serious rust on the frame, my advice would be to walk away. I don't think the price could be discounted enough to compensate for the effort it will take to get the car right.
If you already own the car, do an assessment of the extent of the damage, there are a few posts already on here and several members willing to advise you on steps you can take to repair it.

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Thanks. I looked at one that had rust in the kickups. I stuck my key through it. If a Vette has rust this bad in the kickups, does that mean it's rusted through the entire frame? Would it be dangerous to drive one this rusty, or still safe?



Also, how much would it cost to replace the frame? $10K maybe?

|UPDATED|4/5/2004 9:17:25 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Munk-I live in Pennsylvania, and, fortunately for you, in the middle of a frame-off resto. right now. My 77 L-82 started off as just having rusty kick-ups, but, after the body came off, and I sand blasted the frame, WOAH!!! There are several areas that need attention. Let's start from the front. The curved steel area that houses the coil springs are nearly transparent now. I'm sure glad that didn't let loose while I was driving it. The area of steel where the steering box bolts to the frame is shot, go figure for an area that was soaked with grease. Of course, the radiator support went kaput on me. The mid-section is O.K. (surprisingly) The corner gussets need replacing, as do the area where the kick-ups connect to the frame. The end covers on the main straight section of the side rails, right in front of the rear tires need replacing, and one hell of a rustproofing before I weld covers back on.
The trailing arms came apart like paper, but I replaced those three years age, I coated the new arms with POR-15 before I installed them. Three years later, after I cleaned the road filth off with "purple death", The T-arms look like the day I installed them. Absolutely NOT ONE SPECK OF RUST!!! This is why I swear by POR-15. After I am finished with the frame repairs, I will traet it to a good coating of POR-15, followed up by another coat of POR-15 "Chassis Black" After all this work, I NEVER want to do this job again.
This is just another reason my wife thinks I'm crazy, and funny thing is, I'm starting to agree with her.

Just be careful, once you see one area of rust on these frames, if you repair that area, in a few months, you'll just be doing another area.

Good luck with your search, and if you need anything, please feel free to ask me, I can reference it from my frame if you need it.

Alan

I still say if you are looking for a car, pass on the rust buckets. Ther's no way you can get one cheap enough!
To answer your question, I wouldn't think a car with that much rust would be safe to drive. The kick ups hold the rear wheels in place. If it's rusted that badly, the only thing holding the car together is the body. It's supposed to be the other way around.
Be patient and find a car worth building or driving. They are still out there!

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don't forget the windshield frame.. when a corvette has rust you can often find it there too...although difficult to check you might get an idea by looking in the bottom corner of the windowframe when the door is open above the upper doorhinge. or you can screw off a panel on the inside of the windshield to see the pillar or top
ofcourse the bottom of radiator frame is always a place where the rust starts
the mountings of the engine and transmission a good place to check.. and the trailingarms are very vulnerable for rust

So what's the best way to stop existing surface type rust from getting any worse without removing the body from the frame? Just brush on some POR-15?

Hello,
I'm using POR-15 to touch-up some surface rust on the frame of my 82. I would like to do a body off restoration at some point, but for now, at least the rust has been slowed down. The POR-15 is easy to brush on, but the surface must be preped with degreaser and then pre-primer which takes some time. The chassis black paint has a nice semi-gloss appearance that looks just right for a frame.
Hope this helps,
Tom

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