Birdcage Information

T

Teddy T

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Messages
6
Hello,

After many, many, hours searching the net for Vette info, I found this informative site.

I have a 1973 Corvette that I am restoring. I'm doing some repair work to the birdcage - replacing the rocker channels both sides with ones I purchased from a much better condition donor car.

About five years ago, I cut out the rocker channel on the drivers side and in my inexperience, I didn't have a jig or brace installed on the inside. Needless to say, things moved a bit. I'm wondering if anyone has dimensions of the birdcage (point to points, distances between front to back and side to side, etc) to allow me to set up the cage to proper dimensions before I re-weld the replacement rocker channel. I saw some pictures of someone with a beautiful (and thorough!!!) 1977 restoration on the web with a link to this site but I can't find them in the users section.

Any guidance or help anone can give to guide me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated - thanks! Otherwise, I'll make some estimates to the best of my capabilities with whatever info I can get from the unmolested passenger side.

Ted
 
Welcome to the forum......

Hang lose a tad and someone will be along to help, if not I know my '72 vert is stock as a stove, and I can take some tape measures for you.....

:cool:
 
mrvette said:
Welcome to the forum......

Hang lose a tad and someone will be along to help, if not I know my '72 vert is stock as a stove, and I can take some tape measures for you.....

:cool:
Click to expand...

I've got a tear in my eye Gene - thanks so much! This "rebuilding the birdcage idea" seemed wise pre marriage, baby, and moving to a new house. I've recently gotten excited and started working on it again. When I went to install my replacement and realized stuff shifted, I deflated...
 
Teddy T said:
mrvette said:
Welcome to the forum......

Hang lose a tad and someone will be along to help, if not I know my '72 vert is stock as a stove, and I can take some tape measures for you.....

:cool:
Click to expand...

I've got a tear in my eye Gene - thanks so much! This "rebuilding the birdcage idea" seemed wise pre marriage, baby, and moving to a new house. I've recently gotten excited and started working on it again. When I went to install my replacement and realized stuff shifted, I deflated...
Click to expand...

Hey man, you tough enough to hang in there, so methinks you can stick it out to make what you want, so let us know what you need, this group of engineers and techs know more than anyone else what is going on, I suspect....

:lol:
 
Hey fellow Canadian.
If you happen to be near Montreal feed free to come take measurement in my garage.
 
I have my body still on the stand. If you point out what dimension you exactly need, i could get it.

However, if it's only the rocker channel...the workshop manual of the corvette has a frame diagramm. Number 3-6 bodymount should point you into the direction of where the boltholes should be. Oh and triangulate between holes. Makes it closer to what it should be.
 
Welcome Aboard!
I too have my body off -and could do a measure or 2 for you. I still have the fiberglass on the cage - so not a "raw" birdcage -i.e., metal frames only. If that would help I'll shoot a picture or 2 and add the measures if you'd like.
Let me know and be aware work will get in the way (still have that old day job, but can maybe shoot after.
Cheers - Jim

AND - I should add - my C3 is a 78.
 
phantomjock said:
Welcome Aboard!
I too have my body off -and could do a measure or 2 for you. I still have the fiberglass on the cage - so not a "raw" birdcage -i.e., metal frames only. If that would help I'll shoot a picture or 2 and add the measures if you'd like.
Let me know and be aware work will get in the way (still have that old day job, but can maybe shoot after.
Cheers - Jim

AND - I should add - my C3 is a 78.
Click to expand...

Thanks all - I'll get out to the garage today or tomorrow to pick some reference points and I'll be in touch. Thanks all for your offer to assist!
 
Required dimensions

OK - here's where I'm at. My fiberglass is all in place. The old driver's rocker channel / sill has been removed and the replacement has been temporarily spot welded in place. I'm concerned that removing the rocker channel without having it supported internally with bracing or a jig has allowed either the door hinge pillar or the rear post (channel with door striker) to move. I feel this way because the door was untouched before removing the old sill and it's no longer lining up with body lines (WAY OFF) - therefore something has moved. I don't feel 100% confident in using my passenger side measurements in case they are unreliable because of the movement created on my driver's side.

I'll try to work out some of the lower dimensions vs the frame chart diagrams. My bigger concern is how the pillars and rear post sit at higher points. I'm not sure what points will be easy for you to measure depending on status of your own projects but here's what I'm trying to find out:

a) Is the door hinge pillar 90 degrees to the rocker channel underneath the door?

b) What is the distance (width) between the driver's and passenger's hinge pillar at some point higher up the channel - as close as possible to the upper door hinge.

c) The best available measurement between the door hinge pillar and the rear post. Can you think of one easy to access at a higher point? There are a series of slots in the side of the rear post - maybe one would be a good line to the door pillar. I'm open to suggestions... Maybe the striker hole would be a good point...

d)Finally - a diagonal between rear post to door pillar. Again - what is easy for you to measure depending on "how taken apart" your car is. Maybe somewhere in the striker area would be good.

Thanks again for your willingness to help. I really appreciate it.

**BTW - I very much appreciate the offer to see your car in Montreal. If I wasn't in Winnipeg, I would take you up on it. GO JETS GO! (I can say that because the Habs beat us badly at our home opener!!)

Best regards,
Ted
 
If i remember correct, the birdcage was produced in house, whereas the frame was not. Tolerances were a lot bigger on the frames than on the birdcages for this reason they used shims.

If you have got your original shim configuration on the frame, i would pile them on the body mount points, put the frame at a correct height per worshop manual and measure the 3-6 bodymounts from a known datum line. (use a laser). Then take the measurement from one of the bodymounts and measure the height difference to the other points.

Put your body up in the air and create a datum line under the cage, and recreate the same height difference you measured on your frame..

Other than that, if technically possible you could try to put the body back on the frame before welding in the rocker channel (of course with the original shims in place and the mounts properly torqued down)
 
The 1968 AIM has detailed drawings of the birdcage components and the assembly with datum dimensioning. I don't know when they stopped putting this in the AIM, perhaps a 73 AIM also has it.
 
BBShark said:
The 1968 AIM has detailed drawings of the birdcage components and the assembly with datum dimensioning. I don't know when they stopped putting this in the AIM, perhaps a 73 AIM also has it.
Click to expand...

Would you have this available to send me? I have the 73 AIM and this is not included. This may be a huge help depending on what dimensions are listed.
 
I'd almost wager the reference for a '68 will get you in the ballpark. I don't recall any major changes to the interior or body until 74 when they went to rubber bumpers, and even then I don't think the interior changed. the next change I can think of was when they went to the higher mounted inside door release handles and that was 78?
 
BBShark said:
Birdcage from 68 AIM

10 to 12
Click to expand...


Thanks BB Shark and all for the info - these drawings are great! I've briefed them and there is a lot of good info to go through. I'll post my results or questions after getting this info to the garage and seeing what I've got.

Thanks again!
 
Teddy T said:
Thanks BB Shark and all for the info - these drawings are great! I've briefed them and there is a lot of good info to go through. I'll post my results or questions after getting this info to the garage and seeing what I've got.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

You are very welcome.

The datum dimensioning system is kind of difficult to duplicate in your garage but you probably only need a few of the points.
 
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