Repairing A Bent 1967 Corvette Birdcage. Removing C2 Corvette Rocker Channels.

[@MrTexasDan]

Hey there Mitch, I always thought it was amusing that in the metalworking field, beating and torching the crap out of the metal is called "massaging". Masters of understatement. BTW, good to see you wearing the eye and ear protection. Well done sir! Take care, Dan

[@MidYearMitch]

Hey Dan. Haha a lot of massaging is required here. Definitely an understatement. Oh yeah my motto is safety 3rd lol.

[@jimballardband]

Workin’ hard at it! 😅 👍🏼

[@MidYearMitch]

Thanks Jim I’m trying 👍

[@jimrains8314]

I really admire your dedication to the not so beautiful but ever so important part of these C2s. What a process to these. Would have been a real cool job to be part of building these at the GM plant. Have fun, be safe. Now get to work.

[@MidYearMitch]

Thanks Jim I appreciate it. Yeah it’s not glamorous but it’s important to have a strong foundation. That would have been neat to be a part of that process. I guess I’m as close to that as I can be lol.

[@joeldarulla5634]

Hey Mitch, I was wondering why don’t you use spot weld removers? They are quicker, easier, and you can weld where the new metal is at the original spot weld area. I enjoy watching your videos! Thanks!

[@MidYearMitch]

Hi Joel I tried spot weld removers and I don’t like them. The ones from harbor freight that look like a hole saw only work on flat metal and the teeth break off easily. I got some from Eastwood and they got very dull fast and they were expensive. I found that if you use a 1/8” bit first and use a 5/16” bit after it takes care of them quickly. I just buy a few of them before I start a big job. You just have to be careful not to drill all the way through.

[@brianonthego]

Be careful around that classic rust. Good work.

[@MidYearMitch]

Thanks Brian. There is no shortage of rust there!

[@rtk1122]

Mitch… I really enjoy watching you work, but have you ever worked with an air hammer with different sized chisels? I think a good variety of chisels and hammers might really speed up and improve the outcome of your strip down and repairs. I admit to having never worked on a Corvette bird cage but I have done a bit of ‘shade tree’ metal work and my go to tools are a needle scaler for removing the rust scale and then an assortment of air chisels or side grinder for the metal repair. Just askin’… not trying to mess with your proven techniques.

[@MidYearMitch]

Yes I have an air hammer but I prefer to do some things by hand. I also didn’t feel like bringing the compressor to the new garage so I was making due. They definitely help blow the panel apart quicker. If you find all the spot welds and drill them out in the center the panel will just separate. But that doesn’t always happen lol.

[@jonsingle1614]

I am a wanna be vette owner.....you do some interesting work....are there no repo birdcages being made ? Seems vettes are the only thing that is almost supported by aftermarket 100%

[@ulyssesvazquez387]

Jon, I also want to be either a c1 or c2 owner, looking for a very rough vette to start my project. Mitch is corvette god.. I will need one more in one piece to repair. LOL.

[@MidYearMitch]

Haha that’s a good place to be. They make most parts of the cage but no one assembles them for you. Some assembly is required. Depending on the car it might not be cost effective to buy everything new on a cage. It adds up quickly.

[@LowKeyLifeHKD]

@@MidYearMitch When you say "most parts" that only applies to the roadsters not the coupe, wish there were repro parts for the coupe birdcage. If you know anyone making them I'd like to know as I see you fabricating most of your patch pieces for the coupe but buying the lower windshield frames repro parts.

[@ulyssesvazquez387]

Hello there Mitch.. Do you ever worry about the integrity of the metal?

[@MidYearMitch]

Yessir that’s the #1 concern. If it’s not strong then there’s no reason to build the car. I replace everything that needs to be replaced to make sure they are as strong if not stronger than they were when they were made.