Fixing Birdcages

What is required to build a birdcage?

When you rebuild a cage you need a good level surface and all components that you want to use. Select doors, hinges, rear clip, roof skin, bonding strips, door latches and strikers. Do not change your coupe doors out once you begin cage work.

When you build a car from several wrecked cars it isn't going to 100% match factory specs. The car is coach build now. You fit the cage to the doors, roof, and rear clip. For convertibles you fit the doors to the windshield frame.

Note this is a high level overview. Many many hours go into rust repair, fitting, trimming, planning, and finally welding. It is just like painting a show car. The hard work is in the prep work.

Step 1

Rocker Installation

I use a stock 66 chassis to build my cages. I shim the chassis to make it level then I shim the rocker channels to make them level.

Step 2

Pillar Placement

Install your hinge pillars and latch pillars. The firewall helps to locate the hinge pillar from the front of the rocker channel and body mount 3 helps align the latch pillar.

Step 3

Locating the Windshield Frame

Install the doors and make them latch. Don't forget to install your fiberglass hinge pillar behind the door hinges. The vent windows help locate the windshield frame. I use a windshield frame jig to properly align the individual windshield frame pieces.

Step 4

Test Fit, Check, Weld, Test Fit

Cage repairs are not easy and this is the foundation of the car. Make sure everything is right. This is where the secret sauce comes in. There are no secret measurements to tell you exactly where every component lives. You need to test fit and compare to other cars or the other side. Every Corvette cage is different TRUST ME. I don't give dimensions out not for job security but because I don't want to send you down the wrong path. Remember these are coach built now. Not Chevrolet built. Take your time and do it right.

Centerfield 65 Corvette Cage Rebuild