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Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:07 am

It have been few days since I posted but between work and my second Job (restoring my Ghia :P ) I didn’t have time to do much else.

I finished replacing the floor pans body-on and I have to say it is a job better left for monkeys!
It wasn’t near as easy as the super beetle post made it sounds and if you ever attempt such madness be ready for a prolonged spatial challenge and knuckle busting contest. Some pics for whatever it is worth, I still have questions regarding what I should be looking to replace on a 1968 car (mechanical) regardless of the condition. I will be overhauling the whole brake system, what else should I be concerned with test/replace. Since I have everything out of the car it will be much easier for me to do the mechanical work now than later. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks

Tue May 17, 2011 6:48 pm

I just purchased a 68' from North Dayton (I live in Cincy) and am trying to find the reservoir, my manual says it is beneath the spare but nothing is there. Some posts on here say it is directly attached to the master cylinder, haven't had a chance to check there yet, is that where yours is located?

karghia74 wrote: c21darrel wrote: You can get a new brake fluid resevoir that mounts directly on top of the master and clean out the mess the original location causes. Good work on the targa removal.

I didn't know that, thank you. I added it to my shopping list

Wed May 18, 2011 4:12 am

karghia, tremendous work so far, all the more so that it's your first job welding! Have you finished up your roof, especially the quarter window front post and top metal channel? You'll now need to re-use your '68's original parts like the bolt-on front post... While you were fitting the new roof, did you lay in your front and rear windows to make certain you had uniform gaps all around?

What kind of welder do you have? Gas-shielded MIG wire feed for 120V? Back in '88 I rented such a welder for my first attempts on some rust repair on a '69 Ghia coupe. Had nobody to show me though I did prep the metal well. Ended up with conjuctivitis in my eyes (eye shield), unfinished welding job, and I realised I bit off too much. Later sold the body at a VW meet.

Many of those extra wires in the spaghetti dash were from the extra gauges. They were located all peppered throughout the dash. If you plan on reinstalling them, see if you can't get the remaining two into the dash as well for a unified look. Or are you considering a clean look by grafting the dash section and the big gauges in from your '74 parts car? That would restore a factory look, though of course not correct for the '68.

If you consider that method ('74 grafting & gauges) then your new wiring will be much easier. You would need a harness for a '68 because the terminals on the '74's gauges are about the same ones as on the 68's original ones even though the gauges are shaped differently. What's so good about VW's colored wiring diagram is that the wires on the diagram are the exact colors of the wires in the car.

Is the sheetmetal area on the left of the engine not as rusty on the '74 than on your '68? That's where the battery sits and tends to be quite rusty over time. I don't know if replacement panels are available for that section but the thought was if the '74's is much better, consider cutting it out and grafting into the '68. Just keep the factory seams open; don't fill and grind them.

Wed May 18, 2011 4:24 am

If you got the doors with the 74 ghia you need to put them on your car as well. You also need to cut the bottom section of the quarter window out and weld in the section from the 74, otherwise you will never find any mouldings that will fit what you have made.

Or, take that lip off all the way along - which will require welding the seam closed, and clip the quarter window post.

Wed May 18, 2011 7:16 am

Rome wrote: karghia, tremendous work so far, all the more so that it's your first job welding! Have you finished up your roof, especially the quarter window front post and top metal channel? You'll now need to re-use your '68's original parts like the bolt-on front post... While you were fitting the new roof, did you lay in your front and rear windows to make certain you had uniform gaps all around?

What kind of welder do you have? Gas-shielded MIG wire feed for 120V? Back in '88 I rented such a welder for my first attempts on some rust repair on a '69 Ghia coupe. Had nobody to show me though I did prep the metal well. Ended up with conjuctivitis in my eyes (eye shield), unfinished welding job, and I realised I bit off too much. Later sold the body at a VW meet.

Many of those extra wires in the spaghetti dash were from the extra gauges. They were located all peppered throughout the dash. If you plan on reinstalling them, see if you can't get the remaining two into the dash as well for a unified look. Or are you considering a clean look by grafting the dash section and the big gauges in from your '74 parts car? That would restore a factory look, though of course not correct for the '68.

If you consider that method ('74 grafting & gauges) then your new wiring will be much easier. You would need a harness for a '68 because the terminals on the '74's gauges are about the same ones as on the 68's original ones even though the gauges are shaped differently. What's so good about VW's colored wiring diagram is that the wires on the diagram are the exact colors of the wires in the car.

Is the sheetmetal area on the left of the engine not as rusty on the '74 than on your '68? That's where the battery sits and tends to be quite rusty over time. I don't know if replacement panels are available for that section but the thought was if the '74's is much better, consider cutting it out and grafting into the '68. Just keep the factory seams open; don't fill and grind them.

Thanks Rome, I finished the roof a while back and I did use the front and back glass to measure and make sure that the gap is uniform, also since the glass rubber seal is a goner I used small pieces of it for the gap measurement 4 4" pieces for the sides, top and bottom. as far as I can tell i should be ok when the time comes to install the glass if not then : (

I used the harbor freight flux line welder, I think I paid $100 for it. it works great but not with the wire that came with it, I used Lincoln .35 I believe.
you read my mind about the harness and dash but I still didn’t decide which way I will go, I am trying not to worry about it now since I am still working on the body and you are 100% correct about the back section where the battery sets but I am debating if I should fix/weld or cut from the 74 and replace. decisions decisions : )

Wed May 18, 2011 7:20 am

owen60657 wrote: I just purchased a 68' from North Dayton (I live in Cincy) and am trying to find the reservoir, my manual says it is beneath the spare but nothing is there. Some posts on here say it is directly attached to the master cylinder, haven't had a chance to check there yet, is that where yours is located?

karghia74 wrote: c21darrel wrote: You can get a new brake fluid resevoir that mounts directly on top of the master and clean out the mess the original location causes. Good work on the targa removal.

I didn't know that, thank you. I added it to my shopping list

Post a picture, the OG reservoir location should be right behind the radio setting on its own shelf with two lines down to the brake master cylinder

Wed May 18, 2011 7:20 am

[quote="owen60657"]I just purchased a 68' from North Dayton (I live in Cincy) and am trying to find the reservoir, my manual says it is beneath the spare but nothing is there. Some posts on here say it is directly attached to the master cylinder, haven't had a chance to check there yet, is that where yours is located?

Post a picture, the OG reservoir location should be right behind the radio setting on its own shelf with two lines down to the brake master cylinder

Wed May 18, 2011 7:24 am

70 140 wrote: If you got the doors with the 74 ghia you need to put them on your car as well. You also need to cut the bottom section of the quarter window out and weld in the section from the 74, otherwise you will never find any mouldings that will fit what you have made.

Or, take that lip off all the way along - which will require welding the seam closed, and clip the quarter window post.

Thanks for the advice, I am going with the 68 doors because they are in a better shape so I did take off the lip and quarter window post, although I will have to buy new 68 door seal I tried to the one that came with the car for fitting and it look like I will be ok. one questions though what you mean by welding the seam closed? when I took the lip off there are no seam underneath unless I am missing something.
Thanks

Wed May 18, 2011 10:48 am

I had thought the lip along the A pillar was formed by two pieces of metal spot welded together to make the lip. I guess not...

The 68 doors are nicer anyway, they have the better chrome trim along the scraper.

Wed May 18, 2011 12:32 pm

Whoa! Karghia -- you just gave me the inspiration to get to cranking on my restoration. I bought my 72 back in December and I've been looking at it since, figuring out how the heck I'm going to do this, like you, I have no experience. I'll never have the Ghia I want unless I tear her down and get busy. I do want to take the body off which will be a challenge space, tool and assistance wise. Good luck! With my work, family and siphoning funds from the account to feed the cause, I figure I'm looking at 3 to 4 years of work.

Wed May 18, 2011 7:06 pm

Have you tried installing the 1/4 windows yet? Or the rubber above the windows? The roof from a 72-74 is COMPLETELY different from that of your 68.

Sun May 22, 2011 4:16 pm

Ghia Rick wrote: Whoa! Karghia -- you just gave me the inspiration to get to cranking on my restoration. I bought my 72 back in December and I've been looking at it since, figuring out how the heck I'm going to do this, like you, I have no experience. I'll never have the Ghia I want unless I tear her down and get busy. I do want to take the body off which will be a challenge space, tool and assistance wise. Good luck! With my work, family and siphoning funds from the account to feed the cause, I figure I'm looking at 3 to 4 years of work.

Just dive right into it, if you try to figure everything out at the beginning it will seem like a monumental task. Work on what you can when you can and you will be done in no time just make sure you are having fun. post a larger size photo of your car, I love that color.

Sun May 22, 2011 4:19 pm

swhitcomb wrote: Have you tried installing the 1/4 windows yet? Or the rubber above the windows? The roof from a 72-74 is COMPLETELY different from that of your 68.

Hmmm not sure what you mean completely? I know about the lip and 1/4 window post and both are long gone. I measured the heck out of the roof, windows opening and everything is matching. please let me know if I missed something.

Sun May 22, 2011 4:31 pm

I have been working on the car every chance I get and not as much as I would like to. So far 98% of the outside is bare metal and inside is mix of bare metal/temp primer. Today I sanded the outside, fixed few dings and sprayed the car with purple power de-ruster (I love this stuff) couple of pics below. next step is to finish sanding and laydown the direct to metal primer YAY (Maybe)

Tue May 24, 2011 9:52 am

First round of primer, that DTAM stuff is excellent, finally I can see all the dents and imperforations that I need to fix. :shock:

Fri May 27, 2011 6:11 pm

:( Bodywork is a B!^#$

Fri May 27, 2011 8:31 pm

Have you done any hammer and dolly work on those dents? With a little work most of them will come out, especially if you can get to both sides of the panel.

Sat May 28, 2011 8:19 am

Dang. I was a bit skeptical from the first few pics, but that is looking good! Can't wait to see more progress...

Sat May 28, 2011 6:33 pm

Excellent that you are using a profile gauge for the nose prow's correct shape. Do you have an undamaged nose for reference?

Sun May 29, 2011 3:19 pm

Loren wrote: Have you done any hammer and dolly work on those dents? With a little work most of them will come out, especially if you can get to both sides of the panel.

I did for the ones that I can reach and even then a little body filler is still needed. All the filler so far is no thicker than 1 to 2 mm. I am still going at it :cry: