Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

cseay1 · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2015 1:33 pm Post subject:

I hate to do it but I am offering the Ghia up for sale. Life does not seem to be affording me the time and money this car deserves so I am going to pass it on to someone who will hopefully continue its resurrection.

I have placed an ad in the samba classifieds.

I hope this is not the end for this little car but if it is I thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement and help.
_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

cseay1 · Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 6:20 am Post subject:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

jpjohns · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2015 7:48 am Post subject:

Well damn
_________________
-Jared

"Scrapyards are for quitters" - Beetlenut (a Samba member)

cseay1 · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 1:05 pm Post subject:

I have taken the Ghia off the chopping block .. Half the people who inquired about it said it was too far gone to save, and the other half wanted to give me $500 so they could cut it up for parts or make a rat rod out of it.

I did manage to unload a couple other stalled projects and other albatrosses from my life so maybe I will actually be able to do something with this little car.

I think jpjohns reply with the quote from beetlenut in his signature line may have had some influence on my decision as well .. "scrapyards are for quitters" Cool

I'm not making any promises and certainly no timeline but stay tuned
_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

jpjohns · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:19 pm Post subject:

ha....hot damn! Awesome news.
_________________
-Jared

"Scrapyards are for quitters" - Beetlenut (a Samba member)

cseay1 · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:46 am Post subject:

Now that I have decided on moving forward, the next thing I want to do is stabilize the body. The passenger side sags when the door is opened.

The driver's side has no body sag, but does have minor hinge sag (the door will move up and down but the body does not drop when the door opens) .. But on the passenger side the complete opposite is going on. The door hinges are tight with no movement. However the door is dropping over 1/2" at the rear edge, and the reason appears that the front door jamb where the hinges mount is tilting backwards and dropping with the door!

With the door unlatched, if I jack up the body just under the front a-pillar hinge post the door will align itself as the post straightens out. With the a-pillar supported the door opens and closes properly and fits nice.

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

cseay1 · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:50 am Post subject:

I had brought this up earlier in a heater channel thread and someone suggested it was probably due to rot in the "hockey stick" area in the bottom of the a-pillar .. removing the splash shield and taking a look inside revealed this:

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

calexican · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:34 pm Post subject:

Your rust scenario looks pretty serious, I'm not the best person to give advice about that, but I'm glad to see you kept the car. I know for myself I have come close to selling mine and have always been glad that I kept it. I am in a smililar situation where my car is need of restoration, but don't have the funds or time to do it, so I decided to make the car as drivable and safe as I could, and just drive it with the patina look. Get that gas tank happening and brakes and go from there, the enjoyment you get out of driving it to the grocery store will inspire you to keep fixing it up. Good luck.

cseay1 · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:48 pm Post subject:

Bloku · Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 6:59 pm Post subject:

I have been watching this silently since the first post. I am not sure how good you are with the welder, but I think that your ghia (pinky Razz

) can be saved! It looks good (minus the rust) and the stance and wheels are also nice. Reminds me of my old bug.... I still wish I did not sell it. Back on track, as soon as you start the first cut to repair the, I am sure the inspiration will come fast to finish the job. Then you will be left with a good looking, not very rusty, ghia! The best of luck to you! I shall be watching closely...
Popcorn

_________________
1971 Karmann Ghia
1975 Porsche 914
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1975 BMW 2002
1976 BMW 2002 (Bored and Stroked w/ 5-Speed)
1981 BMW E21
1986 Toyota 4Runner (Dead engine and trans)
1989 Toyota 4x4 PU
1994 BMW E36 (Daily)

cseay1 · Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 9:43 am Post subject:

cseay1 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:00 pm Post subject:

I decided to do a little exploratory surgery so I cut open the lower rear section of the front passenger fender

It's clear there is no support for the body here, and it is just dropping over the pan
_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

cseay1 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:01 pm Post subject:

One thing is promising is looking further up into the body behind the mud sill plate area it is nice and solid .. even has some shiny red og paint

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

cseay1 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:08 pm Post subject:

Did see that at some point holes were drilled for a dent puller, and a minor dent was pulled out until it was "good enough" to slap some bondo over, holes and all

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

cseay1 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 2:01 pm Post subject:

Like before I jacked up under the a-pillar area until the door once again aligned with the body. I did discover something unrelated -- the door is sprung. If I close it, once it gets to about an inch from latching it stops -- and requires a good push to close, and if you unlatch it it springs back. Also, the forward lower edge of the door scrapes the fender -- there is no gap. I placed a block of wood between the inside edge of the door and the hinge pillar, gave it few good pushes, and that pretty much fixed the sprung door problem. It doesn't take much effort to close, and the bottom forward edge of the door no longer scrapes the fender.

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

cseay1 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 4:30 pm Post subject:

With the sprung door issue resolved, I once again jacked up under the a-pillar area until the door closed evenly with the body lines, showing no signs of body sag. Once everything was lined up, I tack welded some 1x1 steel tube bracing across the door opening. I also included one vertical support to the seat bracket support area (which is pretty solid). Now, with the jack removed, the door opens and closes perfectly and no more signs of the body sagging or dropping.

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

cseay1 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 5:45 pm Post subject:

With the body now properly braced and fears of the car collapsing in on itself or being permanently twisted out of shape alleviated, I feel free to continue cutting.

.. judging by the pictures of others who have done heater channels on their Ghia's I would say this look about right Very Happy

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

cseay1 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 6:10 pm Post subject:

.. and more cutting. I found a 1957 penny inside the rocker panel -- that's going in the parts fund jar!

_________________
Chris

1968 Karmann Ghia coupe - build log here: Chris' 68 Ghia Build Log - From the Woods back to the Street

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!


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