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Dorian's 1971 Ghia restoration blog
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 3:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, Beethoven… you are a man after mine own heart.

I've decided NOT to go for an AMP (to keep things simple and the $$$ down) and wire the radio straight to speakers in the kick panels with tweeters in the dash. I will also have a self-powered bass unit in the "kitty cradle." I think that'll be fine for my use.

The first piece to be fully played through will be La Campanella followed by the English Suites. I am a Bach kinda guy - appropriately enough for the KG. The sound system should be good enough for me to actually got to the KG for attentive listening - yet I'm still not much of an audiophile.
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could it be????

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Yaaaay!!!
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bit darker than I expected, but I think I like that…
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Heh - Newton has a sense of humor…
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Get off!!!!
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kiwighia68
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's one very pampered car/car - take your pick.

Someone paid me a super compliment today: "Oh, your project is much the same as Dorian's."

I wish.
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Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The flattery is all mine. You are doing a superb job. I love your thoroughness and attention to detail. Laced with good reading: now that's style! My efforts are rather "quick and dirty". You are inspiring me for my next build. I'll take aaaaall my time there for my final build. This one simply needs to be on the road, looking sharp, and dead-nuts reliable for a rally that I signed my wife and myself up for on Sept 20.


I still can't blv that fellow peeled your Ghia and isn't even a certified welder. Considering that... and the rest... I'm surprised you haven't been arrested for homicide or featured in the obituaries having been overcame by seizures. I know I would... the former.
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

About to cautiously add a first few miles on the Silver Bullet…

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First some gas- hood is open cuz I'm checking for leaks.
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Off to alignment
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I lucked out. Turns out the fellow does four corner jobs with the latest Hunter equipment.
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After nearly two hours of work, he finished. A VERY good job… better than most. Turns out he had the specs in his computer. However, my eyeball was so far off the computer couldn't even do a first measure Shocked Shocked Shocked

A clean bill of health
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A short drive later revealed that the car handles well, but the steering box is shot. With a VERY good alignment, the wheel doesn't return to track. If I loosen slightly the lash, there is way too much play in the wheel -scary! Tightening the lash clears that up, but the steering doesn't pull straight.

Also - strange clicking coming from front right wheel on braking. Grmbl.

Well - let's keep going. Turns out this was easy enough. I just leaned I should push that ball through the hole. I might try to pull it through with some twine. Good contact glue made it easy.
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Straight forward too - I glued the rail to the gasket.
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BTW, I polished the railing. Not quite worth it as it is hardly visible.

Think this is forty years old?
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Here was more challenging. I bore a few in the learning process. The clip needs to weave in and out of the rail. You need to slide the clip in from the ends. The clip also needs the ejection tab trimmed back to fit. Not to self… always buy extra clips for ones you break.
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Other tip: slightly crush the rail to avoid the clip popping in and breaking.
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This was easier than I thought too. The seal is pre-formed with bend, so make sure to push it well in the corner. Pinch seal so the inside slit of the gasket pops over the window ridge. Simply pop the other side in with a screw driver.
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A bit of grease to make the window close a first time. I leave it closed for a good while. Tape to keep glass from falling out as I tighten screw down the lock.
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This one, I just greased a tick and slid it up…
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Same method as above was used to place the seal in front rail. Slightly more difficult. Careful trimming.

This I, watched the House of Ghia/Aircooled video. And added this small twist: a bit of tape that simply slits and pops out once the trim is in place.
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Time for another ride…
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Nice, you know your plan is working when the misses asks you twice in one day to go for a drive. Cool Cool Cool We put 100k on the car. 400 more before I can dyno
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kiwighia68
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wel gedaan!
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1968 Ghia named Emiko
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bluedot
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That newton carpet looks 1000 times nicer than my top end TMI carpet set. Damn. I guess I'm gonna have to do it again. Smile
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TheFop
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DorianL wrote:


I still can't blv that fellow peeled your Ghia and isn't even a certified welder. Considering that... and the rest... I'm surprised you haven't been arrested for homicide or featured in the obituaries having been overcame by seizures. I know I would... the former.


I must admit I'd only ever considered certified welding to be needed for large structures or aircraft etc not for cars but with modern vehicle construction technology perhaps it my be warranted.
I've certainly welded up heaps of cars over the years but have only ever come across certifications being needed for cars in New Zealand....I'm sure there are other places though.
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Rusty 61 RHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Resto in progress....slowly
Stock 69 LHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Driver
67 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Being rebuilt
63 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Going Baja!
86 T25 Westfalia - Family Fun car
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 1:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

TheFop wrote:
DorianL wrote:


I still can't blv that fellow peeled your Ghia and isn't even a certified welder. Considering that... and the rest... I'm surprised you haven't been arrested for homicide or featured in the obituaries having been overcame by seizures. I know I would... the former.


I must admit I'd only ever considered certified welding to be needed for large structures or aircraft etc not for cars but with modern vehicle construction technology perhaps it my be warranted.
I've certainly welded up heaps of cars over the years but have only ever come across certifications being needed for cars in New Zealand....I'm sure there are other places though.


That one took my biscuit as well. Unusual...
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keeping on Truckin'

Working on the windows this evening. I expected a tough job. Turns out, it wasn't bad at all.

The window felts - I simply pried off the old clips and replicated where they were placed, crimping them on to the new felts.

Relatively straight forward, with small adjustments, they popped right in.
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I was expecting at least three if not four anti-rattle nubs per door. Turns out, there are only two.
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The mechanism went back in relatively easily
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Will be much nicer to drive without two open windows. The doors feel solid and don't rattle at all. VERY pleased with the job.
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bluedot wrote:
That newton carpet looks 1000 times nicer than my top end TMI carpet set. Damn. I guess I'm gonna have to do it again. Smile


I think the Newton carpets really are good value for $$$. I prefer them by far to the TMI samples I have seen. Well… let's see how they install...
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carl4x4
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 1:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're lucky the windows went in first time and didn't need endless adjustment to match up with the top rubbers like mine !
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well - full disclosure. It took me 10 min to adjust.

I used a worn felt to keep the rubber "folder" open to slide the glass in without catching. Then I slid the old felt out of the way.

I bolted the metal fitting down following what the car told me - you could see where the bolt disturbed the surface rust.

The rear of the window was low, canting the window and contacting the pillar. Moving the lower window rail back immediately cleared that up.

I shimmed the inside of the rails to get it to lean more in, and flipped the pillar seal to achieve a better contact.

Betcha the other side is much more challenging...

BTW- make sure to generously grease mech.
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok, well I pulled the trigger on some noise insulation to cover my rattle-trap.

I want this car feeling comfortable, quiet and solid. That means getting rid of unwanted vibration and road noise…

I originally wanted to get m hands on some Second Skin Luxury Liner Pro. Thick, heavy Mass Loaded Vinyl to keep the noise about. The reviews are good. It even has a layer of closed cell foam bonded to it for decoupling. Problem is they are twitchy selling to Belgium. I learned it was shipping their adhesive that was the problem Rolling Eyes

It's also expensive. After import taxes and shipping 44 lbs, even more so.

Then taking to my electric guitar teacher (never too old to learn) I found out that there was a Dutch company right over the border that sells a similar product. MLV bonded to a decoupling closed cell and even heavier than Luxury Liner Pro. I ordered some… we'll see how it goes.

http://www.akoestiekwinkel.nl/isomat-vm-geluidsisolatiemat

This will go under the carpet in the door panels… everywhere.
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok - this will be interesting. The luxury liner pro is 10.8 lbs sheet of 9 sq feet. Isomat is about 16 lbs for same dimensions. For that weight, it had better be quiet and effective. I bought 80 lbs LF the stuff Shocked Shocked Shocked
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bluedot
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great you were able to find the stuff semi-locally! Now we gotta find that vinyl glue....
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DorianL
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 4:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So the MLV came in. Holy XXXXX!!!! It is heavy! Shocked Shocked Shocked They weren't kidding. I think to do the job right, I'll need some more. There's already 45 lbs in there.

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The engine is still too loud, but then again the carpet and the rear bench isn't in yet.

I may well line the deck lid with some rattle trap as well.

Let's first see how things go with the carpet and seats before I line the deck lid.

I am dropping car off at a shop to have the rear lowered. I could do it myself but I am going on vacation for 10 days tomorrow AM and I'd rather not bust up the body work.

Handling is already quite good, but it could still use more caster - lowering the rear should increase that. I am ready to add more shims as well.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bluedot wrote:
That newton carpet looks 1000 times nicer than my top end TMI carpet set. Damn. I guess I'm gonna have to do it again. Smile


My thoughts exactly! Unfortunately my TMI carpet is new/clean and it would be tough to convince the wife that I need to replace it...
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lowering the back of the car is tough if one doesn't have the right tools, and the angle gauge, etc. I always talk Charles at Atomwerks into doing mine. He recently replaced my drop plates with his "racing adjustables":

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Now I can fine tune the rear drop with a bolt! Now I just gotta get some more clearance from my heater boxes....
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mountainkowboy
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bluedot wrote:
Lowering the back of the car is tough if one doesn't have the right tools, and the angle gauge, etc. I always talk Charles at Atomwerks into doing mine. He recently replaced my drop plates with his "racing adjustables":

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Now I can fine tune the rear drop with a bolt! Now I just gotta get some more clearance from my heater boxes....


looks good
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