Why do we start these things?

paul_round · Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 7:18 am Post subject:

Enjoy, I went back in 88/89 when Jaguar made a comeback, drove down through the night after work on the Friday, in my then ghia vert, slept in the car, then drove back in time for work Monday morning!

kgj · Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 9:33 am Post subject:

Now that was hard core. A schedule like that would finish me off now.
Back in my teens maybe....
It's now 6pm. Tent set up. Drinking a beer in a bar in sight of the road to Arnage watching the supercars drift by. Nice.
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1958 coupe

c21darrel · Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 11:58 am Post subject:

I tease only because im jealous. Enjoy Very Happy

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GhiaBuild
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1967 DC build
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kgj · Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 7:30 am Post subject: 70 ghia

Right, I'm back on it.
Much like J1 I'm trying to do this repair without having to take the body off the pan. Ok so far, as far as I can work out but now I come to the corner piece the heater channel needs to fit into.

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

This looks like a complicated piece to replace with the car still on the pan?
Is it possible?
As you can see the bottom part, and warm air elbow have completely rotted away. So I have to cut it out and see what can be done.
This is how I did it.

Also drilled out the lower edge spot welds in the wheel arch.

And end up with this.

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1958 coupe

kgj · Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 7:37 am Post subject: 70 ghia

Spot welds on lower wheel arch edge.

I then cut this out to make access for when I put a repaired ( hopefully)
Corner piece back in.
I always wondered what this bit of the car looked like in section....

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1958 coupe

J1 · Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 8:05 am Post subject:

Very interesting. Did you cut the front part of the dogleg (where it joins the wheelwell) from the underside since the bottom was all gone? What cutting tool are you using? Looks like you are armed with more than an angle grinder.

I ask because that is a much more elegant (smarter) method than butchering up the top part and now having to fabricate it (what I did). My bottom part was in tact so did not even consider attacking from the underside. May be a blessing in disguise that the bottom was toast.
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1971 Ghia coupe. Assume I know nothing and you'll be pretty darn close to the truth.

kgj · Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 8:26 am Post subject: 70 ghia

Process was.
Drill the spot welds in the wheel well. I only needed to go so far because the bottom was rotted out of the dog leg. I cut back as far as good metal.
Cut the wheel well piece out taking care not to go through to the dog leg bit. Most of the cut was with a 4" grinder. I did finish off with a dremel where the 2 layers of metal are touching.
I also cut an access hatch on the inside of the dogleg.
Photo with arrows shows the drill and cuts on the inside. The last bit behind the heater outlet was the hardest - Hacksaw blade from underneath.
My rough plan is to rebuild the dogleg bit I've cut out. Mig weld back in place with the access holes I've made, then reinstate the wheel well bit.
Aside from the dremel and grinder all I used was a hacksaw blade thing and hammer and big screwdriver.

Good choice with the mig. I'm no expert but I'm sure it will be easier than the stick welder.
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1958 coupe

kgj · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2015 3:18 pm Post subject:

One month after taking the car off the road and after 25 hours of work I reach a milestone today by collecting a mig from where I work, bring it home and put it to use. Just like our average joe I need to repair the front corner of the floor pan before I can even think about permanently siting the heater channel.

And here it is a couple of hours later, awaiting a coat of POR 15.

I seemed to spend a long time grinding welds but it seems passable.

Thanks for looking.
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1958 coupe

kgj · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 4:58 am Post subject:

First trial fit of the heater channel to reference its fit with A and B pillar.
I'm going to have to tackle the mess at the bottom of the A pillar befor I do much more.

This is the profile of the new rubber seal to be used instead of the sticky greasy stuff this year of car seems to have used.

I'm now over 45 hours. Slow progress.
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1958 coupe

Basketcase · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 8:47 am Post subject:

looks like you're doing a fine job!
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'72 Karmann Ghia Coupe (the Boss's)

J1 · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 1:39 pm Post subject:

OLD VW NUT · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 4:55 pm Post subject:

Its threads like this that remind me of how fortunate I was in finding a virtually rust free Ghia. I replaced one panel - the one under the battery.
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71 Ghia Coupe - stock body - no rust! Powered by a 2110 W/Dual HPMX 44's - Rancho Pro Street Transaxle - A/C by Gilmore

Other car - 2013 VW Golf TDI

kgj · Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 10:14 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the interest. More on the brace in a moment.
In my enthusiasm to just crack on I have been a bit remiss in photographing every step of the project. Other progress so far is the rebuild of the lamb chop. Rusted away where it sat on the pan. This is now done and welded on the flat part back in place. One tack against the A pillar. Ready to replace the access hatch I cut.

And made this bit for the A pillar lower end.

There is little I can add to the knowledge base here on this subject except for perhaps something about body flex.
I braced the door gap with some ally c section self tapped into the inside of the door opening. My reason for doing this was not just to try to maintain the gap but also to allow me to rehang the door at any point for reference. If you take the door off leaving the hinges in place on the car body, not possible if you build a brace off the hinge mounts, you can rehang the door at any time knowing you haven't disturbed its relationship with the A pillar.
This has proved useful because when I cut away the lamb chop and lower wheel arch I noticed the A pillar flex away from the centre of the car by about 3-4mm. Fortunately I took a measurement from tunnel to A pillar so I knew where it needed to go back to! I have read on here that there is some tension in the body in places and if this were not noticed and addressed you could complete this job with the door and A pillar lining up nicely only to find that these no longer line up with the B pillar.
I made this tool to hang over the transmission tunnel.(well, actually Dave at work made it from my wood template. Thanks Dave!) Drilled one hole through the A pillar, visible in the photo from inside, bolted through, and tightened the bolt on the end to the desired measurement of tunnel to A pillar.

And here is a photo from last night with the door back on to check one more time the relationship between A pillar, door and B pillar.

It does appear to be all in the same place!
I have also become quite proficient in the single handed hanging and removal of a Karmann Ghia door.
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1958 coupe

CiderGuy · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 5:40 am Post subject:

Very informative post. I learned something thanks !

I been trying to take pictures of what I am also doing to my car. Its hard at times, you forget in the heat of the moment, or for myself after grinding away paint and bondo for 1.5 hours my hands were shaking so badly, I couldn't aim the camera.
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Cars Currently Owned:

1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1973 Karmann Ghia Coupe - Project car for sale
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (Body off restoration)

Timing is everything

J1 · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:51 am Post subject:

kgj · Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 2:35 pm Post subject:

Yes you are right. Dog leg is in, lamb chop to go!
It's raining here and I can't be bothered to wander down to the garage to photo my brace tonight but I will tomorrow.
I think the reason I got some outward flex was because there was pretty much nothing left of the corner by the time I finished with it.

Primitive brace photo to follow tomorrow morning.
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1958 coupe

kgj · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 7:54 am Post subject:

Ok, so here is my attempt at a door brace. 2" angle aluminium. As you can see I can still have the door on for reference as needed

Back edge is tight against the panel where the release pull is located. 2 self tappers to keep it in place

Front edge got 2 self tappers too.

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1958 coupe

kgj · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 8:14 am Post subject:

Progress this morning, offer up the outer sill before I do any more welding to the front and back parts of the heater channel. There is a bit of tweaking to get the lower edge to align with the heater channel.

B pillar needed a slight push backwards by 1/2mm because the door wedge was binding slightly when trying to open the door.

Self tapper holding it in place.

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1958 coupe

kgj · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:12 am Post subject:

Door fit and action very satisfying.(brace removed)

The challenge is to have it like this with everything welded and the car back on its wheels.
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1958 coupe

J1 · Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 4:13 pm Post subject:

Congrats on that nice door gap. I see that a black car hides the gap a bit... I wasn't as lucky so maybe I should just spray to black! Anyway, I love your simple and effective brace idea.
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1971 Ghia coupe. Assume I know nothing and you'll be pretty darn close to the truth.


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