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Evil_Fiz Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2011 Posts: 1049 Location: Jacksonville, FL
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 11:52 am Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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didget69 wrote: |
I have not had issue on any Craftsman tools of recent manufacture, but I tend to look for the ones made in Taiwan as opposed to China.
bryan |
Since I haven't purchased a Craftsman tool in over 20 years this is good to know. I have a 36mm socket and a breaker bar that have been in my tool box, broken, for over 25 Yrs. I think it's time to hit Craigslist to find old Craftsman tools if I need any new ones.
This raises the question, are there any US made tools with the same warranty and durability as old school Craftsman? My Danish neighbor has what I would consider the German equivalent of Craftsman. I would buy that if I could find a local source. _________________
It's not just about what's interesting. It's also about what's helpful, and it's helpful even if it helps just one other guy working on a Ghia.
kiwighia68
See my build on TheSamba at:
The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Without paying the exorbitant prices for Snap-On, Mac or Matco, I think Craftsman is the only dog in the fight. I had a 12 drawer roll-cab full of tools for years but I had to sell them in order to make rent during a rough patch several years back (and since I had left the service industry the need for them was almost nil). I don't know of any other US made brand that has that level of support or quality. |
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lonotch Samba Padrino
Joined: August 28, 2004 Posts: 3304 Location: So. Cal. Oceanside GFK!
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:29 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Sorry to see this guys restoration thread turn into a tool thread. _________________ It's not about the window, it's about the people.
German Folks |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:44 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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lonotch wrote: |
Sorry to see this guys restoration thread turn into a tool thread. |
No worries. It's my thread and I'm new around here so I welcome discussion. |
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Evil_Fiz Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2011 Posts: 1049 Location: Jacksonville, FL
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:06 am Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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lonotch wrote: |
Sorry to see this guys restoration thread turn into a tool thread. |
Fear not, as soon as KidKarmann posts an update we'll all get distracted by it and forget we derailed the thread with tool talk. We are all easily distracted by "shiny," and tools are SOOO shiny
We now rejoin this thread in progress. _________________
It's not just about what's interesting. It's also about what's helpful, and it's helpful even if it helps just one other guy working on a Ghia.
kiwighia68
See my build on TheSamba at:
The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:19 am Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Had to put the project on hold for my daughter's birthday weekend so we'll pick it back up soon. |
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didget69 Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004 Posts: 4927 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:28 am Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Since we aren't turning this into a 'best Tools' thread, I won't mention that I use Craftsman, along with Kobalt sockets & wrenches from Lowes, Husky wrenches from Home Depot, and various wrenches from HF...
I'll note as well that I haven't broken a wrench, socket, or adapter in Years, as I pick & use the correct tool for the job at hand.
...makes a difference. I don't used a 3/8" drive socket to remove axle nuts.
bnc _________________ I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 1:34 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Back on track...can anyone tell me if there is a safe way to remove the dash knobs? They all appear to be glued on. I have to pull off the cracked up dash fascia plastic and the knobs are tricky. |
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scotty timmerman Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2010 Posts: 1000 Location: gigharbor W.A
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Outstanding. Thank you. |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2016 5:35 am Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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After birthday celebrations and Mother's day are in the history books, we got back on track this weekend. Started by getting the back glass out and removing the rear seat back.
Pulled the rear bumper.
Then after some wrestling with me and my son (who is apparently a lot stronger than I gave him credit for) we got the body separated from the pan. (Before anyone panics, my next undertaking will be building a stand to set the body on so I can beat panels without sitting on the floor).
Found this delightful clutch cable repair done sometime back in its history.
And we broke out my birthday gift shop vac to clean up the 40 years of debris from the pan and get a better look at the rust repair areas to be addressed. (Pardon my garage. Given the time frame of the purchase of the car I wasn't able to get it as sorted as I would have liked beforehand.)
Overall, it was a productive saturday and now we can see exactly what we're working with and have full access to both parts of the car so we can make solid forward progress. I'm glad to see that the body has effectively ZERO rust. Bondo, however, is another story. Procuring rear pan sections is on the short list. If possible I plan on doing repairs of the sections that need replacing without disturbing the seat rails since the rust seems to be isolated to the sunken sections of the rear pan area. |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 8:50 am Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Made a bit of progress pulling the front beam in prep for cleanup and rehab. Cleaning and prepping the pan is next. What is the secret to getting the old seal goop off the pan? Do any of you have a preferred method or a solvent that you use? |
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paul_round Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2014 Posts: 502 Location: UK
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 9:28 am Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Did you pull the body with just the two of you? |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 12:18 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Yep. After getting the rear bumper off and the back glass out we walked it across and rested it on the tires. Went nose, tail, nose, tail until we cleared the passenger shock towers and then set it gently on the floor. |
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motorhead364 Samba Member
Joined: November 04, 2008 Posts: 715 Location: Amarillo Texas
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Looking good. You're best bet I'd say is a 4 inch grinder with a wire wheel. It will be messy. Or possibly A LOT of adhesive remover and a scraper.
Is it hard or soft "goop"?
Nice job getting the body off. _________________ 63 ghia coupe |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Awesome. I'll give the wire wheel a go. The texture depends on how warm it is in the garage. Goes from almost runny to a thick, gluey texture when it cools off. |
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Anyone ever seen something like this? Found this sandwiched between the body and the right front of the pan acting as a shim. I can't say with 100% certainty that the body has never been off the car, but if it hasn't then someone in the factory stuffed this in there to even it out.
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scotty timmerman Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2010 Posts: 1000 Location: gigharbor W.A
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KidKarmann Samba Member
Joined: April 11, 2016 Posts: 93 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:08 am Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. |
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Darn it. Whatever that is apparently doesn't exist anymore in that listing. There is no pic or reference. |
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bhartwell59 Samba Member
Joined: December 28, 2014 Posts: 791 Location: dallas, tx
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