TheSamba.com :: View topic - Ben's '63 Ghia project (with lots of pics!)

Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:55 pm

I'll apologize in advance for the randomness of this post, but my progress these days is definitely slower and spread out between a bunch of different little projects. It's weird, but I'm starting to run out of things to work on!

I had to drill mounting holes for my threshold plates because I had to replace all of the original metal in that area. After doing that, I got one installed:

I found the packaging funny for these things:

A part for a German car, made in China, with a British flag for some reason?

Finished installing my rear seat finally:

I've been trying to find a windshield for a long time now and was resigning myself to the fact that I'd have to buy one online and pay out the nose for shipping. At the last second, I found a source locally for them. I'm super excited about what I paid for it. :) With rubber and trim:

Lastly, I am getting closer to having a complete rear view mirror. My dad was able to get my parts blasted and plated, although it ended up being with Chromium Carbide. Turns out... it's really hard and takes a TON of effort to shine up. I'm done with one arm so far. Not shiny:

Shiny!

Sun Mar 10, 2013 7:58 am

Getting closer! Windshield in car (WOOOO HOOOO!):

Rear-view mirror, seats, ignition grommet too!

I would have had the remaining chrome trim installed, but the new set of clips from KGPR basically fell apart in my fingers:

A month or so until the warm, Ghia-friendly weather hits... let the countdown begin! :D

Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:32 am

Ben,

If you want OG clips for the window scraper chrome let me know. I don't know if I have a whole set, but if you are interested I will check and see what I have.

Loren

Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:57 am

Loren wrote: Ben,

If you want OG clips for the window scraper chrome let me know. I don't know if I have a whole set, but if you are interested I will check and see what I have.

Loren

I appreciate that Loren, but I took a file to a clip that I had in my stash that were similar but slightly larger. I think it'll work.

Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:47 pm

I'll have a more detailed update post soon, but until then, I'll share some pictures of one of the final pieces of the puzzle; stainless hubcaps from aircooledaccessories:

Mon Apr 01, 2013 6:39 am

beautiful car!

Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:04 pm

Ben, I bought the same window clips, I was not able to install one side due to the clips breaking and or would not stay in the channel of the trim, hope we have better luck with a new set.

Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:39 pm

jhuebner wrote: Ben, I bought the same window clips, I was not able to install one side due to the clips breaking and or would not stay in the channel of the trim, hope we have better luck with a new set.

I ended up using some clips that I'd accumulated from some other project. They're much beefier than the fragile ones supplied by KGPR and only required a little bit of strategic grinding to fit into the groove on the trim.

I used my improvised ones at the ends of the piece of trim, where the repro clips did a terrible job of holding things together. The tighter ones make things line up much better. I can take pictures when I get back to the shed if you'd like.

Sun May 19, 2013 7:50 pm

While I've been out of the country for the last 3 weeks, the Ghia has been at a painter buddy of mine's place getting her paint cut and buffed, the chips in the paint from the original ride home around the rear decklid repaired, and the ashtray cover painted. When I get home next week, I will hopefully have a more substantive update; mostly because she'll be hitting the road as a full-blown automobile! :D

While we were dropping her off, the artsy photographer brother took some photos:

Sun May 19, 2013 9:53 pm

Way Cool! 8) I love that radio picture. Have fun! Shes a beauty!

Tue May 21, 2013 4:16 am

the only thing wrong with the car is where it is parked! it would look great parked in my garage!!!! nice job on it!!!

Wed May 22, 2013 6:51 am

Beautiful car and great pictures!

Sun Jun 09, 2013 8:25 pm

Well, she made it to her first show today! It was a bit of a hike too, down by the Indiana border. Her odometer now reads 168 miles! :D

55mph at around 3000 RPMs:

Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:39 am

beautiful!

Tue Jun 11, 2013 5:27 am

roadkingdoc wrote: the only thing wrong with the car is where it is parked! it would look great parked in my garage!!!! nice job on it!!!
:lol: x2!

Love the color!
Tell your brother he has a great eye, and took some beautiful pictures.

Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:33 am

Love your Ghia! :D

Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:18 am

Congrats on making it to your first show, I know the feeling made it to my first one this weekend too. Nice work!

Tue Jun 11, 2013 5:33 pm

Tremendous accomplishment, Ben- to have a great-looking Ghia which then also successfully completes its first longer trip! Crap- wouldn't you know- first time out and it rains.

How does the engine feel with the Kadrons, and going through the stock muffler? I realize you will gradually stretch its legs. I can't remember- do you still have the original transmission, or did you upgrade to a later final drive ratio for less frantic highway driving?

Wed Jun 12, 2013 2:26 pm

Rome wrote: Tremendous accomplishment, Ben- to have a great-looking Ghia which then also successfully completes its first longer trip! Crap- wouldn't you know- first time out and it rains.

How does the engine feel with the Kadrons, and going through the stock muffler? I realize you will gradually stretch its legs. I can't remember- do you still have the original transmission, or did you upgrade to a later final drive ratio for less frantic highway driving?

Thanks Rome, I appreciate it! The rain was only very gentle, so it wasn't so bad.

The engine definitely needs some tuning yet, but for the most part, I'm pretty impressed with the amount of pep it has. I don't know if the kadrons make all that much of a difference as I haven't really ever driven anything with a stock dual port before. Back with my old '62 with a 40 horse, if you hit the gas in 4th going around 45mph, the acceleration was only perceptible after a few miles. With this car though, you feel some acceleration at that speed when you hit the gas.

The trans is a '68 higher ratio'ed one. I think you said you had the same thing? I think it's an awesome combination. Geared a little lower allows for a bit more pep with acceleration, but I still get to be able to cruise at 65mph without feeling like the poor engine is going to blow up. Like I showed in the picture, 55mph at a very nice sounding 3000 rpms. 65mph would probably be 3600 rpms or so. Still very nice sounding.

Lastly, I'll just share that I've decided that driving a Ghia is fun, now that I actually have done it! :D

Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:37 pm

Quote: The trans is a '68 higher ratio'ed one. I think you said you had the same thing?
Yes I do, in my Ghia cabrio ('70 pan and tranny). The engine in it at the moment is an internally stock 1600 dual-port, on which I home-ported the stock-valve heads a bit. Carbs are Weber 40IDF dual-throats with a good 009, and a Tri-Mil "hotdog" exhaust. It also feels quite "willing" to go. Favorite highway speeds are 75-85mph.

What happened to your distributor, rotated 90 degrees to the left?