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Fri Apr 05, 2013 10:55 pm

4 lug Cosmics seem wrong.

Sat Apr 06, 2013 1:07 am

Notched wrote: 4 lug Cosmics seem wrong.

If 4 lug Cosmics seem wrong, he don't wanna be right.

Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:50 pm

Got the Cosmic wheels last week and the new tires.

I don't see anything on the wheels that is going to prevent me from making the modifications to the openings...

...just need to make the time to do it.

I did take some time today and modify the center caps that came with the wheels. They come with a steel center cap with a really ugly and poorly executed Cosmic logo on them...

So I sanded the old logo and paint off. Repainted them with the same brown metallic I did her roof in. Then I created a vector version of the Karmann Ghia logo and laid it out for the lasers over at TechShop. Couple minutes of etching later I had custom center caps that look great....especially next to the original. I did hit them with a couple of coats of clear after the etching.

Will look even better after the wheels are modified and color matched. :dancing::dancing:

Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:12 pm

jaransonT3 wrote: Got the Cosmic wheels last week and the new tires.

I don't see anything on the wheels that is going to prevent me from making the modifications to the openings...

...just need to make the time to do it.

I did take some time today and modify the center caps that came with the wheels. They come with a steel center cap with a really ugly and poorly executed Cosmic logo on them...

So I sanded the old logo and paint off. Repainted them with the same brown metallic I did her roof in. Then I created a vector version of the Karmann Ghia logo and laid it out for the lasers over at TechShop. Couple minutes of etching later I had custom center caps that look great....especially next to the original. I did hit them with a couple of coats of clear after the etching.

Will look even better after the wheels are modified and color matched. :dancing::dancing:

:shock: Well done! Those look awesome. I work in the plastics industry and we often laser etch buttons for backlighting purposes. Pretty sweet technology.

Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:15 pm

Looks sweet John. Love the center caps. 8)

Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:24 pm

You suck! And I mean that as a compliment bud!

Sun May 19, 2013 8:37 pm

OK....Over the last week or so, I have been spending time getting Jill's Ghia ready for the new wheels and tires.

Started out by turn the back side of the rear hobs flat so the studs will sit flat when installed...

then I re-drilled the rear hubs and drums in the new pattern and pressed in the studs.

Test fitting the rear wheels....no issues.

I took the easy way out and ordered new front disks with the 5x130mm bolt pattern from AirCooledNet. Nice pieces...

Mounted the tires and bolted everything up. With the stock calipers I had clearance to the wheels. With the aftermarket replacement 2 bleeder calipers they rubbed.

As she sits right now....

and a little PhotoShop to show the next step....dropping the nose a little bit.

Sun May 19, 2013 9:57 pm

Looking good!

Sun May 19, 2013 10:11 pm

jaransonT3 wrote: OK....Over the last week or so, I have been spending time getting Jill's Ghia ready for the new wheels and tires.

Started out by turn the back side of the rear hobs flat so the studs will sit flat when installed...

then I re-drilled the rear hubs and drums in the new pattern and pressed in the studs.

Test fitting the rear wheels....no issues.

I took the easy way out and ordered new front disks with the 5x130mm bolt pattern from AirCooledNet. Nice pieces...

Mounted the tires and bolted everything up. With the stock calipers I had clearance to the wheels. With the aftermarket replacement 2 bleeder calipers they rubbed.

As she sits right now....

and a little PhotoShop to show the next step....dropping the nose a little bit.

Looks great, but you might be sorry if you drop the nose. Ask Bob.

Mon May 20, 2013 12:12 am

Since you went from 4 lug to 5 lug, no one can call your car a "fat chick" anymore, huh? At least that's the criteria being posted in another thread...

Mon May 20, 2013 6:10 am

Tram wrote:

Looks great, but you might be sorry if you drop the nose. Ask Bob.

Believe me I know about dropping the nose too much and driving in Michigan. When I switched to the 175/55R15 on Sophy, I bottomed out way too often. I ended up raising her back up one click and she is happy.

I won't be lowering the Ghia too much....just enough to get rid of the nose high attitude and get the wheel/tire to fill the wheel well opening a little bit better.

Jill plans to drive the Ghia regularly over the summer and she will not like the sensation of metal slamming the pavement.

Mon May 20, 2013 8:09 am

jaransonT3 wrote: OK....Over the last week or so, I have been spending time getting Jill's Ghia ready for the new wheels and tires.
As she sits right now....

Looks good John. Did you already start machining on the right rear in this pic? Or is it an optical illusion? Justasking, as it seems to a more "squared" of an opening, compared to the fronts.

Mon May 20, 2013 8:16 am

Tram wrote:
Looks great, but you might be sorry if you drop the nose. Ask Bob.

Don't worry Tram, John's lived in Michigan long enough to know you can't get stupid low without destroying a car in this state. :shock: He's also seen first hand with his own car, along with my own car, and the troubles I've ran into.
Besides, Jill won't tolerate bottoming out too much in HER car. :D

Mon May 20, 2013 8:34 am

oooh, this looks fantastic

Mon May 20, 2013 3:16 pm

Damn near perfection!! Lookin' sweet!

Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:27 pm

Had a great weekend with Jill. We drove her 1967 VW Type 34 Karman Ghia down to Cincinnati for two purposes. The first was to hang out on Saturday with my son Ethan who is a freshman at Xavier.

The second purpose was to participate in the Cincinnati VW Club's VW/Porsche Reunion car show on Sunday. Great show. We had a blast. Was fun to finally meet some of the folks I have worked with the last two years doing the artwork for their shirts and stuff. Plus the Ghia got one of the Top 35 VW awards and the "Best Aircooled" award at the show. A great weekend....The Ghia ran flawlessly. What a fun and comfortable car to drive and of course the comments and questions we get everywhere we stop are great.

Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:22 pm

Sounds like fun! I lived in Cincinnati from 1971- 74 and went to Mc Nicholas High down there in the Beechmont area. Xavier is a great school- how does he like it?

Mon Sep 30, 2013 4:42 pm

John & Jill Congrats on the Best Aircooled Award at the Cinci Show !
I've been going to the Cinci Show for a few years and don't ever remember seeing a Type 34 KG showing at their Event.
Here's a photo of you doing a drive-by at the Metalkraft Coachwerks Open House.

Mon Sep 30, 2013 4:56 pm

Typ3nut wrote: John & Jill Congrats on the Best Aircooled Award at the Cinci Show !
I've been going to the Cinci Show for a few years and don't ever remember seeing a Type 34 KG showing at their Event.
Here's a photo of you doing a drive-by at the Metalkraft Coachwerks Open House.

What area is that in- Oberrhein?

Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:27 am

Tram wrote: Typ3nut wrote: John & Jill Congrats on the Best Aircooled Award at the Cinci Show !
I've been going to the Cinci Show for a few years and don't ever remember seeing a Type 34 KG showing at their Event.
Here's a photo of you doing a drive-by at the Metalkraft Coachwerks Open House.

What area is that in- Oberrhein?

Cool picture Greg. Thanks. Wish we would of had time to stop and hang out. What is hard to see in that picture is my 18 year old 6'1" son is crammed in the back seat of the Ghia. :)

This is right on Montgomery Road due south of the Xavier campus just on the other side of Highway 71.

Ethan is really liking college life and the whole Xavier experience so far.