TheSamba.com :: View topic - Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration

Sun Jul 09, 2023 6:48 am

That’s a drag about the brakes, but I never fault my cars if they break down near the house!
I would suspect a collapsed rubber line, they tend to fail internally letting pressure in but not out, but that usually wouldn’t result in no pedal, just the opposite. Keep us posted.

Sun Jul 09, 2023 2:13 pm

Braukuche wrote: That’s a drag about the brakes, but I never fault my cars if they break down near the house!
I would suspect a collapsed rubber line, they tend to fail internally letting pressure in but not out, but that usually wouldn’t result in no pedal, just the opposite. Keep us posted.

Cheers Braukuche, it did happen after a spell of quite heavy braking, so I think the hot fluid had vaporised water and the pedal was just really spongy. My friend came to help me fix the problem and he had a brake fluid moisture tester and the fluid had a high % of water.

We inspected the discs, which were actually ok and we cleaned up the pads, pins and springs and lubricated everything. The dust seals on the pistons were ripped, so I have ordered a caliper rebuild kit. The pads etc were all moving much more freely afterwards so I was happy to carry on using the car in the meantime until I can rebuild the calipers later in the year.

The brake hoses seem to date from 2000 (front) and 1984 (rear) though, so they will be getting replaced ASAP!

Sun Jul 09, 2023 2:26 pm

Having fixed the Ghia, we then went away for a week in the Kombi, camping in the North-West Highlands. Lovely!
As soon as we got back, the next morning I had entered a local all-marques vintage and classic car touring run and show. I just grabbed the Ghia from the garage, bashed on the hubcaps, made sure I had fuel and then drove to the start point, which was a mining museum in Midlothian. There was a lovely selection of all sorts of vehicles, some over 100yrs old, including commercial lorries and motorcycles. About 100 in all.
The rain came on and off very heavily all through the day, so the convertible top was up and down like a yo-yo, including during the scenic driving routes!

Sun Jul 09, 2023 2:42 pm

The scenic drives ended at a beautiful stately home called ‘Lennoxlove’. There was the chance to look around the house and the rest of the vehicles, while the judges looked over the cars, trucks and motorcycles. The blue motorbike in the pictures is from 1907!
There were prizes for category winners and I was very pleased that the Ghia was announced winner of the ?1967-1972 class. The rain had come on heavily again and I was about to go and close the roof, but sheltered under a tree instead while they announced the ‘Best in Show’ prize, which is an engraved trophy going back nearly 30 years. I was totally floored (and so delighted!) when it was announced the Ghia had won that too! Really pleased too that an ACVW took the award above such impressive competition.
Certainly made the day even more worthwhile!

Sun Jul 09, 2023 7:40 pm

Wow, that’s a pretty impressive win.

Mon Jul 10, 2023 1:10 am

That was an exalted win in illustrious company Phil. Maybe an addenda to that magazine article. :wink:

Thu Jul 20, 2023 1:44 pm

A few wee pictures from a local ‘Coffee and Classics’ car gathering.
Good, sociable fun.

Fri Jan 19, 2024 12:43 pm

Winter Update:
I have been working away on the brakes for the Ghia since the pistons stuck and were temporarily fixed in the summer. I have taken the calipers off and of course the dust boots were shot. I had ordered a rebuild kit several months ago but they had sent the wrong pistons (too large and no cut out for the shims)! They kindly sent replacements and I have rebuilt the calipers, but annoyingly the anti rotation shims don’t quite fit in the new pistons. I’m considering adapting them or leaving them off. Suggestions welcome!

My DIY tool for removing the pistons is a large hex key, jammed in with an aluminium handle-works perfectly!

While the calipers were off I took the chance to remove the discs and bearings and sent the splash guards for powder coating. They are in remarkably good condition and I doubt I would get an exact replacement, so it’s worthwhile.

Thu Jan 25, 2024 1:59 pm

Having rebuilt the brake calipers now, I have been working away on the Ghia, an our or two at a time. My main aim is to clean and protect the wheel arches while I can get to them but I haven’t been very good at taking pictures as I go!
The suspension and steering components have been thoroughly cleaned with paraffin and alcohol, the surface rust will be wire brushed, and the rubber treated with glycerine. Then everything will get a coat of Lanoguard grease and/or protectant.

Some pics:

Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:01 pm

The actual wheel arches still have most of their underseal in place and don’t look too bad. I will top up the underseal where it has flaked off and possibly Lanoguard over the top.

Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:09 pm

I was keen to inspect behind the splash panels, but I didn’t anticipate it being quite such a pain to get them off. Not helped by shearing on of the top bolts that you reach from the trunk but I have tapped a thread for a fresh bolt and the panels will go for powder coating, as they are solid but with a little surface rust. The rubber seals were intact but covered in underseal and grease, so I cleaned them up and have reconditioned them with glycerine and they look reusable. They are held on by three small nails, but I think I will rivet instead. The top ‘tongue’ section was sealed with an adhesive strip of thick foam which had totally degraded and I’m not sure what to fill the remaining gap with, possibly I’ll just go with ATV?
The area behind the splash panels just had a bit of surface rust and so I’ve sanded it back, treated the rust and painted on red oxide primer.

Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:27 pm

Wonderful documentation. Someday, I've got to put the splash guards on my 71 and your pictures will be very helpful. Amazing that the metal behind the splash guards has stayed so well preserved!.

Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:55 pm

Marcdeb wrote: Wonderful documentation. Someday, I've got to put the splash guards on my 71 and your pictures will be very helpful. Amazing that the metal behind the splash guards has stayed so well preserved!.

Thanks Marc.
I am amazed by the condition of the splash guards, with just a bit of early rust down at the bottom ends, but I’ll be happy with them powder coated. I was keen to preserve and reuse the rubber seals if I can, they look a bit different from the replacement ones and I’m sure they had never been off! A real pain to clean off 90% of the underseal, but they are looking much better with the glycerine soaking in and that usually works very well to soften and recondition rubber seals.

Sat Jan 27, 2024 3:02 pm

I’m not about to dismantle the steering/suspension components at this stage, so I have wire brushed off the worst surface rust and then applied a lanolin based grease and liquid underseal to slow progression (and protect some of the bolts etc)

Thu May 09, 2024 2:49 pm

I have been working a lot on the Olive Kombi and so the Ghia is on hold! I need to get started rebuilding the front end though, so I fitted up the splash guards that are at the back of the wheel arch. They have been powder coated and I managed to rescue the very cruddy looking rubber seals. They were held together with spiral nails but I have just pop riveted them in place.
More to come soon!

Wed May 15, 2024 11:04 pm

I realised that I hadn’t updated about the magazine article that featured the Ghia. It was published in the Winter and they did send me a copy. I wasn’t sure about posting it up but I knew you’d be interested, and I’ll add a link to the magazine site as it is quite a good read and the merch is quite nice (I have bought a hoodie!)

https://www.air-style.co.uk/

Fri May 17, 2024 3:34 pm

Rebuilding the front end continues. Slowly.
Powder coated disc splash guards ON.
Disc and bearings ON. I couldn’t find my dial indicator, so I adjusted by the ‘just able to wiggle the thrust washer under the bearing lock nut’ method!
Wheel arch splash guard ON

I am ready to connect up the brake calipers, but I am stymied by the old rubber hoses, which are at least 25yrs old, stuck fast to the hard brake line. I have left them with some penetrant for a couple of days while I find the right spanners to be able to squeeze them together to release the connectors.

Mon May 27, 2024 12:32 pm

I am driving myself slightly demented with brakes on the Ghia.
After a caliper/piston failure last year I have rebuilt the calipers and am in the process of replacing the flex hoses all round, some of which date from 1984!
My problem is that the union between the flexible and hard lines at the front is stuck solid. Even my flare nut spanner is rounding off the nut. Even when I removed the hard line at the master cylinder and took it out of the car I couldn’t get it loose! Fine, I thought, I’ll just replace the hard line as well and I have CuNi lines coming.
The rears though are similarly stuck and part of the problem is the hose inner end is attached to a 2/3 way brass block on a bracket which doesn’t allow you to exert full force. I eventually got one of the hoses off with the bracket only to realise that my spare rear hoses are female/female and I need M/F!

So. Question: I can order the three flexi hoses I need, but for about twice the price I can have Goodrich stainless/PFTE braided hoses with a lifetime guarantee…
I’m tempted to go for the braided but keen to hear any thoughts.

Pics of the brass block (and the general area for no good reason)!

Mon May 27, 2024 1:42 pm

Oh the wo's of old car ownership. It sounds like a PO might have been a bit heavy handed tightning these up, because of the flares they don't need much to make them seal.
I have had a a bit of luck with home made penetrating fluid, 50% ATF and 50% acetone, it 'might' help.
I like the braided hoses, and have run them for 20 years and they never swell or go soft like rubber hoses. If available, I'd get the ones with the clear PVC cover so they don't scratch anything. the brake feel is noticably better than stock hoses.
at the back when undoing the lines, I have been able to get a pair of vice grips on the brass block to take some of the stress of the little bolt the goes through it

Mon May 27, 2024 1:50 pm

Ian Godfrey wrote: Oh the wo's of old car ownership. It sounds like a PO might have been a bit heavy handed tightning these up, because of the flares they don't need much to make them seal.
I have had a a bit of luck with home made penetrating fluid, 50% ATF and 50% acetone, it 'might' help.
I like the braided hoses, and have run them for 20 years and they never swell or go soft like rubber hoses. If available, I'd get the ones with the clear PVC cover so they don't scratch anything. the brake feel is noticably better than stock hoses.
at the back when undoing the lines, I have been able to get a pair of vice grips on the brass block to take some of the stress of the little bolt the goes through it

Thanks for that Ian. I had thought the same about a pair of vice grips. It’s a pretty tight space but I have a couple of different options. I’ll have a go tomorrow.