TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:38 pm

Hello everyone.

A couple of weeks ago I aquired a 1970 Convertible. I haven't done anything to it yet because I had to jump through a few hoops to get it registered. Well, today is a big day. It's officially in my name now and so it has begun. The tear down began tonight with my son and I taking the interior out.

First a bit about me. My name is Craig. I live in Caledon, Ontario. I'm 37, married with three kids 12,9, and 5. I'm a full time Firefighter, a part time 911 operator, and I also have a hobby business installing home theaters. For fun I run marathons and am an Ironman triathlete.

Ever since I was a kid I've wanted a convertible Ghia. My wife found this one on Kijiji and surprised me for our 16th anniversary. My kids are super phsyced about helping me fix it up.

Here it is now. It needs A LOT of work. (I've posted these photos before but thought I should put them in here for the "before" shots.)

Plans:

Well when I dreamed of it as a kid I had major plans. A Corvair engine, shaved door handles and chrome, Porsche head lights chopped top (I used to want a hard top as it was better for audio), air-bagged, 2000+cc motor, full custom interior, competition winning stereo... you name it. Dreams are cheep when you're 15.

The plan has changed a little over the years but I do still want to do some custom touches. Nothing that hasn't been seen before. Here are a few highlights.

I plan to lower it and put some older Porsche replica rims on it with low profile tires.

It'll be painted a nice bright red with a black top.

The seats will likely stay original but get recovered. (Colour to be determined but right now I like a combination of white and black.)

Custom door panels I'll likely make myself.

I'm entertaining the thought of removing the door handles and adding recessed handles taken from a Miata, shown here:

I think they fit the smooth lines, and other flushed or shaved features that the Ghia has.

The motor will definitely be increased in size at some point but for now I'm going to restore the 1500 that's in it. It'll give me an opportunity to learn the motors and use what I have, allowing me to focus on other things that REALLY need work.

This will be a very long build as most of my free time is focused on my kids but it will get there, especially if they help! I'm not concerned because it's a hobby, but I like the idea of my son driving it to his graduation after building it with me, so hopefully 6 years?

I've posted a few questions and members have been very helpful. I appreciate everyone's patience as I learn and hope to become a contributing member one day.

Thanks,

Craig

Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:47 pm

sounds great , congrats and enjoy

Mon Sep 14, 2015 6:48 pm

"I'm a full time Firefighter, a part time 911 operator, and I also have a hobby business installing home theaters. For fun I run marathons and am an Ironman triathlete."

You're going to need all of those attributes for this restoration.

The fearlessness of a firefighter.
The patience of a 911 operator.
The stamina and pain threshold of a marathon runner.
The versatility and endurance of a triathlete.

From an ex-marathon runner and retired triathlete - restoring a Ghia makes those activities feel like a jog in the park.

Best of luck. I'll follow your progress here.

Tue Sep 15, 2015 6:32 am

Let me start by thanking you for your service as both as firefighter and a 911 operator.

Congrats on the new vert. If all goes well I will be picking up my "New to Me" 70 vert this weekend. I too have a similar deadline before my eldest graduates from HS. I will follow you build closely as we both have many of the same intentions and timelines.

---------
Emil

Tue Sep 15, 2015 7:29 am

Nice to see another GTA Ghia! A friend of mine got a nice barn find '68 coupe in Caledon a couple years ago. I have a '69 coupe in Aurora-- drove it up from FL in the late '90s.

Good luck with the resto!

Sat Sep 19, 2015 12:55 pm

Thanks for the interest and the inspiration everyone. It would be nice to connect with the local members.

Today me and my two eldest started prepping to take the engine out. Deck lid off, cables disconnected and labeled, tin out etc etc.

Team Craig

Up on stands with a nice big box crib for extra safety.

Hopefully tomorrow the engine comes out.

Craig[/img]

Fri Sep 25, 2015 2:35 pm

Finally some progress.

I got the heater and the fuel tank out as well. Getting closer to welding in bracing and separating the body from the pan.

Tue Nov 24, 2015 12:03 pm

I'm slowly pecking away at disassembling and documenting the car. The gauges are out, the glass is out (and stored safely) and now I'm working on labeling and disconnecting the electrical. Not very interesting.

However these two fun items arrived today thanks to a friend who doesn't use them and just wanted them out of his garage!

I also salvaged a whole bunch of florescent lighting figures with bulbs. Enough to light my entire garage. That will be so much better than the two 100 watt bulbs currently in use.

So it looks like the next step is all electrical. Time to upgrade the sub panel in my garage to a 100A panel and run circuits for the compressor and welder, and I think a heater while I'm at it!

Craig

Tue Nov 24, 2015 1:59 pm

Hi Craig

You scored well! That looks like a really good compressor and you got those tools at the best price possible. Well done!

Nicholas.

Tue Nov 24, 2015 2:54 pm

Nicholas,

Best price indeed. They don't belong to me though. I'm just "storing" them. He's in a situation which required him buying a separate house and he no longer has a shop, just a single car garage. He's had to part with a lot of stuff and he's not ready to sell these. So they'll live at my place until such time that his situation improves or he does sell them.

Still, I'm very fortunate that he's letting me hang on to them. I can't wait to get the bracing welded in. But now I'm wondering if I should continue with stripping the body. I'll have to later anyway obviously but it doesn't advance the part of the project I want done first, the chassis. Plus every piece I remove needs to be stored somewhere safely. I starting striping it to kill time while I saved for a welder.

I guess that's neither here nor there right now. I'll keep stripping while I get electrical supplies together to rewire the panel.

Craig

Sat Nov 28, 2015 7:04 pm

Greetings!

I am also working (at a snail's pace) on my 71 Ghia vert. I am stuck until I get a new welder. I sold my old one thinking I could pick up a good used Lincoln 180 on Kijiji in a few days. Wrong. I have been waiting and watching for weeks.

Until then, I am disassembling.

I live in the Belleville area so not too far from you. You say Toronto area... but looks a bit rural to me. Where exactly are you?

Glad to see another convertible restorer who is not afraid to get into a long-term restoration!

Matt.

Sat Nov 28, 2015 8:29 pm

I'm in Caledon, which if you aren't familiar, is north of Mississauga/Brampton.

Don't get me wrong. I am afraid. I have no idea what I'm doing right now, haha. But I have very little invested so even if all I get out of this endeavour is knowledge and pile of car parts, I figure I can't lose.

Craig

Sun Nov 29, 2015 9:22 am

I was just out to Markham for Canadian Thanksgiving with my Brother in Law. T town is a great city to visit so maybe next time I stop in

Sun Nov 29, 2015 11:32 am

Sounds good. Hopefully I'll have something to show you!

I know Markham well. I used to work for the Markham Fire Dept.

Sun Sep 18, 2016 1:17 pm

Well the kids and I got under the Ghia today after a long time away from it. The goal is to get the body off so I can start the front end over the winter.

I discovered a lot about my car. For example the left side looked like the heater channel was rebuilt out of very heavy angle and then welded, not bolted, to the pan. The pan was rotted any way so cutting it out wasn't a big deal. On the passenger side 5 of the bolts came out. The other are so rotted that the stripped and even damaged bolt removers just tore them apart. I'll have to grind the head off I guess.

One thing is for sure, it's going to get worse before it gets better, but progress is being made and we're having fun.

Nothing worthy of a picture. Sorry.

Sun Sep 18, 2016 1:43 pm

if I were you I would hold off on the door handle idea until further down the road... nothing lie being side tracked and being hacked up to find out you have for more pressing issues to concour..

Sun Sep 18, 2016 4:11 pm

You are absolutely correct their sir. My other hobby is model trains and I have spent years collecting parts and models for projects that may or may never come to be.

One thing I promised my self I would do with this car is only spend money on what's happening now. So no door handles or seats. For now I'm investing in tools that get done what's happening now.

Thanks for the tip.

Craig

Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:35 pm

Today I continued working around the car attempting to remove fasteners. Here's a summary of how it's going so far, with photos this time.

The 4 17mm bolts at the front under the car and the two on the beam came out no problem. Smooth sailing right?!! Yeah not so much.

On the drivers side someone replaced the rockers with some heavy angle and came of with some scheme where the bolts are not OE and clearly have nuts on the inside of the rocker that are not welded as they just spin. Others are welded over so I just cut the pan out vs worrying about the rocker. That's coming out.

On the passenger side, some of the bolts came out but several around the pan/rockers are too far gone to get out. I'll have to grind the heads off but that fine as those heater channels will need replacement as well.

Under the back seat one of the 13mm bolts came out. The others will need to be ground out but that's ok, at this point the body will come off with out them being removed since there is no body metal there anyway.

Of the two 17mm bolts on either side of the seat one came out and the head snapped off one.

Inside the right rear tire, that 17mm bolt is too rotted to get a socket on, but it doesn't matter as that bit of angle isn't attached to the body.

On the left side behind the tire the body is welded to the shock support.

Next out comes the grinder.

Craig

Wed Sep 21, 2016 3:04 pm

wow. Great project. Looks like it was imported from England!

Wed Sep 21, 2016 3:46 pm

Quote: Looks like it was imported from England!

Why, Did they make the best torture devices? 8)
Man, the more i see, the more i see "parts car". :cry:
Best wishes and good luck!!