TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Feb 28, 2021 2:05 pm

At last, dry roads and an essential trip out to drop my wife off for her shift at the vaccine clinic. The Ghia must come out to play and clock up a few more miles on the new box. 27 miles today.

Thanks for looking.

Sun Feb 28, 2021 2:31 pm

Sweet picture!!! I just feel bad you have to pay over 3 quid for two Red bulls!!

Your Ghia looks awesome CJ, Happy Motoring!
Jeff

Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:43 pm

Busy couple weeks again on the car.
Finally took the plunge and found a place that rebuilds steering boxes. Mine performed ok but I couldn’t get past thinking how it might drive even better if I were to renew the steering box.
N2 engineering here in the Uk rebuild steering boxes on an exchange basis so I commissioned one.
Car in the air again.

While I’m at it I stripped the whole front end.
Pulled the hubs.
Took the beam off to get some Avis adjusters installed allowing for up or down adjustment.
Purchased some 155/80/15 tyres for the front. I’m hoping I can get these to fit. 145’s just seem a little too skinny, and my current 155/60 15’s are too low dropping the front down too much.
Renew all the hardware tab locking washers and split pins while I’m at it.
Should be back up and running by Friday.

Still chasing down the last few %... which probably never ends.

Thanks for looking.

Tue Mar 30, 2021 4:11 pm

This is one of the nicest color choices I've seen. Looks great.

Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:31 pm

Beautiful Ghia. Great job.

I've slowly come to the conclusion that stock tyre sizes are almost always the right choice on VW's. As is stock suspension. If you really want to drive the car and enjoy it rather than just look at it.

My Type 3 had 135's on it when I got it. Handling was a complete joke. Then tried 145's/ Bit better. But still laughable compared to 165's with the right sidewall and suspension put almost back to stock height. My stock height Ghia now is so much more enjoyable to drive than my last slammed one.

I've always been torn as a bug and a Type 3 look a lot better lowered as does a Ghia. But the Ghia less so. I think they look fine stock height. As yours would. Maybe just a couple of inches drop at the front!

Anyhow your Ghia is one of the nicest I've seen. And I hope you get it driving as good as it looks!

Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:57 pm

Thanks you guys above. And the colour is lovely, but I can’t take any credit for that, it was luck of the draw as it’s the original 2 tone scheme as it would have been when new.

Well, back on the road again. And after a test drive on the front 155/80/15s I can report.
No rubbing. In any circumstances lock to lock.
She is siting a little higher now at the front and this higher tyre side wall not only feels fine but almost matches the rear visibly. The chassis is sitting almost parallel to the road,

Steering box. Replacing this was not because it steered badly, more because it’s about the only thing I hadn’t refreshed, and I found this engineering company over here that rebuilds them. N2 Engineering say their rebuilt steering boxes come ready adjusted and filled with the correct lubricant. Initial impressions are that it feels noticeably better than what I had before.
Also reset the camber and realigned the tracking using the parallel string method, which works really well.
Now, some driving.....

Thanks for looking.

Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:20 pm

Your car really is stunning. I know that the Fuchs are timeless, but between the body colour and the wheels it really does look very special.

Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:37 am

Everything is looking good, good choice on the wheels+tires!

A short question about the string method, I did this too and the results were great. If I may, can I ask 2 short questions?

- What toe did you choose for front and back? front 1-3mm in, and rear 0-2mm out?

- How did you adjust toe out? I mean I know, the 3 bolts each side, but did you bang on the axles when the car was on the ground, or how did you do it?

Thanks in advance
Vlad

Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:07 am

Thanks again.

So Vladiiii.

I can happily talk tracking to anyone who will listen, and bore them to death.
I think there is a difference between my early and your late rear suspension, in that yours is adjustable and mine is set. So I can’t really comment on rear adjustment, sorry. My rear track is set at 0 degrees, exactly parallel, so easy for setting up the strings at least.

I set my front at 3-4mm toe in. This seems to work well for me. I might experiment with a setting a little closer to zero in the future, but still toe in.

Sorry I can’t be more helpful.

Regards, and nice car and hard work yourself.

J

Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:10 am

Thanks too, the front value are about what I also found, thanks for confirming.

For the rears, I thought all spring plates are similar and had the longholes to slide the axle tubes forward or backwards. Guess I was wrong :shock: :lol:

Thanks and have a nice weekend :wink:

Thu May 27, 2021 1:07 am

Hi gang.
Not much to report and no driving for ages due to either a bitterly cold east wind or pouring rain. This afternoon however we seem to have gone straight from winter into summer. So a 60 mile drive out following some coast road. A decent installation run on the front 155/80’s and new steering box.

1st stop.

And a few miles later.

In other news I have also rather optimistically installed my trunk liner.

Thanks for looking.

Thu May 27, 2021 3:59 am

As always, your Ghia looks beautiful! The color, the wheels, the way it sits, and of course the coastal background, really make your car stand out! Keep the pics coming!
Jeff

Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:25 pm

Evening run following the setting sun.
My photo just doesn’t do it justice. In real life the sun seemed huge, really impressive. Oh well. Nice drive out though. I’m still here.

Thanks for looking.

Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:45 pm

kgj wrote: Evening run following the setting sun.
My photo just doesn’t do it justice. In real life the sun seemed huge, really impressive. Oh well. Nice drive out though. I’m still here.

Thanks for looking. Beautiful low light mate! Love the Fuchs

Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:52 pm

Thank you sir! Kind of you to say👍

Sat Oct 02, 2021 1:32 pm

Always something to buy.
Just received this interior light from Germany.
Will fit it soon.

TFL.

Sun Mar 27, 2022 12:58 am

My last 6 months.
So I finally installed a long ratio trans last year but from the outset it made a bit of a whine. Proportional to road speed. Long story short the company that supplied said send it back and we will have a look on warranty.

JUST take it out and send it back!

So last November.

Took all this stuff off the engine

Engine bay looked like this again

Rebuilt new gearbox back by January 22

Start reinstalling axles

Many hours later, yesterday. Gas it up.

And drive. Ready for the summer thank goodness.

Thanks for looking.

Mon Mar 28, 2022 1:04 pm

congrats!! i know that is a hell of a lot of work right there. it looks like you are good to go for a long time now.

Tue Mar 29, 2022 9:24 am

A bunch of work but it sure looks to be well worth it! 8)

Tue Mar 29, 2022 11:19 am

Thanks guys.

Most of us seem to go through those “not more of that work AGAIN!” Moments.

Feels better this side of the major graft though.👍🍾