TheSamba.com :: View topic - Brian & Diane's '70 Autostick Coupe "Zip"

Tue Aug 13, 2024 6:29 pm

You've done a lot of nice work and really made a huge difference. The new dash looks so much nicer. Enjoy.

Tue Aug 13, 2024 6:56 pm

71 Ghia here. When it comes to windshields, I had grabbed any that became available. I found that official VW windshields are easier to install than aftermarket ones. If I still lived in St. Louis, I would buy the beer for you and your crew next time I needed that kind of help. Might even spring for Ted Drews! Used to live near Tower Grove Park.

Tue Aug 13, 2024 7:27 pm

Oh yeah... And whenever I run into someone from the Show Me State, I always have to ask... Missoree or Missorah? My mom born and raised in STL and my dad was from Joplin. Both said Missorah.

Thu Aug 15, 2024 7:22 am

todmeg wrote: Oh yeah... And whenever I run into someone from the Show Me State, I always have to ask... Missoree or Missorah? My mom born and raised in STL and my dad was from Joplin. Both said Missorah.

What, you're not gonna ask me where I went to High School?? :lol:

Nowadays the Missou-ree / Missou-rah thing is considered more of a city / rural indicator. Missuoriee = you're from STL or KC, maybe Springfield. Missourah and you're from the lands of meth & puppy mills.
Personally, I like to just call it "Mizzery" :wink:

Sun Oct 27, 2024 8:01 pm

been a minute since I been on the forum here.. not much to report on the Ghia (until now) just been driving and enjoying!

But today I thought I would get my reverse lights working finally, and swapped in the new good switch I procured over Labor Day..

and still nothing!
jumped the leads - I got lights, so I know they work.
tested the old switch I took out.. it tests good! WTH??

so then, after much fussing.,. and it started to get dim at dusk... I finally figured out.. the reverse lights are coming in 1!!! but no other gear!
- remember, this is an Autostick -

So I guess all this time, hundreds of miles and months of almost daily driving.. my reverse lights have been on fort most of the time, and no one told me!!???

OK illuminati.. why is this?

it shifts into all the gears just fine. no grinding and no "duck call". smooth as buttah.

I'm baffled.

Fri Nov 15, 2024 2:28 pm

Well, i figured out the reverse light problem.. and it was so, so, very stupid.
The Previous Owner for some reason, had swapped the positions of the reverse light switch, and the hi/li gear oil temp selector switch. :::facepalm:::
something I only realized accidentally after going to move the spare transmission I pulled a reverse switch from.

switches as they were in my trans:

Spare trans:

After figuring that out, I was feeling froggy and decided to finally install my new upper steering shaft bearing (the root of my horn issues I hope). that involved taking out the old coupler guibo.. I knew it was cracked and was prepared to replace it but once it was out.. OH MY!

but then I opened up the new one and it was cracked through right out of the box!! :x :x

well, dead in the water.. I decided I may as well work on some cosmetic items, and installed the new lower dash knee bolster from Airhead Parts:

and then installed the Sapphire radio I picked up at a swap meet earlier in the summer. still need to find good knobs for it..
It's just to fill the hole. I don't intend to actually try and use it.

waiting on my replacement steering coupler now. Stuck in the garage until then. :(

Fri Nov 15, 2024 4:01 pm

After seeing that brand new cracked steering coupler fresh out of the package, I wouldn't trust a replacement from the same manufacturer. That's ridiculous! This is way more than a quality issue, it's a safety issue. I'd get a totally different manufacturer.

Fri Nov 15, 2024 4:21 pm

Marcdeb wrote: After seeing that brand new cracked steering coupler fresh out of the package, I wouldn't trust a replacement from the same manufacturer. That's ridiculous! This is way more than a quality issue, it's a safety issue. I'd get a totally different manufacturer.

Right? It was in a bag closed up with blue painter's tape.. so that was suspect right there. Did a return item get shipped out accidentlly?

then, isn't there supposed to be a cloth layer laminated in there?

Sun Feb 02, 2025 3:07 pm

Man, I guess it's been a minute since I updated this thread!
seeing as how it's the middle of winter here and everything's been covered in about 6" of ice here in STL for the last month.. along with all the salt on the streets.. there hasn't been any driving done but there has been a lot of small incremental tasks to talk about!

I guess it was all the way back in November when I finished up the new steering coupler, upper shaft bearing, and horn button... good news! The new upper bearing solved the intermittent horn honking during turning and the new coupler really transformed the driving feel. Job was topped off with a new repro horn button

Next was Wife High-Priority Request #1: seat belts that work. I was able to find a pair of new retracting seat belts and installed with an "L" bracket on the floor in the OEM bolt hole. Finished off with new roof hangars for the hasp.

Then there was Wife High-Priority Request #2: new door check straps.
Got the repros from AirHead Parts and they installed rather easily. I have doors that stay open now!!
I still need to finish this job though with a new vapor barrier on the doors before the door cards go back on.

Got a new "Rain Bucket" and drain tubes and other related bits for Christmas/Birthday and I installed those just yesterday:

Another birthday gift was a new (BBT repro) fuel level sender.. I put that in and HEY!!! I have a working fuel gauge now!!

This one I'm really excited for as "Orange County Ryan" still has my old fuel gague after almost a year.. turns out this cheap ebay 12/69 gauge I got to fill the hole actually works!

So, I think that's about it for now.. Hopefully there's a good rain soon to wash away the ice and salt that's left and I can get out for a good winter drive

Really missing this little yellow guy!

Until then, I'll just have to drink at it.

Sun Feb 02, 2025 11:05 pm

I dig it when good stuff happens.

Nicholas

Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:50 am

Aren't those check straps fun?
Nothing more satisfying than an adult refreshment after wrenching on a Ghia.
Great work!
Here's to better weather 8)

Wed May 21, 2025 8:51 pm

Nothing much to report I guess... Zip has been out of winter hibernation and gets at least a weekly drive.

Lots of rain in St. Louis though. and a lot of "dirty rain" in the spring which put my spray & wipe detailer to a lot of use!

Luckily for last week's EF3 tornado it was inside at the shop! the tornado touched down literally walking distance from our house! :shock:

Thu May 22, 2025 6:06 am

Turk.380 wrote:
Luckily for last week's EF3 tornado it was inside at the shop! the tornado touched down literally walking distance from our house! :shock:

Your very fortunate.
I too live in the midwest. The weather certainly can get crazy in a hurry.
Hopefully you have a good "Agreed Value" comprehensive insurance policy in effect. I made sure mine would cover in the event of natural disasters like tornado's.
Enjoy the ride 8)