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The push against entropy
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sputnick60
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 10:18 pm    Post subject: The push against entropy Reply with quote

This is what I've been up to during the past few weeks...
I started with this 1966 cabriolet I spotted in the samba last year.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


...Then with a mix of lengthy reading of this forum, my trusty Bentley workshop manual and a bit of chaos theory....we have a orderly scattering of the components......into labeled bags and boxes.

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I managed to separate the body on my own, just used a block & tackle with slings around the wheel arches. It came apart without a struggle. Most of what I needed to know was in Icy's FAQ..(so thanks for the shared help).

When I got it up on the Rotisserie I had a mild panic....."Oh Gosh! What I have I got myself into?" I thought. This is the start of a long push against the natural order of entropy......I hope I make it through to the end and get a lovely cabrio out of it.

I'll keep you posted here

Nicholas
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hpw
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 6:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Post plenty of pictures, so I can learn from your "mistakes" Very Happy

I have a 66 vert also, so I will be watching closely,thanks for sharing

Did you weld the cross brace in the door, or is it bolted in?
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome mate. Keep up the good work. Happy Christmas! Cool
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 7:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a link to another 66 being rebuilt from the ground up

http://www.hoshenriksen.dk/menuside.htm
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fantastic ! It looks like you started with a beautiful Ghia to begin with Cool
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 8:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks great. That left rear quarter arch has issues, which I am certain will be very surprising once the clean-up of the body begins.
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks for the encouragement guys....

here is a couple of responses for you

Firstly, HPW....
the doors are braced with a short sections of square tube I had lying around. I welded a unistrut piece on each end. Then I used a long stainless bolt with washers, nuts and plates to make an attachment that can be adjusted to length and locked up nice & tight. I won't use it as a lifting point so a single point is all I think I will need. The Rockers are totally rust free and will not require work so this brace is merely a precaution.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Secondly kingkarmann
Yes it is a nice one..and mostly OG as far as I can work out....I bought it off vwmark who claims I might be the third owner of a car that lived in New Mexico all its life, hence very little rust in it. in fact this is the only bit of rust in the whole car...
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Thirdly HPW (once more)
Yeah I spotted the danish one a few months ago.....but your one looks good too. I saw the link to your photobucket shots and had a look . I like the ride height so will probably try & reproduce that for this car...but that's a while away.

and finally Icy. Well spotted. vwmark reported this at the time of purchase. It seems a PO was shunted quite heavily in the 70's. the incident pushed in the the rear LHS and rolled the car forward into its front RH corner. This collision damage was repaired rather poorly so I have to cut it all out and do it again properly. The wheel arch has buckled and the "push has continued in to the bottom of the firewall.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

There is only collision damage and hardly any rust..which a good thing. The trunk lid doesn't fit properly and neither do the tail lights. This is where the replacement quarter and a spare trunk lid I have might be a way to resolve those fitments.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


You can see the engine bay sheet will need to be pulled out and swapped with the best I can muster from replacement pieces from CIP, and KGPR and from this quarter I bought from VICSBAHN
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I can't find the Lip that surrounds the engine so I'll have to unpick this one and straighten it on an anvil or something. I have replacement steel to go all the way around the rear apron but the centre engine bay steel is the later type with 4 drain holes, not the 2 hole type...I might have to splice the old one with the new one..especially since the hols for the release don't line up.

at the other end, the nose I have replacement steel for the area around the RHS headlight and the bucket itself
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


And sadly the nose is showing a bit of slide hammer work the might need to be cleaned up. You can see the air inlet has been damaged as well.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I expect that this might need remedial work too
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Once I get the paint off I might try to unpick the welds and see if I can slide in a replacement. I've seen a source for these inlets on a European (Danish?) web site...but I might just be able to tap out the ripples.

This will be a while because after Xmas, Australia is on Summer holidays and there won't be much work being done while everyone is sunning themselves on the beach.

See ya
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't believe this has been idle for the last 18 months. But at last there has been some progress.
Here I've dismantled the transmission and axle tubes. The transmission is now replaced with a Rancho freeway flyer. The axle tubes are sitting in an acid bath with most of the rest of the suspension in preparation for painting.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Here the chassis is on the roof of the Opel about to get taken to be media blasted.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Here I've cleaned out and replaced the broken bits in the striker plates.

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and here the patch of rust around the blinker has been cut out and replaced with new metal and a little bit of work with a hammer and dolly. I can't take credit for that..... Chris Rolfe of Innovative Body Works is looking after stuff where I lack expertise.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

.... But he lets me do some of the grunt work that would otherwise add cost and leave his skills underutilised.
At the moment I've got a heat gun on the underside of the body and using a scraper to get off all that tar sprayed on the body. I have to do that since the media blasting bounces off without removing a thing.

I'll put up more photos up as I go

Nicholas
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I got the spare rear quarter back from Ready Strip after alkaline dipping. It looks good as far as stripping goes but it turns out to be a little bit of a disappointment as a spare part. what's got me bothered is the smashed up inner arch. I thought I bought a collision free part, albeit with rust along the bottom. Oh well, them's the breaks. We'll just have to make a hybrid between this and what's already on the car
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


On a brighter note I've managed to get most of the tar of the bottom of the body and have given the whole thing a good wash with the Karcher pressure washer. I figure the better job I do ahead of the medium blasting, the better the job they will be able to do.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


And finally the Pan has been cleaned and blasted and sports a nice new coat of epoxy primer. Before it gets painted black, I'll have to drill a few holes for the RHD conversion.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Those frames sitting on top are for a split window Kombi also in the workshop. The Pan seems to work nicely as a drying rack Laughing

More updates soon

Nicholas
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lookin good, looks like you are doing this up right. Cool
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks great Nicholas Very Happy did you build the rotisserie yourself? Glad to see you are getting back to work after your 18 month vacation Cool Are you working on the sequencing list as you go along? Seems like a great way to find the unforeseen in your chaos theory and document it...love reverse entropy Applause
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

slafa wrote:
Did you build the rotisserie yourself?
Yes, See this thread and on page two look for a dimensioned ghia sized version. Mine's all made from scrap or off-cut tube. Good practice for stick welding. I had to add extra bracing because it was a bit wobbly with the car upside down or right-way up. Sideways, it's quite solid.
slafa wrote:
Glad to see you are getting back to work after your 18 month vacation Cool
Nuh! still ain't working but decided to do this resto instead of getting depressed about it. Money will run out eventually and then I start flippin' burgers or busking on the street corner. In the meantime I'm working for myself, ain't I?
slafa wrote:
Are you working on the sequencing list as you go along? Seems like a great way to find the unforeseen in your chaos theory and document it...love reverse entropy Applause
The sequencing list is a loose guide, a check list or menu. Most projects details do not run to a strictly designed sequence....but everything must run through a sequence. Project Management is simply making sure holdups and risks are anticipated and neatly sidestepped. Anyway, I've had plenty of time to think about this.... Now I'm into doing it!!

Ah Entropy. I suppose everyone has noticed how these cars all naturally tend towards becoming rust. I must be silly trying to push against such natural laws....but it is a greatly creative thing to do Laughing

Stay tuned.. more photos will follow.
Nicholas
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So things have been busy in the last week. We've been working on the body and have eradicated a few problems.

Here we see the new headlight bucket and headlight surround installed in the RHS guard. It has a coat of etch primer to protect from surface rust. Next on the agenda is a bit of filing to smooth over the welds. The wheel arch is back to shape and the small dents throughout have been beaten out with a hammer and dolly
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


This is the view from inside the same guard... seems we've forgotten a quick spray of primer...Ooops Razz
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


The area around the air box was bad. Lots of slide hammer holes and other abuse. So Chris chose to splice a patch instead. Smashed before, previous repair work included sufficient filing to make the metal very thin and giving us a risk of making a big hole. Now with this extra meat it will file out nicely enough. Although it is a little hard to see in the photo, the air box itself is looking a lot better with the hammer and dolly work in and around the area
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Standing back, in this photo, you see the whole nose is looking quite OK. The bottom edge at the front looks reasonably even, whereas before they were markedly different. It seems to spend a lot of time inverted like this. Is it not yet accustomed to life in the southern hemisphere? Laughing Or is it some kind of Bat mobile? Rolling Eyes
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


And of course the other big change is the Dash panel from South Africa now inserted into the car. We have a RHD car now. It lined up OK except for a small section along the bottom edge. The old holes have been filled and new ones opened.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


We have decided to use paint stripper on the outer panels because medium blasting will harden the outer surface making file work much more difficult. The interior will be blasted since there is little file work to occur in there. Normally the car would be stripped of paint before any work is carried out. However we have examined this car closely enough to be very confident that rust is not a major issue. So we focus on the collision damage and RHD conversion and then send it for stripping.

It is comforting to see how little rust there is in this body.
This photo shows the spot behind the front wheel arch just where the heater channel dog legs. This zone is notorious for rust but showing here under the stripped paint we see just shinny metal. If anyone doubts the value of a dry climate vehicle then just look here and see where the value lies.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



That's it for now.... next week there is more to do on the rear LHS quarter and on the chassis.

Ciao

Nicholas
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

very cool project!!

nice attention to details
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nicholas! That is coming along fantastic Very Happy I love the RHD conversion, Kinda like a sex change operation nearly as invasive but he will be much happier as a she Laughing
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been doing stuff at home... and have had the paint brush out.
Basically the scheme is to paint all the bits that bolt to the pan a mid gray. I've sand blasted, marine cleaned, metal readied and POR-15'ed these parts. Hopefully this will be sufficient to protect it from rust and stones. Being a lighter colour will make it easier to see and clean dirt, oil and grease build ups. The car isn't going to be a daily driver but it will be used regularly. So for those moments when I wish to be alone in the garage with her.... I'll be able to clean and polish her deep insides with ease Rolling Eyes

Steering box and pitman arm. The clean-up is yet to occur, so finger prints and drips will get wire wheeled off where it isn't meant to be...
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Front trailing arms and steering. I asked my mechanic to not install the ball joints just yet......so he when right ahead and installed them.Confused It made the paint job a whole lot harder.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


The whole lot is sitting on the bench awaiting the chassis to arrive home. (Photo is made with a super wide angle lens that distorts the shapes at the edge.)
The gearbox is a Rancho Freeway flyer and the front beam is 5 cm (2 inch) narrowed with adjusters and converted to RHD.
Note: there is a subtle difference between LHD and RHD pitman arms, in that the holes are tapered towards opposite sides. It might look the same shape but it ain't.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Soon the chassis will start to come together. It is waiting some more holes to be added for the RHD brake cluster.... which is measure twice, cut once sort of work. It requires attention. And then it too gets paint.... Black paint

Nicholas
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nicholas, very impressive. I like your idea of painting a lighter color so that you can see any grease or dirt that may accumulate. Also you will be happy that you painted the top of those ball joints as they would have eventually started to rust anyway, or a least mine did and I had to go back and paint the tops of the ball joints.
sputnick60 wrote:



Front trailing arms and steering. I asked my mechanic to not install the ball joints just yet......so he when right ahead and installed them.Confused It made the paint job a whole lot harder.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Nicholas


Did you ever find employment Question
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hpw wrote:
Did you ever find employment Question

In the mornings I do job adds and send my CV. In the afternoon I work on the Ghia. It seems in Australia, satellite communications specialists with project management experience are no longer required. But I'm sure I'll make a good strike soon....in the meanwhile the Ghia helps keep my sanity. Wink and away from day time TV or crack pipes. Razz
Nicolas
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So here are a few pics of the rear quarter. Chris decided to slice the back end of the spare quarter and make a new rust replacement panel for the bottom rear section. No bog.... just metal.... the way we like it Very Happy Very Happy . The top seam now makes a smooth line whereas before the bog had wiggles in a few directions .. YUK!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

I had acquired new rust replacement panels for that lower rear portion, but as it turns out they are for the longer wheel arch that came in 1967. They are are too short to fit. No worry, I can sell them at a later time.

This is the view from the other side....
The ripples in the inner arch have been stretched out and the shape of the bottom corner of the firewall has been straightened.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Chris cut out the outer guard and unpicked it from the skin. This provided the freedom to access the inner void above the wheel arch and make the shape corrections from the old collision. This was the most expedient way since the same part from the donor section was such a POS. The outer half will get welded back in and the seam smoothed over. You won't know it was there. All those silly bog holding holes in the front portion of the quarter have now been filled with welds that are marked for filing smooth.


Nicholas
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 5:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm intrigued by your jig for holding the body and rotating it -it's quality -did you buy or make -I'd love some close up's of it -good luck with the build -I'm starting a 64 soon so researching now .
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