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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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 Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 9:48 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| NoDents wrote: |
| Glad to see you are still OK. |
Thanks, the hurricane is pretty much just a long rain storm for the RDU area so far. I hate it for those to the south & east of us as all the water that we collect here is going to flush all our crap down to where they are already inundated.
Just for the total ick factor, there are 9,000,000 hogs in NC & most of the 2,300 hog farms are east of us. So all of those people that are wading around are doing so in all of crap that has floated out of the waste lagoons & carcasses that will be stewing in the sun for weeks to come.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2018 10:42 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| TDCTDI wrote: |
| NoDents wrote: |
| Glad to see you are still OK. |
Thanks, the hurricane is pretty much just a long rain storm for the RDU area so far. I hate it for those to the south & east of us as all the water that we collect here is going to flush all our crap down to where they are already inundated.
Just for the total ick factor, there are 9,000,000 hogs in NC & most of the 2,300 hog farms are east of us. So all of those people that are wading around are doing so in all of crap that has floated out of the waste lagoons & carcasses that will be stewing in the sun for weeks to come. |
^^^ Yup. I hope that we remain upwind...
bryan
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I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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Today I started trying clean up some of the hacktastic signs of sawzall trimming in the way of the resourceful redneck.
Since I don’t have a belt sander, I came up with this crazy idea, first I strapped a battery to the support-to-be & then took it for a walk.
So after about a half mile & to the bewilderment of several onlookers, it has been leveled & smoothed out.
Using some scrap from the long sides of the rectangular tubing, I made some mounting tabs for the Y braces & welded them in place.
Then I fitted the support to the pan.
That wraps up today’s episode of “fuckin it up backwoods style”.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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Geez, dude... I was rolling around Raleigh today after 2 days of house-detention due to Florence.
If you'd let me know, I could have brought you a Flat Bastard & a couple of his friends...
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/FilesFlat-Smooth-2ndCut-Bastard.jpg
bryan
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I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2018 3:19 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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Hah! Thanks Bryan but some Fat Bastard & a couple friends sounds like a much better plan. 
https://untappd.com/b/earnest-brew-works-fat-bastard/2394112
I have plenty of files, this just sounded easier to get both sides flat & true to each other.
I had to get out of the house too.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:25 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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Today's Ghiapet misadventure consists of the continuation of the Thing Y brace installation. I started by carefully measuring it with a micrometer, marking it with chalk, & cutting it out with a chainsaw.
After carefully aligning it, I drilled holes for the brace, bolted it together & fused it to the beam.
That concludes today's installment of "Wait, did I just hear Banjo music?!?"
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 5:54 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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Today, I rubbed a couple of minutes together & after taking this brace support for a walk with the battery strapped to it, I fitted it the car & mapped out where I needed to perforate it.
Then I finished drilling it & mounted it up.
While I had the wheel off, I repurposed some of the leftover high temp paint that I used on the exhaust & spruced up the rotor.
And then, I finally dusted the center of the last wheel.
HOLY CRAPOLA!!!
While it makes perfect sense, I was not expecting such a difference in handling. The front end is much stiffer & steering response improved substantially.
That wraps up today’s chapter of “What does this button do?”.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:42 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| TDCTDI wrote: |
| Then I finished drilling it & mounted it up. |
...no dinner and dancing before mounting it? 
I think your next addition should be some KaleCo Cross-Drilled Brake Lines.
http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_...ZGpoUIbel2
bnc
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I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 3:37 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| didget69 wrote: |
| TDCTDI wrote: |
| Then I finished drilling it & mounted it up. |
...no dinner and dancing before mounting it?
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Absolutely not! Use it before you lose it. Why would you wine them, dine them, 69 them when you can wham, bam, thank you ma’am? Always seize the opportunities while you can. 
Oooh, they are fine purveyors of blinker fluid too.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Evil_Fiz
Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2011
Posts: 1045
Location: Jacksonville, FL
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:40 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| TDCTDI wrote: |
...HOLY CRAPOLA!!!
While it makes perfect sense, I was not expecting such a difference in handling. The front end is much stiffer & steering response improved substantially... |
I have been toying with the idea of making some front-to-rear frame (subframe?) connectors. My idea is to run 1.5" - 2" round Chromoly tubing between the front beam and the rear torsion bar housing as well as bolt them to the pan/body at the front and rear. The tubes would be connected side-to-side with a Miata inspired butterfly brace. Based on your experience and the results of your new braces, do think it is worth going that far?
My logic is that a convertible will benefit from the added stiffens and produce better, more predictable handling and improved torsional rigidity.
-----
Emil
_________________
“…It's not just about what's interesting. It's also about what's helpful, and it's helpful even if it helps just one other guy working on a Ghia.”
kiwighia68
See my build on TheSamba at:
The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 10:56 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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1.5" .120 wall DOM is still pretty flexible without triangulation but you could do what you planned & incorporate it into a 6 point cage of sorts like the Baja cars do.
I'm pretty sure that you could somehow fabricate a 1"x2" square tube within the outer pan flange to tie the body to the two torsion housings.
Having moved a front beam several times, I wouldn't think that there would be that much flex between the beam & body but it was really a noticeable difference & I still need to weld the supports to the pan.
If you plan on autocrossing it or tossing it through the twisties, it wouldn't hurt having the additional rigidity.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| Evil_Fiz wrote: |
| TDCTDI wrote: |
...HOLY CRAPOLA!!!
While it makes perfect sense, I was not expecting such a difference in handling. The front end is much stiffer & steering response improved substantially... |
I have been toying with the idea of making some front-to-rear frame (subframe?) connectors. My idea is to run 1.5" - 2" round Chromoly tubing between the front beam and the rear torsion bar housing as well as bolt them to the pan/body at the front and rear. The tubes would be connected side-to-side with a Miata inspired butterfly brace. Based on your experience and the results of your new braces, do think it is worth going that far?
My logic is that a convertible will benefit from the added stiffens and produce better, more predictable handling and improved torsional rigidity.
-----
Emil |
I don't see this as adding any appreciable rigidity unless you add a cage up top to tie into it.
_________________
I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2018 7:12 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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I haven’t been doing anything too exciting with the Ghiapet other than just driving the dogsnot out of it. So far, I’ve put just under 6,000 miles on it & Just rolled over 60,000 on the clock.
While trying to master throttle induced oversteer on it (or rather clutch induced oversteer.), I have apparently been agitating some crap out of the bottom of the carb that’s been causing sporadic no idle issues so I removed the carb today & disassembled it to clean it out, once done, I drove it home & decided to take yet another quick blast down the power lines & was having lots of fun until it ran out of gas (damn sender unit). That’s when I realized that I had removed my 1gallon reserve container of fuel to fill the lawn mower.
Here's The Ghiapet as I proceed with my walk of shame out of the trails. 
Fortunately, my wife brought it to me (even though I had to walk half a mile to get to the road). Unfortunately, there wasn’t quite enough in the container to get all the way to the nearest station. So, I got to walk again.
That concludes today’s adventure on the shoe leather express.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.
Last edited by TDCTDI on Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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I'd walk half a mile for a Camel... err... tank of gas.
bryan
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I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 1:03 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| didget69 wrote: |
| I'd walk half a mile for a Camel... |
Hey! What you choose to do with the livestock is on you. JK 
After exorcising the demons in the carburetor, I thought I might install a fuel filter after I removed the one in the engine bay after I discovered the hoses from it leaking a few month ago, it seems that there might not be a sock filter in the tank.
Instead of putting it back in the engine bay I thought I would mount it above the transmission. Well, as you probably know by now, instead of ordering & waiting for one of the cute little brackets on line, I just grabbed a piece of coat hanger & twisted it into shape...
& then bolted it to the transmission.
After fitting it in place, I had an extra section of hose that I cut out so I took it & extended the vent hose in the carburetor to decrease the chances of flooding the engine on rough/steep inclines.
That wraps up today's session of "Dude! Did you just fart?!?".
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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didget69
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 4927
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2018 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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Sweet!
Necessity is a Mother!
B
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I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door. |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 6:18 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| didget69 wrote: |
Sweet!
Necessity is a Mother!
B |
I guess that make the Ghiapet the bastard child of Necessity.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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sputnick60
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 22, 2007
Posts: 3914
Location: In Molinya Orbit
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olspeed
Samba Member
Joined: May 01, 2008
Posts: 489
Location: In the shadow of Denali, I still don't give a damn how they do it outside
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 10:41 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| sputnick60 wrote: |
This has to be my favorite Ghia. The antithesis of what mine is about. 😁
Nicholas |
X2 on this, I love this thread and think it's great but I would never do that to my Ghia... now the Bug once it is back on the road I have been looking at a few areas but everything is so wet right now I might wait till it gets harder (freezes) and I get my gas heater back in.
Also I have to say that I might copy a few of your ideas like the front stiffeners for the thing you added being my bug is a 76 it has the braces to help in a crash on the front end but that only helps in a crash... and a 3" lift kit kind of defeats the purpose anyway but I wonder if I can adapt the pan on the bug to fit those braces as I have a set kicking around in my spares pile.
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66- Ghia
76-Beetle |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12846
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 11:00 am Post subject: Re: Introducing the Ghiapet |
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| olspeed wrote: |
| sputnick60 wrote: |
This has to be my favorite Ghia. The antithesis of what mine is about. 😁
Nicholas |
X2 on this, I love this thread and think it's great but I would never do that to my Ghia... now the Bug once it is back on the road I have been looking at a few areas but everything is so wet right now I might wait till it gets harder (freezes) and I get my gas heater back in.
Also I have to say that I might copy a few of your ideas like the front stiffeners for the thing you added being my bug is a 76 it has the braces to help in a crash on the front end but that only helps in a crash... and a 3" lift kit kind of defeats the purpose anyway but I wonder if I can adapt the pan on the bug to fit those braces as I have a set kicking around in my spares pile. |
Thanks guys! Yes, The Ghiapet is indeed the antithesis of almost all of the other beautiful examples that y'all have purchased & lovingly restored and/or modified.
I have done that to other vehicles & after a $3,000 paint job was destroyed 15 minutes out of the paint shop by some soccer mom parking on top of it so that the flock of monkeys could toss open the rear door & start pouring out of the SUV, even though I parked in the outer reaches of the parking lot. I vowed never again. Now, I can park in the front & when I come back out, the surrounding spaces are empty.
Yes, the Thing "Y" braces will work on a Beetle pan when the supports are made to copy the Thing/181. That's why I hadn't installed the braces up to this point, I thought that they were supposed to attach to the bulkhead bolts when in fact, they mount about 1.5"-2" further forward.
Which can be seen here...
And here on one that has not been cut up (Stolen from gallery).
| olspeed wrote: |
| ...but I would never do that to my Ghia... |
Psst... A Ghia is just a Bug with a sexy body.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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