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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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 Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 12:21 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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Thanks, I am glad if I can inspire others with my ideas of doing this stuff... 
Did you order your Medeola bulk head without the lower triangles welded in place, or will you have to remove them from the square tubes? Mine were not welded in place yet.
The reinforcements are all sqare and the same. The bulkhead itself is not aligned yet. This will be my next task...
Cheers
halbug
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 10365
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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| halbug wrote: |
| Thanks, I am glad if I can inspire others with my ideas of doing this stuff... |
Sorry, I'm not doing the Mendeola thing, I'm doing the Thing thing to my Ghia. Your pics of the Thing (181) additional bracing is what I needed to reinforce my beast for some serious off-road pounding.
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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! |
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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wcfvw69 
Samba Purist
Joined: June 10, 2004
Posts: 12935
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 2:06 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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[email protected]
Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.
**Restored German Bosch distributors for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored German Pierburg fuel pumps for sale or I can restore yours**
1970 Westfalia Bus
1969 Convertible Bug
1967 Standard Bug |
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jeffrey8164
Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018
Posts: 2332
Location: Georgia
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| Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2018 8:23 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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So I have to ask... Interesting journey by the way.
I see that you acquired kits, but I also see all these little tasty bits that you’ve created. Are these things that should be addressed with a kit or are you hybridizing the kit for a higher purpose?
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 2:20 am Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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| jeffrey8164 wrote: |
So I have to ask... Interesting journey by the way.
I see that you acquired kits, but I also see all these little tasty bits that you’ve created. Are these things that should be addressed with a kit or are you hybridizing the kit for a higher purpose? |
Hi Jeffrey, and Thanks!
So, for the modifications I am doing to the Medeola front kit, the big one is adressing steering geometry. Main driver initially was to minimize body mods to my KG. And when digging into the matter of steering geometrie, I found that there was room for improvement 
The other smaller modifications are to stiffen the front end. The 3 mm steel sheets are good for pulling forces, but I felt they needed a little beefing for side shear or push. Stay tuned, there are more coming shortly...
I think Kevin designed a wonderful kit! I am sure it will work well as is but I had to include my own ideas of "perfect". 
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2018 2:47 am Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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So I got a little bit frustrated over the last days... I was not able to dial in the front bulkhead... No matter how and where I mesured, could not get a straight reading and good location for the front end 
I ended up mesuring against the bolt heads of the rear torsion retainer plates, as they will locate the rear suspension at the end. Rear torsion tubes never delivered good mesurements for me.
I like the idea of Kevin's to locate the bulkhead with the little "B-plates", he includes in the kit. They locate the front plate in all three directions:
He told me, that he had issues using them in the past and meanwhile prefers to not using them anymore. I did see why, because the original framehead on my chassis is off  . I kept modifiying the B-plates until the front plate was within 1mm straight and in triangularisation to those bolts in the rear.
Here is a shot of the "B-plates" installed. After getting the front plate to sit correct.
I installed the rest and it fell, kind of, in place
Located correctly, I made more templates from cardboard. As soon as those laser cut parts arrive I will start the welding.
Thanks for reading
halbug
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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crocteau
Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2005
Posts: 897
Location: Philaburbia
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| Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 7:39 am Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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| halbug wrote: |
Small steps - seeming to take for ever
Some of the work in pictures...
Bulkheads for fuel main and return line. I will run aluminum or steel lines along the tunnel, through the inside of the car. I feel that is the safest in the case of a side crash and I did not feel good running them inside of the tunnel, because I want them affixed every 30-40 cm or so...
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Extraordinary work Halbug.  Sound reasoning on running the fuel lines, and although not as elegant as your solution there is good precedent.
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Evil_Fiz
Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2011
Posts: 928
Location: Jacksonville, FL
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| Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 9:17 am Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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| halbug wrote: |
Guess wehre the will go? 
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Tail light bulb holders
All kidding aside, nice work all around. I am anxiously waiting for you get that Mendeola suspension on the ground and tested. I doubt Coolrydes will ever do the third party testing they have been promising for over six years so you and Alan "down under" are the best chance we have for an (mostly  ) unbiased opinion. I would love to get it for my Ghia but can't bring myself to drop the coin on an unverified design.
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Emil
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“…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: 10365
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 12:37 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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Is the pan head on the Trekker pan bent?
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 12:55 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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Thank you guy's for the nice comments
@ crocteau, my very first bug had its fuel line exactly routed like that, so I thought for years, that this is the way it is
@ Emil, can't wait myself, but it's a long way to go...
@ TDCTDI, not sure what the trekker pan is? 
Alingning the front end, I now found that there where two things working against me. The first is the front head, that holds the axle beam. It is slightly off, so that the front axle beam is not parallel to the rear torsion tube. Slightly, maybe within old VW tolerances, but couple mm off. But in addition the Mendeola bulkhead is off in the same (wrong) direction, so that the two small diviations add up in my case
The first issue was corrected with adjusting the B-plate, the second I need to work on:
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 12:30 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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Above showns sheets will really stiffen the bulkhead by boxing out the two front plates:
Spent some time in the garage today. The bulkhead is straight now. Started to weld the areas, that the welder will not get to, once the bulkhead is installed:
Welds are not so nice , but this is why I will have everything welded in place
Cheers
halbug
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Plipton
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2011
Posts: 78
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2018 1:41 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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| That's looking good, Halbug. You've had to modify it a lot more than I realised to fit the Trekker chassis but it will be worth it in the end!! |
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:36 am Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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Hi Plipton, Thanks
I need some advice  Is there maybe any professional welder reading this, who may help me???
The stiffener plates (plates with holes) shall be welded to the front plate of the Mendeola bulkhead by welding them through that front plate. I have made slots into the front plate for that. The stiffener plate is not poking through. All sheet metal is 1/8 (3mm) and the slots are 7/32 (5-6mm) wide. Will this work well?
Here are some pics.
Thanks you
halbug
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halbug
Samba Member
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Location: Germany
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jeffrey8164
Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2018
Posts: 2332
Location: Georgia
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| Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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Merry Christmas to you as well.
Glad to see it coming along.
I’m not a professionally trained welder, but have welded a few buggy frames as well as some loading dock plates and tried my hand at some stainless once.
I think as long as you have good penetration it should be fine. (Said the virgin to the sailor)
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2018 5:41 am Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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Hi Jeffrey,
Thanks for your encouragement. I made up a sample and was able to connect all three sides well, even with my low budget welder. I am sure a weldshop will penetrate even better
Merry Christmas
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halbug
Samba Member
Joined: March 09, 2006
Posts: 157
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 12:40 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia coming home |
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The bulk head for the front suspension is ready to be sent to the welder
- The front two plates are boxed together with multiple cross plates, creating a very stiff section, benefitting all trailing arms.
- Stabilizer area does not bent anymore.
- Rear ribs are added to stabilize the new (lower) steering rack mounts.
- Square tubes support the forces from the suspension springs.
- And the tube and its plates over-compensate for the cut-out in the upper tunnel area.
Oh - and for the weight conscious I recorded every plate cut and added, my new construction is .22 lbs (100g) heavier
Cheers
halbug
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