Replacing door pillar assembly, heater channel & rockers

[kiwighia68]

[TheFop]

[kiwighia68]

We left off last week at the point where the repair and replacement parts were all in place but not finally welded in. The next step was to get everything lined up properly. That took some time. With both the door pillar assembly AND the heater channel out at the same time, there was a lot of flex in the body - in the vertical plane.

The damage to the front fender - from the top of the wheel arch back to the door hinge pillar - made it even more difficult to get the door to fit 100%. Fortunately this workshop doesn't know the words, "Can't be done."

It looks like everything is coming together now. I'll post photographs this evening. And in due course, I'll tidy up this thread to ensure that others may learn from my experience - and not be distracted by sloppy writing or explanations that are more obscure than that which they seek to explain. (There's a Latin phrase for this, but I've forgotten what it is.)

Ha, found it: Ignotum per ignotius.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[jpjohns]

Can't be done shouldn't be in anyones vocabulary. May take a lot of hard work, sweat and/or money but it can be done.

Looking sweet so far, I'm jealous
_________________
-Jared

"Scrapyards are for quitters" - Beetlenut (a Samba member)

[kiwighia68]

Okay, let me take a step back: We can't finish the welding on the door pillar assembly and heater channel on the R side until we have repaired the R front fender:

I should have called this thread Replacing door pillar assembly and heater channel and repairing front fender, because that's how the restoration has turned out. With the door pillar assembly and heater channel clamped into position and the fender persuaded (more like "forced") into place, the repair of the fender could begin.

I had tried to obtain a weld in repair panel but with no luck. Dan was kind enough to offer one at virtually no cost at all, but the shipping was going to be $850. I tried again on Monday night, but it's now Wednesday afternoon and neither HOG nor KGP&R has responded to my request for a used R fender. So to repair:

Step 1: Identify the area to be cut out. Note the damage: There is actually an overlap weld there, and very untidy.

Step 2: Cut. The plan is to implant a narrow section.

Step 3: Make a template for the steel to be welded in. Phillip uses brown paper held to the metal with small magnets. Then he marks the edges of the metal below with charcoal. He says he'll cut the insert wide and will trim it to fit once he has shaped it to follow the contours on the fender.

Note how he cleans the metal on the edges where the welds will go.

Step 4: Shape the insert metal.

Step 5: Clamp and weld. Note a change of plan. Phillip decided to insert a wider panel after he had shaped the repair bit to fit the contours of the fender. It was not an easy task. The fender is curved in both the horizontal and vertical planes, and then it has a lip (flange) on the wheel arch. Still, in the hands of an expert the steel obeys orders.

Step 6: Clean up by grinding and sanding. Note how the repair conforms with the curve of the wheel arch

A very good day's work in my opinion, and an essential repair within a much larger operation. More of the same tomorrow, as we have to repair the top of the fender where there has been more damage and poor prior repairs.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[kiwighia68]

Today's work consisted of more patches to the R front fender, getting closer to the door pillar.

What we now have is this:
Heater channel in place, loosely fitted
Door pillar assembly in place, equally loosely
Fender repaired

The repairs to the fender took time. I think what most people don't see is the amount of work that goes into the preparation and insertion of a single weld patch.

Next stage was to fit the R side door (I had to get new outer skins and those have to be married to their inners first - more repair work there, but that's another story): The first step was for the outer skin to be crimped over the inner part: Lots and lots of hammering, with the metal being folded ever so gently, until the two parts are one. The tools may be hammers and dollies, but the hands that hold them are sympathetic to the metal.

This is the crucial stage: If the door fits, we can move to the other side and try to make that side conform.

The photo is deceptive. It captures a single moment in time. What it doesn't show, is the amount of work that preceded that final moment.

What's happened since - I travel 90 kilometres to and from the workshop every day - is that Phillip has fitted the left side door while I was on the way home. It fits too.

I think a short detour to theory is perhaps in order here: The Bentley manual I have deals with the subject of "Doors and Windows" at page A-63 and following. It talks of door and striker plate adjustment. On page A-63-3 it says the following:

"Re 5 - If the gap between the door and the hinge pillar is not uniform over the whole length, the door should be moved the required amounts by adjusting the hinges."

So far, so good, since the manual is talking about a car in one piece, not one being assembled after extensive repairs, like mine. But the manual goes on the add the following advice, which I think is quite useful:

"Re 6 - (The following method should only be used in isolated and very difficult cases)." I think my car qualifies, by the way, as a very difficult case.

"When the gap between the door pillar and lock pillar widens towards the top instead of being uniform over the whole length, loosen the body mounting screws at points A and B." (Points A and B are the places under the back seat where the body is mounted to the chassis. You'll know that there are some mounting plates there between the body and the chassis, about 10mm thick.)

"Lift the body at point "A" and insert a 3.5 mm thick packing piece ... at this point. Tighten the body mounting screws again to a torque of 3 mkg (22 ft. lbs.). If the gap width is still not correct, another packing piece must be inserted.

"The gap between the door and lock pillar should be 4 mm wide."

I think what all of this means is that:

1. If you have too large a gap at the top of the door, you follow the procedure in the manual and add a washer or something similar between the body and the chassis at the fastening/mounting points beneath the back seat and you keep going until the gap is just right.

2. It follows, I think, that if the gap is too narrow at the top, you have to reduce the thickness of the washer/"packing piece".

I hope this makes sense. I would hate to have added an ignotum per ignotius after having introduced the phrase to the Samba.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[TheFop]

Great progress, I'm stoked that the fender was saved.
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Rusty 61 RHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Resto in progress....slowly
Stock 69 LHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Driver
67 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Being rebuilt
63 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Going Baja!
86 T25 Westfalia - Family Fun car

[Clatter]

[kiwighia68]

I've edited my earlier post dealing with the lining up of the doors to keep the processes there under one post.

Now, the struggle to line everything up continues. The advice in the Bentley manual about raising the rear of the car with the use of additional shims at the rear shock towers actually works.

What we also did to get the left side door to align properly - Phillip's idea - was to add a couple of 2mm shims made of aluminium behind the door hinges (also aluminium). That brought the left side door into alignment with gaps fore and aft in line with the KG recommendations.

I kept out of the way today, and worked on my wiring.

If you ever want to see a big smile on a panel-beater's face, you must catch them at the moment when everything lines up. We had such a moment late in the day. Phillip had been working on and off trying to make the doors line up and with exactly the right gaps between each door and its door pillar and B-pillar.

A little bit of innovation was required on the left hand side: Phillip inserted two small shims (thin aluminium pates) behind the door hinges where they mount on the door hinge pillar, and the left hand door lined up.

The rocker panel was inserted in position on the right hand side, and when it slipped into place - with a bit of coaxing - the car came to life, and the door lined up perfectly with the rocker panel. (We had lined it up against its door hinge pillar and B-pillar earlier.) The match brought a big smile to Phillip's face.

We did some more patches. While the machines in this workshop can do just about anything you wish to the metal, you still need an artisan's hand to tell them what to do.

This is where that piece will go.

As you can see, a major operation on that side of the car. Door pillar assembly, heater channel, rocker panel, door skin, and major work to the fender. I am pleased beyond my capacity to tell.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[kiwighia68]

The various parts now fit. The rockers (sills) are next to go on. The first step is to clean the metal where the welds will go back to bare metal and to mask the same areas before the insides of the sills are painted in an epoxy type paint. The idea is that the inner areas of the sills will not see sunshine again and that we should paint them now as a rust preventative measure.

Some photos of this rather mundane but important process.

Cleaned:

Masked:

Painted:

Phillip is still doing patches on the front of the car. Once that has been completed, we'll get the everything lined up yet again. More photos of patches:

Some replacement pieces are curved in three dimensions. Like this one; before and after (the planishing hammer being the magic tool): A flat piece of steel cut to the right two-dimensional shape starts like this:

After being subjected to the forces of the planishing hammer and the guidance of the panel-beater's hand, it comes out like this:

The welding is the easy part, Phillip says: Tacked in place, ready for the Tig welder:

The front end will be complete tomorrow, I think.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[kiwighia68]

Front end repairs being completed with old fashioned hammer and dolly work.

The left side of the car now lines up, with everything pinned in place. It's been a while since I've seen the car with a door on.

The rear fender has two repair panels waiting to be welded on after the rot has been cut out. Phillip says that's the easy part of the job. I think I may just have the car in one piece by the weekend.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[kiwighia68]

I learn new things every day on this restoration.

The fact of the day is this: In order to line up the doors, a number of other components have to be in shape, and one of them is the rear fenders. You move one part half a centimetre (quarter of an inch) and the whole thing is out of kilter. So we spent a good part of the day cutting out rot from the left rear fender and welding in repair panels.

As usual, every part of the operation is conducted as if someone's life depends on it.

A few photos:

The other parts that affect the lining up are, of course, the door hinge pillar assembly, the heater channel, and outer rocker panel (sill), the elbow piece and, last but not least, the chassis.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[ScottDoonan]

Nice work, looks good. So much time and effort has to go into it, it is mind boggling isn't it. Very excited for you.
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If you take time to do it, do it right and don't be so damn cheap.....🤙🏻

1959 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet (current restoration)
1965 Porsche 356 SC coupe
1967 Volkswagen Convertible Beetle
1969 Porsche 911E Targa 3.2 twin plug
2006 Porsche 987 Rüf 3400K Prototype #2 of 2

[dcat917]

Incredible work on this project. I hope to be able to do this on my next project. Thanks for all the details on the build and I have a question about the steps one takes after you have sandblasted your body. What do you spray on the bare metal to keep in from rusting as you work your way through the restoration? After you have finished the patch, what do you do to keep it from rusting?
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1981 Puma GTB http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7794566#7794566
1971 Karmann Ghia http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=591290&highlight=
Past Projects:
1951 Studebaker Business Coupe https://goo.gl/photos/eHPuNo89m9PXZwBM8
1953 Studebaker 2-Door Sedan https://goo.gl/photos/pe38HEShzUrVSwcV8

[jpjohns]

Man you guys are getting a lot of work done in a short time. Looks great so far. I'm sure its costing a pretty penny but it'll be well worth it!
_________________
-Jared

"Scrapyards are for quitters" - Beetlenut (a Samba member)

[kiwighia68]

[kiwighia68]

[kiwighia68]

It sometimes feels as if the work is progressing at a snail's pace, but the fact is that if my car were a horse in a cowboy movie, it would have been shot and the unfortunate cowboy would be seen walking away into the desert with his saddle over his shoulder.

And sad music.

We can't finalise the repair of the door pillar assembly and replacement of the heater channels and rockers (sills) until we have completed the repairs to the right front and rear wings (fenders). After all, every part on that side of the car has to fit exactly right before we can weld them together.

So, back to those fenders: This is the current state of play:

_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[kiwighia68]

It's been a while since I reported progress on this thread (although I posted some of it on my Saving Emiko thread).

The left side of the car now lines up, with the nose back on, the left door fitted and lined up, and the rear wing (left side) welded back on. The right hand side will probably follow on Monday, and then I'll tidy this thread up.

It's been a long journey.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, they say. In this repair, the proof is in whether the doors fit. This is what the left hand side looks like.

The right hand side at the door pillar was where the main damage was, it will be recalled. The weld at the top at the windscreen (or roof) pillar was the step that took the car from wreck to car. I am so pleased.

_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[KGCoupe]

By any chance is Emiko Japanese for "patches"?