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The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted
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CiderGuy
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 8:16 am    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

I just purchased rocker repair panels from Classic 2 Fabrication. They are unlike the more common ones with just the sheet metal that shows, these have all the curves and bends for an exact replacement of the rocker panel from the door sill down.
The panels I received were cut about an inch or so long to give you some wiggle room when you install. The metal seemed heavy and strong.

If I was doing what you are planing to do, I would purchase one of these rocker panels and cut to size the area needed for replacement on your car. I think it would save a lot of time, end work and look better then trying to form the sheet metal yourself.

https://www.c2cfabrication.com/products/1954-74-ka...4042978630
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Evil_Fiz
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:53 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

I built a drill powered, rotary cavity brush. I used a 170mm x 25mm round wire brush welded to a 72" length of 1/8" steel rod, After attaching it to my drill I inserted it through the inspection hole at the rear of the rocker cavity. I worked the brush back and forth slowly while also angling the rod in different directions to allow the brush to contact all surfaces. The rod was flexible and easy to maneuver. As a last attempt to get as much coverage as possible I offset the end of the brush by putting two bends in it. This made the brush bounce wildly in the cavity. Once done. I vacuumed out the cavity. It took me about 3 hrs total to make the brush, use it, and vacuum out the left rocker. I still need to do the right one and both heater channels. I won't boar you with more videos but the results are positive. The surface is now ready for Ospho and MasterSeries followed by cavity wax, once I repair the rust damage of course.

Improvised vice to hold the brush for drilling
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Another improvised vice to hold the brush for welding
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Voila!
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I have also been gathering materials to run two 3/8" NiCopp fuel lines in preparation for the Subaru conversion. After a lot of Thinking, head scratching, staring at the chassis from all angles, more thinking, researching, and the extensive use of phrases only an atheist could condone, I finally have a plan. The lines will run inside the tunnel. They will exit in front, just ahead of the Napoleon hat on the right, stacked verbally through rubber grommets. In the rear I installed 2 brass bulkhead fittings and 90* elbows. I will do a full How-To with pictures once I finish. For now, here are two pictures of the bulkhead fittings.

This picture looks sort of like a cross between a droopy eyed catfish and Burt from Sesame Street but it's just the fuel line fittings on the underside of the chassis Smile
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...and inside the tunnel
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stay tuned, more to come.
Emil
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Evil_Fiz
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 4:39 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

1) I made a second rotary brush, did a sh#%ty job of welding it, and it came loose in the cavity.
2) Attached a telescoping button magnet to the 1/8" rod with Duct Tape and managed to retrieve the brush.
3) In doing so I discovered that the magnet is an excellent tool for removing the rust debris worked loose by the brush.
4) The magnet got stuck when I was nearly done and came loose from the telescoping assembly. The Duct tape held strong.
5) DOH! Sad

The magnet may never get retrieved.

-----
Emil
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sputnick60
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:21 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

Evil_Fiz wrote:
The magnet may never get retrieved.Emil

....and will continue to attract and magnetise everything within its capture.
Just add water and time then its own way to the outside will be found.
Confused
Nicholas
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djkeev
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:37 am    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

Sspeaking of rust and magnets.......

I do a fair amount of metal work, grinding, filing, cutting and sanding.

I own an iPhone 7 (Yea! Boo! Hiss! Whatever...... I don't care) which is always in my pocket.

I have a screen protector and a clear vinyl case on the sides and back.

One day I noticed the back of the phone was covered with hairy circles.

Turns out that the fine metal dust worked its way behind the clear cover and was drawn to a series of magnets in the device.

No real point to this story, talk of rust dust and magnets made me think of it, it was just fascinating, in all the years of carrying various iPhones I've never seen this happen before.
Then again, first clear case too........

I can see your Ghia with a little circle of rust dust clinging to the rocker panel years from now!

Dave
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Last edited by djkeev on Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:50 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:49 am    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

What I would do IF I were in your shoes?

Get an air gun with the screw on end pieces.

Get a length of brake line and attach about five feet to it..... the length of the rocker plus a few inches. (I keep a second air gun with a foot of brake line on it all the time...... handiest thing EVER!)

Create two holes fore and aft. Behind the front wheel and in front of the rear wheel into the rocker panel, fairly large, you can weld it closed.

Hook a strong vacuum to one hole and then blow compressed air in the other hole.

This will stir everything up and set it air borne only to be sucked into the vacuum.

Reverse directions and do it a few times.

The vast majority of rust bits should be effectively removed.

How do you attach the vacuum hose?
I'm thinking of a barbed PVC fitting with a male pipe thread on one end. Maybe an inch and a half?
Just drill the hole sized to the male thread will "cut" into the edges of the hole you drilled.

Use a metal threaded pipe of the same thread to use as a die to cut the threads for the plastic fitting.

Before welding it shut, use these holes to insert your metal finish of choice.

Dave
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KGCoupe
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 12:09 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

Sounds like it's time to "turn lemons into lemonaide" by incorporating something like along these lines ...

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... onto the outside of your Ghia. Wink


Not sure if it would work or not, but here's a thought - dab some Extra Stregth Crazy Glue onto the end of the telescoping rod, insert the rod back into the cavity and touch it to the magnet long enough for the glue to properly dry.

Then hopefully you can either pull the telescoping rod back out with the magnet now firmly reattached, ...




... or you can cut off whatever portion of the telescoping rod you have now firmly Carzy Glued in place that extends out beyond the opening of the cavity.

Perhaps you could even try retrieving the small magnet now stuck inside the cavity by orienting a larger and much more powerful magnet on the outside of the cavity wall such that the opposite magnetic pole pushes it away from the inner cavity wall and it "leaps" onto the end of the telescoping rod that you were holding just adjacent to it?
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Evil_Fiz
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:20 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

SUCCESS:
Following in the footsteps of my dad I fashioned a magnet retrieval hook out of an old coat hanger (my dad used coat hangers and toothpicks like others use Duct Tape.) Using my endoscope camera and the hanger with a "square C" bend on one end I managed to fish out the magnet on the first attempt. It helps that the magnet was stuck only about 12" into the rocker cavity on the heater channel side. Here is the magnet still attached to the coat hanger and sporting a very fashionable ferrous Afro.
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djkeev wrote:
What I would do IF I were in your shoes?

Get an air gun with the screw on end pieces.

Get a length of brake line and attach about five feet to it..... the length of the rocker plus a few inches. (I keep a second air gun with a foot of brake line on it all the time...... handiest thing EVER!) ...

Dave
I built a very similar version of what you sugest to clean out the initial debris in the cavities. See this post on page 8 for my procedure.


KGCoupe wrote:
Sounds like it's time to "turn lemons into lemonaide" by incorporating something like along these lines ...
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

WOW, that brings back memories. When I was a kid in the 70s I had the same toy but it was called "Dapper Dan the magnetic man."

...and now for some progress.
A few months ago I cut two access holes on the passenger side of the tunnel. The purpose was to allow reinforcement of the clutch tube attachment points and to facilitate the installation of two 3/8" NiCopp fuel lines. As illustrated in an earlier post, I have installed the rear fuel line fittings already. After several months of thinking about how I was going to reinforce the clutch tube I finally settled on the following procedure for the center mount.
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I realized after I had welded the bracket in place that perhaps I should have asked for a sanity check from the audience before commuting.
- Does the clutch tube pull up or down at the center mount?
- Is it necessary to reinforce the front clutch tube mount as well?
I will probably be running a heavier clutch to stand up to the Subaru engine.

-----
Emil
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 5:29 am    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

I duct taped a length of 3/8" rubber air line hose to my vacuum. Cut the end at an angle and ran it through the inspection holes in the rear wheel well. Vacuumed, then connected it to my compressor, ran it in again at full pressure, Vacuum and repeat. I was able to pull out yet another mouse nest... I also have a 6' inspection camera that I ran in to make sure everything was out.

Make sure you have on a respirator and goggles!

I then used the Eastwood internal frame coating and sprayed 2 cans into each side till it was dripping out of the weep holes. It should be dry enough for me to put the camera back in to re-inspect.
d
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:43 am    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

Redlabel6 wrote:
I duct taped a length of 3/8" rubber air line hose to my vacuum. Cut the end at an angle and ran it through the inspection holes...
I found that using the 1/2" copper pipe with a short length of 3/8" hose at the end gave me better suction than a full length of 3/8 hose; but yes, it works quite well and the endoscope camera is indispensable for the task. I went so far as to run the camera adjacent to the vacuum hose so I could direct the hose at the smaller debris.

Redlabel6 wrote:
...I then used the Eastwood internal frame coating and sprayed 2 cans into each side till it was dripping out of the weep holes...
- Was the sprayer attachment long enough to use through the inspection holes?
- What was your process?
I have been looking at a cavity sprayer attachment from SEM that has a very good circular spray pattern but I am not sure if it will be long enough.

Thanks,
Emil
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 1:34 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

The sprayer attachment is about 2' long. I went in from the rear ports first, then the defroster pipe, then the front heater outlet. For the rocker, in the rear port, then in the small 3/8 or so hole at the front of the outer rocker. I need to check with my camera to make sure I got everything. I may end up drilling another hole in the rocker to make sure I get full coverage. I have a Ridgid inspection camera, its a snug fit in the rear rocker inspection hole.

I also ran it down all four roof pillars and the door hinge "boxes". I have another can on order, I'm going to use it between the inner and outer rear wheel wells.

I zip tied the hose to a piece of coat hanger so I could get it in the full length. If you use the Eastwood product, wear gloves and face protection. It's easy to pull it out of the hole and spray everywhere! You blow through a can a lot faster than you think too.

d
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 3:20 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

Hat's great you retrieved your magnet!

It is sad though how thin coat hangers have become as the decades have slipped by.
They used to be a decent gauge wire..... today?...... not so much and not near as useful because of it.

Dave
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 3:32 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

Quote:
I realized after I had welded the bracket in place that perhaps I should have asked for a sanity check from the audience before commuting.
- Does the clutch tube pull up or down at the center mount?
- Is it necessary to reinforce the front clutch tube mount as well?


Your L bracket with gusset should work flawlessly up or down.
Yes, do the front now...or you will do it later. Crying or Very sad
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 4:50 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

djkeev wrote:
...It is sad though how thin coat hangers have become as the decades have slipped by.
They used to be a decent gauge wire..... today?...... not so much and not near as useful because of it.

Dave
Curious you should mention that. While fetching my dogs chew toy today from under the media canter I ran across my "GOOD" coat hanger. It's an old school heavy gauge piece I have kept for years. I must have left it there when I was fishing Ethernet cable down the wall.
My neighbor an I built a recumbent bike from scratch over 30 years ago and we used brass coat hangers as brazing rod. I still have that bike and it is going strong.

c21darrel wrote:
...Your L bracket with gusset should work flawlessly up or down.
Yes, do the front now...or you will do it later. Crying or Very sad
I thought I recalled you mentioning that in another thread. It happened to you, didn't it?
My welding still leaves much to be desired (read as no confidence) so as a precautionary measure my plan is to use a 2" hose clamp around the bracket, the clutch tube, and the two fuel lines I will be running shortly. Any suggestions on how to fasten the front of the tube? I was thinking "Hose Clamp" there as well by going around the tube and the small tab just inboard from it but as I see the idea in print it sounds like one of my lesser moments Embarassed
Thoughts?
Advice on how to weld differing thickness of metal is welcome. I fear I may have not gotten enough penetration when welding in the center bracket for fear of burning through the tube itself. I checked, the clutch cable moves freely in the tube.

-----
Emil
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:19 am    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

DISCLAIMER/EDITORIAL/EXPLANATION (pick the one you like best)
Often times I find myself struggling to figure out what is being conveyed by a picture linked in a thread. The pictures are usually close-ups, dark, and have few visible points of reference. Furthermore, when you run across one of these pictures in the galley it is hard to figure out what it is in reference to. It is much easier to tell what is going on if there is a wider shot included with the closeup. For this reason I have chosen to annotate my pictures when I am trying to convey details and I will be including a reference to any posts they are linked to in the picture description.
My apologies to those who are not picture chalenged.


Now for the good stuff...
At last, some noticeable progress.
The chassis has been fully blasted and Treaded with Eastwood After Blast and I finally figured out how to secure the new fuel lines in the tunnel. I also secured the front mount on the clutch tube by using a SS worm hose clamp around the clutch tube and the small tab next to it on the tunnel cross-bracket. I have decided to hold off on applying masterSeries to the chassis until the humidity is not in the 90s.

In the mean time I will be building a tilt dolly for the body with the help of "LowCashJohn," based on the design by "PorscheDave," and starting on the body work. I need to replace the luggage compartment or portion thereof, the rear seat kick panels, repair some damage to the rockers and heater channels, repair or replace the battery tray panel in the engine compartment, build a removable rear apron section, and patch some rust holes in the nose area. The passenger door may need some hammer and dolly work but I won't know for sure until I strip the paint and any filler present. I also plan to strip the exterior paint down to bare metal and scuff and prep any interior paint that can be saved and primed/painted over.

The first thing I will do is a product comparison of CitriStrip and Jasco Premium paint strippers. Both products are available at Lowe's so I will start there.

Here's some eye candy of the chassis for the picture lover in you.
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...and here are some shots of the fuel line progress
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Here is my purpose built blasting and painting enclosure. The big sections are 10'L x 5'W x 7'T and the smaller section in the left forefront in the first picture is 5'L x 5'W x 7'T. The enclosures are built out of 1 1/2" PVC and 6 Mil. Plastic sheeting. The enclosure sits on a folded 20' x 40' tarp to aid in media collection. This has allowed me to reclaim over 95% of the media when blasting. I use one large section and the smaller section to create a small booth when blasting or painting smaller parts. I will need to build two more large sections to completely enclose the body when I start priming and painting.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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-----
Emil
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Evil_Fiz
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 3:43 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

CAUTION: Partial nudity ahead

Progress is slow but steady. I have stripped the exterior of the car using a combination of Citristrip paint stripper, a 4" metal putty knife, many razor blades, a cup wire brush, and a DA sander with 80 grit discs. I mentioned earlier that I was going to do a product comparison between Citristrip and Jasco. After spending quite some time reading up on the hazards of Methylene Chloride (Skin burns, liver and kidney damage, general toxicity) I decided that slower acting but much safer Citristrip was the way to go.

Review of Citristrip:
- is is "non-toxic" - interpreted as "will not kill you and go after your family but precautions should be taken"
- will not burn skin on contact. Prolonged (30 Min.) exposure on skin did not have any noticeable effect
- If you get it in your eye it will only burn for a few seconds (YES, I WAS wearing safety glasses but it still splashed me)
- Rinses off skin easily with water
- will slowly degrade 9 mil Nitric gloves. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes before the gloves tear
- A worn out 3M respirator cartridge will provide sufficient protection from its fumes in a well ventilated area
- It takes about 24 Hrs. To cut through 4 layers of paint and primer when applied thick and covered with plastic grocery bags
- The bottom layer of primer may require some scraping with a putty knife
- It Will soften all layers of paint enough to scape off by putty knife and razor blade
- Needed about 2 quarts to do the exterior of the car applying only one thick layer of Citristrip and lots of scraping, wire brushing, and sanding
- For "no scarping" removal two heavy coats will most likely work. This will consume between three and four quarts.
- Does not produce an offensive smell when left applied overnight inside a garage
- Ideal product if you are not in a hurry and prefer a safer, low fume product

It is HOT and HUMID in north Florida so time spent on the car is limited. I am trying to dedicate two Hrs. A day to the project. I have been tracking all my time spent working on the Ghia (as well as all expenses, travel, and monthly budget) and as of 6-23-2018 I have spent 592 Hrs. and 40 min. I usually round down when entering time.
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Here are some pictures of the outer shell mostly stripped to bare metal. There will be more pictures soon once I get a chance to document all the repairs that are needed on the exterior.
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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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vw.dodge
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Joined: April 18, 2008
Posts: 33
Location: Atlanta, GA
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:15 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

With the exception of a couple small areas, the body is pretty much as I expected under all that paint. Looks to be very solid overall and much better than what a lot of guys have to work with.Have you done the doors yet? Keep up the good work, Emil!
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Evil_Fiz
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Joined: May 06, 2011
Posts: 1031
Location: Jacksonville, FL
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 6:44 am    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

vw.dodge wrote:
With the exception of a couple small areas, the body is pretty much as I expected under all that paint. Looks to be very solid overall and much better than what a lot of guys have to work with.Have you done the doors yet? Keep up the good work, Emil!
It is in better shape than I expected. The "dent" damage for the most part is superficial. I'm glad to have some repairs to work on. It will help me develop some metal working and fabrication skills . I am surprised at some of the stuff they covered in filler instead of repairing it. There was one large shallow dent in the right front fender that I was able to pound out with a rubber hammer in about 30 Sec. This car has far less rust damage than would be expected for a car that sat in a field for several years with a degraded top.

I have not started on the doors yet but I expect to do some work on the passenger door. That side of the car has the most damage.

@vw.dodge: How is the sister Ghia you are working on coming along?
_________________
“…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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Evil_Fiz
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Joined: May 06, 2011
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Location: Jacksonville, FL
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:05 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

Few things in life are more satisfying than than acquiring a new skill which only a short while before seemed out of reach. I took a chance on a hammer and dolly set from Harbor Freight and cracked it open for the first time yesterday. I used the various pieces to beat out a few dents on the left-front quarter panel. It took me a while to get the hang of what I should be doing but i was able to smooth out the dents into a fairly appropriate shape.

Today I spent the day on YouTube learning that everything I did yesterday was wrong Embarassed but it worked anyway. One of the videos I watched was a review of the HF hammer and dolly set. It confirmed what I suspected about the set. The hammers have no crown and the dollies are too small and are short on usable surfaces. I bought the set BC I figured I could return it if it did not work as advertised. I will be looking for a more appropriately shaped set. I don't want to spend $$$$$ on on tools (Martin tools) that will get limited use but I don't want substandard tools either.

Today I also pulled the fuel filler neck in preparation for stripping the paint from the trunk/boot area. The neck was firmly in place, held in by the upper and lower grommets but it has what may be damage.

Can someone tell me if the indentation shown in the pictures bellow is normal?
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-----
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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xzener
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Joined: June 03, 2006
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 5:17 pm    Post subject: Re: The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted Reply with quote

It's normal. Here's mine...

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My 70 beetle was totaled Now to build the Ghia I always wanted. Rest in peace Ruby, I will miss you. Hello <insert Ghia name here>!
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