65 ghia sedan

[WilliamA]

I've been away for awhile but am back with a project. I'll be adding much detailed info when I get to my computer but for now, a teaser photo of the only known 65 ghia 2 door sedan...
WilliamA
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“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[c21darrel]

A whole lotta personality going on there. Wonder why someone would put late doors on it, and window inserts. 4? or 5 lug? More pics would be fun.
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GhiaBuild
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=481184
1967 DC build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=693583&highlight=67+dc
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[WilliamA]

I made the door top and the quarter window insert from 18 gauge steel shelving.
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[Rome]

Is your 65 Ghia body on a '67 or '68 chassis, due to 4-lug wheels but with '65 hubcaps? Or are those some special "4-lug look" wide 5 wheels? Had you considered angling the B-pillar rearwards instead of frontwards? Looks like you had considerable fabrication on your window frames.

[WilliamA]

It's a 65 with matching pan. Link pin/swing axle. It has a disc brake kit front and rear, hence the 4 lug wheels. The wheels are new from CIP1. 4 1/2" wide by 15 with stock backspacing.
If I had slanted the B-pillar back instead of forward it would be nearly impossible to fit a window in the door. The forward slanting B pillar is a nod to 50's era hot rodding. That's the look I'm after....
WilliamA
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[WilliamA]

For the quarter window, I made a wood dolly from plywood (an old piece of countertop) so I could make the skin in one piece. For the template, I used foam board. It's much easier to work with than cardboard. I made the template and spent some time trimming it to look right in place before I made the wooden dolly. Even then, there was a lot of final tweaking of the metal skin before I was happy with it.

I cut a piece of my shelving to fit the wood dolly and rolled the inside edge into the dolly with a body hammer.

Once I had the skin made up, it was a matter of cutting and fitting small pieces to turn the skin into a three dimensional piece to fit the profile of the opening. I just used bits of leftover 18 gauge shelving to fabricate the small pieces, hammering the rolled edges over my homemade 1/2" radius T-dolly.
Notice my "bench" that I'm working off of. The little tab on the edge is just a place to clamp my welder ground...
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[metz]

Very cool! Will be following along.
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68 panel
64 ghia coupe

[Marcdeb]

Makes for a quite unique and fun Ghia. You definitely succeeded in capturing the Hot rod style without losing the beauty of the car. This is a lot of skilled artist work. Nice job.
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Marc
68 Karmann Ghia Cabrio Autostick
71 Karmann Ghia Cabrio

Previously Owned:
2011 VW EOS Hard Top Conv
2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T Conv
2003 Saab 9-3 SE Conv
2001 Saab 9-3 Conv
1998 BMW 3 Series Conv
1997 Saab 900 Conv
1997 Mazda Miata

68 Ghia Vert Survivor with 22,350 miles: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=768107&highlight=
71 Ghia Vert Restoration: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=726710&postorder=asc

[WilliamA]

I've been making a lot of progress but still don't have my computer set up, so posting has been nonexistent.

I finished the door and quarter window metal fabrication for the drivers side. I also made up the lexan windows for both sides and have both drilled and trimmed to fit.

These are the drivers side door and quarter window skins. You can also see the wooden form I made for the quarter window skin.

This is how I made the window track to sandwich between the inner and outer skin. That's 3/4" square 16 gauge tubing. I just sliced it, bent it to fit the door skin, then welded it at the relief cuts.

Once I had it fitting well, I cut the inside out of it with the angle grinder. The inside dimension is 9/16".

After making the inner skins and the standing seam for the quarter window, a bit of welding is in order to get things assembled.

With the metal fabrication on the doors and windows finished, I have moved onto the interior fabrication. I'll work from back to front on the interior, get it in primer and then go back to exterior. I have 39 Ford taillights to French in and some wheel skirts to make. Once all of the major metalwork is done, I'll do the detail work on the door mechanism and make the door windows.
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[WilliamA]

For those who might be wondering what tools I'm using: I don't have many. I don't have a metal brake or shaping tools. I break all my shapes with a hammer over a short section (24" or so) of I-beam that I bought for scrap price. All of my metal seams I've made with that. I have an angle grinder, a jigsaw and some aviation snips for cutting. I make my own dollies as I need them from scrap. For rolled edges, I have a length of 1" bar to hammer over. I did buy a 1 1/2" dimple die to make those easier. My welder is a Hobart 125, 110V mig welder that I converted to use gas shield with .023 solid core wire.
Not a lot of tools. It works fine. It just takes longer. I do need to purchase an English Wheel to make the fender skirts and visor, but first, finish the interior....

I make these box shapes in sections, then welded them together as needed.

I finally got the floor section finished behind the seats. I'll pull it all out and do the finish work, then paint and reinstall it all. The center floor hatch is for access to the shifter well in the pan.
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[Rome]

If you weld in the rear seat backrest bulkhead which you made, you are losing the 6 cu. ft of practical rear covered storage space...

[TRS63]

I get the hotrod theme, I don't like how it looks with these windows on the ghia (although I love the B-Post like this on Emory's 356) but we are talking about tastes..I think it's cool you follow your ideas!

Bests

Antoine
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Antoine
My 62 ragtop daily driver:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728873
My 914 restoration&lightweight project :
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9698432#9698432
Resurrecting a 60 ghia : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=713906
My 52 Standard Zwitter :
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10086685#10086685

[WilliamA]

We've been battling covid here so project progress has pretty much slowed to a crawl. I've spent much of my recuperation pirating the web for bomber seat designs and making accurate patterns.
As the above photo shows, I have spent a bit of shop time massaging the panel work. I have pulled back some of the complex panel work in favor of a simpler design as it's gotten out of hand. I'm starting to build the bomber seats. Much of the center console/shifter placement etc depends upon how the seats fit, so I want to make sure I'm not building myself into a corner.
I appreciate the comments and if there is anything somebody wants me to address in more detail, just say the word.
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[WilliamA]

Did some work to transfer my patterns to metal for the bomber seats.

I made the center section from a single piece, letting the top and bottom fly wild.

I then folded the knee bolster back on itself over a length of 1 14" tubing. I riveted the tongue to the seat bottom and welded the nose at the bend radius for strength.

Looking at the fit. It's up off the floor here about 5 inches.

I'm pretty happy with the way it's turning out.
I still need to add gusset plates and rolled edges. The inside lip still needs a bit of finish trimming but before I do, I'll fabricate the seat mounts.
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[WilliamA]

Lots of progress. I finished the bomber seats, then made another. I made up the seat mounts from 16 gauge and bolted them in. I will make some headrests but that can wait until I rip it all out for painting.
I made a center console to tidy things up in between the seats. Just need to cap the rear of the console. I will rip it all out for final metalwork and paint but am waiting on an order for the rest of the gauges. I'd like to finish the console fabrication today. Then it's cutting and fitting the metal for the door panels. Once that's all done, I'll pull the interior for finish and paint, then stick it all back in.
As to the dashboard..... It had a padded cover, which is the reason for all the goo there now. I would have left it there save for the fact that the (P.)P.O. had filled the defroster outlets with spray foam. As I'm putting the heat/vent system back in order, I had to peel the dash cover off to dig the foam out. Once I get the existing interior upgrades finished, I might try to replicate an effigy of a Porsche 550 dash in steel to put in for an overlay. I don't want to get too far ahead though. Lot's of finish work first, then play with that after.
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[Marcdeb]

Wow, I'm amazed at your skills, and how fast you are moving along. Looks very cool.
_________________
Marc
68 Karmann Ghia Cabrio Autostick
71 Karmann Ghia Cabrio

Previously Owned:
2011 VW EOS Hard Top Conv
2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T Conv
2003 Saab 9-3 SE Conv
2001 Saab 9-3 Conv
1998 BMW 3 Series Conv
1997 Saab 900 Conv
1997 Mazda Miata

68 Ghia Vert Survivor with 22,350 miles: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=768107&highlight=
71 Ghia Vert Restoration: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=726710&postorder=asc

[WilliamA]

Paint and reassembly.

More paint.

Welding in frenching buckets for the new 39 Ford taillights. They're all welded in, dollied and filled. I converted the 3-wire taillights to a 2-wire circuit for the ford taillights.

I'm gutting the dash. The new overlay will be smooth steel with nothing in it but the radio. Switches and controls will all be on the console and parking brake handle. I modified the parking brake lever to accept 1" harley handlebar controls. The "clutch" lever now locks the parking brake.

All of the electrical system now runs through the new "brain box". It's a Rough Country MLC-6 relay controller with 6 fused 30 amp max relays. I elected to retain the stock VW fuse block as it does a good job separating the headlight circuits. I converted the windshield wiper circuit to a single wire control and have that run through the mlc-6, controlled via one of the console contura switches. Headlights, wipers and usb outlet are all through contura switches. All other functions (ignition,start, horn, hi/low beam, turn signs, etc) work through the HD handlebar controls via 150 ma relays. The only thing the key switch does.is provide power to the controls.

All powered up and running. Still much detailing to tidy up the wiring and a few misc (dome lights, radio etc) circuits to finish but.the wiring is all run for that.

Back to the english wheel to make a dash overlay, windshield visor and wheel skirts, then a couple hundred hours of finish bodywork....
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[WilliamA]

The new dash overlay. I need to trim the front edge where it meets the windshield with edge molding but I'm pretty happy with it. It's my first piece made on the english wheel.

New 39 ford taillights frenched in. The red smears are spot filler..

_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[WilliamA]

I finished fabrication of the new steel sunvisor. Really pleased with it. I doubt I'd been able to make it (or even attempt it!) without the english wheel. What an interesting tool.

That makes the interior fabrication pretty much done. Lots of details in there to attend. I started it up and drove out into the yard to see how everything is working. All of the electrics seem to be working save the high beams. They work intermittently so it's some sort of ground gremlin. I'll get to that. For now, I'm taking a few days off to work on other projects. Next order of business will be to pull the doors and do a proper job of the finish and detail work. Now that I can once again move it in and out of the shop there'll be more room to work.
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

[WilliamA]

Starting to get the hang of this english wheel business

Flat black metal etching primer....still wet here. I sanded first with 180.

Some bit of massaging to do but I'm really, really happy with the results. Can't wait to take it outside to have a look at it from side-on...

I did get the high beams working. Turns out it was a blown 7.5 amp fuse. I put another 7.5 in and it's holding but that's gotta be right on the edge.of high beam draw. I'll replace the headlight fuses with 15 amp size.
_________________
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
-Theodore Roosevelt