Best year for a ghia?

[hambone]

This is a nice one:
[albumimg]983[/albumimg]

[Sylvester]

This is a nice one:
[albumimg]983[/albumimg]

What the heck is going on in that picture?

[ruckman101]

Golly, a bit excited about the new Ghia, c'mon, uh, uh, dang it, ok. How about touched instead of crazed.


neal

[hambone]

To me, crazed is the highest of compliments.

[ruckman101]

I try to balance crazed with fanaticism.


neal

[ruckman101]

Well the valves were there, intake on #1 a bit tight, otherwise fine. The throttle arm on the carb doesn't return all the way explaining the extreme idle. Timing was much too advanced, past the 7.5 degree notch in the pulley, probably 9 degrees. Set it to 0 degrees. Tomorrow, adjust the accelerator cable. Dwell was 48 degrees. My Bentley says timing should be at 0 degrees for the first half of the year, 5 degrees for the second half. I need to confirm the manufacture date. At 0 degrees, and even before I set it there, it seems a bit sluggish. My bus feels faster on the power curve. The ghia seems to struggle to accelerate, and I even found my foot to the floor in third was sluggishly accelerating. Sigh. It's a volkswagen. I guess I should get the # off the distributor to see what it is supposed to be doing. Vacuum only advance. Hoping to get it running steady enough to run up to Amboy Sunday. So timing is suppose to be set with the vacuum hose disconnected and blocked, which made absolutely no difference in idle or timing, could that be right?


neal

[Westy78]

Time for the specific distributor not the year of the car.

[Bookwus]

Hiya neal,

......... So timing is suppose to be set with the vacuum hose disconnected and blocked, which made absolutely no difference in idle or timing, could that be right?

Hmmmmm........is your vacuum can functional?

[ruckman101]

Vacuum can functions. I get advance when the rpms increase. According to the Bentley, full advance with this distributor is at 33-35 degrees. I guess that's where I should set my timing.

Gretchen rolled out the factory door in February of 1970.

My carb has me confused. Instead of a 30 PICT 3, it says H30/31 PICT.

And, Gretchen is indeed a 37 year old VW. Figured out why the accelerator arm doesn't fully close. The pedal cluster is fuzzy corroded like a bad battery terminal, so the accelerator pedal has limited travel. Fast idle? Comprimised pedal cluster.

Fun fun fun. And, now I need jack stands to pull the clutch cable off the tranny. I can't shimmy under Gretchen like I can Bertha bus.


neal

[Bookwus]

Hiya neal,

You should have a single port "B" series engine if the car is still somewhat original. Great engine. And you are right on the money; you should have a 30PICT3. That 30/31 is a "generic" replacement for the 30 series carbs. Nothing inherently wrong with them; lotsa folks run 'em. Were it me though, I'd be looking for a rebuildable 30PICT3. I'd much prefer the original Solex.

[ruckman101]

Thanks for the carb reassurance Bookwus. Yes, the engine is a B series single port. I was assuming it was a 1600 but after looking here and there, I suspect it may only be a 1500.

Getting to know Gretchen,
neal

[tristessa]

. The pedal cluster is fuzzy corroded like a bad battery terminal, so the accelerator pedal has limited travel.

Interesting. That's a new (well .. within the last year) development. Check the transaxle-to-chassis grounding strap, I betcha it's disconnected or broken.

Never got that far under the car to check it out...

[ruckman101]

I never noticed a ground strap there before on the bus. I'll check it out after I get a couple logs to use as jack-stands. Can't crawl under there.


neal