Ok, now is a 1970 Convertable Ghia Resto thread...

[Amskeptic]

Engine seal is in and it wasn't too hard to do...lots of elbow grease.
Today I just worked on fixed the horn button, all new bolts, washers, springs etc so it actually works like it should..love the dual tone horns finally blasting out.
Found some chrome polish and rubbed out the rear bumper so it looks fairly decent now.
Started to track down the rear license plate lites wires as it has no 12v power to it.

I looked at the heat exchangers and I need to pull em and close the metal around the piping so they don't leak so much. Maybe weld em up?

Nope! VW didn't worry too much, neither shall you. Expansion and contraction is pretty severe here. If you weld too much, you might find some interesting cracks . . .

[Bleyseng]

How about knurling the outer skin so it isn't so loose? There is a 1/4" gap all the way around and I am trying to get as much hot air into the cabin. Right now it doesn't defrost for sh*t nor heat up space. Yes, I have adjust the cables etc.....I will pull em to see it they are blocked and functioning properly..
Lots of oily grime to clean off while I have it apart...

[Amskeptic]

How about knurling the outer skin so it isn't so loose? There is a 1/4" gap all the way around and I am trying to get as much hot air into the cabin. Right now it doesn't defrost for sh*t nor heat up space. Yes, I have adjust the cables etc.....I will pull em to see it they are blocked and functioning properly..
Lots of oily grime to clean off while I have it apart...

I used Extreme Temperature Oxygen Sensor Safe Permatex Orange RTV in the gaps between the sheetmetal and the pipes themselves. It stank during curing, but allowed things to expand and contract nicely.
There is so much overcapacity in the heat exchanger airflow, that I wonder if you have problems elsewhere, like heater channels. I have known many bugs and Type 3s (particularly mine) that just melt you out of the car.
Colin

[Bleyseng]

Good tip and I'll seal em up. I'll look and clean out the heater channels to try to improve airflow.
Removed the windshield and it was totally goobered with silicone to try to seal it. Thank God the frame is rust free! (unlike the westy). I'll reuse the OEM glass as its in great shape. Looks fairly easy to install the glass in the seal, then install the chrome trim in the rubber, then install the windshield in the frame. There were little wooden pieces to space the glass in the frame, what the heck did VW use for spacers? Rubber blocks? (like Glass Companys do)
Now to pull the trashed dashpad and replace it with the new one..lots of using mirrors to find those pesky studs underneath it..

I'll take some pics to post.
Oh, after spending some time laying underneath the engine, I have noticed its a Universal case as it has the extra metal and tapped for the bus engine mounts.. Its stamped with just a "B" code, no numbers.
Also its time to replace all the rubber fuel line and clamps as they are shot!

[Bleyseng]

I replaced the windshield with the new seal.Wow, its quite the job to install the chrome trim in the seal but I did finally. Installing the windshield into the frame was easy. I used dishsoap for lube and a length of wire for a pull string, worked great. New seal fits perfectly. Hopefully, the Ghia is now water tight as I want to drive the damn thing.
The dash that came was the wrong one as somewhere in the middle of 1970 they changed the dashes to a different style..Great! Why don't they mention that on there site when ordering. They say fits a 70 Ghia and it doesn't.. I called and had to reorder.
Rewired the brake warning lite system, repairing the hacked wires on the dual ciricut master cylinder.. Guess it was too hard for some mechanic to just reinstall the wires correctly.
Re build the wiring to the rear window defogger as that was hacked..maybe this mechanic just didn't like wiring?
Replaced and installed all the missing tin screws which helped to stop the heat exchangers from flopping around. Seal the HE's with high temp RTV as per Colin.
My Plan is to get the Ghia assembled and road worthy ASAP as we have a "date" to leave to go to Suriname. I want the Ghia almost "turn key" for when we return in late summer so I can just drive it instead of having a ton of repairs to do then. This also is true of the Westy.

[Bleyseng]

Finally got some HEAT! and the it defrosts too front and rear with a working light in the speedo pod.
New dash is in and looks nice too.

Now I have to pull the gas tank (I just filled it up) to repair the steering columun bushing as its grounding out on the body. I should have a 1/2" gap but its rubbing. I think the mechanic pulled it and then fubar'd it back in without checking its fit. Damn horns which I got working honk or and off...

But its nice and drivable finally!!

[gmag69]

This thread is useless with out pics

[Bleyseng]

ok, pic of the two different dashes used in 70. Mine is the lower one that is used from mid 70-74. Got a new one and have to finish installing it.

[Bleyseng]

Glass out and glass in

[Bleyseng]

This is how I keep the car dry at night. Its a umbrella cover that I have for the 914 but it still works fine for the Ghia if its outside.

I still am battling the seals and leaks, I have slowed them down some but water inside means RUST on a convertible.
Right now its fun to drive even if its raining as its warm, fairly water tite and the horn is the only thing that doesn't work like it should. For 57hp it does ok around town and everywhere it goes people horn or walk up to it and look at it.
I'll pull the gas tank, steering column and fix the shorting out problem for the horns today if I can as I still get cut off all the time by idiots driving in this city.

Time is running down for us to finish up and then store the cars as we are leaving Mar 8th to work in Suriname.

[Bleyseng]

Sun was shinning for atleast a whole hour today so I ran outside and fixed the glass seal on the convertable top that wasn't sealing. ARGH, I was driving me crazy as it leaked air and water that blew onto the driver's neck. Great fun driving around wet Seattle...

Bought a set of the Bosch H4's from BD and they should be here friday. Can't wait as the sealed beam headlights SUCK! At night its really hard to see driving around unless you are on a main street with all the street lights..

[Amskeptic]

Sun was shinning for atleast a whole hour today so I ran outside and fixed the glass seal on the convertable top that wasn't sealing. ARGH, I was driving me crazy as it leaked air and water that blew onto the driver's neck. Great fun driving around wet Seattle...

Bought a set of the Bosch H4's from BD and they should be here friday. Can't wait as the sealed beam headlights SUCK! At night its really hard to see driving around unless you are on a main street with all the street lights..

I never had trouble with 12 volt VWs and their as-God-intended sealed beams, because I never could out-drive their beams.

[hambone]

Me too.
Try driving with a tired 6V system....dim candles.

[Bleyseng]

I think the problem with the sealed beams is they are really old cuz they throw out this weak yellowish feeble light. Probably the electrical connections are fubared like everything else on the car. The whole electrical connection/fusebox behind the dash has been painted black and then hacked. It takes forever to trace wires when you have to first clean them with Goof off and 0000 steel wool so you can find out their color coding. Nothing was wired like the Factory electrical diagrams so its taken tons of time sorting it out just so the wipers, lights, turn signals, dome light etc work like they should.

I have never understood why so called "mechanics" hack everything they touch. This car was owned by a woman (bought it new) and never worked on it herself. It had tons of repair docs and then it passed to her Aunt who didn't drive it. The Aunt took it as payment for a loan, then she passed away leaving it to her daughter who drove it for two years and then parked it until I got it. The daughter had lots of work done on it, new brakes etc so it was fairly safe but the level of hacking by mechanics has me baffled.
I still need to repair the electrical connections for the turn signals under the steering wheel as someone pulled the wheel and the turn signal switch and cut the wires for some reason. They are butt spliced and stuffed back into under the switch and all of it doesn't fit for crap now. The turn signal switch fits funny and rubs plus there is a unknown short which makes the horns beep as you turn the wheel. I hope to address that mess tomorrow or today if the weather is decent.

Last night we drove via the freeway to a friends house and it was so nice to have the seal fixed!!! Woohoo, no more cold air blowing on my neck and it was much quieter too. Small task, big improvement. =D>

[Bleyseng]

Today driving the Ghia to the garage to pick a few tools the "scratch scratch" sound coming from the rear brake drums was getting worse and louder. My son was with me and said "lets look at that before we get back on the freeway". Ok, so we pull the 914 out and drive the Ghia in and jack it up off all four wheels.
We poke around and "Aha! this front wheel bearing is kinda loose." Off comes the wheel and grease cap. Hmm, low and behold the pinch bolt is falling out. I re-adjusted the wheel bearing and tighten it down.
Ok, now lets look at the rear, shove the wheels back and forth. Hmm, this is kinda loose but can't be the wheel bearings. Off come the wheel and I check the drums for slop...yep, lots of movement. Hmmm, these are supposed to be torqued to 217ftlbs. Out comes the cotter pin and WOW the axle nuts are on finger tight!. Damn, how can someone do that stupid. We get out the big socket and bar and tighten both sides nice and tight. I adjust the rear brakes since I am there and its easy access with the car in the air. Back together it goes and we torque down the lug nuts to spec.
The Ghia drove much better on the freeway with out this slight wobble to the rear wheel it had, kinda tracked like the rear was drunk.
Didn't get anything done today I had planned but the Ghia drives better.