Fun with my 71 Ghia project

[SoCalJes]

Yeah you're so right! I chipped the hell out of the door pillar between the front and rear door getting into my 300 with the hammer of a Beretta 9mm I used to carry on my hip. It's in a pretty big double car garage and its the only car in there. If I trip Ill try to steer my body towards some other less lamentable object

I'm a bit or a realist and what is done is done, worrying about it is not going to make things better.
If it can be fixed great, nothing to worry about since it can be fixed. If it can not be fixed, then there is nothing to do.

I say keep your chin up, put your tail between your legs, fix it and move on. Now if you haven't learned from it and continue to do the same failure well there is a name for that.
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Jesse
71 Ghia
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Just because it didn't come that way, doesn't mean it shouldn't have.

[SoCalJes]

Close, but no cigar on the hydraulic pedal assembly today...

Everything is looking good as far as clearance. At least I'm that much closer.

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Jesse
71 Ghia
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Just because it didn't come that way, doesn't mean it shouldn't have.

[SoCalJes]

Got them in. The guy at the shop where I bought the pedals told me that he had seen someone else put these pedals in a Ghia before but that they had to do a whole bunch of cutting to get them in. I just sued a drill and a hole saw.

By the way if you want to do custom bends on your lines what I do is start with a piece of solid copper 12 gauge wire cut to the same length as the pipe that you need to fit in. I put in all the bends that I need on the cooper wire. Then I just get a brake/fuel line bender and I copy the copper wire's bends.

Now I just want to design a way of having a switch on the pedals for the brakes. The pressure switch on the distribution block will just be a safety backup switch.

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Jesse
71 Ghia
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Just because it didn't come that way, doesn't mean it shouldn't have.

[xzener]

SoCalJes,

Where did you get that air ride solenoid manifold?? Are you running 1/4" lines? What are you using in the rear end? Been buying all my parts for air ride, mocked up a nice control system, just need to figure out a manifold and rear end setup.
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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>!

[SoCalJes]

I'm pretty sure I got the manifold from AVS www.airbagparts.com
They pretty much have whatever you could possibly need to bag anything.

I found a couple of pictures of when I was mocking up the rear suspension. Yes I'm running 1/4 lines on all 4 corners. And don't forget to use an air muffler for your manifold unless you want to make your car sound like a Peterbilt truck bleeding the air brakes

I'm using narrowed rear trailing arms so it might look a little different.

It pretty much tucks all the way. Let me know if you need anything.

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Jesse
71 Ghia
______________________________________
Just because it didn't come that way, doesn't mean it shouldn't have.

[slalombuggy]

Hey Jesse, Your car is an inspiration. One thing about your brake lines. It looks like the line to the rear caliper is only solid on one end, braced in the middle and then the flexible line to the caliper at the other end, You should support both ends of the hardline, not just one end. On a part that moves constantly like a control arm, a set up like that will fatigue the brake line where it is braced in the middle. By supporting both ends you keep the line solid and then just let the S/S hose move with the caliper.

Best practice is to always mount a hardline solid at both ends

brad

[SoCalJes]

Thanks and you are 100% correct on your comments.

Those pictures were during mockup and a lot of things have changed since then. I have a bracket at the end of the hard line by the stainless now. Without it the weight of the stainless line how you see it on that picture would have slowly bent the hardline on every bump from its own weight. Also the strap in the middle of the soft line above the trailing arm is not tight and used more as a guide to keep them away from the bags and have free movement within it.

I have a tendacy to be vaige sometimes because I take for granted that everyone else has done things like this before but your comments will most likely save someone time and hartache.

Are those pics from your bug? Looks nice. I'm by no means a VW expert and this is the first one I've ever touched one so I honestly appreciate when you guys when you chime in.
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Jesse
71 Ghia
______________________________________
Just because it didn't come that way, doesn't mean it shouldn't have.

[slalombuggy]

Yes that's from my green Oval. it sits on a 70 pan with a 3.5" raised rear torsion housing.

I'll never point out things like this in malice, my only reasons would be in the name of safety or to save someone the trouble of spending money badly and having to do something again after a failure.

Cheers

brad

[CiderGuy]

Its been a long time since you posted any updates. How is your car coming along, but more important are you and yours safe ?
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Cars Currently Owned:

1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1973 Karmann Ghia Coupe - Project car for sale
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (Body off restoration)

Timing is everything

[SoCalJes]

Thanks for checking up. We are doing fine now. We got power back up and internet today!!!!

I was freaking out because I still hadn't finished the air suspension electrical and air lines yet and my Ghia had to spend the hurricane in the driveway.

Happy to say not a single scratch even though the winds were strong enough to topple over 3 30 foot + trees over into the canal behind my house and rip the car cover off my Chrysler 300 to shreds.

Been supper busy running my business and life. I'll post some progress soon.
Hope everyone else here from Florida came out as blessed as we did.
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Jesse
71 Ghia
______________________________________
Just because it didn't come that way, doesn't mean it shouldn't have.

[kiwighia68]

It's good to hear you're safe, Jesse.

I've been following your thread and I can't help thinking that when you finish the restoration/rebuild you're going to suffer withdrawal symptoms (like I did).
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Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[SoCalJes]

So glad it wasn't nailed by anything...

The neighbors across the street are still on generators. A palm tree ripped their power lines for their entire block off the pole. FPL said it only effected 40 homes and was not a priority. I think it would be if they lived there! Getting a new carburetor for a generator I have to hand out for a couple of homes to share.
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Jesse
71 Ghia
______________________________________
Just because it didn't come that way, doesn't mean it shouldn't have.

[SoCalJes]

[CiderGuy]

Good to hear everyone came out on the other side OK. I had a 34 foot sailboat that was hulled and moved 3 city blocks by super storm Sandy. The 12,500 boat had been pulled from the water prior to the storm.
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Cars Currently Owned:

1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1973 Karmann Ghia Coupe - Project car for sale
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (Body off restoration)

Timing is everything

[SoCalJes]

I think there is a pretty good count that got either pushed inland or sunk.
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Jesse
71 Ghia
______________________________________
Just because it didn't come that way, doesn't mean it shouldn't have.

[CiderGuy]

Any updates ? Post some pictures, its been awhile...
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Cars Currently Owned:

1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1973 Karmann Ghia Coupe - Project car for sale
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (Body off restoration)

Timing is everything