Karman Ghia nose tools , for reshapeing damaged nose skins

[SCashman]

Anyone have a used GAB FAB they want to sell ???
Looking at the reviews I don’t need much to get the nose of my 72 dialed in .... may do by hand if not

[Mellow Yellow 74]

The ridge of the repro nose was way off - the shape is wrong (too flat) and one side is higher than the other at the edge of the ridge.

Photo taken from another thread:

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1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon)

[CiderGuy]

[Mellow Yellow 74]

I have used these tools to reshape the damaged/incorrect nose ridge profile on my new reproduction nose panel.

First I tried doing it with the male die in a vice and having someone hold the panel over the top with me hammering on the female die over the top. This gave terrible results because it is difficult to hold the panel square and level over the die and it is also difficult to line up the dies so you are hammering the female die directly on the male die.

To overcome this problem, on the advise of the professional panel beater in the shop where I am doing this work, we used a milling machine to mill a step in the base of each half of the tool so they fit in the jaws of an Eckhold metal forming machine. This allows you to line up the two tools exactly and it hammers the upper tool against the lower tool while you hold the panel. This reshaped the nose ridge profile better but left really bad tool marks along the ridge and on either side.

Although the tools have the correct cross section of the ridge they are quite flat and do not match the curve of the nose ridge (up and down) or the crown of the nose (side to side). In order to overcome this I had to linish the tools quite a lot to give a curved "lead-in" on the upper and lower edges of both halves of the tool and to give some curve to the sides and to round the edges and corners.

This gave much better results and removed some of the previous tool marks but I still have a fair bit of hammer and dolly work and file finishing to do to get it right. This is a little disappointing given that the new nose panel and nose tools were quite expensive to buy and have shipped to Australia.

I think these nose tools are not really suitable for an amateur to use by themselves as they are supplied. They need to be used by an experienced/professional panel beater who is able to modify them as required to give a good result. Others may disagree but this is based on my experience and the advice of a professional panel beater.
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1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon)

[Mellow Yellow 74]

Thanks Motorhead, fairly obvious now you have said that I guess. I am repairing a new repro front nose which was dented a little in transit plus the profile of the ridge is not even, so I can hold the inner tool in a vice like 1960bus said in another thread. I will still need a helper to hold the panel while I hammer

[motorhead364]

I had a buddy hold the big inner die and I held the smaller outter die and hammer. It's definately a two person job. We got mine in pretty nice shape with em.
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63 ghia coupe

[Mellow Yellow 74]

I just ordered these nose tools and am interested in some advice on the best way to use them - can anyone who have used these advise?
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1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon)

[1960bus]

A YouTube video on the technique would be the easiest way to see but I guess I'll work it out when it arrives.
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Dan

1958 Ghia Vert
1960 RHD Deluxe Microbus
1966 RHD Devon Kombi

[motorhead364]

I bet you could but it's heavy and you could get out of control pretty quick and go to far with it. It would be nice though. As it is it looks like it's going to take two people.

Maybe Danny will chime in with a lesson on how to use it.
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63 ghia coupe

[1960bus]

Would this work on a pneumatic hammer setup if adapted?
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Dan

1958 Ghia Vert
1960 RHD Deluxe Microbus
1966 RHD Devon Kombi

[CiderGuy]

[motorhead364]

Looky what I got today!

Thanks Danny for the wicked fast shipping

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63 ghia coupe

[lawn ninja]

Sorry Danny, sometimes I'm not on here for a week at a time. Parts I'd love to see for non owlight cars are good fenders, either whole or section replacements. The ones I've seen out there are not very good and it if you want it right you really need to find a clean clip. My car for instance is a 63 and it is hard to find front end parts for it. There is some other small stuff but some of your lowlight parts will work in place. Also if you'll have more of those nose tool in a couple of weeks I'll be picking a set up from you.
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Jason

My 64 1500 S Notchback project here
My 58 sedan project here
My 63 Ghia here

[danny gabbard]

10 sets finished and are 150.00 plus shipping , Please send address for shipping quote
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Shipping is NOT included in any of my products or parts. Just want to say thanks from GAB-FAB for any purchase!!

[danny gabbard]

[djway3474]

Man I wish that tool had been avail a while back. Looks sweet

[Zack1978]

[danny gabbard]

[Zack1978]

Perhaps this is dumb question to more skilled among us, but can someone post a few lessons on how to actually use the new tool? Are you just placing the tool behind the nose and hitting outward? My metal skills are pick and file level, and not much more, sadly.
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1972 Coupe

[danny gabbard]

Just finished 10 sets of Male / Female dies to reset / reshape Ghia nose skin peak. Carbon steel , CNC machined , And Tig welded
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Shipping is NOT included in any of my products or parts. Just want to say thanks from GAB-FAB for any purchase!!