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My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever.
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 10:58 am    Post subject: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

I am loving the build threads I've perused, so I figured I would (for my own amusement and anyone else who finds it interesting) start documenting this adventure. I've never laid hands on a VW outside of being a passenger, but I've always had an eye for the Ghia and the opportunity presented itself to build one for myself and my son, so here goes nothin'.

Here she is as found in the garage where she sat since 1990. The tires are beyond saving, but the rest of the car is not. You'll see my angsty teenage son holding the license plate light.
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Dragged it out of the garage with a jack under the rear and rehung the doors and engine cover for transport.

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On the flatbed for the ride back to my garage.


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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:04 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

First day of work. My son removing the soft interior bits that are too far gone.
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Monday night of this past week I felt studious so I got to wrenching. I pulled the body bolts minus the two over the shock towers as I don't yet have a floor jack (I'm buying stuff as I need it). I pulled the engine cover off again, removed the decklid, pulled the fuel tank, disconnected and drained the brake lines at the master cylinder which was good because there were some really bad splices in the lines.


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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 5:25 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

Got into it again last night. I was able to recruit some extra hands in the form of my little brother (who subsequently and by coincidence recently became the custodian of a running, driving '68 Beetle) who brought me a floor jack, so after we had a couple cold beverages we decided it was time to get the motor out.

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We pulled the fan shroud, generator and carb since it was going to need to be done anyway and since we had to get creative with the maneuvering due to a lack of jackstands. Taking the top half off makes it a lot easier with regard to the height required to get the motor out from under the car. She's still sitting on four flat tires that are too rotten to hold air, so the back bumper is 6" off the ground. But, after some careful finagling we were able to slide it out of there.
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As soon as the motor separated from the gearbox a familiar odor filled the garage....we pulled the pressure plate and confirmed the source of the smell. This is the flywheel side of the clutch disk.
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Tomorrow my son and I and some friends will start tackling the body removal. More to come.

Cost Log up to this point:

$450 out of pocket for the car (minus the funds from selling my sons rotten Pontiac project car that we essentially had zero investment in but covered the bulk of the purchase price)
$80 for the flatbed
$8 for a set of cheap metric combo wrenches
$14 for malted hop beverages through the course of the build.
Approximately 8 total man hours.
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iowegian Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 5:58 pm    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

It looks like a solid car at a low price, but beware--------------the dollars will flow and don't even try to keep track of how much has been spent. Wink
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motorhead364
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 6:35 pm    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

I like you had never had an ACVW. But I had never even ridden in one. Looks like a good start. Have fun and always be perusing the classifieds here. Get used or NOS as much as possible.

Good luck. Keep posting pics.



Oh and what are the plans? Custom, resto, hot rod?
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 6:23 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

iowegian wrote:
It looks like a solid car at a low price, but beware--------------the dollars will flow and don't even try to keep track of how much has been spent. Wink


I have a feeling my running tally will rapidly devolve in to just keeping track of beer costs. Some of the bits I'm going to have to get are going to be pricey.
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 6:27 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

motorhead364 wrote:
I like you had never had an ACVW. But I had never even ridden in one. Looks like a good start. Have fun and always be perusing the classifieds here. Get used or NOS as much as possible.

Good luck. Keep posting pics.



Oh and what are the plans? Custom, resto, hot rod?


Thanks for the encouragement. It's not as scary as I had initially anticipated. The beauty of these seem to be in the simplicity. I think we're going to keep it as close to stock as possible with a few tweaks for comfort and practically. I have a second non-original motor that I'm going to hotrod, but the motor in it will be built to factory.
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Rome
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 5:20 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

I hope the rest of the Ghia is as solid as it first appears in your photos. $400- what a deal in this era!

Your engine was fitted with air conditioning. That smaller rear crank pulley had the second fan belt which drove the compressor that would've been mounted to the left of the engine but is "missing". The left snout on the fan shroud was purposely bent to the left to make room for the bulky compressor. Normally the snout aimed straight rearward just like the right snout. You probably have a hang-on air vent housing beneath the dashboard which blew the cold air into the interior. Actually- looking at your photo of you disassembling the engine- I don't see the vent housing. But you should be able to see evidence that it was there.

Don't cheap out on your tools. It's wise to invest in a good set (e.g. Craftsman) that will serve you and your son for decades, instead of breaking soon in normal use. My dad bought me my first set of metric sockets when I was 14 and we worked on a free, junkyard-ready '60 Ghia. That was in 1974, before the influx of cheap Asian-made tools. I still am using that socket set regularly! The '60 Ghia is long gone but I've had a '64 Ghia since 1983.

It appears as though your right-rear wheel is a mismatch to the others, having more "deep dish" effect. It'll do for now. If you and your son decide to get other, fancier wheels, then this won't matter.

You can straighten out the dents and waves in the rear bumper by clamping the section in a sturdy bench vise, protecting both sides of the bumper metal with wood blocks. Ease into the clamping pressure until the metal is straightened. Loosen and move the bumper around slightly so the vise jaws work on the dented section. Increase your clamping force each time until the section is flattened out. Don't be tempted to simply bang onto the bumper metal with a BFH since that'll leave hammer marks.

Have your son with you as much as possible during your Ghia revival so he learns from you and gains confidence with working with hand tools, reading repair manuals, referencing tightening torques, etc.
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:50 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

Thanks for all the info. I actually have the underdash unit and the lines are present but they're pretty trashed. Sourcing an OEM compressor and mount are on my short list. We're undecided on wheel choice as it stands, but a couple of the steelies aside from being mismatched are bent on the bead. The guy who had the car before the guy I got it from beat on it pretty good back in the late 80's when it was just another "used car". I have a spare set of bumpers for it that are in better shape that are stored away. As for the tools, we're just getting stuff a bit at a time. I just grabbed a cheap set of combo wrenches to make some forward progress. I'm waiting for Sears to put the set I want on sale.
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 8:02 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

Another productive day in New Guy's Garage. The last few fiddly bits out of the way it was time to get the separation started.



Pulling out the steering column.

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Getting the last two body bolts out of the pan.

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We did manage to get the body and the pan separated but we didn't have enough grunt to split the two yesterday.
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Evil_Fiz
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 8:17 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

Rome wrote:


...Don't cheap out on your tools. It's wise to invest in a good set (e.g. Craftsman) that will serve you and your son for decades, instead of breaking soon in normal use...


Yup, because when you crack you 36mm 3/4 drive socket and the end of the breaker bar trying to remove the rear axle nut, you can stroll into your friendly neighborhood Sears and get shiny new for attempt #2.

Tip: Invest in a GOOD set of impact sockets and a VW Torqhe tool (TorqueMeister, Torque Buddy Etc.) to remove the rear axle nuts and flywheel gland nut. A flywheel lock tool may also come in handy if you plan to do the engine rebuild yourself.

TorqueMeister user review: http://shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=73315

VW Torque Tool: http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC-C10-7036
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Flywheel lock tool: http://www.amazon.com/EMPI-5003-WHEEL-LOCK-TOOL/dp/B00BJPY9OS
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 2:23 pm    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

I have a dumb question that has been bugging me since the start. Visors...can they be repaired? I have a pair and the vinyl is great but the foam is GONE.
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motorhead364
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 3:31 pm    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

I'd say your best bet is new from jbugs. However an auto interior guy might be able to save em.
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lonotch
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:54 pm    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

Since nobody has said it yet, keep every part nut bolt and screw do not throw anything away until you have a replacement no matter the shape it's in.
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 5:18 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

lonotch wrote:
Since nobody has said it yet, keep every part nut bolt and screw do not throw anything away until you have a replacement no matter the shape it's in.


Oh believe me, I am. I have a tackle organizer I delegated for use as a bolt organizer. The only parts I've gotten rid of are trashed interior bits that I know I can get easily. 40 year old German car parts, while available, are not cheap so I plan on rehabbing anything I can.
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NOVA Airhead
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 7:08 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

With respect to this comment:

"Don't cheap out on your tools. It's wise to invest in a good set (e.g. Craftsman) that will serve you and your son for decades, instead of breaking soon in normal use."

Am I the only one that has seen a decrease in the quality of Craftsman tools? I have Craftsman tools that are 35+ years old, Made In USA and are still going strong. Rarely if ever had one break or needed to return a tool.

In the last five years or so I have purchased Craftsman tools and have experienced a fair amount of breakage - cracked sockets, busted screwdrivers and pliers, etc. All were Made in China as it seems most Craftsman tools are now.

Yes they will exchange them but its a real PIA having a broken tool when you are in the middle of something and then have to take them back.

Anyone else seeing this?
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 8:04 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

I have not had issue on any Craftsman tools of recent manufacture, but I tend to look for the ones made in Taiwan as opposed to China.

bryan
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 10:23 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

What are the 2 rubber lines running under your ghia?
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 10:29 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

c21darrel wrote:
What are the 2 rubber lines running under your ghia?


A/C lines. They're thrashed. PO cut them at some point and they have some janky splices so they're going to get removed and probably remade. I'll go to a hose shop and get them redone.
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KidKarmann
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 11:38 am    Post subject: Re: My '73 Coupe. First VW build ever. Reply with quote

didget69 wrote:
I have not had issue on any Craftsman tools of recent manufacture, but I tend to look for the ones made in Taiwan as opposed to China.

bryan


I had a "mechanics" set a few years ago and I put them through the wringer every day doing CNG conversions and I never broke anything. I deliberately beat the dogsnot out of them to see if I could break them since I knew I could get new ones for free. Aside from wearing the shoulders off a 10mm socket using it every day on a pneumatic ratchet I had no problems.
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