Shiftin' Ghia

[Black Sheep]

No for the first time in my life i meant it like that.

I knew you would find it funny.

That's a first , you never mean to DO anything  , first it was the S button playing up on your keyboard , now your having trouble with your R's .
Who do you think you are Jonathan Wross 

[The Reflex]

Hi 'bother', yes im here!!
anyway its looking good bro, and i do like the colour even if it isn't red, but i like all the same, love the seats too
I just need to get my ass in gear get rid of the 3 cars sittin at home and get myself a race car for easter!!!! 

[RUSS74GHIA]

Good old ebay.

For next year I needed to sort out an FIA spec harness. Basic 3 point harnesses start at around £110

I've just secured this new SCHROTH Profi II-6 which retails at £185, for just £56





Tinware has been stripped and repainted as well, with some help from my little lady

[The Reflex]

Can't wait to see it Russ
(do you think you'll let me take her down the strip again with all her newness?!)
When you next going to Phil's to get some updated pics to show us all? 
Luv ya, Loulou xx

[RUSS74GHIA]

Can't wait to see it Russ
(do you think you'll let me take her down the strip again with all her newness?!)
When you next going to Phil's to get some updated pics to show us all? 
Luv ya, Loulou xx

Of course you can Lou, I guess Big Bang will be the first meet where there'll be any RWYB. And remember Lou, she'll be a little quicker - gotta make sure you locate all required gears this time

I popped in at Phils 'shop again today.

He's had other customers' cars in this week, so just a wee bit of progress.
He's been concentrating on gapping/blending the shut line for the front end.

[The Reflex]

[/quote]
Of course you can Lou, I guess Big Bang will be the first meet where there'll be any RWYB. And remember Lou, she'll be a little quicker - gotta make sure you locate all required gears this time

I popped in at Phils 'shop again today.

He's had other customers' cars in this week, so just a wee bit of progress.
He's been concentrating on gapping/blending the shut line for the front end.




[/quote]  LOL

That would be soooo good seen as i dont think im gonna have a race car by then?? xxx

[RUSS74GHIA]

Thanks again for al the encouragement.

I've recently broken my laptop and can't get on Photobucket on my works PC so the updates have been a little thin on the ground - I am about to make amends:)

I could never get the driver's door to hang/shut properly after doing the n's heater channel a few of years ago.


 I'd allowed the B-pillar to move, so Phil has painstakingly put this right




Also welded up the trim holes on te door


And here's what she looked like about 10 days ago


Here's what we started with on the offside rear


Most of the manky mangled wing/rotten arch removed


All the inner arch rot repaired


Here's the finished arch

[RUSS74GHIA]

A couple more of the front





And some side shots, you can see where the offside has been repaired and primed




Now here's where it starts to get funky:D

The kit-car wings have been bonded to a decklid to create a buck for the new one-piece fibreglass rear end




All looking good so far

[RUSS74GHIA]

And here's the best bit yet. I'm a little hesitant to show these as they'll really give the gane away, but I thought Phil's work deserves to be shown.

Here's the rear end prepared to take the one piece rear end.






The spot-welds have been drilled out and in their place some captive nuts installed to make the rear tray removable. This has also been strengthened with some tube.
I'll probably relocate the battery to the boot floor to keep this area tidy. There'll also be some side tins made to stop the ingress off road dirt, rubber off the tyres;) and heat from the exhaust.

I've also been given a window net by fellow VWDRC racer Laurie Craig. Thanks mate

Also tracked down a replacement IRS box as the current one whines a fair amount, when it turned up I checked the code and it's a late 1303s/Karmann Cab one which means it's got the shorter 3.875 final drive, I'm currently running the standard Ghia/Type3 4.125. Happy Days:) Thanks Harv

On the engine front - I've sourced a new early style fan-housing and double valve springs from Airspeed UK, thanks Rich & Martin

Longer term I plan to build a full-on 2442 stroker motor, I've already sourced a T04 turbo and Holley 4Barrel for that, although I'm giving myself well over 2 years to build the beast.

[vwcab]

What you said,a BEAST.This is gonna be a hell of a ride.
Good work and let the pics come. 

[Eddie DVK]

Now thats cool, a one piece rear end, cool car also.
Keep pictures coming, nice to follow.

[RUSS74GHIA]

I've sorted out a couple of slightly earlier rear lights as the fibreglass wings I've got are 69-71 and won't take my standard late Ghia lights.
The Holley turned up and everything appears to move as it should. It's a 750 Vac Sec, so should suit a turbo set up nicely, ie it should behave itself through all throttle conditions.

[jimi323]

ahahah like chevy in "two lane blacktop"  [ Attachment: You are not allowed to view attachments ]

[RUSS74GHIA]

ahahah like chevy in "two lane blacktop" 

Yep, separated at birth

[jimi323]

 

[team97]

You are doing an excellent job on the one piece parts but...........I think unless you paint the car black, the amount of vertical seams are going to distract from all your hard work. two extra vertical lines  added to a car that was somewhat seamless. Just an opinion and I do like the work and concept!

[RUSS74GHIA]

Well here's the moment I've been waiting for, the rear end is fresh out of the mould, no trimming, no cleaning-up.





Starting to look like a complete car again

[Jesus]

Looking good fella, liking Phil's work!

[RUSS74GHIA]

Looking good fella, liking Phil's work!

Thanks.

Actually it's Lorraine his missus that does the GRP/Resin work, Phil prefers steel

[Jesus]

They make a good team

[Zach Gomulka]

Reminds me of this one off Cobra, nicknamed "Flip Top"

[RUSS74GHIA]

Almost identical 

The rear piece will be forward hinging/removable though because of the engine access required. As with the front, the aim is for no visible fixings, as nice as dzus fasteners are.

[RUSS74GHIA]

I was reassembling the engine today and it soon became apparent that the case is shot. The rear beariing has a standard thrust and wouldn't drop into place on the dizzy side of the case as it was too narrow. When I tried it on the right side of the case it wasn't even round! So it hought maybe a line-bore might save it, but as I bolted the two halves together without the crank there was a huge gap betweenthe case halves - it had obviously got too hot.

So I've no idea what I'm going to race in April, I can't afford a new case, and even sourcing a used case & getting it cut for my 94mm B&Ps (if indeed I want to do that) is going to cost another couple of hundred quid on top of what I've already poured into the car over the last few months.

Bugger.

[Harry/FDK]

Russel, with all this money/work invested...I would take another year for the build. Time flies when your having fun !

[RUSS74GHIA]

Well, I'm keen to get the car finished for the Volksworld show in March and out on the strip the following weekend at Easter Thunderball. So I'm picking up a case from the machine shop on Saturday

Back on track!

[Wout]

Good luck!

Allready looking verry nice!

gr
Wout

[RUSS74GHIA]

Well I've got the case. It's been freshly tapped for full flow, cut for my B&Ps and shuffle pinned. Whilst I was there I dropped my heads off as these are to be cut for double valve springs. So I should have the short block assembled this week, ready to build the heads up next weekend.
All the tinware has been refurbed so it should look pretty tidy when it's all assembled.

[kev d]

Some nice work & fresh ideas in there Russ
Decided on the colour yet?
Cheers,
Kev

[RUSS74GHIA]

Some nice work & fresh ideas in there Russ
Decided on the colour yet?
Cheers,
Kev

The colour was always going to be Pacific Blue, even before all this rebuild malarky it was how I wanted it

[Black Sheep]

lookin good russ will drop that dizzy over to sis this week