I'm back after 30 years in a 1969 KG coupe

[Joe Hullett]

Life goes full circle I guess.  After 30 years playing with Porsche, Ferrari and BMW, I am back in a 1969 KG coupe.  Got it a couple months ago and spent the last couple months getting it drivable and safe.  I added some euro lenses and Cibie H4 replicas.

Second step is putting it down with Fuch 2L alloys on a 2" narrowed beam with adjusters.  Everything is on its way and will keep the post updated.  

A couple pics of the initial car and ongoing progress.

[danny gabbard]

Look badd ass brother !

[Glauco]

Glad you got back in the game and with a KG. I really love your old car and was truly one of the reasons I bought one 15 years ago to callook it..!

Glauco.

[bedjo78]

Cool ..

[Joe Hullett]

Got a few items for the dropped chassis transformation.  My 2" narrowed beam with torsions and tie rods arrived along with my fully polished Fuchs 2L alloys, NOS caps and chromed lugs but still waiting on the Michelin XZX tires from Coker Tire so the drop is on hold for now.

[Joe Hullett]

Stanley stocker.  LOL

[Joe Hullett]

Put the narrowed lowered beam in this weekend before heading to Daytona for a week. It came out nice but what a PITA.

The EMPI beam is an absolute POS. If this had been a show car or chassis up restoration, I would have been pissed and returned it.

Everything is a compromise with these Chinesium parts. In the end, it all went together but not before some serious words I didn't even know were in my vocabulary.

I am happy with the stance and the 2" narrow, it looks good to me. The lowered shocks are too short as they are topped out with no droop and rode like a tank, and the stock length shocks are bottomed out at ride height. I need something in between.

The Fuchs alloys are at the paint shop color matching the background and still waiting on the Michelins. For now, it makes me smile but still a lot to go...

[Larry S]

Very nice car Joe! Plan on reworking almost every part you buy, even the good parts are not ready to go for the most part....

Larry

[Bryan67]

What were the beam issues?

[Joe Hullett]

It fit with no modifications to the body.  1/4" clearance each side.  Good.

The beam came with torsions so it should be a simple swap.  Not.  Hours getting the arms on and lined up.

The steering box cap nubs on the beam were not straight, it took some grinding on the cap notches to get it right.

The pitman arm leg that contacts the right turn steering stop wouldn't even swing through the bracket.  Had to break out the cutting wheel and shorten the leg.

Lower ball joint boots tore immediately with the new arm angle.  Old joints and boots, not the EMPI beam fault.  New lower ball joints are in my shopping cart.

First guess at the position of the adjusters was way too low, glad I had chosen the adjusters.  Another hour getting it just right

2 days of crawling around on the floor, covered in dirt and grease, every muscle in my body hurts.

Other than that, how was the play Mr. Lincoln?   

[speedwell]

welcome back in the vw world Joe
nice to have you here , your old ghia was badass
could be cool to see some unseen photo of this one back in the days
RGD
Fabs

[Bryan67]

It fit with no modifications to the body.  1/4" clearance each side.  Good.

The beam came with torsions so it should be a simple swap.  Not.  Hours getting the arms on and lined up.

The steering box cap nubs on the beam were not straight, it took some grinding on the cap notches to get it right.

The pitman arm leg that contacts the right turn steering stop wouldn't even swing through the bracket.  Had to break out the cutting wheel and shorten the leg.

Lower ball joint boots tore immediately with the new arm angle.  Old joints and boots, not the EMPI beam fault.  New lower ball joints are in my shopping cart.

First guess at the position of the adjusters was way too low, glad I had chosen the adjusters.  Another hour getting it just right

2 days of crawling around on the floor, covered in dirt and grease, every muscle in my body hurts.

Other than that, how was the play Mr. Lincoln?   

Yeah... that`s no good. I`ve worked for an EMPI dealer in the past. And have always wondered about their beams. Especially the one with the adjusters positioned with the use of dropped spindles in mind. I say that because I`ve installed many of CB Performance`s narrowed ball joints with good luck. Except that when used with dropped spindles, the car sits pretty low. Too low for my tastes at least. One other thing is that EMPI lists the narrowed leaves priced as a single pack. But their price of one pack is as much as a pair from CB.

[Joe Hullett]

welcome back in the vw world Joe
nice to have you here , your old ghia was badass
could be cool to see some unseen photo of this one back in the days
RGD
Fabs

I don't have much but digging around, I found a few...

[speedwell]

thx

[Joe Hullett]

Turbo motor is currently in the machining process and IRS Pro Street transmission ordered from Rick Stanchfield.  While I wait for everything, the stock tweeter pipe exhaust just wasn't working for me.  Installed a merge, into a stinger, into a Dynomax 17676 can and a dump out the same side.  So much nicer looking and sounding than the pea shooters.   

[Joe Hullett]

Added the Autometer Monster, Vintage Speed Black Mamba II shifter and the Grant Performance GT wheel.  Getting ready for the power.

[Larry S]

Turbo motor is currently in the machining process and IRS Pro Street transmission ordered from Rick Stanchfield.  While I wait for everything, the stock tweeter pipe exhaust just wasn't working for me.  Installed a merge, into a stinger, into a Dynomax 17676 can and a dump out the same side.  So much nicer looking and sounding than the pea shooters.   

Joe, did you buy this system complete or did you fab some of it? nice looking unit. reminds me of the turbo muffler setups we use to make years ago in the early 80's.

[Joe Hullett]

Turbo motor is currently in the machining process and IRS Pro Street transmission ordered from Rick Stanchfield.  While I wait for everything, the stock tweeter pipe exhaust just wasn't working for me.  Installed a merge, into a stinger, into a Dynomax 17676 can and a dump out the same side.  So much nicer looking and sounding than the pea shooters.  

Joe, did you buy this system complete or did you fab some of it? nice looking unit. reminds me of the turbo muffler setups we use to make years ago in the early 80's.

Yes Larry, it is fabbed by my design with the muffler shop.  The merge is off the shelf but the muffler design is directly how I did things in the 80's except for the Dynomax 17676 in/out on the same side.  In the old days, we had to route the exit on the opposite end with axle interference.

[Bill Schwimmer]

Car looks awesome!! I hope to make it to some NC events next year, it would be great to catch up.  Keep the Ghia updates coming..

[Joe Hullett]

Car looks awesome!! I hope to make it to some NC events next year, it would be great to catch up.  Keep the Ghia updates coming..

Yeah I missed you at Farmington.  First Bug event I had been to in over 30 years.  Had a blast!

[Joe Hullett]

Wheels are finally back from paint.  On a mission this week to get them mounted.  Can't wait to see how she looks.

[Joe Hullett]

Fuchs are on.  Loving the color matched look.  Happy dance this week.   

[Glauco]

wheels look amazing on the car!

[Peter]

Joe,
did you used dropped spindles or not?
how's the ride now?

I have a lowered/narrowed beam beam but with dropped spindles it sits too low

Peter

[Joe Hullett]

Joe,
did you used dropped spindles or not?
how's the ride now?

I have a lowered/narrowed beam beam but with dropped spindles it sits too low

Peter

No lowered spindles Peter, the ball joints so close to the inside of the wheel drum kinda freaks me out and I'm not even sure if the Fuchs would rub on the lower ball joint. (Some have said they rub)  I can get low enough with just the adjusters on the beam, I have actually gone up twice since first putting it in.

The ride is not bad but I think I at at the limit of stock ball joint travel, I want to try some clearanced ball joints from EMPI designed for additional travel.  At first I had gone with lowered shocks but at the height I wanted, the lowered shocks were topped out and the stock shocks were bottomed out.  I cut the dust sleeves off the stock shocks and cut down the bump rubbers to 1" from 3".  Now I have extra travel of 1" but still not much in compression on the front end pushing by hand.  

It's not a bad ride but I want to be able to compress the front end by pressing down on the fenders to know I have a proper ride.  Remember, factory length beams have torsion leaves that were designed to twist or flex at the stock length.  Shorter leaves in a narrowed beam will not have the same twist or flex due to the shorter length.  Mechanically, it should be a stiffer ride but by how much I can't say.

[Joe Hullett]

2" narrowed beam

[Joe Hullett]

Nice sunny day today on Lake Norman.  Wired up the tach and made a few adjustments to the front suspension and took a ride around the lake.  Driving her is just serenity.  

[Peter]

Thanks Joe,

I think I will modify an original beam and put the adjusters so I can put the car on stock height!

[Neil Davies]

I have used stock shocks on lowered beams, just without the bump stops. Gives an extra 40mm or so travel.

[leec]

Hi Neil,
Sounds like a good idea, when you say without the bump stops, are they the bits at the top of the shock?
Lee