Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

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Fred
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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Fred »

Top tip for sure! How on earth did you manage that? Must be the style of them. You couldn't get that wrong with a typical jap one or the steering ones.
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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Andreas »

There are two ball joints on each side. One you push from the bolt side and the other one you push from the opposite side. Plus, I'm an idiot! To be fair, the flange of the ball joint looked like part of the arm because of the amount of rust. Also, you can push the ball joint in the wrong way on one of the arms because it is designed to be used on both sides. Don't ask me how I know. Also, also, you must remember to press them in while oriented the right way. So. many. mistakes.
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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Fred »

And that, Andreas, is how we learn! :-) I made So.Many.Mistakes. on my VWs, too, as a young guy, some of my first automotive cockups, actually. And at some point, I'll have to go back and fix them up, too :-D
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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Andreas »

I don't mind making mistakes. That's how you learn. If you don't make any mistakes, you aren't challenging yourself.

I got a lot done this weekend. ...or maybe I'm just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I just need to get some seals for the front wheels and I can put the rotors and calipers on. I need to buy a drum brake cylinder for one wheel and I will be done with the rear brakes. I'll have both rear shocks done with a few more minutes work. Then I can put all four wheels back on! The rear of the car was sagging, but I think I may wait to fix that (easily done on a VW type 1).

I painted all of the surrounding tin of the engine flat black. It looks amazingly good...and much better than the semi-gloss black I tried at first. I might try painting the whole car a flat color. My wife said that was ok, but we will have to see what a test piece looks like first.

I have all of my fuel system components. I need to connect the throttle body to the intake manifolds. I guess I have to weld something up.

Then I just need to build the Jaguar board and wire it up. :shock: I was planning to try to run the engine out of the car first. I'm not sure if that is a good idea or not. I'll have to start the car with a wrench on the generator like an early car. :)

If I put the engine in first I have to install the new clutch, pressure plate and flywheel.

Painted tin. You'll see the final results in another day or so.

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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Fred »

I have a couple of issues with running it up on the bench:

1) Wasted time setting all components up, only to do it again in the car.
2) Fresh engine, no ability to load it to seat the rings.
3) Breaking your wrist is not fun :-p
4) Fabricate a bracket for the starter if you decide to bother doing this.

Aside from that, no harm in it. FreeEMS engine number 4 has only ever run "on the bench" :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vwh6hnmTGE and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4lZJu2fMZ8 and others :-D

Re drum cylinders, consider a few things:

1) Do both, not one. Someone I know had mismatched bore diameters and resulting imbalance from doing just one.
2) Get them sleeved in s/s or brass and kitted, they last forever this way.
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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Andreas »

Ok, maybe I'll just put it in to run it. I thought of all those reasons, but I figure I would save myself having to take the thing out when I find out it won't run because I left the cam shaft out or some such thing. :oops:

So, the tin is all painted, so I figure I would mount the fancy high flow injection intake manifolds and admire them. Ooops, apparently they are bigger than stock -- probably meant to go on high flow heads. So...either I have to cut a couple of head bolts shorter and modify the engine tin or grind a bunch of material from the fancy manifolds. Ugh. So much for spending money to save time.

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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by ToxicGumbo »

The painting turned out really well. What kind of prep work did you put into it?


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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Andreas »

I wire brushed it by hand just to get caked on grease and loose rust off. I didn't put a lot of work into it. It is the matte that hides the sins. Also, I've had really good experience with the Rust-oleum pro enamel (http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalo ... amel-spray paint in the past. I'm actually thinking of using it for the body of the car! They have very limited colors though. I would use their clear matte over the top of either their paint or another brand.

The manifold is so big that I might have to take it off to change the #3 spark plug. That was the one I had to put an insert in bc the hole was stripped. I put it in a few degrees askew and it is now a problem. I think I actually have to grind the manifold to get the spark plug wires on. :oops:

I did end up cutting the two head bolts shorter and modifying the tin like crazy and it fits. I'm glad it came with nuts, bc regular ones don't fit on it -- like Fred mentioned about not too long ago.
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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Fred »

Got any "after" shots of the hacked tin/manifolds installed? And I'm forced to wonder: How's the port matching from manifold to head?
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Re: Jaguar 0.7 alpha build for 1972 VW Karmann Ghia

Post by Andreas »

It took a while to do the first one. I had to do some serious cutting on the upper cylinder tin. I had to cut the bolts, but that was no issue. The second one was quicker since I could use the other side as an example. It looks like I'll be able to change all the spark plugs without an issue, but space is certainly tight. I had to file off a small bit of the corner of one of the manifolds, but no big deal. I also had to dremel out some more space on one manifold bc there just wasn't room to get the nut on!

The ports on the manifolds match the stock ones. I had the option to have them port match their in-stock high flow heads for $200 or something like that. Here they are installed.

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