Back to SCCA 1972 rules?

[Steve Arndt]

It won't be bolt in. That is why I suggested scrounging since the mounts need mods anyway.
Steve

[RHough]

It won't be bolt in. That is why I suggested scrounging since the mounts need mods anyway.
Steve

Thanks Steve, I know that.

If there were any serious issues with the Procar adapters it should be easy to find horror stories here or on Samba. I have not read any.

The 81398 and 81399 adapters are clearly labeled:
1 x 81398 : 07/69-74 VOLKSWAGEN KARMANGHIA - Driver - Tab - NO PADS MUST DRILL
1 x 81399 : 07/69-74 VOLKSWAGEN KARMANGHIA - Passenger - Tab - NO PADS MUST DRILL

I've spent too many years doing fabrication to think that starting on my own will be faster and/or easier than the modifying someone else's stuff. Drilling holes is a completely different thing from cutting, bending and welding steel. I didn't get to be lazy by accident.

Once I get the Procar adapters in the car the choices for seats are many. Putting that effort into something from a salvage yard would not give the same result. Since one of the planned uses for this car is on the track, I suspect I'll need more than one seat option.

Cheers,
Randy

[FJCamper]

Above: Modified air cleaner, on brand new 1972 Ghia -- in 1972.

Hi Randy,

Check the main jet size in your carb. You probably have an original Solex or a near Solex clone Bocar.

You want a 127.5 or 130 main. You might be running around on something much less.

And, yours being a Ghia, there is precious little room on top of the carb for an air cleaner, and you need some "stand-off" area above the carb mouth. Bug's had almost five inches of built-in velocity stack because of the air cleaner design. At WOT, a considerable fuel fog boils up out of the single carb as manifold vac drops to about 1 to 2 inches of vac. On a Ghia, you can clamp flexible tubing to the carb top and locate the air filter to the side, similiar to what the factory used to do.

These low-profile air cleaners actually cause flat spots on full accelleration, and limit top end.

FJC

[RHough]

Above: Modified air cleaner, on brand new 1972 Ghia -- in 1972.

Hi Randy,

Check the main jet size in your carb. You probably have an original Solex or a near Solex clone Bocar.

You want a 127.5 or 130 main. You might be running around on something much less.

And, yours being a Ghia, there is precious little room on top of the carb for an air cleaner, and you need some "stand-off" area above the carb mouth. Bug's had almost five inches of built-in velocity stack because of the air cleaner design. At WOT, a considerable fuel fog boils up out of the single carb as manifold vac drops to about 1 to 2 inches of vac. On a Ghia, you can clamp flexible tubing to the carb top and locate the air filter to the side, similiar to what the factory used to do.

These low-profile air cleaners actually cause flat spots on full accelleration, and limit top end.

FJC

Thanks Frank,

I would not have suspected that fuel stand-off would be an issue with such a long intake manifold and such a small carb. I don't doubt you and Marc for a minute, just I would not have gone looking for that.

I can get a real deal repro carb connector for under $30 , that setup in your photo looks pretty clean ... I'd consider going for a stock air cleaner but not if the going price is $100

More waiting for parts ...

Randy

[Marc]

If there were any serious issues with the Procar adapters it should be easy to find horror stories here or on Samba. I have not read any...
Once I get the Procar adapters in the car the choices for seats are many...Since one of the planned uses for this car is on the track, I suspect I'll need more than one seat option...

I've been happy with the installation on all of my Scat adapters (at worst, a hole or two needed to be elongated a teentsy bit to get an 8mm bolt to fit) - it's just the height which is a potential issue, and that depends upon what seat you choose. If they're too tall with a cushy seat you might have to whack/reweld `em like I did (still much easier than starting from scratch). Simple enough to add spacer blocks if a thinner seat goes in someday.

They used the identical aircleaner on Buses, so you can sometimes find a better price than on a "Ghia" part. All Buses in the US want to the Type IV engine in `72, but a `68-`71 aircleaner would work in your `72 'Ghia (small differences in the temp-control mechanism, if you want that to be functional you should avoid the early ones with a cable operated flap, those required an extra lever on the engine's thermostat flaps). The best choice IMO is the `71-up (`71-only in USA), which has a self-contained wax-pill t'stat and needs no cable or vacuum connections:


If you don't care about the thermostat flap working automatically you can wire it to the "warm" position on cold winter days. The early aircleaner is a $20-$25 swapmeet item:

[RHough]

They used the identical aircleaner on Buses, so you can sometimes find a better price than on a "Ghia" part. All Buses in the US want to the Type IV engine in `72, but a `68-`71 aircleaner would work in your `72 'Ghia (small differences in the temp-control mechanism, if you want that to be functional you should avoid the early ones with a cable operated flap, those required an extra lever on the engine's thermostat flaps). The best choice IMO is the `71-up (`71-only in USA), which has a self-contained wax-pill t'stat and needs no cable or vacuum connections:

Excellent bit of information! Thanks.

[RHough]

Looking at Frank's road racers, I see more than one bumper solution.

I have the steel 1972 square bumpers with no overriders. Do I keep them? Spend time and money to get the old style bumpers without the towel racks? Build a simple bracket for a front plate and extra lights? Toss some Cal-Look T-Bars on it ans call it good? Does the car need an air dam or chin spoiler? I was amazed at how solid the little car feel in gusty winds at 60-70 MPH ... I expected it to be floaty.

The holes and placement of the bumper brackets are perfect for track day tow points ... just pondering what to do with bumpers and front license plate (required in BC).

I'm open to ideas and the benefits of others mistakes. (Also bored waiting for parts)

Randy

Edit: 10 minutes after posting I found this: http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... 1&t=139500

[Fiatdude]

Hey Randy -- I went with Kirkey seats and with the cloth covers, I've found them to be very comfortable, but I haven't done a 300 mile trip in them yet



and you can see with my cage and me being 6'4" I had very little play room



I ended up making a mount about 2" off the floor that ties into my cage and the Kirkeys with the cover are only about an inch thick.....

Here are some photos of spoilers

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss30 ... 91b757.png

my buddies cup car

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss30 ... 688760.jpg

classic

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss30 ... poiler.jpg

[Marc]

T-bars aren't accepted everywhere. You don't see people getting busted for no/inadequate bumpers as much these days since most of the cars on the road have body-colored plastic ones - in the olden days anything less than a full-width chrome bar drew attention. To be really effective an airdam should drag on the ground, or get as close to it as practical. For a street/track car that needs to be flat-towed, that spells two bumpers to me (one with, one without the airdam). Perhaps you could engineer some tubular receivers that bolt to the stock bumper-bracket locations and corresponding tubes on the bumper that could be quickly affixed with something like trailer-hitch pins at the track.
The front bumper on the 'Ghia on the right is an aluminum one from a `74-`77 Vega (very strong, surprisingly light, and follows the lines of the 'Ghia nose quite well). The airdam is just a length of conveyor belt bolted up along the recessed bottom rail of the bumper; the "W" shape of the bumper stiffens the belt enough that it doesn't fold under at speed.

[Fiatdude]

Also on the spoiler subject -- -- the PO on my car sucked the front bumper in 2" then trimmed it to match the body lines for a very clean semi spoiler

[RHough]

Hey Randy -- I went with Kirkey seats and with the cloth covers, I've found them to be very comfortable, but I haven't done a 300 mile trip in them yet
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and you can see with my cage and me being 6'4" I had very little play room

Wow ... my car is going to look like a ret compared to that!

I really like this shot

karmann x puma(1).JPG

Any guesses on how much it is lowered and what wheel sizes/offsets are on the car? As near as I can tell it was for sale in Portugal in 2012 ...

[RHough]

I've been putting this off too long ...

Today was fit the towbar day.

First up was to mount the bar and see what clearance issues I might have:

20130723_100928.jpg

There is next to no clearance between the towbar and the bumper (it would not go on at all with the front plate on the car):

20130723_100947.jpg

And it puts the hitch only 11" off the ground when the bar is hard up against the bumper:

20130723_101008.jpg

I did some measuring and grade 8 math and went Harbor Freight to see what I could scrounge. Less than $100 I was back and thrashing:

20130723_133007.jpg

20130723_133030.jpg

20130723_133115.jpg

Oh yeah baby ... this works! No welding required!

Notice how I cured the bumper clearance problem?

20130723_133130.jpg

I just took it off.

Pretty good day, had several people honk and or wave at the car ... no cheerleaders yet ...

Randy

[RHough]

I'd like to get the hood to fit a bit better and seal on the trunk weather strip. I don't see obvious adjustment opportunities ... I've seen lots of photos where the hood fit on a Ghia is less than perfect ... so I'm guessing not an easy job?

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And after fitting the new headlamp rings I have no idea how the gaskets are supposed to work ...

20130724_093212.jpg

Any brilliant ideas or pictures that might help?

[FJCamper]

Hi Randy,

Unbolt the hood from the hinges, press them all the way down, and remove the front spring-loaded latch and guide, then set the hood back on the body.

If you have a warped hood, it will show.

FJC

[RHough]

Hi Randy,

Unbolt the hood from the hinges, press them all the way down, and remove the front spring-loaded latch and guide, then set the hood back on the body.

If you have a warped hood, it will show.

FJC

Okay ... I'll give that a try.

Oh ... Shifter update

I went from this Scat

20130724_153542.jpg

To OEM with a shift kit

20130724_162211.jpg

Much better I think ... I can find 2nd on a downshift now ...

The shift rod bushing? What shift rod bushing? Unless the shift rod is supposed to move up and down about 3/4" and flop around ... it is seriously worn out. I think I'll wait until I get the car back to Canada and to the rear coupling and the bushing at the same time ...

Even with a ton of extra slop I like it better than the Scat.

What are the adjustment tricks? The Manual that I'm learning to unlove says:

"The bracket and stop plate can be variously positioned on their elliptical holes for best shifter lever angle relative to the driver and shift rod socket."

Fat lot of help? Anywhere I like as long as it gets all 4 gears? Seems un German ... there ought to be a procedure

Randy