Vintage Road Race Ghia...

For road racing, autocrossing, or just taking that curve in style. Oh yea, and stopping!
JWP
Posts: 171
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:00 pm

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by JWP »

Cefolar, about how much drop in the rear will you have? Do you know the affect this will have on your shocks? I just ordered my adjustable spring plates and got to thinking about installing them, ride height and the like.
Thanks in advance
Jason
r1cpowdercoating
Posts: 210
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:37 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by r1cpowdercoating »

cefolar, you might get that fast at road atlanta on the back straight.
cefolar
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:08 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by cefolar »

Transaxle got installed this weekend along with the SAW adjustable spring plates (much better quality than the "generic" ones I've seen). I set them at 17 deg which was the recommended setup from the SAW site with the adjusters set so I could tune additional drop from there.

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JWP
Posts: 171
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:00 pm

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by JWP »

Looking good, did you happen to see my question about the shocks?

Do I spy a 55 Belair in the background?
cefolar
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:08 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by cefolar »

JWP wrote:Looking good, did you happen to see my question about the shocks?

Do I spy a 55 Belair in the background?
Thanks and good eye - - that would be my buddy's all original salmon/grey 55 Bel Air. I don't expect the rear drop to effect shock travel - I think the rear shocks have a much longer overall stroke length than the fronts. They are also fairly stiff so I wouldn't expect the car to use a significant amount of the available. So bottom line is I think with a 1-2" drop it should be ok.
JWP
Posts: 171
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:00 pm

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by JWP »

Thanks, thats my favorite color combo on a Belair.

Thanks on the shock info, I'm not yet sure on my final drop in the rear, but it shouldnt be much more than what you have
r1cpowdercoating
Posts: 210
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:37 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by r1cpowdercoating »

well how is the ghia coming? its almost race time!!!!!!!!!!
cefolar
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:08 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by cefolar »

So I'm going to try one of these on for size and see how it goes. Given that by some miracle the tires fit by my surprise, I thought I would push my luck. Just ordered one to do the test fitting - - if that goes well. Then a full set it is. Waiting for the rear discs to come in, going to get the back of the car buttoned up and I'll test fit this wheel on all four corners (without scratching it so I can send it back if things don't go well)...

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helowrench
Posts: 1925
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 6:20 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by helowrench »

Size/offset/$$ ??

Rob
cefolar
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:08 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by cefolar »

helowrench wrote:Size/offset/$$ ??
Its a reissue of a vintage Enkei style called the "Compe" - 15X5.5 with stock vw 4X130 pattern. Advertised as ET17, but doesn't seem like it. I guess I'll find out when I put it on the car. Price tag is around $120, I got this one from TireRack...
helowrench
Posts: 1925
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 6:20 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by helowrench »

I had a set of those or very similar Enkei rims on a Golf. Likedd them a lot.
84im
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:25 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by 84im »

I'd like a set of those, but in a Porsche bolt pattern and a 40+ offset.
Very nice!
cefolar
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:08 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by cefolar »

Some new progress towards setting it on the ground - got the back brakes installed. I picked up the ones from Jamar - they are higher quality than I expected. Although they seem to have one problem with the bracket that I need to call them on.

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Now the probelm with the brakes - the Jamar bracket is about .030 thinner than the old conversion bracket that was on the car. When I pull the bearing cap tight the bracket is still loose in the bearingcap>bracket>axle tube sandwich. Either I am putting the big o-ring in the wrong place - or the bracket is just wrong:

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JWP
Posts: 171
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:00 pm

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by JWP »

Nice work. I can't wait to see it on the ground. Good luck on working out the brake issue.
cefolar
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:08 am

Re: Vintage Road Race Ghia...

Post by cefolar »

JWP wrote:Nice work. I can't wait to see it on the ground. Good luck on working out the brake issue.
I think I figured it out - - I swapped to the short axles and I'm still using the '68 bearing cap which I think is incorrect for the short axle setup. Hoping that is it and the bearing is not incorrect because I don't want to go through the pain of pulling them back off.
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