66 Ghia, new owner, LOTS of questions!

[phishfud]

I just got a 66 Ghia vert, and I have a ton of questions. The car is mostly together and rust free, but is missing some stuff, and has had some serious modifications. If anyone can give me any answers, I would be eternally grateful.

1. Where should the battery go? Someone had made a custom battery box behind the rear seat, but I am not sure if it goes there.

2. Where should the ignition switch mount? Yes, it's missing.

3. It has a complete engine, including carbs from a 62 356. Last owner made some kind of tin shielding, but can I use the factory Ghia tin? Dont know how different the porsche motor is from the VW. I know the valve covers look huge, and the heater boxes are something I have never seen. It is running a header though, even with the, I assume, factory porsche heater boxes.

4. I got the original ghia drum brakes in a box, and havent even looked at them. It currently has what I have been told are 13" drums all around with a wide five wheel pattern. I also was told the brakes are from a 356. Should this car have the wide five or 4 lug? Dont know if I should keep the brakes or go disc.

I am sure I can come up with more, but this should get me started. It does not run right now, and I cannot get the motor to turn over even by hand. Carbs are dual Solex P-11 40's. Car has all porsche suspension I was told, and it is stiff with massive sway bars. I saw this car run many years ago, but it has been sitting since about 96. Originally from Calif., so very minimal rust. Oddly enough, the seats and door panels are brand new, and I have a box full of new weatherstripping. You'll have to forgive me as I have always owned type 4 powered busses, and this will be my first attemmpt at anything type 1 . Any advise or info would be great thanks alot.

terry

[Spyke]

1. Where should the battery go? Someone had made a custom battery box behind the rear seat, but I am not sure if it goes there.

Battery goes in back, in the engine compartment. On the early cars the battery is on the right side, on later cars it was moved to the left. I'm not sure what year it changed.

2. Where should the ignition switch mount? Yes, it's missing.

Goes on the dash, to the left of the wheel.

3. It has a complete engine, including carbs from a 62 356. Last owner made some kind of tin shielding, but can I use the factory Ghia tin?

Sweet! No, you can't use the stock Ghia tin. There are differences which are documented in the book "Secrets of the Inner Circle" by Pellow. I had planned on doing this to my Ghia (even have the engine torn apart on the bench) but it's been so long I don't remember the details.


The 356 engine is actually based on the earlier 36hp VW engine. It's possible to use 356 parts to modify a 36hp engine, but basically nothing from the 356 will fit the later VW engines.

4. I got the original ghia drum brakes in a box, and havent even looked at them. It currently has what I have been told are 13" drums all around with a wide five wheel pattern. I also was told the brakes are from a 356. Should this car have the wide five or 4 lug? Dont know if I should keep the brakes or go disc.

Double Sweet! Are the drums finned aluminum? If so they are the 356 parts, if not, they're VW parts. I'd keep the drums if they are from a 356, in fact I've already mounted 356 drums on the front of my Ghia. However, parts are expensive for the Porsche stuff... I think they switched to 4-lug wheels when they went to the ball joint front end, in, um, '67?

I am sure I can come up with more, but this should get me started. It does not run right now, and I cannot get the motor to turn over even by hand. Carbs are dual Solex P-11 40's. Car has all porsche suspension I was told, and it is stiff with massive sway bars. I saw this car run many years ago, but it has been sitting since about 96. Originally from Calif., so very minimal rust. Oddly enough, the seats and door panels are brand new, and I have a box full of new weatherstripping. You'll have to forgive me as I have always owned type 4 powered busses, and this will be my first attemmpt at anything type 1 . Any advise or info would be great thanks alot.

terry

You need to get a Bentley manual for the car. It will have most of the info you need on the VW stuff.

Sounds like a sweet little car though, It's rare to see Porsche parts on them these days due to the cost... you can build a faster VW engine for less.

[phishfud]

Upon further inspection, only the rears were changed to the 13" drums, fronts are stock ghia. I was planning on going disc in the fron anyway. And yes, the drums are finned aluminum. I will have to do something about the tin though. the guy did a decent job on making some, but left too much space around where heat can come up. Have any idea where I should look for replacement brake parts? I know it needs shoes and wheel cylinders, but havent found a source or part numbers yet.

I posted some pics on my site, check em out.

www.geocities.com/phishfud2002/homepage

[RoWaMe]

Wow- sounds like a potentially very impressive car! I hope you'll try to get it running with the Porsche brakes/suspension/engine.

Since the engine has dual carbs, my suggestion is to keep the battery in the passenger compartment (or even up front in the trunk on a custom-made shelf ahead of the spare tire- one person who posts here often has done that modification) so that you alwasy have maximum clearance to work on the carbs. On my '64 Ghia cabrio, I mounted the battery UNDER the rear seat, just like where it is on a Beetle (behind passenger seat).

Do your rear drums have the fins going around the drum, like plates stacked upon each other, or are they outwards kinda like a bottle cap?
You definitely should go for front discs in the "wide 5" pattern to equalize the braking power.

For 356 engine parts, check the ads in the 356 Registry club site www.356registry.org. Since you're in PA, there's a big 356 parts store in Allentown http://www.klasse356.com/. Also "Doc & Cy's" in Indianapolis.

[phishfud]

My biggest holdup with the rear brakes is finding affordable replacement shoes and wheel cylinders. So far, the expense of them is killing me. I may just get a fiberglass battery box and mount it under the rear seat. I know where it is now is a royal pain to get to, plus, the engine compartment looks so clean without the battery there. I fully plan on using the porsche engine, but I fear I will have to pull it out and freshen it up, as it wont move at all now. It has been sitting so long, I think it froze up. Gotta rebuild the motor in my bus first while the weather is still decent, so it's all ready to roll in the spring. I have all winter to mess with the Ghia since it gets one of the garage spaces (my Chevelle gets the other). thanks for all the info.

terry

[cruizr]

Check out www.icnet.net/users/partsbin

I have some parts you need. Wish I hadn't chopped up the back of my 1966 vert. I knew someone would want the parcel shelf someday.
Anyway, I can supply you a good dash (not the pad) and I have one piece of the chrome that went between the clock and speedo. Needs replating, but its nice.