House of Karmann

[911hillclimber]

No wonder you are getting excited!
Looks great.

Lead loading is easy, you must have the right materials, watch a few vids on Youube and be patient doing it.
All a simple balance of heat and getting 'into the zone' of the tinning, solid/melt/malleable/too hot of the solder.
A very clean surface is required to start, and buy a millenicut file or two, normal files will choke instantly.

Buy a proper lead loading kit, lot at the Classic Restoration show in November.

I did the rear wings on a friends V12 E Type rebuild in the 70's as my first attempt!

https://youtu.be/Zoy7XD8h4n4

[KS]

Looking good!

[greg356a]

Thanks everyone for all the great comments.

Looks like the Ghia is due back home next week. So I now have a structural, rust free chassis and shell

Latest pictures;
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And finally, a pile of scrap;
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[greg356a]

KG back today. First job is to get the body onto the 4 post and then start fitting out the chassis components

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[greg356a]

Todays plan was to split the body from the chassis

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No damage to me, the car or the garage - result

[sladey]

Nice work!!

Have you seen Edd China doing the same thing to a Range Rover on youtube last Friday ?

[Bootsy]

You're a fast mover!

[greg356a]

Quick picture update

Front double A arm first. I used 4 x 10.9 high tensile bolts in the original locations then the frame also bolts onto the frame head. Seems to be very ridge.

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Next, the 911 swb seats. As many will know the fixing and operation of the sliding ratchet is part of the car runners rather than the seat. Designed some new runner which provide slotted holes for runner stop location and will also provide some slope and height adjustment. Adjustment is via bolts so not something you can do as you get in and drive away. Unfortunately the fabricator did not follow the drawing so the location could have been better, still a positive stop. I need to make a set for my 356 for the same issue with 911 SWB seats so will pay more attention to my drawing

I have dimensions from a KG for precise seat location so can look at welding the runners to floor pan. Just need to practice welding 3mm to 0.9mm steel without blowing holes! Then I can fix the seats correctly with all bolts and washers. This was a much easier solution than my Speedster.

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[greg356a]

I think this is quite a rare parts find, cant be many of these around. Its from a 1962 car. Should make for a very seamless fit. The great thing is that the fresh air levers on the bottom right have side will be correct, also has the matching brackets on the back to operate down the left hand side. I will get it media blasted and weld through primed.

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I guess you have to buy stuff when its available, may not be able to fit it for a few weeks/ months. This still works out better, cheaper than starting with an original (very rusty) RHD car.

Result!

[RobFrost]

I saw a body for sale circa £3k iirc, I assume not of interest as you have one?

[911hillclimber]

Great find.
Looks like a very diy dash top cover. Are real ones really hard to find?

[greg356a]

KG's really suffer from severe rust, finding anything in UK which can be used is quite hard. I guess 60 years ago VW's did not use any form of zinc galvanising or metal protection. On the UK cars there was no metal eyebrow above the instruments, they used a padded dash to achieve the raised look, cheaper than a metal pressing just for RHD. Looks like the padding is held down with diy wood screws. This can be easily fixed.

[greg356a]

Some technical issues to overcome, Selector shaft at bottom of box, Gearbox front and rear mounts, making enough space, including drive shaft CV's without lifting gearbox in the car. The Porsche 911/912 mounts are designed to be at gearbox and engine, rather than VW KG mounts on the gearbox only leaving the engine hanging. Also the VW KG rear mounts are at a different angle which would led to failure very quickly if not changed. Designed a transmission mount using familiar 911 engine mounts, allowed some adjustability so the gearbox selector angle could be changed if needed. The plan is to keep the selector level at 0 degrees to the chassis tunnel.

I think the very next step to exactly level the chassis to the floor, not sure which part of the tunnel should be used as a datum.

Picture update
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[Bruce M]

The chassis level is in front of the gearstick mount. A small rectangular flat section on the tunnel. Not always that flat however.


Also… here’s the underneath of a Salzburg rally beetle, which used a 901 gearbox.

[Nine One One]

The gearbox rubber mounts on that Beetle look like Porsche 912 engine mounts??