Thanks, hope to see you back for more videos!

Thanks! I tapped the threads but it would actually be better to chase them instead. A chase tool actually cuts a little less and is meant for cleaning out the threads instead of cutting new. A tap works of course you just have to go easy with it, don't thread all the way and you'll be fine.

Well, you can do that too but I figure the engineers in Germany were smarter than me!

@@tomasalvarez6040 you’re talking about the arm rest? There’s a bracket on the other side of the door panel that clips onto the window rail. If you mean the inner door latch it screws into the metal part of the door.

@ xactly,..the arm rest. The backing plate to which it screws onto, has to slip on a metal piece of the door frame…and its hard to donthis with the doorpanel in place

@@tomasalvarez6040 Okay, get some plastic trim tools and you can easily pry the door panel off without scratching the paint. You should first take the window winder off and the trim around the inner latch. As long as you don't move the door panel clips it should just snap back into place. Once your door panel is off is a good time to check the condition of the inner moisture barrier and clean junk and dirt out from inside the door.

Great show, I like to go every year. My next car show video will be Flanders, NJ when I get around to editing that is.

@@PetesGhias Never been to the Flanders show, but heard its a nice one to go to.

Thank you, sir! Positive feedback keeps me going. My goal is to become the go-to channel for anyone restoring or repairing their Ghia.

@@PetesGhias You are doing all the right things. I restored a 1963, circa 2003, and I wish I had this level of specfics...even today's on this subject I remember how long -- and how many curse words -- it took me to get these rubber seals on. T

@@seang7012 Oh, yeah... my forearms and wrists were sore for a couple of days. This is why the exterior of the car is still in primer. Didn't want to scratch it while leaning over the fender.

@@PetesGhiasas i am restoring a 1970 coupe for the first time, and have no big history to the old vw's you are doing it right!!

Thank you, I appreciate it! My channel is small but growing. Churning out a video a week as I finish my Ghia.

LOL, how did it drive? Must have been a rust belt car. I've never heard of the spring plate rusting out and I'm in the Northeast!

@ well eventually the whole pan rusted thru! My brake and clutch assembly were held up with a piece of plywood😳 but hell i was 16 my first car and it cost only $100 😏 i have had 4 bugs, 1 ghia 2 buses a 70 square back, & a 69 fast back

@@JamesStamm-y6e I had to buy four Ghias just to find one worth restoring and gather parts. My first car was a 68 Bug with no floors. Good times!

Thanks, good luck with your project! Please become a subscriber if you haven't already. And if you have any suggestions or requests for videos let me know!

@@RandyRegier-p9r Thanks, yes the videos are meant to be instructive tutorials. Wall to wall blaring music wouldn’t work for that. But my restoration playlist has videos with more music and montages but those are cut to be entertainment; the joy and pain of this disease called Karmann Ghia obsession!

But did he ever make a video?! 🧐

@PetesGhias yeap many years ago

Same idea although the spring plate covers are shaped differently and the spring plate itself is shorter. Some are double plates and some are solid. Also the angle at which they are set is different from a swing axle. The rubber bushings are also different. I would check a shop manual before you begin. But yes, the same theory applies to both as far as adjusting the splines on the torsion bars.

@PetesGhias thank you so much for your response ! I've been trying to put my car back together for the last few months. I took it completely apart 20 years ago. Shortly after doing so I took an 80 foot header off a Rockledge and was found a few days later. Long story short, it's been a long recovery and now I'm working on the old girl again. What I need to know is will that tool (turnbuckle)that you improvised work on the shorter spring plates of an RIS ? The rest I think I have figured out . I think 🤔 !! Thank you once again. That crack in the head I took did a number on me ! So thanks for your patience .

@@PatrickSeanEarl Glad to hear you're on the mend. I would buy a short and long turnbuckle and see which one works for you. Of course you always have the option of buying the real tool: www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=vw+spring+plate+tool The important thing is getting the angle right. If you don't want to buy the angle tool you can get an app for your phone.

I will post an update as soon as I can. The videos are trickling out once a week but the body isn't fully painted yet or on the road. I hope to have the car done by Spring of 2025 and will post a follow-up on the steering and alignment. Thanks for watching!

Thank you! Perhaps you need more fiber in your diet?!

@@PetesGhias ...probably wouldnt hurt! 😂 Is there any other part within the door that would keep the glass from rattling in the down position?

@@lcwatts2971 If all your plugs are in place and there's still a rattle I would pull the door panel off and tighten everything down. Look for loose parts. Check your window scraper too. Also, if the window can pivot on the guide rail the parts could be worn out. Easiest solution is to turn up the radio!

@@PetesGhias Gracias, senor!

awesome, good luck!

Awesome, that’s the goal, to make this channel the go to for Ghia DIY procedures.

You're welcome! Alignment depends on many factors. If body work was done or heater channels replaced, is the body and door opening in a factory position? Are the hinges sagging? Does the gap need to be taken up by adjusting the body to pan rubber wedges? There are also plates behind the A-Pillar that slide up and down and in and out to adjust the position of the hinges. It's definitely a two-person job to avoid scratching the paint or dropping the door.

Thank you for the encouragement! When you solo produce a video AND work on a car everything takes twice as long... not to mention the time to edit. Comments like this keep me going!

Sorry, I overlooked that detail in the video. Collapsed it's about 12 inches and extends to 16 inches. The thread is 3/8in. Make sure it's a heavy duty turnbuckle. I think I used this one: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F6WQC7C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

My particular Ghia didn't need any welding or panel replacement but it had tons of dings, dents and creases. So all the hours that went into it were to pick out the dents, apply body filler, and sand. Your Ghia might have rust and and need welding so it's really hard to say because you might be comparing two different things. Pan off restoration or Pan on? Is it an original car or were shoddy repairs done in the past hidden under a half inch of bondo? What's the coast of replacement metal? The answer no one wants to hear is you don't know until you take it apart and remove all the paint by sanding or media blasting. Then you have to decide; do I move forward and do a quality restoration, do I bondo it up, or do I walk away? I would look at the shop rate and multiply it by about 200 hours of work and add paint and clear coat (which have gone way up because of inflation).

Also, thanks for watching! Time wise it was about a year but I shelved the project for a while to save up money and I was busy restoring the pan.

Glad it helped! Make sure you get a heavy duty turnbuckle. The cheap ones will strip out. And keep your hands, feet, and body parts out from under the spring plate along with children, pets, and curious friends and family!

Hi, James... I thought I did explain that in the beginning of the video with the parts laid out on the table. The hard thing about visualizing this is that the parts are hidden inside the tunnel once they are installed. But basically the shifter is attached to the tunnel, fits inside the the shift rod, which rides on the bushing which is installed into the hanger, and the shift rod attached to the coupler which is attached to the tip of the transaxle as it bolts into the end of the tunnel. Here's a link to a tunnel schematic (or do a picture search on thesamba website) vwispwest.com/type1/frame/tunnel/

@@PetesGhias Thank you! I may have not said it well but you did a great job in the video explanation. It's just that I am not very familiar with this. There is still a lot for me to learn.

@@JMC8415 I agree! 🤪

Wow, thanks! Keep the positive vibes coming. It's actually a ton of work to make these videos but I'm going to keep going and hopefully keep growing.

@@mrfun2fly you’re welcome, good luck! Take pictures and keep track of all the small parts and how they fit together. After doing a bunch of these I’ve noticed that every year horn is slightly different inside.

@@MrPeeteboy thank you! Yes… it’s taken a few years and several failed attempts/Ghia bodies to get to this point. And filling and editing makes everything take three times as long.

@@murrayt3434 Thanks! New videos posted on Thursdays. Next one is a body work update. Become a subscriber! My channel is tiny but growing.

Thank you! You can get most parts from West Coast Metric or Wolfsburg west, identical to Beetle parts for the beam and chassis. For the king pin/Spindle rebuild and link pins and shims, etc I used Kustom1 Warehouse.

Haha, I was once told to wear handwarmers so you don't freeze when you're pushing you car to the side of the road.

@@YourOwnWay drive to bankruptcy court in style and also become a subscriber! New content posted weekly

@@MichaelFling-u8j absolutely, would love to hear more about it

@@PetesGhias I sent you an email

That's awesome. I've owned five, but not all of them ran! I also had two Beetles. Thanks for subscribing, new content posted Thursdays!

@@jamesdeath3477 thanks for watching! you can try Hollywood speedometer or orange empire speedometer. If you thought this video was funny you should check this one out and become a subscriber: kzbin.info/aero/PLnDxN-tW4TRPPfKdiEoUKel8OYOkNuv6p&si=YTgyPnBDpO3gSVTx

what year is your ghia? There are electric and cable driven gas gauges.

Ha, that may be true. My channel is geared toward the average person and non-mechanic to teach basic skills and how-to for their Karmann Ghia. Not everyone is born knowing how to do this stuff. I was quoted $800 by Hollywood Speedometer to make a tach and I did it myself for a fraction of the cost. So in that regard I think it's a success. Thanks for watching!

You're welcome, I'm glad that video was helpful to you. I don't have a gas gauge for my project yet either but I'll see what I can do.

Hey, what’s up, Dave?!

@@PetesGhias Hi Pete, I really appreciate you doing this, I'm working on my old bike, but it is nothing compared to what you're doing. I like your cartoons and music also.

@@davidfalatko thank you! Let's catch up elsewhere lest you reveal my secret identity!

Thank you! I appreciate the feedback. Please be sure to subscribe if you haven't already. I'll be posting new content weekly.

Thank you for the complement! Get the turnbuckle I used in the video, there are some cheap ones that strip out. Please don't forget to subscribe. I've been up for a week and I'm slowly growing.

Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the how-to. Sorry, I didn't get cutting the foam but what I'll do is dig out the original padding and put a link into the description with size and measurements. Add that to my Ghia to-do list which is never-ending!

I agree! I only started posting videos a week ago so hopefully it will catch on in the near future.

Thank you! I hope these two videos are helpful to you. AFAIK these are the best Karmann Ghia rear seat videos ever made!

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. More videos to come!

Thank you for the feedback. I’m always leaning something new. The EV4U bushing is guaranteed for life so the whole idea is that it never needs to be replaced. I’ll post an update in 20 years!