Did I Give Up On My DREAM CAR?! 

A few pieces of advice. Don't make sharp corners on patch panels. The corners will burn through when welding. Turn your wire feed down some and increase the voltage. You aren't getting good penetration. Decrease the tension on your welder so you don't get a birds nest. You should have just enough tension to feed the wire but also slip when your wire gets stuck.

Never give up on a car project. Don't matter how ugly it is. Karmann Ghias are beautiful. Keep at it, bro.

Glad the Ghia is back! My favorite thing about this channel is when you work out of your comfort zone and try new things. I respect the heck out of that!

Cant wait for next year when we get an update on how the car is going!😉

That small cutout you did by the headlight bucket. Always keep a dremel style tool with the little cut off wheels. Perfect for that size of cut.

said it last time. I'm gonna say it this time. THIS video format/style is my favorite that you've ever done. I love it so much

Proud to be one of 10%. Yes talking to someone is amazing, do it. Love your stuff, keep up the great work.

Love your work bob. I really appreciate how you show the ups and downs of your projects, 'cause we can relate and see that you're just a guy that likes to make stuff

Bob, this has to be my favorite project you have been working on to date. Love the content and learning through the process of getting the old car to run again. Keep up the good work!

love the voice over beginning and love how well this was scripted in general (not that other ILTMS video's are not well scripted, they certainly are! but i sense a new wind... it's great!)

So glad to see you working on it again. Some advice on cutting out small patches. Try using a dremel with a cut off wheel. When using your grinder use s flap wheel on sheet metal it will give you a better finish. Also a good tip for cutting patches out of sheet metal use aviation snips much easier to trim. Keep going each thing you fix you are getting closer.

I started watching your Karmann Ghia Videos, two years ago When I got My 1971 Karmann Ghia….! I was watching anybody’s Karmann Ghia videos, to get ideas on all kinds of different fixes… my body was in pretty good shape. The floor pans were shot, and I simply put new metal in them. Nothing real pretty just structurally sound….! it’s 2:10 AM Monday, June 19 and there’s a thunderstorm raging here in Sweet home Alabama I could not sleep so I decided to watch some more Karmann Ghia videos.. and low and behold after two years, you decided to start working on your car again…! I was pleased to see that …, my car is by no means a restoration…🙄 My Karmann Ghia is a daily driver. It is mechanically 100% sound with a new motor…! New brakes, new brake lines you name it it has it… if I was younger,( I am 69 years young ) now … And head, a butt load of extra money. I would probably be more meticulous about the body of my car…! But my intention from the time that I got it to right now, is to give it a 1970s rat rod look…! I have taken it to car shows, and it is received extremely well…👍🏻🙏🏻 you can see my Karmann Ghia on my channel, ( THE JEFF GALEY CHANNEL ) and see it is Not all rusted out , or super ratty looking…! It just has me written all over. It’s extremely cool Italian design body…..! Keep posting your videos about your Karmann Ghia and I will keep watching them have a great upcoming week your friend in Sweet home, Alabama, Professor, Jeff Galey….🎶🎸🎻🎶👍🏻

Yes, KARMANN GHIA

Progress is good. On your patches try to avoid sharp corners as it will reduce the warpage issues and other problems. I have never done a ghia but a few bugs and they are not my favorite to do.

Try turning down the wire tension a fair bit when using thin wire, it won’t push as hard and will reduce that bending inside the machine

Great work so far, and doing real well for a novice. As someone else said your running your wire speed way to fast for sheet metal work, disregard the "sizzling bacon" advice everyone gives as it doesnt work for thin metal. Wind the wire speed down and maybe click the volts up. You should be able to lay a series of tacks that are burnt all the way through the back side and lay fairly flat with the top side of the join when set right. Also dont be afraid to dump the epoxy on, the back half looks pretty dry. You want the entire thing somewhat glossy when its wet like the front. Getting runs isnt really an issue as your going to be using polyester fillers and fairly course grit sandpaper over it anyway so its a good time to learn the limitations of the spray paint, how much you can lay on without it sagging. Keep up the good work mate.

Never give up! I haven't! I have two cars in need of repair, but I live in a big city so nearly impossible with current house prices. After rust converting, try and grind it away. I have had so much rust coming back when painting on top of it.

As a big musicals fan, I didn't know the Karmann Ghia was a real car! The character Carmen Ghia in Mel Brook's Producers is the only other time I'd heard it.😂 🎉the more you know 🌈 Its a beautiful car, definitely a crazy difference just putting the primer on.

I'm only a family of 4 and we tried doing one vehicle this past fall when our $4000 car needed a head gasket. We ended up donating the car and just picking up a good running truck that I could drive and fix as needed.

Great to see more of the Karmann. Have you heard of Steelit spray? I have seen the guys on Hoonigan use it to keep the rust from forming on parts and it is weldable.

@Bob in Australia your green cruiser is called a "shortie forty" (short wheel base 40 series) (as opposed to the troopy LWB)

I used to be a spraypainter a few years ago ,and back then u couldn't spray filler over epoxy-primer , maybe that has changed over the years ,but it would be a shame if your new paintjob just falls off. So i should check it out ,just to be sure. Back then we would grind/sand to the bare metal ,then put on the filler ,and then put on a wash-primer (etching-primer) ,and after that the normal primer ,a few layers of base coat ,and then finnish it off with 2 layers of clearcoat

absolutely love the start of the video, keep going with it as its really cool to see it start turning the corner and becoming something that resembles a car again

For the patch work, a set of aviation snips and a hand nibbler are your best friend.

I listen weekly to your pod cast with Jimmy and David. Very calming and motivating. Glad I checked out the channel.

I know this isn't about the main content of the video, but thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, for making the effort to help normalize seeking help for mental health struggles, particularly in men. Please keep being awesome and making cool stuff.

It's awesome to see you are back at the bench (so to speak) with the KG. I really can't wait to see it done (don't worry, I know it's a looooong way off, been there with vehicles also). I see you still have a lot of rust to take care of (for instance, when you were working on the patch between the left-front fender and the grille, the camera picked up another big chunk of rust behind), I would recommend getting a leather sandbag for working small patches like that into the right shape. You can sit it on a bench or on your anvil and work the metal with your hammers, dollies and punches until it is about right (then finesse it to finish as you have been when tacked into place). Another thing, with the FJ40 (I'm guessing it's a FJ?), go check out what Fab Rats did with their FJ.. while an LS swap may not be necessary, perhaps a 1UZ-FE swap would give you reliability and more power in the FJ and keep it all Toyota? May be a colab with Fab Rats could see something like this into fruition (here's hoping lol)? Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see the next instalment on the KG.

Oh my gosh the difference in look after the primer was amazing!!

at 3:27 I forgot you had a welding and grinding mask and I was like, "Bob stop trying to be cool with flames in your face!"

Great work, I have watched you for years somehow the green Fj slipped under my radar haha, I have a mustard 45 series ute. Just finished the floor pans in my super beetle it’s always a bigger job then first intended. Keen to see more.

Glad to see the return of the Ghia, it was the project that made me subscribe in the first place as it's been my dream car for years too!

Always happy to see this project. For those radiused pieces of metal, look up an English wheel. For the body filler remember that you want to use the least amount possible as the thicker it is, the more chance you have for it to chip off after you've painted the car. This really is a massive project so huge props for taking it on. Oh, and look into the brands of body filler. It's been a while since I've looked into it, but Rage Gold was considered a better product than Bondo was so do a little research on brands.

The into was epic! Like one inf the best, very cinematic and engaging.

So probably not the recommended way but I found that using a mig at the right setting would burn thin metal til it got to good metal, then I could start stacking and working back to fill the hole. Gun angled to hit the edge of the metal sheet. Spot welding, 2 second pull, 5 seconds to cool, rinse and repeat. It's how I'm getting rid of small rust holes on my old 4runner.

I’m glad you are back to fixing the Karman Ghia!

kudos on the cinematography/lighting/edit in the opener...beautiful.

Tip: close the gate when you're welding. Can be heard that the arc is jumping, try with the door/gate/everything closed - welding would go much easier

Got a similar dream car recently (911) and it's crazy how starting on one project will sideline another. Stoked to see this gain some momentum and it's just the push I needed to revisit a prior project that has been sitting alone for too long (vw bus).

The Karmann Ghia project is how I found this channel. So glad to see it progressing again 😊

I just finished a big car project and the key for me was doing something on it every single day. Move it forward by a little bit - just planning, purchasing parts or actually doing the work. That’s the only way to battle the project being so big that you just stop

Fantastic intro and video! The harbor freight part had us cracking up pretty hard.

Love the intro and the marker board list! I have a project car in a similar disarray and it is really great to see the Gia still coming along!

Great to see the car getting some love again! Can't wait to see it finished

That opening sequence should be nominated for an Emmy itself. What a cinematic experience.

Great that you’re keeping at it. Btw, love the old Landcruiser too. That’s another killer car. I suggest you don’t cover the holes for the side mouldings on both sides. So many people eliminate the mouldings on Karmann Ghias and the cars look too plain without them; I believe they enhance the lines of the car.

Great to see work on the Ghia! Floor pan and drive train will be excellent to watch too. We'll done.

I recommend getting that epoxy off and doing it with the welder, or a patch panel. It 100% will not hold up long term. Any panels that you need to weld that will have metal on metal should have copper coat paint on them (you can weld through it) and seam sealer on any lip or repair to prevent moisture from getting in later. I never lap weld panels, but many people do. For home projects it's fine. POR15 is the best rust lock paint imo. I worked at a body shop for 8 years where we built multiple 1st and 2nd place Concours d'Elegance cars. Biggest thing people mess up on body work is trying to rush through it.

Awesome. I wondered what happened to this car. Glad you got the capacity to work on it again!

So happy to see this update! It gives me hope for my Ghia. It's looking good, keep at it!

I could have watched like 2 hours of this! Thank you Bob it was worth the wait

Should have seen if Ron Covell was available for a collab. He does a lot of sheet and body work tutorials here on youtube. Still, it's nice to see that you're still working on the car. I've got a desk that's been stalled for a year now, so I guess you're not alone in the projects taking forever department.

Glad to see you back on the Ghia! A tip of advice with bodywork, be careful when using sharpies on panels. They will bleed through every layer and you'll see it through your final paint job.

I wonder if for the part that you had to patch with the all the compound curves you could 3D scan the surface, then use that plane to bisect a block into two halves you could then 3D print and use to press the sheet metal into the exact correct shape of the void.

Whenever you have a video about the Ghia, it gives me dangerous thoughts about Miata. Great to see some new progress on the car. And that dramatic intro is award-worthy. Thanks for sharing!

Awesome Bob! Glad to see you have been able to put time into this again.

The most awaited video on the internet, finally live !!!!!!

Nice to see you back on the Ghia

yesterday i put engine in my beetle:) nice to see progress on Karmann:)

I love the HALO welding/grinding helmet! I wish I would have bought one like it!

Loved the starting few seconds/ minute. Great lead jn. And its great to see you more off the cuff in this one. The polished/careful monologs are perfect for teaching quickly/clearly. But this is about the progress & path.

Wow what presser do you have your argon mix set at. I don't think you should be able to hear that coming out. Should be around 10

Been waiting patiently for this series to return. Thankfully I discovered it quite late so haven't had to wait the whole hiatus.

Hey i understand you are a professional and you do great work but please be more careful with that sheet metal. When cutting small pieces they typically fly in the air and i would recommend safety glasses next time and only if you want some no cut gloves too. All coming from a sheet metal worker. Keep up the great work!

Omg! Finally! I’ve been waiting for you to get back at it. This is one of my favorite RU-vid series. Problem solving. Trial and error. Please don’t leave me hanging this long again.

The intro sequence to this video slaps! 🔥

You almost forgot about the farm 😁 what about outdoor projects, it's summer time. I remember you made that sliding pool thing, much more fun stuff outdoor.

In retrospect, Bob, you probably could've used a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel to achieve a precision cut on the headlight.

If you want to sharpen up your autobody rust repair skills a bit, Fitzee's Fabrications teaches some good methods. I could see the "Cut-N-Butt" method helping you out in a lot of these situations.

Loosen up the tension on the rollers of your welder

Holy cow, that intro was amazing! I'm sure it took a whole lot more work but it might be interesting to see a full episode like that! a guy can dream!

Love this project. Have you considered EV conversion?

My favorite car restoration series, I’ve been patiently awaiting its return 🎉

For doing curved pieces like that front nose section I typically would use a leather shot bag to help form the pieces. Nice to see the ghia getting some love!!

You’re the best, Bob! We’re all pulling for you on this one!!!

So happy to see a new video on the car restoration serise

Use your MIG wire scraps as filler when TIG welding.

Funny, I was just thinking last week, I wonder what happened to the car. Thanks for answering my question 😂

I can understand life getting in the way. My son is going thru that now. We bought a 79 Camaro off ebay in 2008. It's been moved around many times, and my son has finally realized that he's probably not going to be able to work on it anytime soon. I was actually shocked that he has made the decision to sell it....especially after he went to college and got a bachelor's degree in automotive restoration. Sadly, the Camaro needs a lot more work than he is going to have time for (or extra money for parts).

Ron Covell is your guy for learning to form those complex curves

Wondered were the Karman was. Glad its coming back

when doing body work, you need a hammer and what's called a dolly. IE a piece of metal you hold in your other hand, behind what you're hammering on. They have flats and curves you push against the piece where needed so that you hammer flush, and dont push the work below the body line.

Loved the cinematic feel of the opening

You take the old "Toyota Renge Rover Cruiser " out to get to your German Kia ?(questions from Jimmy DiResta)

I coated my entire interior and engine bay on my 78 Scirocco with Rust Mort. Worth it!

I HATE working on cars, but have the know-how (and I'm cheap) so I do it. Once somethings fixed, though, it is real satisfying to not have that issue again and know you didn't have to pay an arm and a leg labor for someone else to do it. Because I'm CHEAP. May have mentioned that.

Diresta once made a tip video about epoxy. Cut away the bridge between the pistons. I tried. It works👍

Where did you buy the sections that goes from the rear seat cross member to the floor? I need to replace those on my KG as well. Thanks in advance!

LPT: Cut the connecting bar for those two part epoxy's that way you have more control over the mixture. Helped me from wasting extra epoxy.

The weird thing is,…at work, I drive a truck and I have been listening to the making it podcast since last year, starting at the beginning, and I’m into late summer of last year, so in my mind, your Land Cruiser just broke, and you just did a lot of work on the car, so for me, it hasn’t been a year. It’s been a week. It’s looking better than you made it sound in the podcast! 👍

What attachment did you use for the air gun? I have a ton of welds on my car that are hard to use with the normal attachment

I hope that while you are rebuilding this car that you take some time to eliminate all the water traps in the body and frame that caused it to just turn into a rust bucket

I love the style of this video, it feels like a full length blooper video.

I love your fearlessness when trying new things. Reminds me of Jimmy deresta. By just getting after it and doing different stuff you accomplish so much and learn amazing things👍

A comment on the sponsored section actually...well done on approaching the "men shouldn't talk about their problems" aproach...to the point!!!

I have a Karmann Ghia that also needs the panels under the rear package area, any chance you could let us know who you found that can make those?

I love this project and assumed the lack of updates was due to low view counts because it’s not inline with the target audience of the channel. However now I’m really concerned to hear that a channel of this size doesn’t make enough money to provide reliable transportation for the creator.

I’ve got a ‘65 Beetle that I’d love to restore some day, really awesome to see the Ghia return :) keep up the good work !!

what colour do you plan on painting your Ghia? I was thinking that a nice cherry red color will match the car personality

As long as you've got this thing completely dismantled, have you considered maybe converting it to an electric car? Given the overall labor involved, seems like a good way to ensure you get the most mileage out of the project --- not to mention being right up iltms' alley!

The first thing I do when I get an epoxy with the plungers tied together is cut them apart. That little bit of plastic is a lie. It's so much easier to just dispense an equal amount by eye.