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My '70 German Look Ghia

62K views 160 replies 17 participants last post by  Fiatdude 
#1 ·
Hi -- -- New dude -- Yeah I owned a '60 Fiat, that's where my 'name' comes from

Here's some pics of my toy -- I enjoy doing road courses with it and some SOLO events at Fontana CA





I've got a 2989 turbo engine with EFI in it

 
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#99 ·
Got to talk and hang out with Finnegan and Freiburger for about a hour today at the Optima Challenge --

They were working on a yellow Mazda rotary pickup with a 455 front engine Olds mounted in the bed -- they bought it from a guy who claimed it was a 10 sec car -- must of been timed in the 100 foot, cause it was a dog LOL

I didn't have much to offer them as far as help or suggestions, BUT they had some very nice eye candy hanging around them and it made walking away very VERY difficult LMAO

Did get a cool sticker -- Had volunteered to help doing the Tech-in early this am (before it got into the 100's) and the guy making the stickers messed up as it was suppose to be intermediate, so I took the damn thing LOL -- don't know if it should go on the Ghia or the tool box -- probably be the tool box

 
#100 ·
SO -- -- About December 15th I had the engine out and got the trans back from Benco -- I reinstalled the engine did some upgrades, and started putting everything back together

Immediately, I started having EFI problems -- turn on master power -- Electromotive EFI would come on run all the prestart stuff, hit start, engine would run for 20-30 seconds and shut off -- -- -- I would turn off the 'key', turn on the 'key' -- nothing -- kill the master power everything would repeat, engine would run, shut off, again everything dead

Holy crap I was vexed,,,,, so I sent the box back to Electromotive,, came back,, still the same thing,,, sent the box back and they sent me a new one as a replacement...... By this time I was pissed and I had the AEM setting on the shelf, so I started the AEM install -- -- So flash forward until this month and I had finally finished the install (OK, OK , I know I'm slow, but I was just frustrated with everything) I took the Ghia over the WesTech in Mira Loma to double check everything I had done on the install of the AEM and for them to tune the damn thing......

So I get a call from Eric @ WesTech last Friday, the Damn AEM is doing the same freaking thing, turn on main power, turn the 'key' on -- it would cycle thru everything perfectly, turn the 'key' off, turn 'key' back on -- -- box is all pissed off -- turn main power off/on -- start over, it work once then fail.....

WTF is going on???????????

I am Stumped -- I had gone through the wiring twice during the install checking everything -- -- I really dwelling on this thinking, thinking............ I'm thinking that the ARC switches is letting a small of current to flow through when the 'key' is off, not letting the memory clear for a clean restart...... Nah!! how can that happen through the relays......

SOOOO, I'm in bed Saturday night at about 11:30, almost asleep, when it hits me, The freaking alternator has a bad diode in it and letting current bleed through -- -- Hmmmm just might be it...

Monday night after work, I swing by WesTech, walk over to the Ghia, pull the exciter wire off the alternator.... SHAZAMMMM, freaking problem disappears -- -- 10 DAM months working on this thing and it was just a bad freaking Alternator from the very beginning...... who would of thunk it.......................................
 
#104 ·
Wellll, The guys at WesTech are really MAD at me - --- -- - One of the front oil coolers decided to split open while the car was on the dyno Monday -- what a mess -- Freaking car was still dripping oil out of the spare tire drain Tuesday when I went over to help by-pass that cooler -- should of just put another oil cooler in its place, but their description of what happen had me confused -- -- but I've been working nights lately so I'm in a constant state of confusion LOL (still had to have the blue towels and rags there to continue to mop up the oil in this picture LOL)

Don't know when they will have some open dyno time so they can get the Ghia back on there



They did have a cool open class desert car on the dyno Tuesday -- -- about a half million dollar toy there



 
#105 ·
Was over working on the oil cooler at WesTech -- Chad from BangShift was there -- He had a junkyard SBC on the Dyno and all the guys there were running around the dyno and giggling and laughing and just cracking up -- --- --

They had setup two targets behind the headers and were pouring BB's down the carb and watching them hit the targets.... It was the craziest thing I'd ever watched-- I don't know which was funnier watching the BB's come shooting out of the headers or the guys running around laughing their azzes off -- -- Then they pulled the plugs out after their "run" OMG .. .. well, look at the pictures.....

Soon to be a video to be posted somewhere :::::::::::::::::::::::



If you look closely you can see all the BB's on the floor....

 
#107 ·
A little update -- -- Nothing is happening LMAO

The last 2 weeks the guys from WesTech have been jammed with the high dollar cars going to SEMA (or Chad destroying a SBC) or Eric being sicker than a dog -- Hope he's feeling better !!! -- Went over to work on the Ghia this morning, but they've all left to go to SEMA too..... Oh well, it's not like I've anywhere to go LOL -- and remember I'm the one who made the deal that the Ghia is not their first priority, just something for them work on when they can -- so really no problem as far as I'm concerned, because they are treating the ghia very well !!!

SO, Screw it,,,, I'm going on Vacation -- see you all in a couple of weeks
 
#108 ·
This was in my in-box today -- --

Circuit of The Americas (COTA) February 26-28, 2016



Good Morning:

I hope this finds each of you in good spirits as we trek through Fall toward Winter. I for one think a more southern location is in the cards. HMMM, perhaps Austin, Texas?!

For the fourth year in a row, it’s time to think about three days of driving on America’s only purpose built F1 track, Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. MVP Track Time has scheduled our 4th annual three-day COTA track event for February 26 – 28, 2016.

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the investment to play at COTA. The entry fee for all three days is $1,375, the same as 2014. As with previous years, there are a limited number of spots available for COTA. Yes, they fill fast.

STEP 1
The $1,375 entry fee for all three days at COTA can only be completed with Pay Pal (you can use any major credit card through the Pay Pal system if you don’t have a Pay Pal account) at the link below:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/websc...=JQ3XJ9LSZHJUN


STEP 2
Once you have completed the entry fee, head over to the “Registration Page” of MVP’s web site (link below) to register. You’ll need to scroll to the bottom of the page to complete the blue outlined registration box. Click on the“Event” drop-down menu and choose Circuit of The Americas (COTA): February 26-28, 2016.

http://www.mvptracktime.com/id92.html


After we have allocated the registrations by run group, based on individual track experience, we will send out group confirmation e-mails to each run group. We will have four (blue, green, yellow and red) run groups allowing us to schedule two hours of track time daily.

In the spirit of transparency, the rental of COTA, as you can guess, is rather costly, so once you register, MVP will not be able to give you a refund until COTA is sold out and we have a replacement for you. If/when we can replace you, there will be a $100 cancellation fee. Inside of four weeks (January 29, 2016 and later) prior to the COTA event there is no refund. This is the reality of renting Circuit of The Americas.

If you have any questions, grab the phone and call me at (314) 249-3770 or you can e-mail Feffman@MVPTrackTime.com.

Happy Motoring and I hope to see you at COTA. Enjoy your day.

Mark Pfeffer – MVP Track Time
www.MVPTrackTime.com
Phone: (314) 249-3770
E-mail: Feffman@MVPTrackTime.com
 
#110 ·
Well, The Ghia is back home -- -- It has been gone so much the past year that there almost wasn't a space for it in the garage..... you know how a empty spot in the garage fills up quick LOL



I brought the damn thing home Sunday, with more problems than it left with, oil leaks up the arse and just a ton of electrical issues. It runs OK. It drives on and off the trailer and goes down the road, then it just shuts off -- -- guess I'm just gonna reach in there and grab a handful of wiring and just rip it out and start over.... Ordered some new electrical things and they will be here tomorrow night, so tomorrow I'll get started straightening out my rats nest and decide how I want to proceed.....

On the way home, I was cruising a car show at the Riverside Auto Center with the Ghia on the trailer, and there was Ester (E-girl)((Powder puff VW racer par excellence)). I didn't know she was Ms. Route 66.... Damn she looked good in that tiara... LOL
 
#111 ·
Monday, thinking I had the electrical all sorted out, I took the car out on my little 3 mile test loop I use. Left one signal and was rolling onto the throttle, trying to get my gremlins to reappear. Damn, only boosting to 4-5 pounds, double damn, forgot to plug-in the boost controller and was only running on the waste gate spring..... Turned onto a side street so I could connect it back together... As I climbed out, this new GT Mustang pulls up next to me and rolls down his window... "I usually don't stop and congratulate someone for beating me, but that little thing is fast ! Whatcha got in it??"

"Just a stocker with a little boost," I replied, "If I'd known we were racing, I would of really got after it!!!!" Hope I don't go to hell for all the little lies I tell, LMAO.

He drove away shaking his head..... Don't mess with the Air Cooled!!!!! LOL
 
#116 ·
Another couple of $$$$ invested to over coming the tuner disaster -- -- couple of weeks in Italy, back home about the time all the stuff started coming back from all the shops and Wah-la back together for my Birthday.....
"""Yes Dear,,,, I don't think it will cost too much to re-do the engine.... cough,,,,.. cough..... choke,, cough""""

 
#119 ·
It is the 750cfm

Engine is almost ready -- Just need to finish the MSD install -- I still hate crawling around the freaking cage to get to the back of the firewall LOL



I'm so over using steel braided line -- and E85 just eats them up -- I'm having to replace it almost every other year -- So now I'm using hard line when I have new installs or replacing old lines, I'm using either SS or Aluminum... AL is softer and easier to form and more forgiving than SS.....

 
#121 ·
No sooner than I bragged about how great my 16300 starters (ACVW starter out of a automatic), I had mine go out --- Damn it!!! -- -- So, I jumped into my car and drove over to CarCraft in Riverside, all the while preparing to buy another 16300 (and get lunch at Zorba's).... Was setting there bench racing with Bob Godfrey and whining about losing a starter, Ed perks up and said that he had this new brand new starter "OE Brand Part Number BA16450" out of Florida making some really killer starters.... I'm going, Yeah, Yeah, I've heard this all before... So Ed brings one out. They are tiny and light!!! I'm looking at it and thinking there's no way that this little thing is gonna spin my 2963.... He says, you buy this, and if you don't like it, bring it back in the original box and I'll put 100% of the money towards another starter.... OK, what do I have to lose except another chance to come over to CarCraft and go to Zorba's Hamburgers for lunch (I live for a Zorba Burger and Onion Rings from this place -- they are great!!!! Remember that the next time your in the area)..... SO, I bring this thing home, throw it into the car and this little starter is winging my engine at a higher RPM than I have ever had..... Really impressed with this little thing!!!!!!
 
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