TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:49 pm

So I've never made a build thread before, and I should have started taking pictures at the very beginning but eh. oh well. I have some pics of the car before I started, I'll edit and post them later. I'll try to update this as I keep going.

Here's some pics of the car before anything started.

but for now, Here's some pics of the body work.

It's a 1973 Karmann Ghia some call it the California edition, some call it the Sport Ghia, either way, I can't find any solid numbers from VW as to how many of these were actually built. but they're supposed to be really rare.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:11 pm

I'm confused "NOT my car" ....
Is this your Ghia in the pics?

Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:22 pm

Lechón wrote: I'm confused "NOT my car" ....
Is this your Ghia in the pics?

The first two are pictures of a car that looks like mine did before the body work started.. the other pictures are of my actual car.

I just wanted to illustrate what my car is going to look like when it's done. and what it used to look like before it started.

Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:36 pm

You the one putting all that filler on there, or are you taking it off?

Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:37 pm

Thank you. 8)

Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:39 pm

Bondo Nazi at your service.....Get um!!!

Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:42 pm

Makes this one worth more.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:41 am

Since you are doing all of this, why isn't the side glass out, the quarter window pillars, the seats. I mean, OMG why aren't you doing another 45 minutes of work to do it properly?

Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:57 am

Man, the poor guy comes in here for support and gets beat up over his work. So what if he's using some filler, it's his car. It doesn't look like it's being used to fill giant rust holes, just leveling out some dents and dings. Not everyone here has metal bumping skills. If it's your car, and you're happy with it, good on ya.

Don't tell anyone... but there's some filler in my car 8-[

Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:17 am

ovalboy wrote: Man, the poor guy comes in here for support and gets beat up over his work. So what if he's using some filler, it's his car. It doesn't look like it's being used to fill giant rust holes, just leveling out some dents and dings. Not everyone here has metal bumping skills. If it's your car, and you're happy with it, good on ya.

Don't tell anyone... but there's some filler in my car 8-[

I'm confused as to which car is his car that's being repainted. I see some pictures followed with, "...this isn't my car but a car that looks like my car...." and the pictures of the car with bondo almost don't look like the same vehicle.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:24 am

Icy wrote: ovalboy wrote: Man, the poor guy comes in here for support and gets beat up over his work. So what if he's using some filler, it's his car. It doesn't look like it's being used to fill giant rust holes, just leveling out some dents and dings. Not everyone here has metal bumping skills. If it's your car, and you're happy with it, good on ya.

Don't tell anyone... but there's some filler in my car 8-[

I'm confused as to which car is his car that's being repainted. I see some pictures followed with, "...this isn't my car but a car that looks like my car...." and the pictures of the car with bondo almost don't look like the same vehicle.

The first 2 pics are of someone else's car, but that's what his is supposed to look like, and what he wants his to look like when it is finished. The next 8 are of his actual car with work in progress.

At least that's the way I understand it.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:47 am

dltracy ,
Does your car have the same wheels as in the first pictures? Great looking car. You'll learn a lot rebuilding her. Trust me. :) The only thing I'd change (personal perference) is I'd lose the headlight eyebrows. Possible go with a lighter color interior if you're living in a very hot climate. Keep up the good work. I'll do a rebuild thread (or blog if I can figure out how to make one) once I'm finished with mine.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:15 am

The car with the bondo, and EdW's vert both have the correct wheels for the package. The car in the first two pictures does not.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:31 am

execk2 wrote: Since you are doing all of this, why isn't the side glass out, the quarter window pillars, the seats. I mean, OMG why aren't you doing another 45 minutes of work to do it properly?

The quarter window pillars don't come out on that year model, and he may be planning to redo the interior after all the body work is done. So why bother taking the seats out til then? Makes sense to me.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:41 am

I just noticed, none of the three cars have the same black striping. It all appears to be different. The current car being built is most different.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:11 pm

okay guys, I am doing metal work, this isn't the "finished ready to paint at this very moment status" I have pulled out some dents already.

I am getting a lot of crap that is not at all what i wanted. but I guess thats how the internet works. lots and lots of people that like to tell you what to do.

as for the stripes. I've seen a few slightly different designs. As for mine....

here's the history. my grandfather bought this car brand new in California. When my parents were married it was given to them as a wedding gift. I was born shortly after in Denville NJ. we moved before I was 1 to Seattle, where my sister was born. During that time it was ran into a guard rail, and backed into by a Caddilac. When my sister and I were in car seats sitiing on the shelf in the back, my parents decided that wasn't safe so they traded it back to my grandfather for a Super Beetle with a back seat. Then it went to Tijuana where it sat at his summer house while he was a pilot for TWA. after a few years it moved to Tucson, where it sat and was driven on rare occasions until about 3 or 4 years ago when it was given to me for my birthday.

I am having the stripes painted EXACTLY how they were on my car. I know EXACTLY where the stripes were cause the car still has its original paint scheme. Although the car has had a few repaints and previous repair, you could still see the outline of the original decal under the subsequent coats of paint.

I don't know about the other two cars, I've talked to Ed before, I'm sure his car is original as well, as for my wheels, they are original and correct for the model. so is the "sport" interior, and to answer the questions about the glass and interior. I will be replacing/refurbishing everything before I'm done. I will be taking more of the glass and interior out before it actually gets painted.

Kay thanks.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:29 pm

i see nothing wrong with this project.....hell if i had a big shop like that my car would already be under way and be half way done. i think it looks good. i think the limit is somthing like 1/4 of an inch for bondo before it looses its strength and will crack on ya. good work dltracy and keep it up

Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:58 pm

You are going to paint the stripes or you are going to use some class of stickers, how are you going to do to put them as they used to be? you take somo photos?

Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:08 pm

mexico wrote: You are going to paint the stripes or you are going to use some class of stickers, how are you going to do to put them as they used to be? you take somo photos?

I'm just going to paint them on. even though originally they were stickers.

Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:50 pm

ovalboy wrote: Man, the poor guy comes in here for support and gets beat up over his work. So what if he's using some filler, it's his car. It doesn't look like it's being used to fill giant rust holes, just leveling out some dents and dings. Not everyone here has metal bumping skills. If it's your car, and you're happy with it, good on ya.

Don't tell anyone... but there's some filler in my car 8-[

FYI....Karmann used a thin layer of filler to smooth things out (they were good, but not gods), as do most body shops during paint prep. It's just the hacks that try to use it to correct major damage!

Lighten up and cut the guy some slack. Try giving a little positive, helpful advice instead of being negative. As for the pics, I thought it was explained very clear in the first post.