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Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:47 am

Just 2 weeks ago, I've bought myself a lifelong dream: a cognac '58 lowlight ghia coupe. It's not perfect but very complete and rock solid.

More pictures and info will follow after the weekend!

Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:05 pm

Nice- Welcome to lowlight ownership-

Looking forward to some more pics! :wink:

Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:52 pm

Congratulations! I just picked up a 58 Ghia a month ago. Can't wait to see more pics of your low light...

Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:00 pm

Hi Kai,

Looking forewards seeing your car in real life this sunday.

You will probably see my 58 vert project as well (on the cars for sale area :? )

Tot zondag
Gr
Patrick

Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:25 pm

50Split wrote: Congratulations! I just picked up a 58 Ghia a month ago. Can't wait to see more pics of your low light...
Congratz! What's it like?

This is a pic of mine this weekend at our swap spot:

Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:56 pm

Looks like a really good buy! 8) nice one!

Sun Jun 15, 2008 2:08 pm

Looks good Kai. Just need to sort that suspension out and it will look great. :wink:

Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:50 pm

It looks great! Suspension and all. Anymore pics?

Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:11 pm

Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:44 pm

Looks good down low...gotta be hard to drive at that drop. Is it driveable at that drop or is it easily adjustable for driving?
Nice ghia, Kai!

Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:28 pm

Very nice.
Beautiful color....and the stance...damn!

ghiafreek

Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:50 am

kai wrote: 50Split wrote: Congratulations! I just picked up a 58 Ghia a month ago. Can't wait to see more pics of your low light...
Congratz! What's it like?

This is a pic of mine this weekend at our swap spot:

Nice! I like the color.

Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:16 pm

NICE KARMANN KIA :wink:

HOOP JE SNEL EENS TE ZIEN :D :D :D

SEE YOU
THE GREYHOUND

Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:46 pm

Thanks for the cool comments guys!

So here's the little story:

I've been into for vw's for a couple of years now. I have owned a few beetles ('66, '59 euro, '57 oval rag, '63 rag) but got tired of buying a beetle, driving it for half a year, getting bored and then sell it again to buy the next one.. So I decided I had to buy a car that I would like so much it would stay for some time.. First I've been looking for an 11G beetle (split ragtop) but then I realized I had to buy the car I have loved from the first time I saw one (when I didn't even know what it was).. And that's a KG. As a huge fan of the old stuff, it was inevitable it had to be a lowlight. Only question was: convertible or coupe. But besides the fact that it rains a lot here, I like the lines of the roof very much, so a coupe is what it had to be then. It had to be a driver, I just love to take my vw out in the weekends whenever the weather allowes me.
But soon I realized that good lowlights are rare, and it was difficult to find one. Somehow though I found this car in Germany, in very good and pretty original condition, but it wasn't for sale. So I emailed the owner and asked if he wanted to sell it. He named his price, I freaked out, and started looking for a cheaper one. But then I realized that maybe I would find a cheaper one, but it could take me 2 years, and then I would have missed 2 years of aircooled driving (not an option). So then I decided to take all the money I had and buy this '58 coupe.
That was about 6 weeks ago.

It's originally from California, but was imported into Germany a few years ago. Here's what it looked like when it had just crossed the ocean:

Then it changed hands in Germany, where the new owner put on a 2inch narrowed front beam with dropped spindles, 1.5 inch lowered rear spring plates and some rims:

He took off the red seat covers and found this:

Which he had fixed to this:

rear seat is og and has only 1 cigaret burn, otherwise perfect. The colour of the front seats isn't a perfect match, but acceptable.

It arrived at my house about 3 weeks ago:

Looking happy:

I've put on some 145/65 tires up front, raised the front a tiny bit and lowered the rear some more and now it looks like this:

It is actually very drivable at this height. Sure it is low, but not too low. I don't want to damage this one because it's too nice and too rare. It does look too low in the grass, but I blame the grass for being too long.. :wink:

This weekend I put the 66666th og mile on my car on my way to the Budel show:

Too bad the po drilled a hole in my dash for the flasher, it's probably obligatory in Germany.. :roll:

Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:56 pm

Found some more pics on the web of my car at the Budel show:

Thanks Niels for the pics ;)

Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:10 pm

you have done well! any future plans with the car?... whitewalls?

Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:20 pm

karosserie wrote: you have done well! any future plans with the car?... whitewalls?
Thanks.
The plan is disc brakes up front, drums in the rear, in porsche pattern, early 4,5 and 5,5 fuchs, different steering wheel and shifter, ghia tach instead of the clock, and a different gearbox and bigger engine. Hopefully all this year, otherwise next year..

But first I'm going to have some of the dents taken out of the body, that would make it a lot nicer already..

Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:41 pm

Wow!!!!

I love how it looks!! And keep posting progress pics!!!

Rich

Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:13 pm

That is a gorgeous lowlight!!

Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:21 pm

I had the opportunity to inspect this car very closely at the Sacramento Bug-O-Rama in - what was it - 2004 (?) as it sat for sale on a trailer. Very original condition it was then; it isn't so often one finds an old Karmann in such original condition.

Now it's in rather less original condition :lol:

But at least it is on the road again 8) and in the ownership of a good enthusiast :D