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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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 Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 1:23 am Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| Downunder60 wrote: |
...The information on this thread is amazing, even though it often feels overwhelming to a DIY newbie like me. :? The camaraderie between all the posters is great, and I look forward to the time I get my own project Ghia up and running. I am looking at getting in a California car, hopefully one with as little rust as possible, and doing the bodywork prep myself.
Very steep learning curve ahead........ |
I bought my Ghia on impulse and then started looking for advice. The Samba came up. I tried to be informative and entertaining (75/25 split) with my restoration project and tried to do something different - hence the Saving Emiko novel outline. I enjoyed the restoration process, but what I enjoyed most of all is the camaraderie in the Ghia community on The Samba. I can rattle of the monickers of the men and women who have given me good advice or procured parts for me, and who now feel like old acquaintances, if not friends. Too many to mention, and they might be embarrassed because their attitude is, and has been, not to seek attention but to help. I'll mention Phil because he has entertained me to a day's driving in his very nice '69 convertible in and around Edinburgh. It was a really great day, and the highlight of my summer holiday in Europe - which ends today.
Remember this: There is no Ghia problem that cannot be solved on The Samba.
Dean's advice about the Ghia on Trademe is good. You won't land a good Ghia for that price, and then it will be LHD. (My car was that colour when I found it.)
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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Downunder60
Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2016
Posts: 6
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 2:19 am Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| Remember this: There is no Ghia problem that cannot be solved on The Samba. |
Thanks for your encouragement, The Fop and Kiwighia!! I would be glad and grateful to ask the forum for guidance as I go along. Since I will be working on a shoestring budget, I will need to be a fast learner  , but who says dreams are only for those who can afford them? I did look up the Trademe Ghia, but that is out of my price range. I'll keep looking in The Samba and CL, and post some pics of prospects for your appraisal, if I may.
From the chats I've had with a couple of panel beating businesses in Auckland, it is clear that the bodywork is going to be the main cost. My intention is to strip the paint, beat out most of what dents etc I can, prep and prime the inside of the car and then hand over to the professionals for the exterior and paint. |
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Downunder60
Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2016
Posts: 6
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:23 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| Happy anniversary to you and the missus, Kiwighia! When are you back in NZ? I would love to see Emiko if I could. |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:54 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| Downunder60 wrote: |
| Happy anniversary to you and the missus, Kiwighia! When are you back in NZ? I would love to see Emiko if I could. |
Thanks. I'm back at home, jetlagged, unsteady on my feet after 23 hours in the air, and confused, but happy. Seven flights and fourteen encounters with airports. Numerous taxis, airport security, bag searches, checkpoints, rude customs officers, uncomfortable seats and bad meals all contributed. The good news is that Air New Zealand and Auckland airport were the best of those we encountered (endured?). I'm no patriot, but I couldn't help notice the difference in the levels of service and they did us proud.
Bad weather here, compared to the UK, Italy and Sweden. I have a couple of small jobs to finish on my Ghia. You're welcome to come around and have a look, any time.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:34 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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In tune with my lifelong habit of saving the abandoned and derelict (kittens, cars, guitars, failing students), I have now saved a circa 1955 Hazet Tourist toolkit. It was originally sold by a now defunct VW dealer in New Zealand. I found it at a swap-meet and had to toil and spend to find the 4 missing pieces. Thanks to Scott in the UK, I now have the last piece (pliers) in place.
What next?
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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sputnick60
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 22, 2007
Posts: 3914
Location: In Molinya Orbit
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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John Moxon 
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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John Moxon
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 12:31 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| John Moxon wrote: |
| c21darrel wrote: |
| A Judson scoop would look pretty good on the decklid. :wink: |
Well they do look very nice...the polished version of course but the need to drill the decklid to mount it will put off all but those who need it to accommodate a Judson Supercharger. |
Ha-ha. Why do I get the impression you guys are having me on?
I saw an all-chrome exterior car like that in Queens Gate in July and thought, "What a filistine!" I saw only two aircooleds in London - a narrow-bodied Porsche and a Fiat Bambina. Did have a ride in Phil's Ghia in Edinburgh though.
My view:A classic car with too many external accoutrements is like a beautiful girl with too much jewellery and make-up.
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Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 6:45 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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Happiness is new wiper arms (NOS and the last pair Rudi Huber had) and matching new wiper blades (also NOS, a gift from Phil when I visited him in Edinburgh).
I'm now starting the process of making perfect the little things that I hastily threw on the car last year in order to get it certified and on the road.
New wiper arms and blades
New door window rubber (upper and lower)
Moving the quarter window channels inwards so the windows will close (with new aluminium trim)
Fitting the radio - if it works - and installing a hidden aerial and speakers
My Ghia also needs a proper tune-up to make it run as nicely as Phil's.
If I have time, I'd like to fabricate my own floor to dash console. I've already salvaged the wood trim from a late model VW at the scrapyard.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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Mellow Yellow 74
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2014
Posts: 1615
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 9:58 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| kiwighia68 wrote: |
| Happiness is new wiper arms (NOS and the last pair Rudi Huber had) |
€220 for the 68 model on the vintagecarparts website - you would want to be happy!
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1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon) |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 10:42 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| Mellow Yellow 74 wrote: |
| kiwighia68 wrote: |
| Happiness is new wiper arms (NOS and the last pair Rudi Huber had) |
€220 for the 68 model on the vintagecarparts website - you would want to be happy! |
I'm forcing the smile, believe me, but what could I do? Economics 101 - the scarcer the item and the greater the need for it, the higher the price.
I was in the Netherlands earlier in the month and found to my surprise that my hotel and travel expenses were being covered by the organisers of the event I attended - hence the sudden availablity of some Euros. Otherwise I might have bought the $20 repros from Cip1.
I'm doing baby steps: One item at a time.
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Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2016 3:52 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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I've been a bit lax keeping up with my thread. Otherwise I might have noticed Nicholas' post about the Hazet Tourist toolkit I have. Sorry, my friend.
I've been busy with other things, including a film show in The Netherlands and getting a book ready for publication. I've done no more than a little tinkering on my Ghia. She goes in on Monday for the clutch cable tube to be welded onto the tunnel. I have an awful squeak right under the handbrake lever, and a juddering under my foot on gear changes.
My publishers won't allow me to post the ending of the Emiko story. Makes sense.
I can at least tell you that the movie of my first novel is doing well. If I make good money out of this, I'll start another car project: maybe a Porsche 356.
Here's what the movie is doing.
http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/movies/sas-shepherdsandbutchers-wins-big-at-us-fest-2080984
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2016 4:40 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| c21darrel wrote: |
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| My publishers won't allow me to post the ending of the Emiko story. Makes sense. |
Let them know we are not spies, we just want to know what happens. :wink:
I hate trailers when I know I will never find out what happens. :cry: |
This way, Darrel, you can make up your own ending. Perhaps something like this:
Whatever - we still don't know if it's a man or a woman - takes the crooks' money up into the air and drops thousands of dollars around the perimeter of the workshop where the crooks are working on the cars they used to bring the drugs in.
The two soldiers are keeping guard a distance away, their AK47s under wraps.
De Villiers goes in with Emiko to identify the crooks who had abducted het and her child.
There is a standoff - and the good guys win without Vaishna shooting anybody this time. Although she was just looking for a reason to do so.
The cops come in and find the crooks tied up and the gang (De V and his gang) gone.
Later De Villiers offers Emiko the car he has restored - it was hers originally anyway - and tells her he has agreed with the ship's captain to smuggle her and her daughter into Japan for a reconciliation with her family.
She accept/declines his offer. (Who knows what a woman will do, eh?)
Write your own ending, Darrel, preferably a better one, and I might just use it when I get around to finish the novel.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2016 5:05 pm Post subject: Re: Saving Emiko: 68 RHD Restoration in New Zealand |
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| c21darrel wrote: |
Thanks Chris,
In my ending Vaishna (you know I have had the hots for her since the beginning) has a more "revealing" part and she has to shoot a couple of bad guys at least. Really, its what she does. :D |
Agreed. How many of the bad guys do you want her to shoot?
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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