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trevize1138
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Wells, MN
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 Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:30 am Post subject: First drives after 6 years in storage |
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Here's my weekend fun. Got the car out of a 6 year slumber where I really just got it running once or twice a year. Threw some sea foam in the tank, scrubbed up the battery contacts and she drove just fine. I'm sure I'll have no mechanical problems related to the long storage whatsoever-HEY! No laughing! 
Fresh after a good wash:
"I don't think they had wookies in mind when they designed her, Chewie"
What driving old VWs is all about: having a cute girl in the passenger's seat
Some day, Son. Some day ...
_________________
'72 Ghia Coupe
'72 Westy Hardtop (sold in 2013)
'72 Super Beetle (long dead and gone!)
http://druckenghia.blogspot.com/ |
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Northof49
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2013
Posts: 1759
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:31 am Post subject: |
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Beautiful car. Looks like a great time.
_________________
1958 Karmann Ghia owner |
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John Moxon 
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
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retrofive
Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014
Posts: 88
Location: So.Or.
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:16 am Post subject: |
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| John Moxon wrote: |
Yep you got it right...that's what it's all about.  |
And all this time I thought it was the hokey pokey. 
My lil girl loves driving in the ghia. She's mad at me right since I haven't replaced the battery yet :doh: |
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trevize1138
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Wells, MN
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:23 am Post subject: |
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| retrofive wrote: |
My lil girl loves driving in the ghia. She's mad at me right since I haven't replaced the battery yet :doh: |
I'm surprised the battery is functioning as well as it is. I have been storing it with the negative ground still attached to the terminal. I guess I have no shorts in the electrical system (and no clock/light on the radio with the key out of the ignition) or something. The guy at my local hardware store just scrubbed the ports and when he ran a tester it was just a tad low from full charge.
Once I cleaned up the clamps and re-installed the battery it cranked away just fine. After 10 seconds of cranking to run the fuel pump she started just fine.
I'm sure the battery will need replacing pretty soon, though. Every once in a while I still get no response at all when I turn the key. Walk away from it for 5 minutes, try again and it's fine.
_________________
'72 Ghia Coupe
'72 Westy Hardtop (sold in 2013)
'72 Super Beetle (long dead and gone!)
http://druckenghia.blogspot.com/ |
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Kmolenda
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2013
Posts: 309
Location: Cottage Grove Mn
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Glad to see another nice Ghia in Mn! Not sure where wells is, but maybe we can meet up sometime at a show or something. But then there would be two ghias there and confuse the hell out of everyone.. Lol |
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trevize1138
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Wells, MN
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 6:01 am Post subject: |
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| Kmolenda wrote: |
| Glad to see another nice Ghia in Mn! Not sure where wells is, but maybe we can meet up sometime at a show or something. But then there would be two ghias there and confuse the hell out of everyone.. Lol |
It's 20 miles west of Albert Lea and 38 miles south of Mankato. Or, think of a triangle made of of 'Kato, Albert Lea and Blue Earth and Wells is at the center.
There's a car show in Wells in mid August as part of the annual "Kernal Days" fair and I've never entered into one before but I just might for this one to celebrate getting her back.
I do know where Cottage Grove is. I bought this car from a guy in St. Paul when we lived right in Minneapolis' Central neighborhood. I gotta tell ya: Ghias in your neighborhood are far more common than down here!
In other news: just successfully drove her to work in Waseca this morning (32 miles). Performed beautifully except for the high crosswinds. Funny how an old car like this even though it's small can feel like my 31' motor home in crosswinds.
_________________
'72 Ghia Coupe
'72 Westy Hardtop (sold in 2013)
'72 Super Beetle (long dead and gone!)
http://druckenghia.blogspot.com/ |
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chrismredsox1
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2004
Posts: 128
Location: SF Bay Area
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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Totally agree with you about having your children and their friends enjoying the vintage rides together!
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dcombs
Samba Member
Joined: November 03, 2012
Posts: 89
Location: Denver, CO
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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Congrats! I agree, having your kids ride with you is the best.
Would you mind telling me about your side trim? I've never seen that style before. Was it something you added in place of the double spears?
Thanks,
Danny |
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Kmolenda
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2013
Posts: 309
Location: Cottage Grove Mn
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| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| I think I know where Wells is at now. I think I am the only one with a Ghia in CG, there are a couple in Woodbury that were up for sale last year, also are a few bugs running around, and a guy with some bugs and busses in hastings.. Glad to hear she is running good for ya. Mine sat for ten years and I had her back on the road in about a week. She hasn't let me down yet. I was pretty Leary of driving it because of the 1980 Sears tires that were on it, but a new set of Coker wide whites did the trick there. I've been driving all over the place. The kids love it. Better than my old 56' Chevy I had.. Lol |
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trevize1138
Samba Member
Joined: October 26, 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Wells, MN
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| Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 10:29 am Post subject: |
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It's good to be back. I've been digging dirty oil out from under my fingernails today after putting a temporary bushing in to the lower connection on my front/driver's side shock. I really need to get new shocks all around but at least now I don't hear that worrisome rattle every time I hit a bump.
_________________
'72 Ghia Coupe
'72 Westy Hardtop (sold in 2013)
'72 Super Beetle (long dead and gone!)
http://druckenghia.blogspot.com/ |
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mcdonaldneal
Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013
Posts: 2648
Location: Gullane, Scotland
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