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drscope
Samba Member
Joined: February 19, 2007
Posts: 15273
Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA
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 Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 2:59 pm Post subject: Ghia sheet metal? |
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So who is the best source for Ghia sheet metal? I'm particularly looking for a new nose.
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Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch! |
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jpjohns
Samba Member
Joined: May 03, 2014
Posts: 882
Location: Harrisonburg, VA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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A donor car would be my first choice, KGP&R second.
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-Jared
"Scrapyards are for quitters" - Beetlenut (a Samba member) |
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CiderGuy
Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2013
Posts: 1351
Location: Bucks County, Pa
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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| I've found that most suppliers are getting their repair panels from the same few sources. I shop for price before narrowing it down who I was going to buy from. |
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danielsan
Samba Member
Joined: September 18, 2008
Posts: 802
Location: Carson City, NV
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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There are ways to get the House of Ghia / KGPR metal cheaper but keep in mind that saving 10 dollars or so on a panel will hurt in the long run if the ghia specialists decide that it is no longer profitable to keep making repros. There aren't that many ghias left . . .
I buy locally, classifieds and I buy best quality when I can find it. But I also support the repro makers over the people with page on an auction site. |
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TheFop
Samba Member
Joined: February 03, 2014
Posts: 302
Location: Auckland - New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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If you are ordering New metal try and find out where it was manufactured as there are some shockingly bad Chinese panels being sold by the main suppliers and they are total junk made of substandard materials and you wonder if they are even for a Ghia.
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Rusty 61 RHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Resto in progress....slowly
Stock 69 LHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Driver
67 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Being rebuilt
63 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Going Baja!
86 T25 Westfalia - Family Fun car |
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CiderGuy
Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2013
Posts: 1351
Location: Bucks County, Pa
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| TheFop wrote: |
| If you are ordering New metal try and find out where it was manufactured as there are some shockingly bad Chinese panels being sold by the main suppliers and they are total junk made of substandard materials and you wonder if they are even for a Ghia. |
Funny I have order full pans plus 14 different repair panels from 4 different suppliers, and none of it has been Chinese. All of it has been Danish. |
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TheFop
Samba Member
Joined: February 03, 2014
Posts: 302
Location: Auckland - New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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You lucked out, I found its the areas around the torsion bar access that I have found to be Chinese, the metals the wrong gauge and the fit is terrible, the Danish stuff is generally good although the right floor pan I received was wrong and the stiffeners were pressed too far in from the outer rail and sat on top of the tunnel flange.
_________________
Rusty 61 RHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Resto in progress....slowly
Stock 69 LHD Karmann Ghia Coupe - Driver
67 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Being rebuilt
63 New Zealand Spec Beetle - Going Baja!
86 T25 Westfalia - Family Fun car |
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Peter_KG
Samba Member
Joined: January 08, 2013
Posts: 148
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 12:40 am Post subject: |
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Very good references:
http://www.wagner-blechteile.de/index.html
unfortunaly he only speaks German...
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VW Karmann Ghia '63
VW Kupla Dickholmer '64
VW Bubbla Oval '54 |
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danielsan
Samba Member
Joined: September 18, 2008
Posts: 802
Location: Carson City, NV
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 8:27 am Post subject: |
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That's a great resource -- thanks! I wonder if we could encourage the U.S. ghia specialists to start carrying his metal. Yes, the torsion bar repair metal is bad -- thin and 'universal' meaning it is really for early ghias. |
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John Moxon 
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
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-Zodiac-
Samba Member
Joined: September 22, 2014
Posts: 782
Location: Pensacola/milton, florida
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:43 am Post subject: |
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Pricy indeed, that's around 2,000 usd, in the classifieds section there are people with parts cars. You could ask someone to cut you out a nose
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1973 karmann ghia - current, not the last VW.
1947 Chevy stylemaster - gone, but not forgotten.
1995 Ford F-150 - gone, hatred for it lives. |
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sputnick60
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 22, 2007
Posts: 3916
Location: In Molinya Orbit
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CiderGuy
Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2013
Posts: 1351
Location: Bucks County, Pa
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Not sure if anyone took notice, but the OP lives in Baltimore, MD USA, so parts from Europe or else where will be very pricy with shipping figured in. |
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Fairview
Samba Member
Joined: August 17, 2010
Posts: 147
Location: Waynesboro, Virginia
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| Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 3:42 pm Post subject: Re: Ghia sheet metal? |
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| drscope wrote: |
| So who is the best source for Ghia sheet metal? I'm particularly looking for a new nose. |
Over the last year, I've bought quite a few replacement panels from KGPR for my 62 convertible. Several times the body guy mentioned how nicely made those parts were. |
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John Moxon
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Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13952
Location: Southampton U.K.
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sputnick60
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 22, 2007
Posts: 3916
Location: In Molinya Orbit
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 4:39 am Post subject: |
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| CiderGuy wrote: |
| Not sure if anyone took notice, but the OP lives in Baltimore, MD USA, so parts from Europe or else where will be very pricy with shipping figured in. |
I live in Australia. If I was focused on the price of shipment then I wouldn't be doing very much in the way of quality work with Ghias. The price is the price wherever it is. If there is only a single example in the world of something that I want then whats the point to quibble with the cost of freight? I've learned to put up or shut up.
Nicholas
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'66 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet...
'65 Porsche 356C Coupe...
2005 Mecedes Benz C180 Kompressor Estate
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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danielsan
Samba Member
Joined: September 18, 2008
Posts: 802
Location: Carson City, NV
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:12 am Post subject: Re: Ghia sheet metal? |
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| Fairview wrote: |
| drscope wrote: |
| So who is the best source for Ghia sheet metal? I'm particularly looking for a new nose. |
Over the last year, I've bought quite a few replacement panels from KGPR for my 62 convertible. Several times the body guy mentioned how nicely made those parts were. |
I don't think anyone disputes that -- but repro full nose section that Wagner-Blechtile makes looks fantastic and it would be nice to have KGPR or HoG buy a few units so we 'mericans can save on freight costs. If you are paying someone to put on this bit:
http://www.karmannghia.com/viewDetail.asp?strMasterCat=&idproduct=1570
And the air boxes, horn bracket, valence and so on you are actually ahead money and time. If you are doing the work yourself and you plan to save original metal -- the current offerings might be best. But at 75 dollars an hour to put the Dansk and Tabco parts in place? 750 euros sounds like a deal.
And it sometimes the ghia retailers respond to our requests. People on the Samba let KGPR know that the Chinese windows weren't up to snuff and they responded. I really like the windshield I got from KGPR. Clear, thick and easy to install -- so much better than the green tinted, thin, ill-fitting Chinese FYG windows that my local glass place offers. |
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CiderGuy
Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2013
Posts: 1351
Location: Bucks County, Pa
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:24 am Post subject: |
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| sputnick60 wrote: |
| CiderGuy wrote: |
| Not sure if anyone took notice, but the OP lives in Baltimore, MD USA, so parts from Europe or else where will be very pricy with shipping figured in. |
I live in Australia. If I was focused on the price of shipment then I wouldn't be doing very much in the way of quality work with Ghias. The price is the price wherever it is. If there is only a single example in the world of something that I want then whats the point to quibble with the cost of freight? I've learned to put up or shut up.
Nicholas |
Put up or shut up ? What the hell does that mean?
Living in Australia isn't mine or the OP reality, its yours. The parts I/we need are usually found here and not in Australia.
Last edited by CiderGuy on Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:32 am; edited 1 time in total |
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2874
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:31 am Post subject: |
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| CiderGuy wrote: |
| sputnick60 wrote: |
| CiderGuy wrote: |
| Not sure if anyone took notice, but the OP lives in Baltimore, MD USA, so parts from Europe or else where will be very pricy with shipping figured in. |
I live in Australia. If I was focused on the price of shipment then I wouldn't be doing very much in the way of quality work with Ghias. The price is the price wherever it is. If there is only a single example in the world of something that I want then whats the point to quibble with the cost of freight? I've learned to put up or shut up.
Nicholas |
Put up or shut up ? What the hell does that mean? |
It means you pay the price and the freight and the import taxes and duties and don't complain about it.
Or you go without the part.
I've done quite a bit of the going-without-the-part bit simply because the freight and taxes make the transaction unaffordable.
You guys in Europe and the US just don't know how lucky you are. Parts cars? We don't know them down here in Australia and NZ.
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Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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sputnick60
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 22, 2007
Posts: 3916
Location: In Molinya Orbit
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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| CiderGuy wrote: |
| Living in Australia isn't mine or the OP reality, its yours. The parts I/we need are usually found here and not in Australia. |
Yes, you are completely correct. We don't find many parts here either.
However, the OP did ask the question without qualifying the answer needs to be in context of a US reality. I enjoy having a browse on the web for what Ghia parts are out there mostly because its a bit of fun but also its good to know what's out there. I don't stick to just the 'merican suppliers and rather than keeping the discoveries to myself I take the effort to post up some "finds" on this forum, particularly when spurred by a question like the one from this OP.
Maybe there is a person in some other "reality" who'd benefit with that. It is a gamble trying to please everyone sometimes. Some are doing a patch-up at minimum price and others are doing a "perfect" job with no expense spared. Its hard to pick what quality the OP is aiming at but since he was asking about a "new nose" the answer is going to be expensive. Shipping anything large is costly and if you are willing to pay, or not, it is a measure of various priorities.
Anyway, I'm glad you access all the parts you need right there in 'merica. I got my entire car from 'merica, paid a bomb for the freight and it's proven a fantastic choice!
Nicholas
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'66 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet...
'65 Porsche 356C Coupe...
2005 Mecedes Benz C180 Kompressor Estate
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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