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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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 Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 4:33 am Post subject: Phoebe - After 10+ years the Resto begins! |
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I bought my Ghia in about 2001 or so, drove it around for about 2-3 years and took it off the road to strip and restore. Life got in the way and fast forward 10 years and one house move I am finally getting started.
Dropped off the floor pan, gearbox/axle and front beam to the shop this morning. Few panels as well. Drop off the body in the next week or so when work permits.
I'll be doing a bit of running around on this, but largely will be done through one shop based at southport on the Gold Coast, about an hour south of Brisbane. I don't have the time, patience or skills to do what some of you guys do - I dips me lid to those that do!
Her name is Phoebe, named by my eldest daughter some 12 years ago. Phoebe is an Australian delivery 1963 model (built October 1962). Factory RHD, Euro-spec. 52k (undocumented) miles. Numbers matching, originally pearl white. I'll post some photos of it now and along the way. My aim is to be driving it in the second half of next year, we'll see how that pans out! |
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John Moxon 
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Joined: March 07, 2004
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Location: Southampton U.K.
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Angus Dowrie
Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 11:43 am Post subject: |
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| No I sold that some years ago. As a responsible family man I decided having two toy cars was a bit greedy. On quiet nights you can still hear me cry a little....... |
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John Moxon
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 4:50 am Post subject: |
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Here is a photo of Phoebe in about 2003, just to prove that she used be a complete working car! The scrungy one on the left. This was one of the last times I drove her, itching to have another go.
Complete with guard dog......
Last two show the worst damage, it hit a bollard on a RAAF base (Royal Australian Air Force) in about 1965.
She is stripped bare as can be seen. Floorpan and gearbox/front beam at the paint shop, body to follow next week if I can get away from work.
Plans are for a fairly stock re-build in Emerald Green, an original 1963 colour. Blue/white contrast roof.
Upgrades/modifications planned at this stage;
- CSP zero-offset front disc brake kit, with dual-circuit MC
- Flat 4 BRMs with about 185ish tyres
- EMPI VDM Steering Wheel
- 1962 Blaupunkt Radio
- original number stale-air 40HP with Riechert twin 28PCI kit/010 distributor.
- 12V |
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Rome
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Joined: June 02, 2004
Posts: 9641
Location: Pearl River, NY
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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It appears that you are lucky to have such a solid, unrusted Ghia. You can probably improve considerably on those front nose area dents with hammer/dolly? How is the metal under and around the battery mount in the engine compartment?
With your plans for the Riechert dual-carbs, have you considered moving the battery to under the rear seat like where it would be on a Beetle?
Your plans sound excellent with the period-style power upgrade, brake and wheel upgrades, and paint scheme. Hope you get it done without much delay.
Dog has really strong teeth to chew on your metal body support leg!  |
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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Rome
It's a pretty solid car, why I've hung onto it for so long! There is some rust in the drivers side (RHD car) sill, at the front of the door opening. This will no doubt get bigger when it is excavated, and most likely there will be something on the passenger side as well. It otherwise appears rust-free. Floorpan and body are getting sandblasted so all will be revealed. There are a couple of small areas on the pan that need some love.
Haven't thought about the battery at all, the Riechert kit is not large but I'll have to look into that.
That photo with the dog is probably two years old, the old fella has lost a couple of teeth since then. It does look like he's having a go at the leg doesn't it. |
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:56 am Post subject: |
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After a busy couple of weeks between work and packing to move house, I finally have got Phoebes shell loaded onto a trailer and off to the shop.
Here she is successfully at Barry's shop. We are having a public holiday here for the G20, and all of Brisbane was leaving town for the long weekend. A trip that normally takes one hour took two and a half.
Fuel tank and a kids bike that's going to join the line at the sand-blasters....
Bits and pieces for the floorpan, backing plates and beam.
Floorpan has been blasted and will be dropped off early next week, shell will get picked up at the same time for blasting, when all will be revealed! |
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kingkarmann
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Joined: November 05, 2003
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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Nice Ghia!
Lots of projects down under!
It's turned cold and windy here in Ohio. My Ghia is tucked away for the winter. These build threads give me something to do as we try and stay warm 
_________________
"Depression is a malfunction of the instrument we use to determine reality.”
Mike Gerson
What is your "Bespoke Reality"? |
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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We've managed to turn on a heat wave here to coincide with the G20 going on! It's actually hotter here this weekend than it typically gets to in mid summer.
There are quite a number of ghia projects happening around Oz and NZ at the moment, especially considering there really aren't that many of them down here. |
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 3:59 am Post subject: |
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First paint applied to the car. OK it's not that exciting but it's the first shiny bit! Rear drums only as will be running with CSP discs up front.
The body is now on a frame. After carefully looking it all over the prognosis pre blast is little rust aside from the sills, but the accident damage at the front a little worse than initially thought. Overall still good to go. See if I feel the same post blasting. |
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2014 11:27 pm Post subject: Correct fuel tank? |
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Can anyone tell me if the fuel tank pictured above is the correct one? The car sat for 30 years unused and the original may we'll have rusted out.
Has the correct one got a 'hump' at the front?
October 1962 build, '63 model.
Any help appreciated. |
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c21darrel
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Location: San Dimas
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Darrel
I actually dug out the original cardboard liner that was in there and it would be shaped differently if it ever had a hump tank in there, so I think it is the original (shape) anyway.
It has a mechanical fuel-gauge sender which was unique to the ghias prior to the late '63 models I believe. I don't think the mechanical gauges were ever used on the beetles from the factory. |
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c21darrel
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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I posted my comment without really thinking about it much - It is true from an Australian perspective, but not the US/remainder of the world.
Aussie beetles didn't get fuel gauges at all until the "62.5" model year, and then they were electric. The 62.5 model is unique to australian manufacture, known as "the sixty-two and a half" model. So beetles here never had mechanical gauges unless they were a special delivery/custom etc.
Karmann Ghias being fully imported had whatever changes the euro-spec Ghias had, which in terms of gauges were the same as the US models. |
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c21darrel
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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Got the floorpan back from the blasters. Nothing too unexpected, the worst is shown in the photo, the 'low' point of the floor behind the front seats. Worst on drivers side, probably end up buying the rear pan halves and just replacing the dimpled sections.
Haven't got the body back yet, wait for that to return before putting together a replacement panel shopping list. |
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c21darrel
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Angus Dowrie
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Joined: March 07, 2005
Posts: 341
Location: Kangaroo Point, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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I might be able to get away with that on the passenger (left) side, but the pitting in the photo is worse than it probably looks in the photos. A lot of those dark bits at the corners of the dimples are actually pin-holes. It was a little worse than I was expecting, but that's normally what happens after blasting!
It's only in the low bits behind the front seats, the front halves are excellent. Must have had some water come in and just sit in the low points and fester away. |
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sorry, I mean you have my sincere condolences.
