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owlbeen
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2014
Posts: 4
Location: Morro Bay, CA
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 Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 7:19 pm Post subject: Help Me Find This Ghia! [Los Angeles County] |
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Fellow Ghia-lovers, I come to you with a request.
Back in early 2015, I was in a wreck in Central California that turned this:
...into this:
For obvious reasons, the car was considered totaled.
Since I was in the ICU for several months (and barely conscious for most of that -- seriously, folks, do not get into wrecks in your Ghia, it will take you 6 months to learn to walk again), I couldn't put up much of a fight when the insurance company hauled her off. Nor was I in any state of mind to figure out where she was being taken.
Once the medical stuff was out of the way, I got curious about what had happened to my car. After some calls, I found out that she had been hauled to an auction lot in Los Angeles, and was (presumably) sold for parts and/or scrap sometime in mid-to-late 2015.
Here's the thing: What you can't see in that photo is that her engine was still intact. Inside the engine compartment, the car was still every bit the beautiful machine I'd known for fifteen years.
My hope is twofold: 1) That someone bought the car, thus preventing it from being made into a decorative, mirror-black cube. And 2) that maybe, just maybe, someone saved the engine. If they've put it into another Ghia or a Bug, I'd be ecstatic. I'd love to hear that my car lives on... in some form, or another.
(Or, heck, if they might consider selling it, I'd be a willing buyer -- my Bug might need a new engine soon...)
Last edited by owlbeen on Wed Nov 30, 2016 8:30 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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sputnick60
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 22, 2007
Posts: 3916
Location: In Molinya Orbit
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John Moxon 
Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13958
Location: Southampton U.K.
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:39 am Post subject: Re: Help Me Find This Ghia! Central California. |
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Wow...a sobering post. Thankfully you're still about to ask questions...stick around on The Samba...it's a great, supportive community.
This might sound ghoulish but do you have a link to a newspaper or online report of the accident? It might jog the memory of the casual browser of this topic and bring forward more information on what happened to the wreck.
I've edited the title a little to attract locals to your area...if you want to make the area more specific in the title, let us know.
Good hunting. 
_________________
John.
Judson Supercharger Information on The Samba
My 1958 Shorrock Supercharged Karmann Ghia
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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lhwood
Samba Member
Joined: August 14, 2012
Posts: 70
Location: san diego, ca
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:01 am Post subject: Re: Help Me Find This Ghia! |
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YIKES! 
Can you please post more information about your accident and maybe more pics of the car? I sometimes take my kids to school in my Oval or my Bus (they Love ACVWs) I have taken as many precautions as possible and I do understand that these cars are nowhere as safe as my other , newer cars, but if that was a fender bender I am not taking my kids to the mail box on our street in them any longer.
Please share.
Thanks in advance. I hope you're well and have mended to the point that you can resume your life as you did prior to being in this accident.
Cheers
LW |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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WickedOne
Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2013
Posts: 23
Location: Bay Area Calif
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 3:28 pm Post subject: Re: Help Me Find This Ghia! Central California |
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| Wow. Glad you are back. Looking at the wreak reminds me of my SIL's t-bone. She had a long recovery, too. |
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owlbeen
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2014
Posts: 4
Location: Morro Bay, CA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 5:12 pm Post subject: Re: Help Me Find This Ghia! |
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| sputnick60 wrote: |
You could post an WTB advertisement for the motor. Important details link numbers would be good.
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Unfortunately, the VIN on the engine was not the one that I typically used for the car. I tended to go by the one on the inside of the nose. So all of the paperwork I have would have the wrong VIN number attached... d'oh!
Though I do have a photo... of sorts.
| John Moxon wrote: |
| This might sound ghoulish but do you have a link to a newspaper or online report of the accident? It might jog the memory of the casual browser of this topic and bring forward more information on what happened to the wreck. |
It didn't make the papers. The area where it happened (Hwy 41) is known for fatal crashes, and I'm afraid that my experience was just another in a long list of 'this is why you don't drive the 41' cautionary tales that get banded about at the local donut shop. v(._.)v
| lhwood wrote: |
| Can you please post more information about your accident and maybe more pics of the car? I sometimes take my kids to school in my Oval or my Bus (they Love ACVWs) I have taken as many precautions as possible and I do understand that these cars are nowhere as safe as my other , newer cars, but if that was a fender bender I am not taking my kids to the mail box on our street in them any longer. |
Long story short, that is what happens when a Ghia and a (brand-new!) Jeep have a head-on collision when both parties are doing 45. The Jeep crossed over the center line on an undivided highway.
The Jeep did not actually fare better! It had its' entire front axle ripped apart, with the driver's side front wheel, suspension, and arm coming away clean. You can just see the Jeep sitting cock-eyed behind my Ghia. After the wreck, it had to be dragged away -- my Ghia was still rolling.
I won't try to say that these are safe cars. They aren't. You can get seriously hurt in even a minor wreck. Kids, especially, as they tend to sit in the back seats, where it's pretty common to not have seat belts installed. But! During my 15 years with that particular Ghia, I was rear-ended three times. Two of those were high speed, with the other car going 40+ mph. I was never injured, not even whiplash. They are sturdy, well-built cars, with good passenger cabin engineering. Are they safe? No. Are they tough? Yes.
I don't have any other pictures handy, but I will try to look for some later.
I will share this one, however, because I think it's a good example of how well these old girls will hold up in a more standard wreck:
My parents' Fasty got t-boned by someone doing over 35mph. They didn't brake. My father, who was driving, had a minorly tweaked back for all of half a week, but was otherwise fine.
We sold the car, but I hear it's still put-putting around Fullerton! 
| c21darrel wrote: |
Congrats on surviving.
How did you get the pic of "the after"? If thats the lot that sold or forwarded the car to the auction, perhaps they can give you some direction.
Looks like it had a ragtop |
The Ghia was determined I live. :3
There's only one tow-yard in town, so my roommate went over and snapped some photos for me, while I was laid up in the hospital. It actually made me feel a lot better. I loved that car, so I felt I owed it to her to see her before she was dragged off.
And oh man yes. I had a love/hate relationship with that ragtop. Ever had one spontaneously open on the freeway? 
| WickedOne wrote: |
| Wow. Glad you are back. Looking at the wreak reminds me of my SIL's t-bone. She had a long recovery, too. |
I hope she doesn't have any long-lasting effects. That's been the hardest part, realizing there's stuff your body just can't do anymore. :/
Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes. I'm in one piece now (more or less) and am back to doing what I love: driving VWs. So I think it all worked out. |
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Karly
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2002
Posts: 641
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:10 pm Post subject: Re: Help Me Find This Ghia! Central California |
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Though I'm guessing the Jeep owner possibly walked away from the accident?
Hope you find some traces of your old car, perhaps the auction place is the best bet but I doubt they'll be able to give you details... though perhaps they may have recorded the engine number.
_________________
1960 Beetle ''Heidi" daily driver
1964 Karmann Ghia project |
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owlbeen
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2014
Posts: 4
Location: Morro Bay, CA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:28 pm Post subject: Re: Help Me Find This Ghia! Central California |
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| Karly wrote: |
Though I'm guessing the Jeep owner possibly walked away from the accident?
Hope you find some traces of your old car, perhaps the auction place is the best bet but I doubt they'll be able to give you details... though perhaps they may have recorded the engine number. |
Modern cars have modern safety equipment, like airbags. So, yeah. That's all I feel comfortable saying on the matter.
And while I tried finding out which auction yard it was sent to, everything turned up dead ends. My insurance company just shrugged and said "it could have been any of them," since they send them all over the County. |
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John Moxon
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Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13958
Location: Southampton U.K.
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owlbeen
Samba Member
Joined: September 13, 2014
Posts: 4
Location: Morro Bay, CA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2016 8:30 pm Post subject: Re: Help Me Find This Ghia! Central California |
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It's possible -- do you think he'd be keeping an ear out for auctions held in Los Angeles? |
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John Moxon
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Joined: March 07, 2004
Posts: 13958
Location: Southampton U.K.
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rockerarm
Samba Member
Joined: December 16, 2009
Posts: 3552
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 3:11 pm Post subject: Re: Help Me Find This Ghia! [Los Angeles County] |
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Hi. I agree that your able to do what I take for granted!!
Pat Downs from CB performance is on the samba and so is Scott at mcmscott.
Scott is on here more often and has a buggy shop in Sanger (Fresno area).
I don't recall there monikers here but there are a few in the Modesto area.
SGKent (Steve) is from the Sacramento area.
Try googleing VW clubs in the counties where this happened.
Hope this helps, Bill. |
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