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Sat May 15, 2010 10:01 am

pbaptist wrote: Dave and Richard, are you both willing to give your knowledge away for the community and not keeping it for commercial reasons and only publish it in a book.

Difficult question isn't?

Patrick

Yes, from my personal standpoint, it is a difficult question. As passionate as I am about the Karmann-Ghia, and as much as I do love the Karmann-Ghia community and have tried to offer accurate information, I have a certain degree of personal investment in my research (both time and money) which I would prefer to respect. I'm unfortunately not a wealthy, jet-setting hobbyist like some; I have to rob my family hours to work on my project, and rob the family coffers to pay for the work. Typically, this work happens after 9 or 10pm, after things are sorted at home and after a day of my 'normal' job's work, and the money has come out of funds otherwise earmarked for things like family holidays, dining out, etc. Also there is a Publisher in the picture who must be respected - I imagine if I post a few sections of my work on the Internet I would be straining my working relationship to near or beyond a friendly, or even legal breaking point.

I only mention these personal aspects to give anyone who actually cares a more complete idea of why an otherwise helpful enthusiast might be perceived as not wishing to co-operate with a noble (and potentially very useful) request.

And, as a final sidebar, I have to say that as a former general manager of a publishing firm (a cartographic publishing house who produced its own road maps and road atlases, completely in-house), the Internet itself is both a wonderful resource and a terrible monster. We had to pursue litigation over dozens of copyright infringements, when our maps were scanned and used without our permission and without recompension. Spending thousands of dollars and months of time and hard work to develop a good product, and then losing control of it in a heartbeat is hugely frustrating.

Sat May 15, 2010 10:52 am

Dave...I agree with you and look forward to "buying" a copy when it is published. Your hard work should be compensated. After all, most of us have no problem throwing money at our passion. Why would throwing money at a book that pertains to our passion be any different? ...Just my thoughts :wink: -Russ

Sat May 15, 2010 11:28 pm

Hi at all. Yes, it is true: to get so much informations about our ghias you must spend a lot of time an money. a lot of peoples want this infos bit they dont want to pay for it. this is one side. the other side is that some people who are calling "one of the greatest karmann ghia specialsit" are only collecting informations and dont give some infos back. only collecting for himself and praying what they are good knower of ghia details.
so in the year 2007 in georgsmarienehütte in germany one of this selfmade gods got an pair of flat licensehouse lenses from me for free. for that deal i was good enough. he dont answer only one of an dozen emails from me....

it is an easy thing to tell some lowlight owners that their cars not correct etc. oh, what an god. only bad-mouthing.....
i'm lucky that i dont be an "Prayer and Beggar" like him.
keep your informations for your self but dont go to the meetings an make the cars bad.

Sat May 15, 2010 11:38 pm

I identify with what you're saying Dave/Retrowagen, I'm in the design/architecture industry....but just finish that book will ya!

Sun May 16, 2010 10:32 am

1956 Karmann Ghia 144 wrote: I identify with what you're saying Dave/Retrowagen, I'm in the design/architecture industry....but just finish that book will ya!

Hey, small world - that's the industry I work in now.

And I want to take a moment to clarify that I am not the character Udo is telling everyone about in his post above. It has always been my philosophy in life to "give more than you take."

And I want to sincerely apologize to the original poster that this thread went so radically sideways down a bizarre tangential track. If the information Patrick gave you isn't sufficient (which I highly doubt; Patrick really REALLY is a hugely helpful and knowledgable source of information and an invaluable asset to our community), PM me and I'll try to help.

Sun May 16, 2010 10:36 pm

retrowagen wrote: 1956 Karmann Ghia 144 wrote: I identify with what you're saying Dave/Retrowagen, I'm in the design/architecture industry....but just finish that book will ya!

Hey, small world - that's the industry I work in now.

And I want to take a moment to clarify that I am not the character Udo is telling everyone about in his post above. It has always been my philosophy in life to "give more than you take."

And I want to sincerely apologize to the original poster that this thread went so radically sideways down a bizarre tangential track. If the information Patrick gave you isn't sufficient (which I highly doubt; Patrick really REALLY is a hugely helpful and knowledgable source of information and an invaluable asset to our community), PM me and I'll try to help.

You're not the person described

Mon May 17, 2010 12:20 pm

Just to get back to the topic, I thought I trow in a picture...

55 till early 56 turnsignal housing on the left and later version on the right.

Mon May 17, 2010 12:54 pm

55 aluminium side window trim.

55 to early 56

If you want them, they are for sale! Probably the last NOS set in the world...

Tue May 18, 2010 3:56 am

56GoldeGhia wrote: Just to get back to the topic, I thought I trow in a picture...

55 till early 56 turnsignal housing on the left and later version on the right.
This change is made to chassis 1532758 (may 57)

Tue May 18, 2010 5:11 am

Quote: This change is made to chassis 1532758 (may 57)

Thanks for the accurate information! :D

Wed May 19, 2010 4:26 am

GHIA wrote: 56GoldeGhia wrote: Just to get back to the topic, I thought I trow in a picture...

55 till early 56 turnsignal housing on the left and later version on the right.
This change is made to chassis 1532758 (may 57)

Interesting :shock: I didn't have that chassis in my database. What was your reference? Thanks for the detail (and the pics are great). My March 56 Ghia still has these.

Also, the rear tail light drain had the similar modification to bulb holders.

Wed May 19, 2010 4:51 am

Front hood drain tubes

My front drain tubes on my March 56 Ghia are made of metal. There is a hole that drops down in a metal funel that guides the water into the nostril vent (or gets stopped up and lets water run down to the spare tire area).

I believe a June 56 Ghia that I had didn't have any drain at all.

I'll have to search for a picture of this to show you what I mean.

Later, they went to a rubber tube that connects the hole to the inner fender.

Wed May 19, 2010 4:53 am

aerosilver wrote: Oct.55 interior.

I'm not sure when this ended, most likely Feb 56, but the original glove boxes were lined with headliner material and later went to using flocking. This might have ended with the all vinyl interiors as show in the great picture.

Wed May 19, 2010 4:58 am

aerosilver wrote: Side trim with inserts.

Another great detail shot. I had some stock machined to make inserts, hope that I can find them after all of this time.

The spears below the rear quarter windows on my March of 56 Ghia were hand peened over to make the "rear arrow dart". I have only seen this on one other car but it might have been common (maybe the prior owners dog chewed the originals off too).

Wed May 19, 2010 8:19 am

JeffL wrote: GHIA wrote: This change is made to chassis 1532758 (may 57)

Interesting :shock: I didn't have that chassis in my database. What was your reference? Thanks for the detail (and the pics are great). My March 56 Ghia still has these.

Also, the rear tail light drain had the similar modification to bulb holders.

I believe he was mistaken. My research indicates that this chassis # in May 1957 had the switch from a flasher relay of rectangular shape to one of a cylindrical shape case, not the change of the turn signal trim drain hole shape (which I also agree occurred at some point in early or mid-1956, undocumented by Karmann or Volkswagen, by my observation of early unrestoerd cars).

Wed May 19, 2010 9:35 am

retrowagen wrote: JeffL wrote: GHIA wrote: This change is made to chassis 1532758 (may 57)

Interesting :shock: I didn't have that chassis in my database. What was your reference? Thanks for the detail (and the pics are great). My March 56 Ghia still has these.

Also, the rear tail light drain had the similar modification to bulb holders.

I believe he was mistaken. My research indicates that this chassis # in May 1957 had the switch from a flasher relay of rectangular shape to one of a cylindrical shape case, not the change of the turn signal trim drain hole shape (which I also agree occurred at some point in early or mid-1956, undocumented by Karmann or Volkswagen, by my observation of early unrestoerd cars).

OK, I was ready to dust off my old books and go searching!

Another interesting trim piece is the nose badge. Mine is held on with screws and nuts, not the push over barbs. Most of my pics are pre-digital. I'm going to have to scan some of my old pics in.

Wed May 19, 2010 9:42 am

Maybe he got it from me. I posted it at first on Dec 25, 2006 on page 11 of the lowlight you can't beat them topic. (great topic with lots of info and pictures, also about the early ghia :D ).

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1958355&highlight=1532758#1958355

But, now the question, were did I got it from
I really have no clue.....:?

Patrick

Wed May 19, 2010 10:19 am

I found my source,

I got the info form an overview posted in the International Vintage Volkswagen Magazine VOL 5, No1. The overview was made by Pasi Hakala.

But, now when I now read it again, the change is not the turn signal trim drain hole shape, but the new round flasher unit like Dave described.

So, it was my mistake. :oops:

Here is a scan of the article:

regards
Patrick

Wed May 19, 2010 1:54 pm

pbaptist wrote:
1532758 (may ’57) The turn signal covers changed from circular drain holes into triangular drain holes. The circular hole didn't drained the water well and with the triangular the surface tension of the water would be broken.

Sorry for this mistake, this information actually comes from you Patrick, and I haven't verified this information.
But there was a change, from Vin 1168937 (April 56),for the bugs with the expansion of the drainage hole to 4 mm. Maybe the change of the shape of the hole for ghia turnsignal housing, occurred during the same period ???

Wed May 19, 2010 3:57 pm

GHIA wrote: pbaptist wrote:
1532758 (may ’57) The turn signal covers changed from circular drain holes into triangular drain holes. The circular hole didn't drained the water well and with the triangular the surface tension of the water would be broken.

Sorry for this mistake, this information actually comes from you Patrick, and I haven't verified this information.
But there was a change, from Vin 1168937 (April 56),for the bugs with the expansion of the drainage hole to 4 mm. Maybe the change of the shape of the hole for ghia turnsignal housing, occurred during the same period ???

My May 56' coupe blinker housings have the small round hole.