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sputnick60
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Joined: July 22, 2007
Posts: 3914
Location: In Molinya Orbit
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 Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:39 am Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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My '66 had a top that looked exactly like that. It was vinyl and not canvas. When I pulled it off the car there was every indication that it was the original roof. So that chrome trim being absent above the window is likely original.
The chrome trim below the window seems to be missing on yours. But no problem, those are available as spares from Airhead.
If you get to replacing the roof, you might find the front header bow is reusable especially if there is no dry rot. Mine was from the NM dessert and the wood was in good condition. Likely yours has benefited from moderate climate and the innards will require minimal refurbishment too.
Look at my restoration thread for '66 specific details.
Nicholas
_________________
'66 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet...
'65 Porsche 356C Coupe...
2005 Mecedes Benz C180 Kompressor Estate
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67 Florida Deluxe
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Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 7987
Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
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Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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67 Florida Deluxe
Samba Purist
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 7987
Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
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| Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:39 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Welcome to the Ghia forum!
I remember you well from my Beetle days!
I'm sure you know that the Ghia is simply a Beetle drivetrain with a better body on it.
Dave |
Yes, the KG is a "sporty" variant on the bug chassis! I've been on hiatus from the forums for a long time, but peeked in every now and again. By lucky happenstance, I found this wonderful KG while I wasn't looking (as typically happens with me for some reason.) If I can gain even half the knowledge I absorbed by so many great folks in the bug forum years ago, I will be truly blessed! My first quest is definitively discovering the proper factory trim pieces for the '66 vert top. I'm convinced that mine is proper and original, but I need unequivocal, evidentiary proof of what a '66 came from Karmann with. Nothing could ever rival the early, mid and late year changes that made the '67 bug so challenging! But put me on 1967 Bug Jeopardy and I think I can score pretty highly! I am hoping to gain the same knowledge about the KGs over time.
Cheers!
Kent
_________________
-Kent (BaT "daleallen")
OG member of the '67 Posse
A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental |
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iowegian 
Samba Curmudgeon
Joined: February 16, 2005
Posts: 9829
Location: Somewhere between Dubuque and Keokuk
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| Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2019 7:20 am Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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| I might have missed it, but when does the subject Ghia arrive in Florida? |
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67 Florida Deluxe
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Joined: June 21, 2005
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67 Florida Deluxe
Samba Purist
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 7987
Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
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| Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 5:06 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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The car finally arrived unscathed (I can now exhale). Thanks for driving it 'round to the garage, jjjjack!
I have a couple of questions that my searches didn't reveal answers to related to speaker location for 1966. This car has a Sapphire II AM/FM radio that is not connected, as a PO rigged up a 6v radio under the dash. When I looked in the trunk behind the instrument cluster cover, my heart sank. There was an oval hole cut in the next to the ash tray in the shape of an oval speaker, but no speaker is present. Partially obscuring the hole is the aftermarket radio mounted to the underside of the dash. The aftermarket radio lights up but no sound. I looked back at the dash pad and there are no perforations in the dash pad above the radio like all the others I have seen. Got me thinking that maybe the speaker for '66 was actually mounted facing downward next to the ash tray and not facing upwards above the radio - hence no need for perforations in the dash pad. Any ideas? If anyone has any photos of a downward facing oval speaker in place next to the ash tray and what the speaker grille cover on the inside of the cabin should look like please post pics  While radios were dealer-installed options, I can't imagine that the dealer would drill holes in the dash pad if they installed a radio. On bugs, there was simply a cover behind the speaker grille next to the speedo. When a radio got installed, the cover plate was removed and the speaker was installed in its place. This KG speaker situation has left me puzzled.
My search revealed this photo of a '66 that has been redone and the perforations are clearly visible in the dash pad above the radio. Perhaps this is a replacement dash pad and all the replacements got perforations despite '66 being an anomalous year that didn't have a perforated are above the radio?
_________________
-Kent (BaT "daleallen")
OG member of the '67 Posse
A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental |
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67 Florida Deluxe
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Joined: June 21, 2005
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Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
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| Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 5:23 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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Well, this answers the question about there NOT being a factory oval speaker hole being next to the ash tray, meaning I have a hack job  . Still, the answer remains if the speaker were mounted above the head unit, how is the sound supposed to come out with no perforations in the dash pad?
_________________
-Kent (BaT "daleallen")
OG member of the '67 Posse
A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32561
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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67 Florida Deluxe
Samba Purist
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 7987
Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
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| Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:18 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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I appreciate your response, but I'll agree to disagree, Dave. The fitment is perfect. No "shrinkage" at the A pillars as with the repops and very clear in the comparison photo I provided. Not to mention everything else that is original. Not trying to be argumentative, but if you were to see this car in person, you'd scratch your head, too.
And you know as well as I do that photos in adverts and manuals don't depict year-specific correctness. For example, the upholstery on the seatbacks are NOT correct for '66, nor the chrome knob on the window crank, nor the chrome switches on the dash. They were ivory. These images are renderings and not photos of actual year-specific cars, as delivered.
I'm hoping those with similar '66s can post their interior pics of the dash and speaker setup. If I'm ultimately, wrong, then I'm wrong. And I would LOVE to know who repopped this absolutely perfect dash pad with just the right amount of wear to depict 53 years of existence.
Again, not trying to be difficult, but not going for the low hanging fruit explanation that is not in keeping with the condition of this car. I'm trying to dig deeper for most accuracy. 
_________________
-Kent (BaT "daleallen")
OG member of the '67 Posse
A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental |
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sputnick60
Samba Moderator
Joined: July 22, 2007
Posts: 3914
Location: In Molinya Orbit
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 2:37 am Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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To clarify the question on radio speakers. There are no holes below the dash for a speaker. You have discovered as much from the photo of my car
There is a grid of holes for the speaker in the dash top. The ‘66 is the first model year to feature the dashtop holes whereas previous years with dash tops have a plastic grille over the speaker.
There are no reproduction dashtops that have these holes so we make do by placing the early style speaker grille over the speaker. I have had to do this with my restoration but it is a departure from original. Others choose to have no holes and no speaker in that location which accounts for the speakerless dash top which was never offered as OEM.
Nicholas
_________________
'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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djkeev
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67 Florida Deluxe
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kingkarmann
Samba Member
Joined: November 05, 2003
Posts: 4111
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:38 am Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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Here's a 66 un-padded dash
I don't think I'd fret too much about the relocation of the speaker. It looks like someone did a very good job of replacing the padded dash. If I recall, the repro's were molded with speaker hole "dimples". You have to drill holes yourself.
If it were mine I'd just mount of speaker in the "new" location. Or, like me, I just enjoy the sweet Flat4 music  |
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KGCoupe
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Joined: July 01, 2005
Posts: 3580
Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 11:31 am Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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If I may, ... I respectfully suggest that you quit obsessing over the minutiae of what may not be precisely "correct" and just start enjoying the Hell out of that absolutely stunning looking 1966 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet that was just dropped off into your lap!
You are indeed one very lucky individual to have caught and landed a Karmann Ghia as beautiful and apparently "unmolested" as that one appears to be ... let alone a 1966 model year Karmann Ghia Cabriolet!
As you are "new to Ghias", you just may not yet fully appreciate what a truly very, Very rare thing that is.
Now quit wasting your time reading on the internet and go out there and drive the shit out of that gorgeous Ghia!
Congratulations, BTW! |
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67 Florida Deluxe
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Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 7987
Location: Gainesville and Tampa, Florida
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:00 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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Believe it or not, I haven't driven it yet. I can't get in it. My back went into spasm the morning it was to arrive and it got worse as the day wore on. Fortunately, my buddy Jack was around to drive it in. He remarked at how smoothly it shifted and how "tight" it felt. Even the transport driver remarked about it. Maybe someday I can drive it myself 
-Kent
_________________
-Kent (BaT "daleallen")
OG member of the '67 Posse
A few of my toys, past and present
'56 Oval, '66 KG Conv't, '67 21-Window, '67 Bug, '79 SuperVert, '55 Pre-A Continental |
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63 vwnotch
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Joined: December 31, 2002
Posts: 734
Location: Riverside,CA Econo Motors
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:22 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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You've been ripped off !!!! send it to me for proper disposal, the kind hearted guy that I am will even pay for shipping 😁
Man that is one sweet ghia, in the rear fender well where the heater channel ends does it have 3 small dime size holes with VW plastic plugs in them?
That is one sweet score right there and i dont care what you paid for it...
EDIT: I was in the exact same boat as you 3 yrs ago, new to the ghia scene as well, they are a different animal all the way around... Did someone say Chrysler??😎
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BUS WANTED: 13 window BUS any year considered.. |
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63 vwnotch
Samba Member
Joined: December 31, 2002
Posts: 734
Location: Riverside,CA Econo Motors
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:40 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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Oh and btw Notchboy had the sunroof notch on your bucket list.. Get him on your side, he seems to have a mystical ability only unicorns can produce in finding such rare, pure type 3s...
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iowegian
Samba Curmudgeon
Joined: February 16, 2005
Posts: 9829
Location: Somewhere between Dubuque and Keokuk
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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What you have there, Kent, is further proof that Karmann Ghias were indeed hand built by craftsmen and not mass produced. It would seem that Franz, the dash-pad installer, was feeling a bit "under the weather" the day your car was built and he had a bit of short term memory loss. He "forgot" to drill the speaker holes. It is minor details like this that make these these cars so desirable and unique.
Tell the purists that yours has the highly-sought-after Speaker Delete. |
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63 vwnotch
Samba Member
Joined: December 31, 2002
Posts: 734
Location: Riverside,CA Econo Motors
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: New to Ghias and I'm very excited! |
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| jeffrey8164 wrote: |
| I’m gonna be cheesy and tell you to get that plastic fuel filter out if your engine compartment. |
Meh... fuel lines are more important than filter location, I've put God knows how many miles on all my VWs in blistering heat, never a problem..
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