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My single owner 1959 Ghia
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PatterBon
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 20, 2021 3:35 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

kingkarmann wrote:
As evidenced by the huge smiles on your parents faces you are indeed a good son! Cool


Thank you! I can't thank them enough for loving it and keeping it's tires round in lieu of my absence. It's always been a dream car of my mom's and my dad commutes in it almost daily. They turn a lot of heads in the local area and they said taking it to Seattle was a blast. I cannot wait to go home and drive it again.

Next few things I'm planning on doing it replacing the copper fuel feed line that goes to fuel pump (the old one works but it's ragged.) I'll also be moving the grounding strap to it's proper position and last but not least, install the crown jewel that is the nose badge.
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PatterBon
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2021 5:17 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

So a couple more questions,
I'll be going home again at the end of October before being sent to Eutope for a stint.
How do I install the nose badge?
What is the proper material for my seats? They're entirely fabric bit from John Moxon's thread, it looks like the outside of the seat is a leatherette. Albeit his is a '58.
Was there an all Bamboo '59? Almost all the pictures I've seen, they're two tone and the roof is a shade of green.
And embarrassingly, I've misplaced the photos of the work done in the 70's and 80's. The previous owner gave me a small photo album and I cannot remember where I put it Embarassed I'll keep looking for it and find it eventually but I should have better track of it.

I feel like I stumbled upon the "spilt window of Ghia's" and until receiving it, didn't/don't know a whole lot about it. Once I'm out of the Military, I will restore the engine too. I'm lucky enough to have access to tools to be able to restore a 36er so I hope to capitalize on it once the time eventually comes! Thanks in advance!
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Trylon
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 5:04 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Here’s what The Aussie Trimmer determined was correct for my ‘59:

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Put the coco mats in for driving about, should be rubber.
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PatterBon
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 3:22 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Trylon wrote:
Here’s what The Aussie Trimmer determined was correct for my ‘59:

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Put the coco mats in for driving about, should be rubber.


Looks wonderful!

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I'm fairly certain now that mine's inaccurate but I suppose all that will come together all in due time!
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Braukuche
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 7:50 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Yours is wrong, but looks clean and usable. If you decide to do the interior, which is big money, then you will slide down the path of doing everything, including paint. It’s worth it these days since the cars have shot up in value but just be aware of the costs. I did my 56 myself and with purchase price of $5k have around $20k into it. Lucky for you you are starting out with zero and a running camper which puts you well ahead of the game. A correctly done lowlight is rare in the US and far more beautiful than any custom versions. Karmann had top designers working for them during the lowlight era and did t skimp on materials like in later cars.

My interior on my 56 Gazelle Beige. The cloth is cord, I’m not sure what they used on the later cars.

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 8:07 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Braukuche wrote:
Yours is wrong, but looks clean and usable. If you decide to do the interior, which is big money, then you will slide down the path of doing everything, including paint. It’s worth it these days since the cars have shot up in value but just be aware of the costs. I did my 56 myself and with purchase price of $5k have around $20k into it. Lucky for you you are starting out with zero and a running camper which puts you well ahead of the game. A correctly done lowlight is rare in the US and far more beautiful than any custom versions. Karmann had top designers working for them during the lowlight era and did t skimp on materials like in later cars.

My interior on my 56 Gazelle Beige. The cloth is cord, I’m not sure what they used on the later cars.


Yep it can be the slippery slope. I had $9000 in mine when it arrived and Kevin (the aussie trimmer) offered to put the interior right. The problem was my front door cards and seat covers weren't right but the back seat and cards were original. Do I replace all, or keep the back and have new front. Would they match I think not as beautiful as Kevin's interiors are. Confused
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PatterBon
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2021 5:55 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

It's all very new to own an older, valuable VW. I've had my raggedy beetle for 23 years and it's always been a running project that's cheap to maintain. Having a Low Light Ghia now, I'm certain there is plenty wrong with mine but with how far away I am from it, it'll be an extremely long time before I can fix everything on it to make it correct and original again. For now, I'd like to put the nose badge on it, move the choke to the correct position on the dash and then put a correct split case transaxle in it for starters. Then slowly work my may to fixing the other asthetic pieces of it.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:46 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Braukuche wrote:


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Wow!
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PatterBon
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 5:47 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Well tomorrow I head back to Seattle for a short stint before going and doing the Army's bidding out in Europe. I'll be taking the Ghia all.over the place and make some small and subtle corrections to it yo make it more correct. But for the most part I'll just enjoy being able to drive it and taking it out in the PNW fall.
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PatterBon
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 2:18 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

For your viewing pleasure.
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overboost
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 4:12 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

So nice!
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2021 2:24 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

It's a real beauty. Smile
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PatterBon
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:18 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Thank you! Yesterday I was looking around the inside of the nose and found that the holes for the badge are still there, just filled. So with a steady hand and sharp drill bits, I should have the nose badge back on barring I have the gasket and hardware for it. Other than that, the little engine fire right up without choke and it runs like an absolute charm.
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kingkarmann
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:25 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Beautiful photo's & safe travels!
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PatterBon
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 3:22 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

So the nose badge holes have been body filled, but they're still found from the inside of the trunk and next week when I get the gasket and securing fastners, I'll go ahead and install it. But I took her for close to a 100 mile round trip drive today, a lot being highway driving at 60mph and it did phenomenal. I got to visit two of the local VW legends, one of which being my former boss and then running around my home town for some good pictures! Enjoy!
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 9:23 am    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Good morning!
Little bit of an update as I delve further into the Ghia's history. The speedometer reads 52429 miles on it. After talking with the previous owner, it seems that those miles were mostly accumulated in the 1970's before it sat and they are infact the original miles to the car. The engine had been rebuilt once before in the early 1990's but never was cut and only had a short break in after being rebuilt so it's essentially been sitting since the 1970's. Exciting stuff!

I also pulled all of it's numbers for the LL registry and based off the other two VIN's near mine, it's safe to say it's an early March, probably the first week, of March 1959. I'm going to try my luck today with the nose badge but have been having a blast driving it around town. It does the highway just fine, cruises and pulls like an absolute charm without fuss or hiccups. I sincerely couldn't be happier with it or it's performance!

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PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2021 8:23 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Leave came and went much too quickly. But I enjoyed driving the Ghia just about every single day. Finally crested the 1,000 mile mark since getting her in April and I took her on quite a few adventures. I visited my old boss, the owner of Morris Race Engines which was about 30 miles away and the owner of Volksfab, about 30 miles away too. I didn't have the opportunity to place the nose badge, though John confirmed it is the correct one, he didn't have access to the Ghia parts immediately for the installation clips and gasket due to someone crashing through his show room. But never the less, I took her on a vintage car cruise, and even took her to Seattle to visit my grandfather and my uncle who owns a 1973/74 Thing. I had an absolute blast and couldn't have asked for a better car to drive. Next fall, when I head home again, I'm going to take her up to the island she was given to me from and take her previous owner on a nice cruise. I keep in contact with him, sending him all the photos I can and assuring him, his old car is loved and and will only get better with time! Enjoy the photos (this isn't even scratching the surface on how many I took)
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:01 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Hey guys, quick update from Germany. I've been slowly ordering parts for the Ghia. I ordered a set of all new ignition components from WW. And a new hard line running from behind the fanshroud due to the fact that mine was is short and has kinks in it. But new cap, rotor, wires, plugs, points and condenser. I also, with the help of John Moxon, located nose badge clips and gasket so once the weather in WA clears up, they will finally be installing the badge finally as well as the new ignition parts.
I got to thinking that it's been 20+ years since they were replaced and the age was really showing the distributor cap when I was going through everything. So I figure it was long overdue.
Beyond that, in the never ending search for parts, my current fuel tank doesn't have a hole for a sending unit and I haven't had much luck finding anything online even on Ebay and here in thr classified. Is there anyone who makes a quality tank with the hole for the sending unit? The current plan is to get it tuned up and then work on asthetics and functionality.
As mentioned before, I will be trading it's current swing axle for a September '59 split case as well as a radio. Later on down the line I will look at correcting the upholstery too and will yank the engine oil so I can repaint everything and tie the restoration together by having everything get restored. Once I return from Germany, first ordered of business while on leave will be getting to take her out for a drive!
Cheers
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:55 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

In Germany now! Very Happy Have you made the "pilgrammage" to the Karmann factory in Osnabrueck? Or whatever is left of the original location, though its museum seems to be open?

What happened to the front bumper passenger side towel bar? Was missing in the 'Thing" shot but then is back on in the drive photos.

Will you still be in Germany in May? There's a HUGE VW meet in Hanover (spelled with two "n" in German) called the Maikaefertreffen. I was there in 2001 at the tail end of a long business trip; and it's amazing as to the cars, and swap meet parts.
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2022 10:31 pm    Post subject: Re: My single owner 1959 Ghia Reply with quote

Rome wrote:
In Germany now! Very Happy Have you made the "pilgrammage" to the Karmann factory in Osnabrueck? Or whatever is left of the original location, though its museum seems to be open?

What happened to the front bumper passenger side towel bar? Was missing in the 'Thing" shot but then is back on in the drive photos.

Will you still be in Germany in May? There's a HUGE VW meet in Hanover (spelled with two "n" in German) called the Maikaefertreffen. I was there in 2001 at the tail end of a long business trip; and it's amazing as to the cars, and swap meet parts.


I'm here with the military and unfortunately haven't been able to travel much at all. I can speak German pretty well and was hoping I could go to the Hessisch Oldendorf show in June along with any other VW shows that pop up! But it'll all depend on what sort of liberties we have by then.

As for the towel bar, I'm just now noticing it and honestly couldnt tell you what has/had happened to it. I'm finding one piece towel bars on Wolfsburgwest but does anyone know where to purchase that piece? Being in Germany, my phone directs me to exclusively European sires.
I was even hoping to get my hands on small things for my cars while I was here too, but for now, I will see whether or not we'll have the ability to travel beyond the immediate area.

*Update* I found a new passenger side overrider and will be buying it this morning so it'll be good to go again, good catch and thank you for pointing it out, I honestly didn't notice that it was missing bit I found an NOS one and it should be on the way shortly.
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