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Loren
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Joined: January 10, 2004
Posts: 1701
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 Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 8:19 am Post subject: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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The best part about working on old VWs is making new friends. About 20 years ago I bought my 58 Ghia cabriolet project and while looking for parts I met a guy who had bought a 58 ghia project too. Over the past 20 years we haven't made much progress on our Ghias, but we have remained close friends. Unlike my Ghia, his was actually a running driving car! though it had a hard life and needed lots of metal work. Originally it was Amazon Green and came off the assembly line in June of 58. After a few false starts he finally started making some progress on the Ghia last year. He got a few good recommendations and ended up taking his Ghia to Jason Wren in Sacramento and after about a year and a half the body work is almost done! Since my friend isn't very internet savvy I offered to post his progress here so every one can enjoy the progress.
The images aren't necessarily in order, but they show how much metal work the Ghia needed and the skill of Jason's work. Many thanks to Jason for bringing this Ghia back to life and for taking great images of the restoration.
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Karmann Gheezer
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Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 12:28 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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That is true craftsmanship.
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kgj
Samba Member
Joined: February 25, 2013
Posts: 418
Location: Uk, Cornwall
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 3:02 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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Oh my word. Its a new car.
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1958 coupe |
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crocteau
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Joined: March 31, 2005
Posts: 1204
Location: Philaburbia
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| Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 7:10 am Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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| Loren wrote: |
| ...so every one can enjoy the progress. |
Thanks for posting. It's a gratifying reminder that artisans of Jason's calibre and their patrons still thrive.  |
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TRS63
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Joined: December 17, 2017
Posts: 1000
Location: Stuttgart - Germany
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Loren
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2004
Posts: 1701
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| Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 3:51 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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Here are some more images of the restoration process in no particular order:
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Braukuche
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2004
Posts: 11005
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| Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 6:39 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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Wow, that car was a total mess. Nice work!
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Go Reds! Smash state!
Retirement is here!
1956 Ghia
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 double cab
1960 Baja Bug
1963 stretched double cab
1962 Golde sunroof Ghia
1963 356 B coupe
1963 Notchback
1967 21 window less rusty now |
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TDCTDI
Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013
Posts: 12861
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 7:46 am Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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The restoration of this car might be on par with the GDP of some small countries.
Beautiful work.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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kingkarmann
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Joined: November 05, 2003
Posts: 4114
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 8:01 am Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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one word......CLAMP!
Seriously,
Even though your friend is going to be a bit underwater when completed, the level of restoration one is willing to take on a Karmann Ghia today is telling of where some see the value of these cars heading.
My Gawd!! 
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"Depression is a malfunction of the instrument we use to determine reality.
Mike Gerson
What is your "Bespoke Reality"? |
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Loren
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2004
Posts: 1701
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 9:35 am Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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| I don't think he will be under water with the restoration. Luckily he bought the car 20 years ago at a good price and he has been sourcing parts along the way. Since he wasn't in a hurry to find parts, he has been able to get parts at good prices (patience has paid off). Jason is actually reasonably priced too, considering his level of craftsmanship. If low light cabs hold their value my friend should do ok, though he has no plans on selling it. If he finishes the rest of the Ghia to the level of the body work and keeps it stock it should be worth something north of 60k. |
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kiwighia68
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Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2877
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Tue May 26, 2020 11:12 am Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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| Loren wrote: |
| I don't think he will be under water with the restoration. Luckily he bought the car 20 years ago at a good price and he has been sourcing parts along the way. Since he wasn't in a hurry to find parts, he has been able to get parts at good prices (patience has paid off). Jason is actually reasonably priced too, considering his level of craftsmanship. If low light cabs hold their value my friend should do ok, though he has no plans on selling it. If he finishes the rest of the Ghia to the level of the body work and keeps it stock it should be worth something north of 60k. |
Yes, this looks like "museum-quality" restoration. There is no level higher than that.
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Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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Loren
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2004
Posts: 1701
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 2:15 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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Well, I guess this post is going to be a little bit of a hot mess to start things off, but hopefully once the Ghia gets painted it will get a little more organized. My friend just sent me some photos of the Ghia from when he bought it, so lets go back in time to when he purchased it 20 years ago.
As you can see in the photos the Ghia led a hard life and had many miles on rough roads. Just look at the dents in the rockers and there are huge scrapes and dents on the underside of the pan too. It was mostly original with either replacement quarter panels or later style tail lights grafted in, not sure. Other than the quarter panels the car was very stock and it still sported the original steering wheel and an uncut radio hole. It had it's fair share of rust in the usual places, especially the rocker panels. Looking at all the work it needed my friend considered parting it out (especially since a low light cabriolet in this condition really wasn't worth much at the time), but he kept it any way.
I think this is the only image my friend took of the Ghia during his first attempt at restoring it. Unfortunately the body guy wasn't very good and he used a lot of brazing rod. The worst part was that I found a very nice front fender to fix the damaged headlight area. We spent a few hours carefully removing every spot weld and removed the fender in one piece so the body guy could weld it back in per stock. When it came time to replace the fender he cut it in half and only replaced the damaged headlight section  I still don't know why he didn't just replace the whole fender, as it would have been just as much work as splicing the front section and it would have looked great.
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udo dreisoerner
Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2005
Posts: 1155
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:21 am Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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fantastic to see this great Job. congrats from Germany...
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Searching for a 1956 lowlight karmann ghia with a VIN number between1273054 and 1273440, and the matching engine with an Engine Number between
1525510 and 1525519 PLEASE OFFER ME ONLY THE CARS THAT I'M LOOKING FOR, THANKS!! |
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Loren
Samba Member
Joined: January 10, 2004
Posts: 1701
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 12:12 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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The restoration is moving right along and the body work should be finished by the end of the summer. Here are some updates on the progress:
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aerosilver
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Joined: July 29, 2006
Posts: 882
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 12:31 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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| #FullResto! Amazing work, looks great |
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Karmann Gheezer
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 3:03 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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Loren, thank you for posting this. I look forward to following your friends's progress. My interest is because my Dec 58 cabriolet's original color was Amazon Green and hope to one day take it back to it's original color. Also, I have never found images of an Amazon Green cabriolet interior and any provided would be greatly appreciated.
To the young man, Jason Wren, I applaud his craftsmanship.
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Loren
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Karmann Gheezer
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Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 5:02 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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Thanks, Loren.
I bumped that thread twice. Once in '16 and again in '17 hoping the owner would chime in. She is a beauty.
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Karmann Gheezer
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Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 429
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| Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:26 pm Post subject: Re: June 58 Ghia cabriolet - Amazon Green restoration |
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Details. Hopefully there is a color chart available of some of these like Upholstery-imitation leather or Underlining?
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TRS63
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