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ghiacrazy
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 58
Location: Pasadena, CA
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 Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:11 pm Post subject: '68 Daily Driver Restoration |
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Hi All,
I bought a "daily driver" a couple years ago hoping to fix it up as I go, and hoped to relieve some annual miles off our lease vehicle. My budget certainly wasn't top dollar, but I bought a clean '68 here in SoCal. The car had some known dents, and was very much a shell on the inside. No gauges worked, there was no interior except the ratty seats. No headliner, no dash pad or carpet, or anything! Also missing was all the window molding trim bits. What was great was that it started and ran, and there was little body work/pan rust to deal with. Here she is just arriving home for the first time.
Well my wife complained I had too many garage projects ($) and so I spent my time and money fixing up a classic Honda motorcycle and selling it off to pay for the ghia project. Then when we found out we were having twin babies a month ago, I realized we were going to need a second car...the ghia!
I began stripping it, which was not difficult, and prepping it for paint. It had just one coat of white paint over the original tan color. Here is the photo of the work so far. I hope to have her going by summer's end. The body work has so far taken about 6 weeks...
I'm very happy with how she sits now, and will soon move on to buffing...
I literately wet sanded my finger prints off!
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CiderGuy
Samba Member
Joined: December 23, 2013
Posts: 1351
Location: Bucks County, Pa
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:06 am Post subject: |
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Very nice attention to detail. Is the car now silver ?
_________________
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Cars Currently Owned:
1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1973 Karmann Ghia Coupe - Project car for sale
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (Body off restoration)
Timing is everything |
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c21darrel
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2009
Posts: 8211
Location: San Dimas
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Basketcase
Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2011
Posts: 636
Location: Ohio
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:06 am Post subject: |
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fantastic job!!
_________________
'72 Karmann Ghia Coupe (the Boss's) |
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Max Welton
Samba Member
Joined: May 19, 2003
Posts: 10697
Location: Black Forest, CO
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kiwighia68
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013
Posts: 2875
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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From the owner of one '68 to another: Well done. I know how much work goes into a paint job like yours. Weeks of "wax on, wax off" until you have aches in places where you never knew you had muscles.
_________________
Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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ghiacrazy
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 58
Location: Pasadena, CA
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks everyone!
It's the same color as this fantastic ghia: a modern Lexus color called Breakwater Blue Metallic. I was hoping for Trout Blue, but my paint jobber was unable to mix a match. This color was a great second choice. Plus now I can buy touch up paint super easy!
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ghiacrazy
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 58
Location: Pasadena, CA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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Phew, all buffed out and in the sun for the first time! My 15 pound old school Milwaukee polisher played a number on the ghia and my back. I'm perfectly happy with the paint job, it's not without its flaws, but it sure looks good in photos! I plan on having her 100% functional as a daily driver. Now I need to shoot some undercoating on some bits.
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motorhead364
Samba Member
Joined: November 04, 2008
Posts: 715
Location: Amarillo Texas
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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Wow. Well done.
_________________
63 ghia coupe |
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Rome
Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2004
Posts: 9651
Location: Pearl River, NY
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Superb! Understated elegance- will fit right in at Pasadena. |
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sellinmyG
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2012
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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Excellent progress pictures, keep up the good work!  |
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DorianL
Samba Member
Joined: June 06, 2013
Posts: 717
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 12:53 am Post subject: |
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| Oh, my! Awesomness. And my favourite color. |
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paul_round
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2014
Posts: 502
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 2:28 am Post subject: |
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| Gotta say, silver is a great colour for a ghia! |
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ghiacrazy
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 58
Location: Pasadena, CA
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| Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2015 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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Today I began placing a few of the easier rubber bits on the ghia. I got full kits of rubber and various trim pieces from KGPR. $2000 fits into small boxes these days...
Also I sprayed Rustoleum's tough Truck Bed Liner in my engine bay and under rear deck.
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ghiacrazy
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 58
Location: Pasadena, CA
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| Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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Spent the weekend installing headliner sound insulation and the headliner. I'll give the headliner a week in the sun to try to get some of the wrinkles out, otherwise next weekend Ill re-glue to smooth it out.
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ghiacrazy
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 58
Location: Pasadena, CA
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| Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 12:37 pm Post subject: Re: '68 Daily Driver Restoration |
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Catching up
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KGCoupe
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2005
Posts: 3580
Location: Putting the "ill" and "annoy" in Illinois
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| Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:06 am Post subject: Re: '68 Daily Driver Restoration |
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The progress looks amazing so far - keep up the great work!
I love the color and the subtle two tone paint scheme.
... at least I think you've painted the roof a slightly darker shade than the body, but it could just be the lighting and/or shadows in the photos.
Is that carbon fiber that you've used for the dash pad?
Whatever it is, I like the texture of that material and also the unique look of grommeted holes for the defroster openings - very nice touches.
I can't wait to see what other custom touches the completed project will include. |
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slalombuggy
Samba Member
Joined: July 17, 2010
Posts: 9147
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 9:57 am Post subject: Re: '68 Daily Driver Restoration |
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Nice paint and detail. One point though. How will you hold the Beetle Speedo in the dash?
brad |
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ghiacrazy
Samba Member
Joined: February 20, 2005
Posts: 58
Location: Pasadena, CA
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| Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 8:48 am Post subject: Re: '68 Daily Driver Restoration |
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Thanks for the feedback! Dash material is a diamond pattern vinyl, looks like carbon fiber, but it stretches nicely and has a neat matte finish to reduce glare.
The paint is single color, but I usually work at night so pictures look darker and have strange shadows and reflections sometimes.
I welded studs to the rear of speedo opening to attach the beetle speedo. I'll ditch the 52mm clock so I'll have a tach and oil pressure gauge with the beetles integrated fuel gauge.
Finally added the anti-rattle rubbers, felt, and trim to driver window. Just need to repeat on the other side.
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motorhead364
Samba Member
Joined: November 04, 2008
Posts: 715
Location: Amarillo Texas
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| Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 9:15 am Post subject: Re: '68 Daily Driver Restoration |
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Looking good.
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63 ghia coupe |
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