'63 Ghia - Second Chance

[dc]

Look what came home with me early this morning

Lots to report and many images shot today - my first day of ownership. This Ghia has been off the road since 1981 and was pulled from a collapsing and scheduled for demo barn

More later...
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1963 Karmann Ghia

[jeffrey8164]

What’s with all the purple Ghias showing up lately?
Don’t get me wrong, I painted mine purple too.
My wife insists it’s brown, but that’s another story.
This makes the second newly acquired purple Ghia I’ve seen today.
I would say it’s spooky but Halloween is long past.

It is exciting though.
Congrats and thanks for saving another one.
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Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.

“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1)

[dc]

I think the plan was a purple-black back in the 1970s- but it came out more “Huskie (UW) purple” according to the PO😊. Under the purple, it’s yellow, under that is the original Polar Blue The layers seem thin...hmm
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1963 Karmann Ghia

[Starbucket]

You can only hide a purple Ghia for so long. I'm waiting for Metal flake tops to be found.

[djkeev]

Looking forward to more photos and information on you find.

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[dc]

Just gonna post some photos of the extraction and delivery for today! This car has been parked since 1981

Rolled OK and the e brake seems to work still, so that's cool

Dropped off at my place:

More photos tomorrow of details and the engine and interior.
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1963 Karmann Ghia

[NWGhiaGuy]

Looks like a fun project to me! Hit me up with a parts list.... I'm not too far away!

[Trylon]

That’s the money shot! Looks like it’s posing for a brochure.
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1973 Porsche 914 2.0
1959 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
1979 Volkswagen Rabbit
1973 Volkswagen Bus
1970 MGB-GT
1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire

More tomfoolery on
The Karmann Ghia Fever YouTube Channel!

[dc]

Warning - Large Post

1963 Karmann Ghia

Here’s why I’m calling this this story “Second Chances”- Back in 1994, my new wife and I were looking for a fun little car to go on short trips and have as a second car. We decided on a bright blue (smurf color) ’64 Ghia. We had a lot of fun with that car – our first of many classics VWs – including and epic drive to Hot August Nights in Reno.

Flash forward – through college, a baby, new jobs, and several moves….and the Ghia – looking a little beat up and worse for wear, was sold in 2002. Sad day, but it was sold to a nice family for a father-daughter project.

Forward again- 17 years- lots of car fun along the way – including my epic Type 3 Truck restoration- and my thinking again about a new project. Ghias have never really left my mind – just so beautiful and charming. So when an ad came up for this ’63 at a good price, I had to have a look! The problem is, I was “guy number five” to respond to the ad – missed out- someone else got it! Or so I thought…
Two weeks later, I got a phone call, asking if I was still interested (there’s a second chance right there!)…
OF course, I said YES!

Here’s another reason to call this a Second Chance – this car was nearly crushed by a collapsing barn/garage roof. In Feb of this year, the Puget Sound received about a foot of heavy wet snow- an usual amount for our area – we missed several days of school. The circa 1900 barn where the Ghia was sleeping with the cats- could not handle the load and partially collapsed. The poor Ghia earned a couple of new dents and the owner decided it was time to move it along and demolish the entire structure- just too rotten to save.

The purple car has its’ own interesting history. The car was last titled in 1976, last registered in 1981. The previous owner bought it when he was 20 years old! Drove it to school (UW Seattle) and early on with a career at Boeing. One day, the brakes were not there at a stop sign – see the evidence on the car’s nose! The front bumper was smashed up and tossed and the rear was later removed to match (?). Not long after, a police officer issued a ticket for driving without bumpers. The car was parked for repairs.

That was 1981; the car was moved shortly after that into the old barn when the new old house was purchased….and that is where it stayed for nearly 40 years until that snowstorm in early 2019.

So here we go! Here’s the run-down of the Ghia’s current condition:
Rust assessment- front quarters showing signs no big holes yet
Rear quarter behind wheels – showing signs worse on driver’s side
Lower edge of engine lid is rotten – worst visual rust on the car (I’m aware there may be hidden nastiness)
Front nose is not really rusty – just smashed up from the accident
Front trunk gasket channel is pitted and scaly in spots but I do not see holes
Package tray under rear window looks sketchy but I haven’t really exposed it to see for sure how bad
Under driver’s side quarter, window trim is rusty
The headlight buckets are starting show Ghia-typical trouble but not too far gone I suspect

On a positive note-, the rockers and the pan are solid!

Mechanical-
The engine is there…
Not sure if it original or not, I have an extra carb and stock air cleaner that came with it.
I can see that’s a 009 distributor and an extractor/header exhaust minus a muffler.
Also, it’s still 6V.
Beyond that, more research is required!
It was “running when parked” but last time an attempt was made to turn it over – a pushrod was bent and the engine seems to be stuck now. The dipstick does not show any oil.
Gas tank is empty but not too stinky or dirty – not sure!
No brakes – but the e brake feels like it is working – it grabbed a couple of times when we were loading and unloading on the tow truck.
It steers…
Those are 1970s tires.

Everything looks like a sunken shipwreck – dry rubber and surface rust galore BUT the doors open and close (oiled them) the windows are all good – no cracks or chips and the pop-outs work well and the windows roll up and down smoothly!

Transmission does seem to sluggish move/respond to shifter – PO said it had been recently replaced before the accident.

OK – check that interior!!!

Awesome 70s diamond pleat back vinyl in good shape! Love it! Good headliner – nice carpet and door panels- just some repairs needed… Original radio face-plate and knob are in the box of parts. Not really wanting to rip out the well installed carpet like so many other old cars I’ve restored before- I know rust is likely hiding under there- however, given the condition of the pan and the rockers- I think I will leave it alone.

Enjoy the photos and let me know what you think!

Body Overview:

Rust and Body Details-

Interior-

Engine and a trunk full of parts-

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1963 Karmann Ghia

[ELFRIED]

Hi ,

i am also restoring a 63 KG , also came out of Washington.
Seems like a nice project.
Lots of work ...
I see your blinkers are orange coloured ,originally they should be non coloured.But then i saw you had the original ones in the trunk.Good, while they are expensive...
Nice interior, hope you also have the 2 on each side lower inner door trimms too.Hard to find...
You have the later non stale motor which is also good ,mine has the stale type.It changed somewhere in august 63 I believe.

Lots of succes

[ELFRIED]

oh yes, you should remove the fuel filter from the motor compartement.
fire hazzard...

[dc]

Any advice on the motor?
You can see the bent push rod

I'm thinking that I pull the spark plugs
Maybe put a hot plate under the engine
Add Diesel or Marvel Mystery Oil or SeaFoam or Kroil ???
See if it will turn by hand at the crank.

Or just skip ahead to yank it out and tear down or replace outright!
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1963 Karmann Ghia

[NWGhiaGuy]

[dc]

Bought the blue '64 in North Idaho back in '95
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1963 Karmann Ghia

[NWGhiaGuy]

[Starbucket]

50% acetone and 50 ATF mixed fill the cyl.s and let sit over night then turn CCW IMPORTANT!! that way a valve is always open so you don't hydrolic and bend a rod. That mix is the best penetrating oil there is.

[Evil_Fiz]

I'm digging the groovy interior. It adds a touch of period nostalgia to the car.

-----
Emil
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“…It's not just about what's interesting. It's also about what's helpful, and it's helpful even if it helps just one other guy working on a Ghia.”
kiwighia68

See my build on TheSamba at:
The K_R_A_K_E_N_N : a 70 Ghia Convertible reinterpreted

[Ellison]

Congrats on the '63!!!
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Praise the lowered.

[dc]

Thanks!
Really excited about this car but not entirely sure how to proceed-

Tentatively thinking:
metal work - nose and rear deck edge for starters
soak engine cylinder to see if it is saveable
Get a new 6V battery - maybe?
replace tires- powdercoat wheels
brakes
get the doors to latch properly - install missing rubber seals
trunk metal repair - get it to latch properly
treat trunk seal channel and install seal
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1963 Karmann Ghia

[Ellison]