My first Ghia project

[obus]

Just went through this all again. Master of metal work and your both making me excited to work on mine when it gets back but also scaring me because you are going over everything with such a fine toothed comb!
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July 1959 Mango Standard Bus aka Obus L346 L347 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256592&highlight=
June 1973 Pumpkin Orange Thing aka Othing L30H
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711775&highlight=
1960 Paprika Red Karmann Ghia Convertible aka Schatze L452 built 5/20/60
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
66 21 window bus built 8/31/65 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=777273

[DaveB9]

Thanks obus! You've prompted me to update it, though no huge progress to report.

After I recovered from COVID I took a trip down to Bude to meet Gavin and Kelly and see the Ghia again.

The split bug in the background is a '45! Makes my Ghia look a bit run of the mill.

[DaveB9]

Filling and flatting then continued on the outer panels, most of the filler ending up as dust on the floor, but each application getting smoother.

[DaveB9]

The next batch of photos came through as the car was sealed with a coat of black tinted epoxy primer. The red primer was flatted back inside and in the engine bay and under bonnet area and then sealed with the epoxy.

Bolt on bits were then done too, including the engine lid springs in case I ever decide to go back to a single carb and don't need the gas struts any more. This is still just primer though, with filling work to eradicate pitting inside, under the bonnet and in the engine bay still to be done.

[Braukuche]

Sanding epoxy sucks. You guys have high build 2K Urethane primer over there? Much easier to sand.
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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

[DaveB9]

The epoxy is just to seal everything and create a tough base layer. High build is then used over that to allow for final sanding before colour coats and lacquer. I'm going high gloss rather than a period looking cellulose. All paints are Glasurit, 68 line. Things must have moved on from when my beetle was painted in 1993, it was Glasurit 21 line then!

[WrennMetallWerks]

Enjoy the Ride…🤍

Keep Going ⚒
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⚒ Believe In The Power Of Positive Thinking ⚒

Purpose Over Pleasure 🕊

“Hard Werk ⚒ God First “

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=0-PSeV52tZ4&si=wpcuRnQyvIFo2nCJ
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https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_aoE5aYSutY&si=mkZKPxd_41QA1kfs
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_NzUyyVexAE&feature=share
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[DaveB9]

These are the last photos I have of the body before Gavin suffered some pretty nasty ill-health. He has been waiting a long time for an operation and in the meantime I think he got pretty run down by an infection. I think some progress has been made since these shots were taken, but these are the last images I have, of the outer body sealed with black tinted epoxy. Final priming and flatting still to go here, but from a few feet back it gives an impression of a black convertible again!

[TRS63]

Looking fantastic! Wishing a fast recovery to your painter!

Antoine
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Antoine
My 62 ragtop daily driver:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728873
My 914 restoration&lightweight project :
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9698432#9698432
Resurrecting a 60 ghia : https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=713906
My 52 Standard Zwitter :
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10086685#10086685

[fedwards58KGLL]

wonderful !!!!

[DaveB9]

Well after quite a gap, work on the paint has started again, though in terms of pictures it is just more filling, priming, flatting. It is a time-consuming process for sure. Each area is being done separately, then masked off again.

Some smoothing inside the engine bay:

Then back to the outer body. I know the bumper mount holes have disappeared but that is temporary - all the holes will be drilled and filed before final coats.

Then just to prove to Braukuche that we do have high build primer in England, a layer of that, which was then flatted with 80, then 120, then 180 paper and then dusted to pick out any low spots:

They only do one side of the car at a time and then seal it with black epoxy again, I think because like filler, the high build absorbs moisture from the air, so you can't have the car sat around in it for long.

It's still only primer, but it is getting closer...

[DaveB9]

I've run a bit low on bits to work on, but the battery I had intended to use didn't seem to be holding charge, so I go another. That came in grey, which would stand out too much in the engine bay, so I stripped the stickers off it, plastic primed it and shot it in satin black. I may or may not add a Bosch sticker later.

I found some correct early wiper arms and sanded them down and painted them. I also found some better interior door pull mechanisms. One of the orginals had a lot of play in it, which you can see here as the axle is not central in the housing:

I bought a better pair, complete with pull rods which I stripped and repainted, and latch mechanisms which are in better condition than the originals. Here is a restored one against the opposite original from the car:

I've got a few questions on interior parts, but I'll post separately on them.

[DaveB9]

A bit more progress on the painting process - the other side of the car is now completely straight and into its final coat of black epoxy, as are the bonnet (hood) and decklid.

[DaveB9]

The inner wings have also been blocked and smoothed ready for paint. The next stage is to complete all the seam sealing underneath to keep water out of joins like around the headlight bowls, then the bottom will be painted in L41 tinted Raptor. The aim is that the finish won't be heavily textured, but it will give a bit more stone chip protection than two pack.

After that, everywhere will get a final blocking, then the engine bay, under bonnet area and interior will go into colour and lacquer, then finally the outside.

[kiwighia68]

You're doing fantastic work, mesmerising when I start reading about your progress.

I can't wait to see the car finished.
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Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015

[DaveB9]

Thanks kiwighia68 - I can't take any credit for this bit, I know my limits! Painting small pieces yes, painting whole cars no!

[DaveB9]

Progress seems to be picking up - more pictures in today of preparation of deep corners to smooth out any dings around the edges of the door frames, or welding traces in the under tank area:

I had to decide whether to have the underside of the bonnet textured as it was from the factory or deviate and have it smooth. I went for smooth - that way I'll be able to see myself grinning like an idiot in the reflection when I fill up!

[DaveB9]

I've also been finding a few of the last bits I need for re-assembly, like a set of NOS wiper blades to go with the arms I restored, plus a NOS stem for inside the washer bottle, as the old one was a bit chewed up.

I have to say a huge Thank You to obus for helping me to get my hands on these - he went completely above and beyond to help me, despite us never having met! An amazing guy.

[obus]

Coming along nicely! And no need to thank me. Most people on here would do the same it seems. Its the right thing to do.
_________________
July 1959 Mango Standard Bus aka Obus L346 L347 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256592&highlight=
June 1973 Pumpkin Orange Thing aka Othing L30H
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711775&highlight=
1960 Paprika Red Karmann Ghia Convertible aka Schatze L452 built 5/20/60
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
66 21 window bus built 8/31/65 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=777273

[DaveB9]

I can finally bring this thread up to the end of the painting process. The last areas to be prepared, but the first to be painted, were the inner wings, under the dash and areas underneath such as the bottom of the rear luggage area. I had decided to have the underneath done in colour matched Raptor for long term protection, but even so these areas were filled and block sanded where there had been welding and panel beating.

The rest of the body was then masked and the bottom areas painted in black epoxy primer.

Once primed, all the seams were treated to a thin bead of seam sealer, as well as the weird open end of the rib in the rear inner wings, which just looks like an amazing rust trap otherwise!