Inspection tomorrow at 9 am.
I raised her up a little today to keep everyone happy- she's been up and down more that a fiddlers elbow!
If everything goes well then it's on the road for Monday😉
I still have some trim to finish, wheels to dress and some other bits and pieces to sort.
It's looking a lot better than it used to!
nice rides lads
Seatbelts weren't made legal in Aus until 1967 (front only) so what's the go with 1959/60?
Pay your debts, CxxT
Any vehicle imported into Australia that was manufactured after 1960 has to have seat belts retro fitted- that's what I've been told?!
Not sure how recent the law was brought in, I'll find out more from the inspector tomorrow.
Good luck mate.
Lookin sweet.
Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE
Dude that looks so nice.
Such nice work, car looks simply amazing.
Thanks Guys.
I got the plate on the weekend; on the road today / tomorrow.
I hope to be at the Gold Coast show on Sunday.😵💫
Hey Sam,
Forgot to say thanks again for sending me the reference pictures of your car all those months ago.
They were invaluable when it came to fitting all the quarter window trim.
Thanks Mate!
axlepressbutton wrote:Hey Sam,
Forgot to say thanks again for sending me the reference pictures of your car all those months ago.
They were invaluable when it came to fitting all the quarter window trim.
Thanks Mate!
Not a problem. Glad I was able to help out
😁
Good luck with the inspection, should be fine I'm sure.
Done, on the road and will be at the Gold Coast show this Sunday.😉
She drives pretty well, if anything it's all a little too tight. As everything is so new it is all going to take time to loosen up and settle in. A 2 hour run down the coast will do it good.
It's feeling a little over fueled at low revs, but once it picks up it just wants to go! Once she's run in I'm going to tinker with the carbs and see if I can't set them up a little better.
Oh, and it's loud as hell to drive! I spent a fortune on sound proofing, but I think it's going to need something more.
It certainly gets noticed.
Great work mate, you must be very chuffed!
Looks great. It looked a good solid car to start with as well. Only surface rust appears in the photos. Unusual for a ghia so you are fortunate to have found one as good to begin with.
Enjoy it and I should see it on Sunday.
Cheers
Yogie
Well done man. congratulations 👍
mate well done - is the colour Savana Beige?
Thanks Guys.
Colour is Sierra beige. Was looking at Savana Beige as an option. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone that way, but in different light you couldn't pick the difference anyway.
Yogie- solid car it wasn't!
I bought it in 1996 in the U.K. drove it for 6 months rough as anything and then took it to a Bug-Jam. Once I saw so many beautiful cars there I decided to tidy her up a bit. What I uncovered was a nightmare. The nose was a patchwork of sheet steel repairs covered with 12mm of bog. Rotten wheel arches front and back, inner and outer sills, both floor pans etc, etc. It has a replacement nose and front wings that I bought from the U.S. and had grafted on.
It took me 4 years off and on (with travel and work) to do the metalwork, then I rolled it into a barn and emigrated to Australia.
In 2004 I was visiting family back home and (because I hate an unfinished job) decided to ship it to Australia.
I had a nightmare with the shipping company, and it was nearly crushed by customs when it arrived as I didn't have the correct papers.
The surface rust pictures you can see above are of the car when it arrived in Australia 4 years ago.
Because of a road accident last year I've been off work recovering and have finally managed to put some serious time into it to get it done. I don't know how people do resto's in evenings and weekend and still have a family. Some days I worked 12 hours straight on it, and felt like I'd accomplished nothing (mind you, I was on crutches).
I should be back to work soon, so my next project will probably to take me 12 years to complete as well!
That's another Karmann Ghia on the road well done mate that looks sweet as👍👍😎
Nice one! Restoring a Ghia is a memorable achievement and has scarred many!!
Well done.
Have you lowered it again? They must be low!
See you on the coast sometime.
John
Mate I love this car and one day hope to have mine looking something like it. But dude one thing.
GET SOME CHROME IN THAT BACK WINDOW. LOL.
You need the chrome. That cal looks crap just doesn't cut it.
But mate well done she looks unreal.
Blank
I know!! If you knew how badly I wanted chrome trim in the back window!!
Firstly the set I ordered came from the States with two left hand sides. Then when I had the window guys fitting the glass they spent over an hour trying to fit the back (the front went in in 20mins).
First they blamed the rubber, then they blamed the trim. In the end they were giving up so I had to get them to put it in with a Cal look rubber I had spare.
I spoke to Vintage Vee dub and they said it is not a job for the faint hearted and if I ever take the car down South then bring the parts and they'll fit it. Expect 2 people and 2-3 hours work!!
Until then, fat rubber it is 😢
Yes and by the time you've got the glass in your hands a red raw.
15 years ago I was able to buy three pieces of original chrome from Germany and Mike (VintageVD) shaped the forth from a front section. It took him all night!!
He loves working on Ghias!
looks very nice mate, well done👍
1 1963 356b porsche coupe
2 1960 karmann ghia cab
1 1965 karmann ghia cab
1 1966 karmann cab
1 1961 split ute
1 1967 split p/van
1 1952 standard bug
1 1963 ragtop
1 1960 ragtop
2 1954 ovals
1 1956 oval baja project
1 1957 oval flying flea
great looking Karmann. I think you may now be responsible for my wife's desire to own a Karmann Ghia going through the roof!! She came home the other day after visiting her mother on Bribie telling me all about this cream Karmann she had seen up that way (and a white one) and how great it looked, even caught her telling my sister about it as well. She won't drive the Kombi so maybe a Ghia will convert her to air??
Bobby
Thanks John. I remember reading all about Blue Vision in AVW and thinking what an awesome car. Then I saw it at a Dubs at the Pub. Beautiful work!
Sorry about that Bobby- but can't understand why your wife won't drive the Kombi; it looks awesome!
sorry to pry but who did your carpet, headliner and seats/door trims?
I did the interior a little on the cheap. The seats had been re-covered when I bought it and so they were in pretty good condition, and the colour I wanted.
The carpet I bought cheap from ebay (was for a left hooker) and I fitted myself. Door trims the same- ebay purchase and added a little bling with door handles and chrome. The headliner I had made up by a guy that does them for all makes and models and fitted that myself too.
The interior is one part of the car I cut corners with, but plan improvements now it's on the road.
