Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia, 1963
Tämä sivu myös suomeksi.
I finally found a Ghia for sale and bought it without a second thought,
altough it took all the money I had or could borrow. Doesn't matter. :)
I started really looking for one at autumn and was offered one at beginning
of May, so it took about six months as I bought it May 28th, 2000.
Ghia is my daily driver (or motorbike) at the summer and will
be stored in warm and dry place for winters. At least usually, as it's now
(winter 2000-2001) in a barn. Dry place, though.
I have plenty of pictures of my Ghia, here are some of them.
More pictures can be found from
here.
(Warning: No thumbnails and >100K/picture = slow)
As you can see from the pictures above and below, the colour of the car seems
almost variable, depending of the camera and time of day etc.
(Pictures taken with several digicameras.) On my monitor the picture
above is nearest, the others are a bit too dark or too blue.)
Inside view shows aftermarket steering wheel (Don't know the brand. It has
a small 'dp'-logo on the horn button. If you know, please e-mail) and
six little holes around radio. I suppose they are the remains of
original radio. Steering wheel is now replaced with original, but I still
have this mysterious wheel.
Current radio is a Blaupunkt and it now has two knobs as I found and repaired
the other one (cyanoachrylate is good stuff). Please e-mail if you have
a knob for the clock as I'm one short.
I do have a switch for the windshield wiper, but it's too new model so I won't install it before I'm sure I can't find the washer button. I think it's the same as Beetle's so it will be easy to find.(Or so I thought, I was wrong: update at 9th of September, 2001).
Below is the picture which I got with the offering e-mail.
As I had always wanted a sky blue Ghia, it was clear I had
to take a closer look. It didn't matter that this was
over 300 miles away. :) It was also the first Ghia on sale this year (2000).
(There aren't many Ghias here in Finland and still less sold. As euro
is low and pound & dollar high, it would be very expensive to buy one from
either England or USA.)
Non-standard parts:
- H-series engine (1500, single port) with 12 volt electric conversion
done and H4-headlights. ( Bought new 7" Hella's and Philips' +30% H4's = a lot of light :) )
- Front seats.
- Windshield spray switch.
- Steering wheel. Replaced with original in 8.8.2000
- Cal-look windshield and rear window seals (no chrome list).
- Wheels. Too new style (and chromed), from 1966-> with slots and
Porsche-style hubcaps instead of original full moon with small
and black (body colour?) VW-logo. In progress, wheels already in
blasting 9.9.2001
- Radio. Although the Blaupunkt I have is from early 60's, so it
might be right for the European version. Wrong knobs, though.
- Paint. K-G has light blue color (L398 Pacific Blue), but it wasn't
available in 1963.
The identification I got from VW-museum simply states that original colour
is 'blue' with alternatives 'seeblau' and 'polarblau'. As there are
some remains of original colour (dark blue) visible and based on
them, I'd say the original colour is Sea Blue (L360) with Blue White
(L289) roof. Polarblau is actually almost grey and that's definetely
wrong.
- Mirrors. This car originally had 2 exterior mirrors as factory
options (option 194) and it's missing from passenger's side. Driver's side
mirror might also be wrong.
- Whitewall tires. Also an factory option missing (option 128).
No others as far I know. Note that Ghia is US-model, hence
clear front blinkers, all red rear lights, towel-bars on bumpers and
gear lock.
Things to do: (in order of observation)
- Fix two small dents in nose section.(Size of a finger tip)
- Clean battery connectors and wash battery seat -- done 3.6.2000
New battery 12.8.2001, the old one died silently after 10 years of
service.
- Adjust driver side door, find rear seals
- Adjust both windows, don't seat properly. Passenger's side window is quite
loose, maybe broken trails.
- Clean trunk. Done 5.9.2001, Trunk carpet not so good.
- Fix small scratch on passenger side, below door
- Fix another small scrath on passenger side, rear wing
- Find upper half of engine compartment seal (Is there any?) -- Done, a
kind of. There is no such a thing, never has been. Strange.
- Fix horns -- done 1.9.2000 (Other had contact problems and the other
burnt breaker points. Cleaning contacts, cleaning breaker points and
redjustment was sufficient). I made a separate page of repair operations.
- Find decent looking original steering wheel (I have one but it needs
restoring first.) -- done 8.8.2000, restored the original somewhat;
it's not good but I can stand it awhile.
- Fix reverse light. Diagnostics done: no wires (huh?)
- Fix windshield seal leak. It lets water in if driven in hard rain.
- Change or re-chrome front bumper, left and right ends. Adequate as it is,
but not even good.
- Re-build the engine or replace it. Leaks oil a bit. -- Fixed 7.9.2000.
Only thing broken was oil sump cover's paper seals. I changed them to new
ones and now the engine doesn't leak. :)
- Rubber boot covering the horns is missing. Also water drain pipes from
the trunk (two) and hood support rubbers (two). -- Bought 24.12.2000, I'll install them when snow melts away, sometime in the spring 2001. Done 5.5. 2001.
Repairing things:
Other Karmann-Ghia -pages
Karmann-Ghia -webring has many sites (>100) and it can be found
from here.
Private Karmann Ghias, from oldest to newest, unknown at the bottom:
Page modified last 9.9.2001