Posted on 15/01/2006 at 18:30

Here it comes, here it comes...


I can't be everywhere! Please be patient, more information on my KG soon!... icone smiley wink
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Posted on 21/11/2006 at 11:44

First visit

I wanted a Karmann-Ghia for a pretty long time... To be honest, a bit by despite, my 356 dreams flying away with their prices.

My only imperative was to find a "small lights" model, as I'm not fond of those last generation KG big rear lights. So I was reading the classified ads for month, affordable bases being rare, I even thought about shipping my KG from California... Until this January 2006 day, when I found an ad on Flat4Ever!
A '68 KG, looking pretty fine, for 8000 euros ; and moreover, it's only a few kilometers from where I live! So I contacted the owner (Mike, if you read this : many thanks!), who sends me some more pictures of it... I soon met him to have a closer look to the beast.
The KG comes from South Africa (Johannesburg) : this is why it is way less rusted than what we usually find down here. Actually, it is still registered in South Africa...
Engine and gearbox had been changed in Johannesburg, and it's been repaired by Technifun, a local shop that I know very well since it's arrived in France.
The owner, very friendly, explained that he brought back 3 KG's from South Africa (where he used to live), thinking that selling 2 of them here would pay for the third one he will keep for himself (the two others are left had drive)... Finally, and unfortunately, it did not work as expected, as he had to make many repairs on the cars (I got the bills) + importation taxes in France that were way higher than he expected.
The paint had been re-done (original color, nice but not perfect paint job) a few years earlier.
No rust in the wheel arch, bottoms are clean, no fiberglass detected with my magnet. No rust around the windshield, only 1 or 2 spots on the bottom of the rear hood lid.
Inside of the nose is clean, bumpers holders are perfect, no looseness in the door hinges (surprising on this model!).
The seals are clean, the interior is almost perfect ; the only thing I can't stand is the dashboard, the fake wood is too much seventies to me......
Drive test : big looseness in the steering box, the owner tells me it's already tighten to the max : I'll have to change it.
The shock absorbers are tired...
Some noise in the tachometer : the needle move, but the odometer doesn't ; the clock is present but doesn't work neither. The 1600cc engine is pleasant to drive...

The clutch cable makes a funny noise in the chassis... The heating system was removed (useless in South Africa), but the heating boxes are present, it shouldn't be a big deal to put it back. The back of the car looks lower than the front, probably the torsion bars being tired as well...

The owner tells me the car had 2 shocks back in the past : one on the rear left wing, another on the front left headlight. The later was not repaired correctly, there's some resin and the paint is ugly. The floorpans are clean (but not perfect) under the carpets...

So! The beast isn't perfect, but it's pretty healthy compared to what we usually see in France. I don't like the fake wood on the dashboard, I had prefered an older model with the 2 big tachos... But anyway, this one is complete, with a ball joints and disc brakes front end, I'll be able to drive it untroubled.

Some discussions and 7500 euros later, I'm her new owner!
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Posted on 23/04/2007 at 17:54

Period accessory...

Till the day I'll be able to ask La Guèpe (the wasp) to make me dream bomber seats (see Soldeli's under restoration KG), the Karmann has just received a pair of head rests...

Those are period accessories, that crimp around the backrests of the seats. First, it reassures me, as I always think about the whiplash injury riding the KG (but not in the '59 nor the Thing, God knows why?)... Plus, it gives the seats a little 911-ish look, uh?icone smiley wink
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Posted on 03/07/2007 at 01:17

Quizz

And here we go, for a little quizz... You'll have to be quick on this one, I'm pretty sure this will be easy for the VW experts...

The lovely heart on the right is a detailed picture of a part that will soon be installed on the Karmann... Well, after some "refurbishment"...

So, what part is this? Ready, set? Answer! icone smiley wink

(beware, only an accurate answer will be accepted... This shouldn't be too easy...)
>> Edit 2007-07-05 : Nico has found the answer... Click to see the answer in picture!
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Posted on 11/07/2007 at 16:02

Polishing Tests...

I'm trying to validate my polishing method before I actually do it on my rims... So I'm doing some tests on the wheel-center caps...

The result is not that bad, but not as mirror-like as I want it to be : too many micro-scratches, only visibles under raking light. Probably cause I sanded up to paper 1000 grit only...

Next test will occur with paper 1200, 1500 then 2000 grit with oil, as soon as I receive my abrasives order...

I promise, I'll make you a nice tutorial...
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