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John Moxon Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004 Posts: 13960 Location: Southampton U.K.
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 12:05 am Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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mcdonaldneal wrote: |
Exciting day today!
Samba member Kiwighia68 has flown half way around the globe. No, not to see me , but he does have a free day today in his itinerary, so we are meeting up with a fellow Scottish Ghia owner, Stephen, this morning and planning a scenic tour of Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Always great to put a face to a name, so I'm really looking forward to it! The weather forecast is good (in Scottish terms! ) That means 12deg C, brisk winds, but probably no rain, so hopefully we'll get the top down and you can look forward to some pictures later on! |
Ha! Give him a kiss on both cheeks from me.
Have a good time. _________________ John.
Judson Supercharger Information on The Samba
My 1958 Shorrock Supercharged Karmann Ghia
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kiwighia68 Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013 Posts: 2877 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 12:15 am Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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mcdonaldneal wrote: |
Exciting day today!
Samba member Kiwighia68 has flown half way around the globe. No, not to see me :P , but he does have a free day today in his itinerary, so we are meeting up with a fellow Scottish Ghia owner, Stephen, this morning and planning a scenic tour of Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Always great to put a face to a name, so I'm really looking forward to it! The weather forecast is good (in Scottish terms! :? ) That means 12deg C, brisk winds, but probably no rain, so hopefully we'll get the top down and you can look forward to some pictures later on! |
Indeed. And having grown up in the sub-tropics, I'm going to dress warmly. _________________ Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 1:21 pm Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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Plenty of pictures to come from a great day.
I've been away from the house for ten hours, and we've had a grand tour! It was great to finally meet Kiwighia68, and three of us in two Ghias saw quite a few sights and could have stayed all day in the pub chatting, but TheSamba needs photos, doesn't it?!
First off, I needed to collect the Ghia from its little garage, and load up the tools, spares and fuel can.
Then a barley field made a nice backdrop for pics before stopping off at home to feed the cat and grab my sunnies! The weather was cool and blowy, but the sun kept trying to poke through, and the skies were dramatic!
_________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery!
Last edited by mcdonaldneal on Sat Jul 16, 2016 3:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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kiwighia68 Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013 Posts: 2877 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 1:33 pm Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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I had a very special day - and will post more about it later. Thank you Phil for being such a gracious and selfless host, driver and guide. I enjoyed your company, your car, your city's sights and the countryside. A very special day. _________________ Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 1:50 pm Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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Thanks Chris, very kind, t'was a pleasure!
I seem to have taken dozens of photos, even before I'd met the others, and I haven't even posted half of them! Must have been a photogenic day!
Leaving our village, there's a golf course track that I thought would make a good shot, we do actually have paved roads out here in the wilds!
This area is called the golf coast for a reason. There are five golf courses in the village, and another handful within five miles. Kilspindie runs alongside the Peffer burn (river) and if you look closely you can see the remains of boats from over one hundred years ago!
_________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery!
Last edited by mcdonaldneal on Sat Jul 16, 2016 2:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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Well, I had to get to the meeting point eventually! Right in the heart of Edinburgh, behind Waverley train station and under the Balmoral Hotel.
Chris arrived and Stephen from Edinburgh pitched up in his newly repainted Ghia coupe. There was a fair bit of chatting and sniffing at the rear ends of the cars, then we set off for a spin around the old town, before driving up Arthur's Seat, the small mountain in the city centre to admire the view.
Samba moderators might need to zoom in to see the VW content!
By then it was time for a coffee, so we dropped into the oldest pub in Scotland. I've given up trying not to name drop, so I'll just say that the Queen (the actual Queen! ) had dropped in earlier in the week, for a bite of lunch, so it smelled faintly of fresh paint.
_________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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There were so many sights to cram in that the photos dried up for a bit
Stephen peeled off, and we found a pub that served pheasant for lunch. Then we visited Rosslyn chapel that was made famous by Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, pretty amazing place!
Then we had a long drive through the countryside to end up in Gifford for another coffee. Chris tried out the driver's seat for size, looked a bit too comfortable if you ask me!
A bit more driving, sneaking up country house driveways, and quaint little harbours. Finally, dropped Chris back at (near) his hotel and drove the Ghia back home and tucked it away.
That's all for now folks!
_________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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djway3474 Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011 Posts: 2582 Location: The Real NDK So Cal
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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Wow, what an amazing day you had Beautiful to see all the Scottish countryside pictures.
My heritage goes back to Clan Guthrie. Thats about all I know but I have always wanted to go visit the old world.
Beautiful car. |
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kiwighia68 Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013 Posts: 2877 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 10:48 pm Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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djway3474 wrote: |
Wow, what an amazing day you had :D Beautiful to see all the Scottish countryside pictures.
My heritage goes back to Clan Guthrie. Thats about all I know but I have always wanted to go visit the old world.
Beautiful car. |
I was going to post an extended thank you note to Phil but his commentary and photos make that unnecessary. He gave me a special Ghia experience - in the true spirit of the Samba Ghia community.
It was a first ride in a Ghia vert for me and I was surprised at how comfortable and warm it is even in less than perfect weather - by my standards. I've made some special journeys in nice cars before - 600 kilometres in a Porsche 993 convertible on a 3-lane highway at 160 kph, and 750 kilometres in a 1984 Alfa Spider on some back roads and through mountain passes - but the narrow lanes and less travelled country roads around Edinburgh in Phil's Ghia will now join those on the bookshelf of my memories.
The downside? Phil's car runs perfectly and I think mine needs a serious tune-up. More work when I get home. _________________ Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 12:01 am Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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kiwighia68 wrote: |
... a special Ghia experience - in the true spirit of the Samba Ghia community.
The downside? Phil's car runs perfectly... |
The perfect veneer has cracked! The niggling problem with the front trunk release has turned into a full 'can't get it open at all' situation! Looks like I'm going to get to know my rubber horn boot intimately to get the damn thing open! Never mind!
Chris and I chatted about many things yesterday, but a recurring theme was the priceless resource that TheSamba website has become for us both; a fountain of knowledge, a source of inspiration, a pleasant distraction, a friendly ear, a motivator and more...
Thank you Everett! _________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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John Moxon Samba Moderator
Joined: March 07, 2004 Posts: 13960 Location: Southampton U.K.
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sputnick60 Samba Moderator
Joined: July 22, 2007 Posts: 3918 Location: In Molinya Orbit
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 8:24 am Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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At last! A VW related job that ended up being easier than I expected!
My newly fitted trunk release had stopped working, and the easiest way to release it is to go through the horn boot. I didn't know what to expect (or what the horn/boot arrangement actually is!) but the visible edge prises off easily. There's not quite enough room to get your arm through at this stage, but if you peel the boot off the horns themselves, the catch is visible above you. All you need to find is a long, thin arm, and I had a choice of two and it's an easy reach up to trip the catch.
I suspect that the sheath clamp has just allowed the sheath to slip, but I'll have a proper look at it later. Meanwhile I'll give my OG boot a wash, and treat with glycerine.
_________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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kiwighia68 Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2013 Posts: 2877 Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 8:31 am Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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And there I was worrying about all the treasures you had in the trunk! _________________ Festina lente - hasten slowly
1968 Ghia named Emiko
Resto completed Dec 2015 |
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akear Samba Member
Joined: August 18, 2013 Posts: 359 Location: Los Angeles
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 7:14 am Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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Great photos, Phil; your car is beautiful. Question... Is your dash pad original, and if not, where did you get it? I replaced my cracked pad with the KGPR "show quality" pad, and on the first hot day with the car parked in the sun, the defrost vent openings warped and curled up shut. |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2016 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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akear wrote: |
Great photos, Phil; your car is beautiful. Question... Is your dash pad original, and if not, where did you get it? I replaced my cracked pad with the KGPR "show quality" pad, and on the first hot day with the car parked in the sun, the defrost vent openings warped and curled up shut. |
Thanks akear!
Interesting question about the dash pad!
The car is very much original, I'm sure kiwighia would back me up on that. However there is no doubt the dash pad is a replacement. There is glue overspray at the ends of the dash, and the clincher is that the pad has long, later demist vents and the car has shorter ones, about half the size. You can see the short vents through the holes!
My guess is that, being a Californian car the dash was sun damaged and replaced. Or maybe for some other reason? No idea when, maybe when the car came to the UK, about 14yrs ago?
I don't think I'll ever get a great quality 'proper' replacement (as you are finding!) so, my plan is to creatively use a vinyl patch to hide the fact that the vents are the wrong size...
Later though! _________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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mcdonaldneal Samba Member
Joined: June 13, 2013 Posts: 2652 Location: Gullane, Scotland
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Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 2:07 am Post subject: Re: Late 1969 Ghia vert preservation/ restoration |
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It's been a bit quiet on the Ghia front recently. A long European holiday and getting the Kombi fit for camping again have taken precedence!
Yesterday though, I took the Ghia to the paint/body guy nearby to see if we could tee up a new date for him to prep and paint the damaged paint and surface rust in the front trunk. This is the work he was going to do last winter, but the Kombi body jobs took longer than expected, and he is too busy in the summer.
We reached an agreement that in December, I would strip out the wiring and fuel tank etc (again!) and he will prep and paint the bare area (but still leaving original paint on the side walls, and anywhere that might be visible).
Hopefully, it will all work out. One possible problem is that he is selling up his business, but he does think he will still be taking on work over the winter. Fingers crossed! _________________ 1978 marino yellow Bay Dormobile camper
1969 signal orange Karmann Ghia convertible
1976 martini olive Bay Dormobile camper
Stop dead photo links! Post photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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