My
Aunt Dean purchased this car in 1975
or 1976 after owning two Karmann Ghia's.
The original color was Biscayne Blue.
She had it repainted Lotus White,
so she could be seen. Her last Ghia
had been hit twice before. I grew
up around VW's. My dad owned two,
the later he gave for my twentieth
birthday. I remember my sister and
I spending weekends with Aunt Dean
and going to the park in her Bug.
I didn't care much for the Ghia's.
Too small in the back seat. One afternoon
I accidentally pulled the passenger
seat up too far so I could get in
back, and ran it off track. She was
furious, but tried not to show it.
Twenty
one years ago, I offered to buy the
car. She flatly refused. " I'll
be buried in my baby." Everyone
wanted that car. She never had children,
so she was very picky about her "baby".
Five years ago, I tried again, still...NO.
She drove the car every day until
the late 1990's. She had it repainted
in '95 when the engine caught fire.
The fireman who arrived on the scene
offered her $50.00 for it. She said,
"I bet you will!" The engine
is original stock, which has been
rebuilt only twice. Second time was
in '95 because of fire. She
offered to sell the car to my wife
and I in November of 2006. She only
drove it once a year after she bought
a car with A/C. The resto started
in January 2008 and was completed
in August 2008. The project was very
easy, considering the excellent care
she gave the car through the years.
The
body was taken apart, stripped down,
sanded down to bare metal. Body work
and deep purple metal flake paint
was done by Eddie's Paint & Body
Shop. The
Hammer -Tone Blue powder coating on
the intake, gen stand, muffler and
heater boxes and the Boysenberry color
on the plate in trunk was done by
Molly and the girls at MARS Powder
Coating and Assembly. The detail,
trim work, engine work/tin and disassembly/assembly
, tires/wheels were done by Jerry
at the Buggery. All the artwork was
expertly done by Mike at The Air Brush
Shop. I Installed the Pioneer SuperTuner
3 stereo, tach and gages. Being an
electrician by trade, I installed
a battery KILL switch with removable
key in the engine compartment. You
can see it some what on the right
side of the air cleaner mounted on
the firewall. The cover is airbrushed
with The WW1 Flying Ace,(Snoopy) complete
with doghouse and bullet holes.
I
also installed a shutoff valve on
the fuel line to avoid spilling fuel
when changing filters. Also works
with switch as antitheft device. The
upholstery was done about ten years
ago by Aunt Dean and her friend Earl.
My wife Mary and I are truly blessed
and well pleased with the care, attention
to detail, and hard work everyone
has done on our baby.
Adam
Gray