Karmann Ghia Restoration Part 2

Frankenstein Operations

Last week, I brought everybody photos from the beginning of a Karmann Ghia restoration project that my father-in-law (Hubert) and I are taking on. Previously, we were cleaning parts in the sand blaster to get them looking good as new, and we were getting everything prepared (the car on the lift, parts laid out, etc.).

This past weekend, we started on phase 2: preparing to gut another classic Karmann Ghia for needed parts. Finding this second car (vital to the entire operation) is not something that happened over night, either. During the past few years, my Hubert has been keeping his eyes open for a comparable Karmann Ghia because we just didn't have all the parts we needed. He went to Volkswagen festivals and visited car lots, but there was just no luck.

Fortunately, after a few years of searching, Hubert found one at a Volkswagen Body and Parts lot here in Tampa. Now, the two cars are sitting side by side in the garage like some wild Frankenstein operation.

This allowed us to get EVERYTHING situated for the work ahead. Yesterday, we cleaned out the garage, rolled in the 2nd vehicle, and laid out all of the parts and tools that we're going to need.

The 2nd Karmann Ghia will give us

all of the parts we need

Now for a little background on what's going on:

This is a project that has been years in the making. The Karmann Ghia is my wife Kristen's car. She bought it 15 years ago, which ironically, is around the same time that my father-in-laws garage was built. The Ghia has only been driven one time, and Kristen knew that the car was a project/concept vehicle. This didn't stop her from having her dreams, though. From the beginning, she could see herself driving down the coast of Florida in her own classic sports car.

This project has been spurred on because of one thing: my wife and I are expecting our first baby. We all knew that it was time to get the ball rolling because we want the little guy riding around in style. Also, it's the perfect way for all of us to show our appreciation for my wife because she is doing the toughest job anybody could ever imagine, being pregnant and having a baby.

Next weekend, we're going to be taking the next steps in our restoration and starting on all of the cool stuff, so stay tuned.

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Inside of the garage

Inside of the garage

Hubert built his own personal garage 15 years ago