Karmann Ghia

[Cpt Tuttle]

Started on a Karmann Ghia build a while ago...

Running a Type 4 engine from a Revell vanagon.

Firebird wheels, coated with yellow and orange candy for a gold anodized look.

Paint on the pan...

Porsche highback buckets, I just love them.

[Misha]

Getting the right ingredients! Porsche seats will really suit your build.

Waiting to see more!

Cheers Misha

[espo]

You're off to a great start. I like the wheels.

[Cpt Tuttle]

I've always had a weak spot for oxblood interiors, proper and elegant, yet exclusive.

[vintagercr]

It's coming along nicely

 

[rsxse240]

Which Karmann This kid is this?  Hasegawa, I presume, with the engine replacement.  (The Tamiya kit is amazing)

 

I like the ox blood interior.  Should go well with white, red or black paint.  I can't wait to see more progress, the Ghia is one of my favorite cars!

[xbazzarex]

love the karmann ghia's, they are very under appreciated compared to the bug. build looks awesome so far, Love the rim choice(have the 1:1 rims on my Trans am). 

[Cpt Tuttle]

It's a Gunze Sangyo kit.

 

A Porsche donated its gearstick too, feeling a bit more luxurious with the leather boot....

A coat of primer...

On the roof too but it didn't like the primer and developed a lot of fine cracks...

Could save it with some wet sanding though.....it doesn't shine too much through the paint now.

[Skip]

Nice your red primer reminded me of painting my own '61 KG cabrio. 

Years ago I bought a tattered '61 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet, I think it's stock color was Yukon Yellow, which with its black top looked like a bumble bee, when I got it the yellow paint was worn really thin the top tattered.  

So as was common then, I decided to go with a full color change to '67 Savanah Beige with a darker beige Hartze cloth top.  With all the body work done I primed it out with red oxide primer (like yours is) sanded everything squeaky smooth.  (Like when your wrinkly fingers squeak acsoss the paint, you know it's clean and smooth enough to topcoat.)  

Next evening we shot the topcoat, I had a buddy who was a body man and great painter, do the topcoat.  I found out years later why my color shifted from Savanah Beige to a perfect Kraft Carmel color, my buddy was an "eyeballer"  he could mix paint by feel not so much by manufacturer's formula.  I'm pretty sure he mixed too much reducer in to get the consistency he liked to shoot, which reactivated the primer causing the red oxide color to bleed into the beige.   It turned out to be a cool color, and the nitro lacquer shined like a brand new car for as long as I owned it.  

When people would. Ask what the color was I'd tell them it was Karamelle, which is the German spelling of caramel!  So it became known to me as the "Karamelle Ghia", it was a fun car lowered 3-1/2 in front and 3 inches rear on chromed 356 Speedster wheels and nipple hubcaps, 15X 4-1/2 and 5-1/2 rear can't remember the size of the rear tires but were 135's up front.  I learned my lesson earlier running bonsai/grenade 2180 on the street and went with a much milder 1835 with dual 40 Webbers instead of the 48 IDA floodgates for this one!  Back then you could build an extremely nice car for far less than the price of a house!!    

Sorry to hijack your thread with a backstory on my own car....  I really love the direction you're headed with this one!!!

[Cpt Tuttle]

Sounds like a fun car, no chance you have any pics?

Painted the body in Mercedes Benz "Astralsilber" and it turned out OK. Silver will seldom get any depth so I doubt I will polish it, a little wax will do.

Dashboard, I don't know if it should be upholstered or not but since this is not a stocker, I did so anyway, looks more exclusive. Also I found a fitting steering wheel in the parts box, and fitted it with a wolfsburg badge on the horn button.

Some detailwork on the rest of the interior

Close to final assembly now.....totally dechromed, only black trim.

A not too good picture from behind...