Tamiya Karmann Ghia Sleeper

[jbwelda]

well wrapping this one up right about now...a couple of issues i am going to let go for now and call it "under glass". i plan that within a year i will revisit the build for a couple of necessary enhancements: build another front end and this time narrow it a scale 6" out of the center, replace its main tubes with shortened aluminum tubing ought to look good. this will let the wheels fit more naturally in the wheel wells and let me keep a much more detailed looking front end instead of what i ended up with here...for the purpose of making all four wheels touch ground i mounted the front left wheel last and it ended up a good 1/16" or more rearward than the right side one! actually centered better in the wheel well but i still dont really dig it. so reworking the front end is the first priority. but the real problem is the rear deck lid doesnt fit: it sits high because it is hitting the air boxes and coil arrangement unfortunately. but it looks like it is very well centered with the moulded in grille on the deck lid so i can probably trim that out and get the clearance i need. then it would be a matter of deciding it looks better with the air cleaners sticking up through the hood or whether i should attempt some kind of scoop or bump or something back there...i am partial to letting the stuff hang out or at most making a rearward facing scoop sort of air intake.

but for now, check it out in "under glass" section in a day or so, as soon as i take some nicer photos.

thanks again for following along and all comments always welcome!

[jbwelda]

hey dave, thanks for the suggestion, in fact my early plan was for some extended hinges and i might still go that route...ive eyeballed the height pretty close and i would be very surprised if i could wittle enough away from the hood underside to make it fit...looks like it has to come all the way through. thats without extended hinges; just making the hood fit flush to the body all the way around. i have a spare hood to work with, so if i go with dremel therapy i can try it as i go...if it burns through to the outside surface then its scoop time!

[FASTBACK340]

Why not just step the hinge mounts like they do on the 1:1 VW's? Propping the leading edge of the engine cover is often necessary for cooling big motors. Them things live because of cool air, and giving it the hood prop would just hint at a bad-ass nature. The overall build is awesome! I have a Ghia kit that has been planned as a VW drag car one day.

In a previous life (or so it seems....) when I was in my 20's I had Cal-Look VW's. This build brings me back....

[Dr. Cranky]

JB, I love the way it looks . . . you almost have this one in the bag. Nice work, chap.

[Mike502]

great build! i will build one of these soon!

[Draggon]

Heres a good example of a Ghia decklid standoff kit installed.

[LAone]

its a cool looking ghia bro. i like it.

[Romell R]

Fantastic!

[polandmob]

gotta love a old vw.

[Tony T]

Great looking Ghia!

[greymack]

Hi there jb well here is a vw lowering tip for you since I use to have many 1:1 scale vws the proper and custom way of lowering the front end was to move the upper and lower ball joints arms up or use shorter shocks to get the front nice and low.For the back end I use to raise the torsion plates up that is what holds the trans axle in place.I to have done this to model kits looks more realistic.Hope that tip helps out for future builds.