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A Karmann Ghia named Sue - 31May11

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    A Karmann Ghia named Sue - 31May11

    Flash back to 1996… We had just left my duty station in Keflavik, Iceland and I had orders to the USS DeWert (FFG45) out of Jacksonville, Florida. Shannon, Mason and I were home on leave in Texas and I found a car I had always wanted…a BUG. I bought the 1973 Type I from an elderly lady in Deer Park. My dad and I gave “her” a tune-up in his driveway, I had new cleats installed and some three days later I was driving her down I-10 to Florida. Over the next three to four years, she was my daily driver. I fixed “her” up with new upholstery and Shannon had her repainted while I was on a short deployment, I did some minor engine upgrades, etc. and eventually – regretfully – sold her to an individual in La Porte after being discharged from the Navy. Here is a picture of Mason sitting in my “baby” in Florida when he was just a lad…
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    Fast forward to this past Spring Break… Team Howard traveled to sunny Los Angeles and San Diego. During our stay, we saw many “cool” things but one thing that caught our eye on more than one occasion was Karmann Ghias. Upon returning to Texas, Shannon mentioned that she would like to find one that needed restoring so we could work on it together. I wasn’t going to let this “want” pass me by…I struck while the iron was hot and we located a vehicle that met our predetermined expectations – not wrecked (too much), convertible, decent body, had an engine and was from the pre-70s (as we like the pre-70s bumper and tail light configuration).

    The only drawback to the vehicle I located and subsequently purchased was that its last resting spot was in Birmingham, Alabama. Arrangements were made over the following months with the previous owner on a day for pick-up and such. I recruited my Dad – who happens to own a full-sized truck - to travel with me this past Memorial Day weekend. The timing was perfect as it was a long weekend and my Dad has an aunt who lives in Birmingham who he hasn’t seen in quite a while. After departing work on Friday, my Dad met me at our house and “Operation Retrieve Sue” began… Sue? After informing the boys of the project, I told them that we had to name the Ghia before she arrived at home…Caleb said “Sue” had a nice ring to it…hence our 1968 Karmann Ghia Convertible’s new name.

    Friday afternoon had us driving from Kingwood to Baton Rouge. We had a lot of open road and windshield time.
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    Saturday morning, we departed Louisiana early and arrived in the outskirts of Birmingham shortly after noon to pick up the vehicle hauler. From there, we were off to downtown Birmingham and her VERY narrow streets and alleyways. We had a few “seat sucking” moments maneuvering through the streets with a full-size truck and 16 foot car carrier but we made it... Thankfully, Dad brought a winch to pull Sue up onto the carrier and within an hour, she was chained down and awaited departure.
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    The previous owner was generous enough to let Sue sit on the hauler in his backyard so we wouldn’t have to tower her around town. Saturday evening, we met my Dad’s Aunt and her son who treated us to a nice dinner in Birmingham. With fully bellies, we retired for the evening only to wake up early Sunday morning, hitch back up and hit the road again.
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    It was strange to look back and see something “following” so closely…
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    Our third leg ended in Covington, Louisiana which gave us a short haul Monday morning to Kingwood – the fourth and final leg. After four days and almost 1400 miles, and several gallons of fuel, Sue found her new home. I can't thank my Dad enough for going along with me - he made the trip not only a lot more manageable, but a lot more enjoyable.
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    One of my friends coined her being a “diamond in the rough”…and I think that is fitting. We don’t have a timeline or schedule – we simply plan to work on her as time and budget permits. So, give us a weekend or a hundred and we should have her back on the roadway… Stay tuned.
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    #2
    Great story. Sounds like you have got your hands full.

    Comment


      #3
      awesome find

      Looking forward to this

      Comment


        #4
        Cool!
        Ultramatic Feeders

        We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded......

        /l _ ,[____],
        l---- L-- -OlllllllO-
        ()_)--()_)---o-)_)

        Comment


          #5
          Nice little fixer upper!

          Rwc

          Comment


            #6
            It looks pretty darn good now! What shape is the motor in?

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by dccytclr View Post
              awesome find

              Looking forward to this
              Thank you sir. Gonna be fun.

              Originally posted by Joey~AP View Post
              Cool!
              I knew you would appreciate this. My dad said...you best get a tetnus (sp?) shot! I am still waiting to find a wasp nest, snake, mouse or all of the above.

              Originally posted by Chew View Post
              It looks pretty darn good now! What shape is the motor in?
              Engine is all there and looks remarkably GREAT. I will put in a new fuel tank, drain the lines, but in a new battery and see what happens. A rebuild will take place...sooner than later.

              Comment


                #8
                And if anyone else has the Bug, Bug...www.thesamba.com You can find everything from junk to priceless pieces.

                Comment


                  #9
                  awesome project - congrats on a great find!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    back in the late 60's I made a dune buggy (that looked simular to a Polaris ranger) out of a KG

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Not sure how much you know about Bug motors, but I would check your valve clearances before I would try to light a fire in it.

                      Ive seen one of these with a long travel Baja set-up. It looked pretty wicked!
                      Ultramatic Feeders

                      We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded......

                      /l _ ,[____],
                      l---- L-- -OlllllllO-
                      ()_)--()_)---o-)_)

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Cool story, and looks like a fun project!

                        VW's are a ton of fun to own and work on, and the owners clubs tend to be full of neat folks


                        I had a couple of Bugs in college, a 70 Super Beetle and a 74 Standard Beetle. Several of my friends were VW fans as well, their collection included: a 70 Thing, a 60 Type 181 (single cab pickup) a 78 Westfalia, a 72 Super Beetle convertible, a 68 Ghia (hard top), a 72 bus, and a 70 Beetle convertible.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Joey~AP View Post
                          Not sure how much you know about Bug motors, but I would check your valve clearances before I would try to light a fire in it
                          We're on the same page amigo!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Im just gonna leave this right here for a minute.

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                            Ultramatic Feeders

                            We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded......

                            /l _ ,[____],
                            l---- L-- -OlllllllO-
                            ()_)--()_)---o-)_)

                            Comment


                              #15
                              I love the convertible Ghias!

                              I'll be following your progress!

                              Comment

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