Hi from St Joseph, MI

[gokart]

Dustin logged onto my board so I'm returning the favor.

I moved to Michigan from Louisiana back in November of '07. I have a '70 Ghia Convertible that I drive but needs restoration and I have a '67 Beetle that I am restoring. I just had it painted this summer.

[Dustin]

Glad you signed on Ed, Hope you enjoy these forums and meet us sometime.

[bren]

Welcome aboard Ed!

[VDub63 ( Steven )]

Welcome Ed, Thanks for joining our club. On Oct 5 we will have a test and tune at Martin dragway you should come join us even if you don't race.

[ghiastein]

Once again an other Ghia. We are small in numbers but still growing.

Yes the Test and Tune should be a blast I am looking to improve my time a bit. Also Keep October 12 open for our Color Tour. This one I am looking forward to.

AJ

[akitsuji]

Welcome Ed,
I'm gladd to have an other Ghia. Mine is 70 coupe with auto stick.
Michele and I can't attend Oct color tour, but still we are planning to attend the 100 Ghia festival on Oct 19th in Japan. we are also searching for vw buses which are used by street venders(Coffee shop, Waffle shop etc).

Aki

[Ruffuss]

Ed, Welcome to our little club that is growing by leaps and bounds, you should try to make the Test and Tune.
I drive a 73 Type 181 Thing named Ruffuss. We're not that far apart I live in Mattawan just off I-94 a mile or so. If you want maybe you could join a couple of us and cruise up to Martin together, let me know the more the merrier.
Also Saturday we are joining the Pumpkin Parade in Zeeland Mi.
Later Kenn

[gokart]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I probably will not be able to make the test and tune, but, I plan to make the color cruise.

Here's some pics of my cars:



The Ghia sat in a garage in New Orleans and did not move for 17 years until I bought it in 2003. The engine just needed the carb cleaned and it fired right up. I've probably put 12,000 miles on it since then. This summer the engine gave out so I swapped in the 1500sp from my '67.

Before:



With a lot of help from my friends,
After:



I plan to change the wheels.

I have owned the '67 since 1995 but just got around to restoring it this year. You can read more about the restoration here: www.aircoolersla.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2248&start=0

[Dustin]

Very nice work on that 67 Ed, I read through your build thread on the SMAC forum.

[jmallen05]

They're both nice looking cars. Did you get the ghia out of NO before Katrina hit?



jerry

[gokart]

I got it a couple of years before Katrina. There's a good chance it would have gotten wet if it had stayed in that garage. My house was high and dry in Hammond LA.

A lot of good VWs were ruined in Katrina. Salt water will turn the inside of an engine block to mush.

[Ruffuss]

In Michigan we don't worry as much about the engine as we do about the body/pan/suspension (at least me) I can fix the inside of the engine, it's harder however to stop rust once it takes hold, that cancer eats and eats until there is little if anything left. Just bring those non running VWs up here and lets get started the rebuilding process, sound like a plan? Later Kenn

[Dustin]

Kenn, I am not afraid of rust or the non running or a car being complete.

[gokart]

Salt water doesn't help the inside of the heater channels either. They are hard to clean.

I hear you on the rust being a pain to fix. Seemed like every time I touched my bug, I found more rust. (see my link to the restoration). The worse part is that it was rust free when I bought it 13 years ago. Lesson learned: If you don't have good seals, park it inside. Still, I don't think it had as much rust as Dustin's '67.

[Dustin]

Thats Bren's 67 I am working on my 74. My 67 is relatively rust free except the drivers lower door post which rusted due to someone removing the antenna and leaving it sit uncovered.