Page 33 - Karmann Komment Vol42 Issue 2

Karmann Komment Volume 42 | Issue 2
1966 KARMANN GHIA CABRIOLET: PART 1
Alan Bradshaw’s 1966 RHD Karmann Ghia Cabriolet – AVG167D – Part 1
After restoring Ford Escorts and later Porsche 924’s I needed something different to delve into. So, in May 2024 I saw the Karmann Ghia for auction on Car & Classic and it was located 40 miles from where I lived and therefore if I won the auction driving it home was the plan.
The auction was won and like every auction I bid on, it always goes for more than I’d have liked.
So, the car was paid for and a little trip to Market Drayton arranged.
The car was driven home, the engine performed quite well, albeit very different from the Porsche 924 with 210 bhp.
However, this was more that could be said for the steering, how the car passed its MOT I’ll never know, the free play in the wheel was just unbelievable, so driving home was interesting to say the least.
The car made it home and was driven into the garage where it has stayed since.
Like any other car you’re going to restore you never quite know how far to go but they always just seem to take their own course if you have a final picture.
The first job was that atrocious steering, a quick look through the Bentley manual, showed how to adjust the steering box, well this had already been adjusted to it’s maximum, so plan B.
Out came the fuel tank to gain access to the steering box, it was soon replaced with a brand new one and instantly the steering was sorted.
Whilst under the tank area I replaced the steering coupling, horn wiring earth and the hard brake pipes.
The rubber brake pipes from the reservoir looked quite perished and were replaced along with the reservoir, dual master cylinder and switch.
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