VW Karmann Ghia: Sexy secrets at 60 years old

Secrets? What kind of secrets could the wholesome guys at Junkyard Life have? Dirty little secrets, that we don’t want anyone to know about, that’s what! An innocent appearing lady that stole our hearts and risks our dignity. 
  A woman named Karmann, that we didn’t want to tell you about. She just turned sixty-years-old and she’s still sexy.
  Oh, the pangs.

This orange 1972 Ghia needs a new home. I would like to offer up mine.

Everybody wants one?
  Karmann Ghia was a proud product of Volkswagen. The first 1956 models, introduced in August of 1955, were the stylish combination of Italian design (Ghia) and German coach building (Karmann). Thus, the Karmann Ghia was born. They were built a bit more costly, therefore increasing the sticker price, compared to the mass produced Beetle.
  Ghias sold well, despite their higher cost. Even now, demand for the VWs with the Porsche-like styling is high. Every one of the Junkyard Life affiliates that we have befriended wants one. Except me (Ron). I want two.

This Karmann Ghia coupe (we’re guessing 1970-74 era) was a service vehicle, judging by the faded paint on the doors. That’s how you know you called the right place!

 Rebel without a cause
  ’Tis true, ’tis true – we love the Porsche-like styling, reminding us of James Dean and the wheels for which he died. We know Karmann Ghias are not Porsches, but who can deny the relationship between the two? How can anyone look at this car and not see a late 50’s Porsche? 

Pretty maids all in a row. I just stood there.

No foreign objects followed us home
   Unfortunately, we did not bring any of these home (yet). We happened upon this vintage Volkswagen dealer in Georgia. Most of the cars in the inventory did not fit into our Junkyard Life – but then, there they were. All in a row. As if waiting for me to adopt. How could a closet Ghia fan casually pass by this cavalcade of Karmann treasure?

Ron Kidd 
— Junkyard Life 

My future Amber colored 1972 model parked next to a beautiful Adriatic or Pastel Blue 1970 Ghia. My pictures did not turn out on that one. Going back for more pictures will only increase the chances of it coming home with me. You can’t expect me to separate them, can you?

This white 1966 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia project had a price of $1800 on the windshield.

Ron’s Karmann Ghia Fun Facts:

• These cars are cool. We want one.
• Sometimes referred to as “Beetle in a sports coat” or “The poor man’s sports car.”
• Even though the throwback design on the New Beetle has been a huge hit with Baby Boomers, VW has no plans to re-introduce the Karmann Ghia design with modern touches.
• Drivers of Karmann Ghias haven’t changed much as far as the fun and practical crowd that they traditionally attract.
• Production numbers for Karmann Ghias reached a total of 445,238 cars during their 1956-1974 run. 
• 80,837 were convertibles, labeled as “Cabriolets”. Even though it can get very cold in Germany, they still love the drop tops.

Vintage photo of my uncle Ted’s Karmann Ghia, circa 1968. You don’t suppose his car is still laying around here anywhere, do you? Just checking. Never hurts to ask.

Junkyard Life has discovered some VW mystery colors. The red paint, on the Ghia on the right, looks closer to Sunset paint than it does the Cherry Red color, which makes more visual sense. This (whichever) red 1968 Ghia was found next to my future 1972 Karmann, which Volkswagen called Amber in their paint listings. (Ron Kidd note: Amber is the color of your energy.)

Know a junkyard that we need to visit? Tips for our projects? 
Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com or Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.

Project car update: Golden Olive 1973 Grand Am engine drop, now what?

Remember Olive? She’s the Golden Olive 1973 Pontiac Grand Am that we scored on a Junkyard Life adventure. This car earned mucho bonus points because none of us, weirdo, Colonnade-era fans, had ever laid our adoring eyes on a ’73 Grand Am wearing Golden Olive paint. So, add in the bonus points for an odd color, then add double points from me (Ron), because that odd color is green. Triple those points because, Junkyard Life brother, Anthony, and I, shortened our “short list” cars in the same year. Anthony’s hankering for a 1973 Grand Am and my appetite for a 1973 Grand Prix. Score! Score! So, what has become of Olive?

1973 Pontiac Grand Am known as Olive for her Golden Olive paint.

  Some of you may remember “Olive” from a story penned by Junkyard Life brother, Keith Lively, who told of an adventurous tale, cursed with unrelenting weather, and mechanical issues. At one point, Keith could not see out of the car due to fog, moisture, and tons of engine smoke. Those following in a rescue vehicle, wondered how they could see out to drive. Keith tells us they really couldn’t. Pictures prove he wasn’t kidding. 

Bad News: You never get all the water out of a system before pulling an engine, so expect a mess. Good News: As Ron was building an ark, Anthony notes that the color of the water/antifreeze mixture was really healthy! That is good news discovered during a big mess.

I fall to pieces
  We delivered “Olive” to our Top Secret Undisclosed Storage Facility, hidden away from the public (our wives and their accountants), where we could begin disassembling the Grand Am.
  First off, Anthony and Jody removed the front clip to address any issues that “Olive” may have with rust. We did learn that there are places in these cars that will indeed harbor leaves, many, many leaves, and thus, moisture. 
  We also found 2,000-feet of wiring and 700 switches that GM did not include during assembly. I am convinced that a Thomas Dolby-wanna-be wired “Olive” to become a high tech Batmobile, and wound up with a low-tech, spaghetti party. (Editors note: Once again Ron composes a phrase never before used in a Junkyard Life story. “Low-tech spaghetti party” will now go into history and perhaps pop culture infamy.)

Anthony Powell and Ron Kidd strike a pose after a greasy day of wrenching on “Olive”. Nothing like relaxing behind a 1973 Grand Am after a successful engine pull. So now what?

Stop, drop, and roll
   Anthony and I yanked the 400-cube engine out of its appointed nest. It’s a run-of-the-mill Pontiac V-8, 2-barrel set-up, that had a smoking problem. We don’t know if it is valve seals or piston rings, nor do we care. The engine is out of there now. The three of us have different ideas as to what occurs next. What should we do with “Olive”?

1. Anthony’s idea: Bigger engine. Not opposed to a completely different motor going in the GA. Cubic inches are yet to be determined, but it will not be weak. The two-barrel and intake will take a spot on a shelf because it is not going back under the hood.
2. Ron’s idea: Punch it! I want the original block punched .030 and a stroker crank installed. I want a set of aluminum heads and a cam profile from Butler. I want it mild mannered and torque on demand. I also have a habit of smoking my friends tires for them and the aforementioned suggestions would help.
3. Jody’s idea: GM 3.6L twin turbo-V6. These babies make 420-hp in Cadillac applications. Dropping a junkyard engine from grandma’s totaled 2014 Cadillac CTS would be a scream.

For those wondering what happened and is happening to some of the cool cars we, at Junkyard Life, have rescued – look for updates coming soon. 

Now back to the garage!

Ron Kidd 
— Junkyard Life

Know a junkyard that we need to visit? Tips for our projects? 
Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com or Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.

Readers Ride: 1962 Ford Falcon Station Wagon

First ride in the Falcon. Neil Yessick is a hot rodder. To be clear, he lives in the south (Alabama), but his heart is definitely West Coast. Here is a list of what Neil loves:

1. Flat Hot Rod paint
2. Gassers
3. Ink
4. Tunnel Rams and Carburetors
5. Hilborn Injectors
6. Von Dutch style pin stripes
7. Vintage stickers in the back window 
8. Sedans with a post for strength and stability
9. Steelies and hub caps (hub caps optional)
10. High in the front, low in the back rods 
11. High in the back, low in the front rods
12. Lowered all the way rods
13. Hot Rod jackets with real patches
14. Exhaust systems you can feel through the ground 
15. Any wagon resembling any of these things from the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s.

Neil Yessick at home behind the wheel of his ’62 Falcon wagon.

Running for the door
  All these things we know about Neil, so it did not surprise us at all when he located a non-running 1962 Ford Falcon wagon in need of a new home. Neil thought his home would be just fine. Sold. A little driveway tinkering and this flat black beast roared to life. 
  This is why we love this guy. Instead of jumping right in and hitting the road, he calls me and offers the job of riding first mate. Me, at shotgun for the maiden voyage. 
  “Stay right there!,” I yelled into the phone, as I scrambled for car keys and a camera to document this monumental, and experimental ride that I will never forget.
 

Gauge cluster is amazingly clean. It was surely removed and cleaned, but it
has mysteries. Like why would you put that much work into a cluster and
not connect the speedo? A little Car Guy CSI is in order – I know just the detective for the case!

Feel lucky?
  We hit the road like the excited car guys we are. A driveway gravel skid test for the brakes, which it passed (kind of). Bad fuel in the tank? We could smell it. Unsure of exactly how much old gas we had, because the gauges are not working yet. This made us even braver* as we took to beautiful country roads as the sun was going down. 
  Do we have lights? I guess we should have checked, but there was no time for those shenanigans. We had a hot rod Falcon wagon that demanded that we drive it!

Bare bones on the road! Note the extra trim Neil found in the Falcon.

Cruising the six banger
  The inline 6 cylinder, packing 170 cubic inches and automatic transmission combination performed flawlessly! It wasn’t smoking or ticking, other than a leaky exhaust system. The manual steering wasn’t bad. I really enjoyed the drive. 
  Neil managed to find a small and light weight car with a lot of room and a ton of character. Our favorite part... it’s a wagon! We love wagons.

*Editor’s note: Is “brave” really the word we are looking for here?

Hammer down!
  Future plans include a little interior work for comfort and a calendar full of plans and events to enjoy the wagon way. I know Neil, and I expect to hear of him tossing a V8 in there at some point, but no hurry. This 6 cylinder runs great and has a lot of miles left. 
  We welcome Neil to the vintage wagon family!
 
Ron Kidd
— Junkyard Life

We were also plagued by an electrical gremlin that found it funny to arbitrarily turn on and off the interior lights. We shall banish the little prankster from the car.

Red steelies and hub caps on the 1962 Ford Falcon wagon – almost perfect. These are of the 13-inch variety. Neil plans on a 5-lug 15-inch wheel conversion.

Neil named the ‘62 Falcon, Loretta, after the raven-haired Loretta Lynn.

4-door Ford Falcon station wagons sold for around $2,400 when new, in 1962.

A 1962 Ford Falcon station wagon rides again.

Know a junkyard that we need to visit? Got a car story?  

Send emails to Jody at junkyardbull@gmail.com or Ron at Kidd403@bellsouth.net.

Project 1985 Chevrolet El Camino: Part 1 – Why?

 “Why did you buy an El Camino?”

 Because... El Camino. It’s business in the front, party in the back. I’m the proud owner of Chevrolet’s very light-duty truck built on a car platform. I can’t explain the attraction. Always wanted one, didn’t matter what year. Who says they ever went out of fashion? Chevy bolted close to 1 million of them together during production (1959-1960, 1964-1987). I like them all, and I’m not a grandpa, nor do fit into any of the most-used stereotypes, that people spit out whenever I mention my latest purchase. An El Camino has style, utility, and can be equipped with muscle car performance. Plus, they are budget-friendly – a Junkyard Life fundamental.

  “What’s not to like?”

 

My son, Joe, straps the Chevy El Camino down onto the tow dolly.

Story begins with a convertible

  I bought the 1985 Chevy El Camino after meeting the seller of a barn find 1972 MG. I checked out the MG, (read about it here), but resisted buying the red roadster. During my deliberations, another car caught my eye. A two-tone, medium gray and silver Elky was sitting beside a tiny lake house in Pell City, Alabama. Parked for several months and looking grandpa-fresh, because the former owner was indeed a grandpa. 
  This El Camino needed a new home, a new battery, and a new radiator. I made an offer. One month later the deal was sealed. My son and I hauled the El Camino home in a rain storm. We stopped, got some sandwiches, and admired the rain-soaked El Camino from our seats inside the restaurant. Good times.  

The 1985 El Camino is hauled away from the former owner’s lakeside home in Pell City, Alabama.

Project time with my son

  My 12-year-old son, Joe, says he wants to drive the El Camino to school one day. I decided that he could earn some future seat time by working on the fixer-upper. The first project we tackled, after getting it running and adding a new radiator, was tightening the sloppy tilt steering column.

  GM’s 1980s-era tilt steering columns are notorious for working loose after decades of use. This tilt-equipped Elky was no different. In order to crank the car, the column had to be lifted and the key jiggled. The not-so-simple task of removing every moving and non-moving part on and within the steering wheel and column is necessary to access the bolts that hold the tilt mechanisms in place.

My 12-year-old son, Joe, makes quick work of the steering column tear down.

Every part has a place

  More parts, more problems. My son is a wiz, at putting things together, plus another set of eyeballs is always good when tearing into a complex project. Joe was eager to learn. We dissected the steering wheel and column’s guts on a hot summer afternoon. Reassembling it five times, for good measure, before all was buttoned-up tight and in the correct order. (I documented some of the project in a video, to be added soon.)

  The steering wheel is straight, tight, and the wheels correspond to the direction you hold the wheel. Sounds easy, right? Next time, we will get it right by the second or third try.

The padding in the gray cloth, split bench seat has 148,000 miles of drive time. Some new padding and carpet are a must.

 

One project done, next up? 
  The El Camino is solid but needs attention throughout. Wear parts and rubber need replacement all around. The body has one parking lot ding on the quarter panel and a tree limb compromised the top edge of the tailgate. The paint appears to be the original spray of two-tone, silver and gray. Red primer patina is peering out of worn spots on the hood and driver’s side door. 
  Those hard-earned age spots tell everyone this Elky has outlived plenty of them “foreign jobs” built in the 1990s. Wait a minute! In 1985 GM moved production of the Chevy El Camino and GMC Caballero twins to Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. Today, they continue to build Cadillacs and Chevys there.

Red oxide primer is visible where the silver paint has worn thin. They don’t make cars with good flat spots to sit on nowadays.

To do list (basics):

• Shocks/springs
• Door hinges (sagging)
• Weather strip on doors
• Carpet
• Paint wheels
• Add trim rings
• Brakes
• Exhaust
• A/C compressor (locked up)

Junkyard Life Project: 1985 Chevy El Camino 
  Follow along as we keep you updated on the El Camino project. Our wish list includes: A modern suspension and drive train. Wider wheels with more meat, better seats, the addition of a tachometer, along with a sportier gauge cluster. While we’re dreaming, a modern stereo should top things off.  

Sponsors welcome
  Got a connection to a parts supplier? We are digging for deals and working overtime for parts. Junkyard Life will happily provide a test bed for parts on the Chevy El Camino and give your product(s) exposure. Send us the goodies! Contact Junkyard Life.

Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life

Conquista was an option package on the base 5th generation Chevrolet El Camino (1978-1988).

Manual windows, manual locks. Tell me this isn’t a truck.

Long doors on the El Camino make for worn hinges. Both doors sag.

Beneath the hoses, and vacuum lines a 305-cu. inch V8 engine powers the Chevy El Camino with 150 hp.

Style points for the forward rake on the El Camino’s side glass.

Hood emblems were still in fashion on GM vehicles in the mid-1980s.

Pinstripe and patina on the ’85 El Camino.

A new radiator solved the continuous coolant puddle problem.

An empty window in the right half of gauge cluster could have been filled with a clock or tachometer, if so equipped. During the 1980s, GM reminded customers they opted for the cheapo package every time they scanned the gauges.

The El Camino suffered a ding above the sexy Conquista decal on the tail gate.

GM continued to build the G-Body Chevy El Camino and GMC Caballero until 1987 (745 unsold ’87 models were retitled as ’88 models and sold). GM ceased production of the G-Body Malibu (coupe/sedan) after the 1983 model year.

Finally, bringing one of the 1,015,865 Chevy El Caminos/GMC Sprint-Caballeros built to my driveway.

This 1985 Elky model shows off the wide, 4-eyed headlight design, which continued from 1982-1988.

Very little changed on the sides and rear of the Chevy El Camino and GMC trucklet twins between 1978-1988.

Curved rear glass and solid bed floor, without storage access, are signatures of the fifth and final generation of El Caminos/Caballeros.

Ready to hit the road to home with the El Camino project. This is before the rain storm hit.

Column shift Chevy El Caminos allow 3 passengers (including driver) to ride in elbow-rubbing comfort.

El Camino storage area and spare tire reside in compartment behind seat and under floor of truck bed on 5th gen models.

The El Camino was a low rider, mini truck before low rider, mini trucks existed.

Got the El Camino steering wheel off, now what?

Chevy El Camino tilt steering project underway, and in the hands of my 12-year-old son.

Check back for more updates on the El Camino project.

Send us details about your barn find or project and we’re on the way!  Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.  

1939 Chevrolet Master Sedan: Original classic uncovered behind a barn in Tennessee (video)

Behind the barn. This 1939 Chevrolet Master sedan was among the dozens of classic cars and hot rods that Junkyard Life discovered during a three-day tour of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The owner, a gear head with 20 rusty cars scattered across his East Tennessee farm, mentioned that an old Chevy behind the hay barn was a low-mile, solid, original. We didn’t expect a WWII-era car in time capsule condition. Let’s take a closer look.

Looks like a Cadillac
  Chevrolet redesigned their 1939 models with longer hoods, the headlights mounted on top of the front fenders and coil spring suspension. The flashier grille and hood ornament mimicked Cadillac’s luxury line-up. This was a lot of car for less than $900. The price sounds like a steal, but remember the average annual income was $1,300.

Only 590 miles show on the odmoeter of the 1939 Chevy. The wear on the brake pedal reveals that the actual mileage may be more.

A trunk was integrated into the body lines and the rumble seat option disappeared from the line-up of 1939 Chevrolets sedans.

Only original once
  The Junkyard Life crew crawled all over the ’39 Chevy, noting the 590 miles on the odometer and the relatively unblemished body. The car has probably traveled many more miles on the original inline six cylinder engine and 3-speed transmission, but we can dream, right?
  Everything appeared unmolested and was where it should be on this blast from the past. Values on mostly original, 4-door, 5-passenger, club sedan projects of ’39 vintage have stayed surprisingly low. I’ve seen similar cars, in somewhat rougher condition sell in the $2,000 price range. 

Buy what you can afford
  Hot rodders had a field day transforming forgotten, family sedans from the 1930s and 1940s into custom street rods during the 1980s. Those pastel-painted beauties and quality rest mods often sell for $20,000-to-$30,000 and up. Finding an original car is the best way to budget build your own. What’s stopping you? Time or money?
  Coupes can bring more dollars but the 4-door sedan was the do-everything family car. Imagine pulling into the big box store next to a row of new Chevy Suburbans, Tahoes and mini vans? A 1939 Chevy puts the "class" in classic car.
  Keep your eyes open for old cars and I will see you at the junkyard!

Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life 

Almost 400,000 Chevy Master sedans rolled off the assembly line in 1939,

It's easy to see why we stopped to have a chat with the friendly farmer in Tennessee. He loves old cars too.

Do you have a classic or muscle car barn find? Send us details and we’re on the way!?  Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.