Danny Gab tell us about building the black K Ghia and drivng it

[Jim Ratto]

Hi Danny, always really dug that car, the article on it in HotVWs was "ok" but would love to hear stories behind bulding the car from you. How long did it take, how did you decide on color, interior, engine, 911 alloys, custom shroud, etc? Really, that car was a true piece of art. Wish I had seen it in person, but was never down here when it was out.

Thanks Danny

Jim

[danny gabbard]

thanks jim ! well it started out at steve wilkersons shop getting a motor. I asked steve who owned it,was some kid in the service. I told steve if the guy wanted to sale let me know, well about a year later steve called with good news and bad news. The car was for sale but was side swiped . the car was flat from the center of head light back tothe  tail light. Like a dumb ass I went and bought the thing and started buying parts. across the street was a little vw parts place in stanton, I found a NOS 1/4 panel and door and went to dealer and got a head light bucket, when you could get parts for old vws. I did most of the metalwork in the garage and when I needed to weld something I'd haul it down to boyds when I was working there. a good friend Billy Bad had the trans and mark was the brains behind makeing it run. the interior sucked it was done at westminister auto apostry by pete engil, what a butcher. only thing I really liked on the car was tack mount that was originally the speaker grill. and i spent million hours metal finishing the bumpers. it seems like a million years ago I built the thing,sometimes I wish I had it still but I bought alot of my machinery to get started at my shop from saleing it , one thing boyd said that made sense, you build car A to sale for car B that you can sale to get the car you want, car C. the fun is building, so you learn something for the next one.

[Jim Ratto]

thanks jim ! well it started out at steve wilkersons shop getting a motor. I asked steve who owned it,was some kid in the service. I told steve if the guy wanted to sale let me know, well about a year later steve called with good news and bad news. The car was for sale but was side swiped . the car was flat from the center of head light back tothe  tail light. Like a dumb ass I went and bought the thing and started buying parts. across the street was a little vw parts place in stanton, I found a NOS 1/4 panel and door and went to dealer and got a head light bucket, when you could get parts for old vws. I did most of the metalwork in the garage and when I needed to weld something I'd haul it down to boyds when I was working there. a good friend Billy Bad had the trans and mark was the brains behind makeing it run. the interior sucked it was done at westminister auto apostry by pete engil, what a butcher. only thing I really liked on the car was tack mount that was originally the speaker grill. and i spent million hours metal finishing the bumpers. it seems like a million years ago I built the thing,sometimes I wish I had it still but I bought alot of my machinery to get started at my shop from saleing it , one thing boyd said that made sense, you build car A to sale for car B that you can sale to get the car you want, car C. the fun is building, so you learn something for the next one.

We used to stock early OE Ghia headlight buckets @ Buggy House up north, in the '90's.....Overland parts had a blowout on them and we bought probably 30 or 40 of them.... sold maybe 1, which mean the other 39 are still sitting somewhere. (as a side note, we also used get Okrasa 82mm new 912 journal cranks from them too in 1991 or 92...... we were selling them retail for $450 ). Thanks for the insight on the car, there's yet to be a Karmann Ghia of equal quality and stance since. Wish I had your talent dude.

[danny gabbard]

thanks, and right back at ya with the talent. everybody shines in one way or another !

[Harry/FDK]

thanks jim ! well it started out at steve wilkersons shop getting a motor. I asked steve who owned it,was some kid in the service. I told steve if the guy wanted to sale let me know, well about a year later steve called with good news and bad news. The car was for sale but was side swiped . the car was flat from the center of head light back tothe  tail light. Like a dumb ass I went and bought the thing and started buying parts. across the street was a little vw parts place in stanton, I found a NOS 1/4 panel and door and went to dealer and got a head light bucket, when you could get parts for old vws. I did most of the metalwork in the garage and when I needed to weld something I'd haul it down to boyds when I was working there. a good friend Billy Bad had the trans and mark was the brains behind makeing it run. the interior sucked it was done at westminister auto apostry by pete engil, what a butcher. only thing I really liked on the car was tack mount that was originally the speaker grill. and i spent million hours metal finishing the bumpers. it seems like a million years ago I built the thing,sometimes I wish I had it still but I bought alot of my machinery to get started at my shop from saleing it , one thing boyd said that made sense, you build car A to sale for car B that you can sale to get the car you want, car C. the fun is building, so you learn something for the next one.

We used to stock early OE Ghia headlight buckets @ Buggy House up north, in the '90's.....Overland parts had a blowout on them and we bought probably 30 or 40 of them.... sold maybe 1, which mean the other 39 are still sitting somewhere. (as a side note, we also used get Okrasa 82mm new 912 journal cranks from them too in 1991 or 92...... we were selling them retail for $450 ). Thanks for the insight on the car, there's yet to be a Karmann Ghia of equal quality and stance since. Wish I had your talent dude.

Now about those other 39 Ghia headlight buckets....

PS. Jim you got PM.

[Rennsurfer]

That was one bad-assed Ghia, Danny. I miss Steve W. too. I hope that we can contact him before our reunion, next year.

[danny gabbard]

Yes It would, I haven't seen steve in about 20 years. He went MIA