Ann, bought her Karmann Ghia brand new in the U.S. back in 1976 and has owned it ever since. Ann and the Ghia have been to England, Paris and a few minor stops before Ann and the Ghia landed here in Australia, where it has lived for many years in the quiet suburb of Springwood NSW, up in the Blue Mountains.

Ann approached up some time back and asked us to complete a restoration on her beloved Ghia, but even after explaining we were bus people, she still insisted and we did carry out her request.

All the mechanicals have been replaced with new, including, front rotors, front callipers, wheel bearings, brake hoses, ball joints, tie rod ends, steering damper, rear brake drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, wheel bearings, brake cables, master cylinder and tyres.

The Ghia had been sitting quietly in Anns Garage for some 12 years, before Ann desided to do something with it again, that’s when she brought it to us. There had been some minor damage to the body work while Ann was in England, and the salt from the roads over there had also taken its tole on the body creating some minor rust in the sills, and around the engine bay area.

Something from the roof of the garage had fallen onto the cabrio turret and damaged one of the hood bows as well.

So we stripped the Ghia bare, took most of the paint off and started the body repairs. Oop’s, the steering wheel was on the wrong side of the Ghia for us down here in Australia as well, so Yoda, our body man, waved his Jedi mig over it and it’s now a right hand drive. It was one of the best reconstructions I have ever seen happen, as the dash was cut into small pieces and slowly reassembled back into the other side of the dash. Guess that’s why we call him Yoda. Even from the inside of the dash, its hard to pick where it has been welded back together.

We repaired the Turret as best we could without removing the padding, and had the vynall repaired and repainted, now it looks almost like new - and very orgininal . A new windscreen seal and the chrome trim replaced, that just about sealed up the inside once more.

Ann took delivery of her 76 Ghia, and is as they say, history - (and you thought we only did buses!). Perhaps this Ghia might once take a turn around the world, who knows, but as it drove away from the workshop, it instantly it turned heads.

Update!

Alive and well and back in Kingswood for some Tender loving care. With only 28 miles covered in the last 27 years, this Ghia needs some miles clocked up for her own good.