My sixth Ghia – and my FIRST 34
COLOR: L 553 (04) Henna Red (nee L 282(42) Lotus White)
VIN: 347080896
ENGINE: 1584cc dual port, dual carbs, 65hp
PURCHASED: 27 June 2011
FROM: Richard Interlandi, North Palm Beach, FL
SOLD:
TO:
My first Type 34.
I first saw the type 34 when my neighbor, Mr. Hare, who was an Engineer on the Grand Trunk RR, brought home a new one from Sarnia, ON in the early 60's. I've wanted one ever since. It only took me 50 years.Deposit sent: 27 June 2011 via Paypal
Balance sent: 30 June 2011 via Escrow.com
Shipped: 09 July 2011
Arrived: 14 July 2011
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| Loaded! 09 Jul 2011 N Palm Beach FL |
THE STARS ALIGNED:
Clearly, the Ghia Gods wanted me to have this car!
When I first decided that I wanted a "34", I began looking on The Samba and other sites for one. Typically, I would find one, look at it and think about it for a week or so, and then, all of a sudden, it would disappear!
This happened more than once!
I was looking at a brown '67 in Pittsburg once, when it "magically" disappeared, then I was sitting in my lawn chair in front of Ghia #5
RESTORATION - PART I:
After driving this car around town for a week or so, I took it up to Bill Bedford Auto Body on West Columbia Avenue - about 3 blocks from my home. I chose them because they were the only shop in the yellow pages that touted "restoration" services.
I told Bill that I wanted the rust area just ahead of the right rocker and the dinged RF fender and headlight area repaired. I told him to just leave it in primer and I would have it repainted the following spring (2012).
Originally, the job was supposed to be less than $1,000, but with a few add-ons (hinge pin rebush and some additional bump and paint work (that I assumed was already included)) it rose to almost $1,500.
The work was horrible. Every day, I went in to check on the progress and every day I asked the body man if he wanted me to get a new headlight bucket. "No, I'll just make it like the other one" he answered every time I offered.
When I picked the car up, the front flange of the headlight bucket was GONE. It was just a flat face. There was nowhere to put on the rubber headlight seal.
I just paid the bill and got out of there as fast as I could!
RESTORATION - PART II:
I drove the car in primer for the rest of the fall, 2011 and put it under cover for the relatively mild winter.
In the early spring of 2012, I took it to my neighbor, Chris Coffey for a "near-complete, body-on" restoration.
We stripped all the glass, rubber and chrome and removed the doors and hoods. Chris stripped all the paint by a combination of means (sand blasting, chemical stripper and sanding). During this procedure, we discovered that besides the Henna Red repaint, it had also been some shade of Gold, somwhere in it's past. Chris got it down to bare metal.
In late February, we dollied it down to Coldwater where a friend of Chris' dad had a rack. We sandblasted and primed the pan, first patching a few holes around the battery tray. Upon returning to Battle Creek, we went to the Body Shop Supply and got some rugged chassis paint tinted to match the Lotus White. Chris sprayed the pan, wheel houses and engine bay (we had removed the engine). Unfortunately, he ran out of paint before we got to the interior of the front trunk. We may go back and get another quart or two to do that. I'm also considering putting the Riviera wheels back on after painting the accent areas (normally black) with the same Lotus White chassis paint.
As mid April approaches, we are getting ready to paint the finish coat. I need to order rubber and certain other parts very soon.
