Jim Gedding’s 1958 Karmann Ghia made its way from Mexico to Jim’s hometown of Spartanburg, S.C. Jim purchased the ‘58 Low Light Coupe from a man in Spartanburg who had just begun restoration on the car. “The man I bought it from had gotten as far as blasting all the paint off of it before he gave up and sold it to me,” said Jim. “So when I got it, not only was it in bare metal, but it also had a big motor, 12-volt electrical system and black plastic, brocade interior, including the headliner.”
As soon as Jim got the Low Light Coupe home, he dove straight into the restoration process. Jeremy Field was hired for the “Dolphin Blue” paintwork. A little bit of bodywork also had to be done on the Ghia, so Jim called in Kelly Brown, also known as the “Metal Wizard.”
“I found two or three 36-horsepower motors,” said Jim. “I took various parts from those motors and took them to Merck’s VW in Six Mile, S.C. He assembled the block for me and then I finished building it from there. I put the heads and the top of the motor back and then installed the motor. I converted everything back to 6 volts. I had the interior made and then I installed it too.”
According to Jim, the most difficult part in the restoration process was finding the parts. “You can’t find parts for these early Ghia’s at your usual sources,” Jim explained. “To find these parts you just have to ask and ask and ask until you finally find someone who knows someone who has what you’re looking for. The intakes on the front of this car came from Sweden. The nose section was made by a guy in Seattle. The armrest on the passenger side door was made by a guy in Australia, and the interior chrome trim on the doors came from Seattle. It just goes on and on. It took me about a year and a half just to find all the parts.”
In total, the complete restoration of the Ghia took two years. “It turned out really well. I’ve been showing this car for 3 years now,” said Jim. “There’s only been one other Low Light Karmann Ghia that I’ve seen shown during those 3 years and it wasn’t restored. Mine is the only one on the east coast that I know of that’s been restored. I took it to the first all Karmann Ghia show on Stone Mountain last year and won best paint, best of class and best of show. I’ve been really proud of it.”
Although towed to Bug-a-Paluza, Jim admits that he will be driving his Ghia to upcoming shows in Sevierville and Knoxville. “It typically stays in my garage covered up,” Jim admitted. “Every week or two, I will drive it 10 or 15 miles and then put it back up. The rest of the time, I’m pampering it and getting it ready for the next show. It’s not the smoothest ride, but for what it is, it runs and drives probably as well as it did when it was new. But bearing in mind that they are good driving cars and at highway speeds of 70 to 75 mph, they’ll go all day long. The low profile of the Karmann Ghia gives you a smooth ride, even with trucks passing you. You don’t get wind blowing you around like it would if you were in a bug. They don’t have the creature comforts such as power brakes and steering, but they look good.”
The “Blue Belle,” as Jim has named her, is not the first Karmann Ghia that he has brought back to life and most definitely won’t be the last. “This is my third Kharmann Ghia restoration,” said Jim. “I also did a red ‘70 and a yellow ‘69. They were both in about the same condition as this one was when I got it. I’m getting ready to sell this one because I have a ‘66 at home that I’m getting ready to start restoring. I restore these cars as a hobby. I’ll restore one, show it for two or three years, and then I’m ready to sell it and move on to the next one.”
Story and Photos by: Shannon Hammett
Jim Geddings:
Email: jimgeddings@yahoo.com
