Another Autobiography -- my 1969 Karmann Ghia Coupe

Hi folks -- this is a shot in front of my home in New Orleans taken in September, 1974. Note the 1969 Karmann Ghia; the 19074 Capri will be the subject of another blog entry.
I purchased the 1969 Ghia during the winter of 1970 after my 1966 Mustang was totaled while sitting on a side street. The Ghia was from Rochester, New York, and I should have known then NEVER BUY A CAR FROM THE RUST BELT. IT MIGHT LOOK GOOD NOW, BUT IT WILL DISINTEGRATE BEFORE YOUR EYES. AND EVERY NUT AND BOLT WILL BE RUSTED ON AND FROZEN.

The Ghia was a compromise-- not a sports car, but hen not an economy car either. It had beautiful lines, a nice interior, was fast enough for me, although not very safe as I was invovled in an accident that destroyed much of the front end when a big Chevy ran a stop sign and hit me square on in 1971. But the car was somehow repaired, and I owned it until 1975 when it was sold and we replaced it with a 1973 Pinto!

In fact, I had to sell it, as the car had disintegrated despite efforts to glass and repair the sides of the car by a technician of mine who worked with me at the AMAX Nickel facility in Braithwaite, LA.

I discovered just how bad the rust was one day after playing tennis at City Park, New Orleans. A big rain storm had come up, and I was driving home on I-10. I hit a dip, and before I knew it I was covered in rust and water! What had happened was part of the floorboard had blown out and water had splashed on me while driving, covering me with rust flakes.

I sold the car to another technician who gave it to his uncle to drive in Algiers, LA. The last time I was the car was on a street named General Meyer. Apparently the driver couldn't see out the fogged up front windshield, no surprise since the heater and defroster tubes that conveyed heat to the dash were really the rocker panels. If the rockers were rusted, then no warm air made it to the vents!