The Islands of the Fraternal Order of Moai

This car was my everyday driver (from late March 'til late October) up until about 7 or 8 years ago. (right about the time we bought a house, hmmm...)

I got it in the mid 90s and it changed my life. I once drove it non-stop over night from Boston to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Then a couple days later I drove it home, 90 miles an hour on route 90 all the way. Never saw a cop. Best ride ever!

When I first saw it for sale, I asked my then girl friend whether she thought I should buy it, (she was a very practical type) and to my surprise she said,
"I think you should" I said
"really?!?!" and she said
"It might be the last chance in your life to do that sort of thing..."
So I bought the car and dumped the girlfriend!

Later, my future wife got to tell her girlfriend as I drove up to her apartment for our first date: "I gotta go, he's here, and he's got a really cool car..."

Here is how it sits in my old garage:





Here it is in healthier days starring on my CD front cover



foredeckape, my nephew, and a bunch of other folks have convinced me to at least take all the junk off it, and get started toward its eventual fixing and putting on the road. It has begun!

By the way, here's a picture from tonight of the Honda Element I've been driving most of the time since the ghia

Most excellent to see that you're heading toward road-worthy-ness, again, which is AWESOME!!!

My dad had a green one for a while when I was growing-up & is THE car I wish he would have hung onto for me It's still my favorite little roadster!!!

SO lookin' forward to seeing it at Ohana!!!

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You can tell it's good if you light it and a blue flame comes up; that means it's good moonshine and it won't make you go blind.

God, I love this car. Great memories of late night drives in the Fall with cocoa and that time we drove it up north in the pouring rain with the roof leaking all over us

Hurrah! Another classic on it's way back to the road.

For the next party, you have an entertainment menu:

Flush gas tank
Replace fuel lines
Flush and bleed brakes
Rebuild carburetor and fuel pump
Change oil
Install new points plugs, condenser and plug wires
Install a new fan belt

Getting the old gas out and cleaning the tank should be the worst of it.

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FOM MC original

Excrementus Cadaemus

duuuude!!! get that thing out of there and drive it!!!

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As a Moai, you should dream, and then together we can try to find ways to make that dream real.
-Ahu

This was my first car! the one I learned to drive on. I had the car up until I married and then my brother got it and drove it until it fell apart.
I loved to show off by pretending I had lost the keys when out with my girl friends. I'd oh well, no problem, then jump out push the car a bit, jump in and pop the clutch. Or if there was a couple of cute guys at work I'd have them push the car down the slope and then pop the clutch and drive off.
ahhhhh memories.... Great Car! would love to own one again.

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Red Palms

I'm sure I've asked you this, but what does it need (besides the items on Doug's great list?) Anything major?

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I might not be the guy to ask since I didn't really know about the things Doug listed!!

But I believe the main problem with every day running of the car was electrical. Wouldn't always start due to electrical weirdness. The main problem with getting a sticker on it was probably the rocker panels (correct me if my terminology is wrong but is that the frame under the doors roughly?). Rust is also a major concern. In and around the headlights and wheel wells. The top is unusable at this point. Rotted wood and vinyl. For the last couple of years of use I stopped trying to put it up and just only drove when it was clear. (kept a tarp nearby at all times).

I seem to remember the engine being in good shape. Can't for the life of me figure out how I'll get a car seat in the back though.

Mel, I bet you've got more great Ghia stories! I remember the look on the face of the guy who sold it to me. It was deep melancholy but he'd recently bought a boat and needed lots of gas. He took me for a test ride and I could tell he knew it was his farewell drive so he drove it hard and fun and said "don't baby it". And I certainly did not baby it. I should have mentioned up there that not too long after that 90 mile an hour dream ride from Cleveland, I had to replace the engine! Luckily, I had a '69 coupe I was having my mechanic slowly rebuild and he'd already finished to engine. So the dueling ghias dream went bye bye. (just imagine, I thought I'd have a coupe for the winter (in New Hampshire!!!) and a convertible for the Summer)

Do you have a electric dryer outlet? I can bring my MIG welding machine up and stitch weld on some new rockers.

Or does discussion of stitch welding have to go in the sewing forum?

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FOM MC original

Excrementus Cadaemus

This thread is going to be a constant reminder and admission that I'm seriously lacking in the knowledge it takes to be a cool car owner, and a man's man. So, admittedly humiliated I'll proceed. I won't let pride get in the way of eventually driving that car again. Do you mean the big plug that maybe the clothing dryer plugs into? I think we have one in the laundry room, far from the garage. (Did I just say something that will make car guys or welders laugh hysterically at me?) Maybe I SHOULD be in the sewing forum.

Don't worry. I have a long cable.

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FOM MC original

Excrementus Cadaemus