Classic car dilemma

[American_car_lover]

This is not a technical question, however , I think this branch delivers some of the best advice on the web .

So, here I go , I've just bought a 1967 VW Karmann Ghia in an unbelievably good condition. The car has 99 % original parts in showroom status . This has thrown me in a dilemma.Should I start 'customizing' this car for my own taste and needs? Or Should I just keep it as it is.., doing my best to keep it in a top status ?.

Supposing I was old enough in 1967 to buy this car , I would have hated a few things about it.For example , it has a huge steering wheel ,and very little legroom 'even with the driver's seat pushed back the farthest". Add to that the fact that I am 184 centimeters tall , makes driving it an impossible task. Also ,the gas,gear & brakes pedals are very strange "resembling the beetle's".

Honestly , I am not much of a collector , I am just a guy who likes old cars , but at the same time I don't want to act like someone who renovates an historical castle into a glass & steel monster.

What should I do?

Another thing , how do you keep an old car in a good condition?

[sunfire_starter]

This is all really your own choice but this is my opinion. This all depends on your needs. Is this your only car to drive? If so then I would adjust it to what you want because you don't want to drive in a car that is uncomfortable to you.
If this isn't your own car then I would try to praise it and just keep it in good condition and don't drive it so much. My cousin's next door neighbor has a '72 Torino and he only drives it like once a week so it doesn't start to gunk up the oil and keep it in good running condition. He has had for over 3 years and it still looks brand new.

As for keeping it in good condition, wash and wax it about once a week, every two weeks if you can't do it every week. Vacum the inside before you clean the outside and put some protectant on the dash and anything that really isn't made a cloth material. The protectant helps so that UV rays don't damage the material and it gets sun spots.
DON'T LEAVE IT OUT IN THE SUN FOR TOO LONG. I really can't stress that enough really because it creates sunspots and then your paint job will look ugly with spots of lighter shades of the color all around the car. And about once a month or once every two months detail the engine. It makes the whole under the hood look nice and it helps with resale value because it looks like you kept really good care of the car and under the hood. If you search the Auto Detailing forum you will find how to detail an engine if you don't know already. I would find the link for you but I don't have time right now. It is somewhere at yahoo.com. Hope this helps.

[CBFryman]

wax is only needed every 2-3 washes IF THAT. it all depends on the wax you are using and how harsh the soap you wash it with is.