Karmann Ghia

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Discussion

Sticks.

8,708 posts

250 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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JumboBeef said:
That one's been on eBay a few times now. Prices for the best ones seem to have increased quite a bit, with everyone else thinking they can ask top money.

Fast Bug

11,597 posts

160 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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I miss my old Low Light frown



You could check on www.volkszone.com as there's a for sale board on there, or www.oldbug.com is in the States, but Randy can assist with shipping. www.bbtvw.com are in Belgium, not cheap, but he has a 41000 km Ghia for sale at the moment. It does need the front end tugging down and a decent set of wheels on it though biggrin

LordHaveMurci

12,034 posts

168 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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A good friend of mine recently finished his (purists look away now):


gifdy

2,065 posts

240 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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I've got one, photo in profile. We love it as a weekend car. Last weekend was the KG club international meeting at Stonehenge, you could have seen 30 odd of them! Great people in the club and very inclusive. If you get one, make sure you join.

Keep it stiff

1,762 posts

172 months

Saturday 4th July 2015
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How about this instead? So pretty!!!!

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C630347#


4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
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The Karmann Ghia is a great looking car and is seriously cool now - It's just always seemed to be a bit under-powered so it's performance has never quite matched it's looks.

Shoe-horn in a 911 turbo engine and then things might get a bit more interesting!

Rowley Birkin

26,271 posts

221 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
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JumboBeef said:
Hello.

Interested in maybe getting a Karmann Ghia, ideally a convertible.

Anyone here got, or had one, or any pearls of wisdom about these cars please?

Thanks.
About 10 years ago I looked for one for ages. A right hand drive convertible or "vert" as they're known.

I looked at a number and I can honestly say I have never heard so much bullst spoken by sellers about vehicle condition. I became so fed up with travelling miles to see "immaculate, rust-free" cars, which were in fact both scruffy and rusty, that I gave up.

I tried buying a car from the dealer above but found him difficult to deal with. I also viewed a car he'd sold after the owner had owned it 2-3 years and whilst it looked nice when she bought it, it was a mass of rust bubbles by the time she tried to sell it. It had, basically, been tarted up rather than properly restored.




Rowley Birkin

26,271 posts

221 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
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Sticks. said:
JumboBeef said:
That one's been on eBay a few times now. Prices for the best ones seem to have increased quite a bit, with everyone else thinking they can ask top money.
I cannot be certain, but I think that is the very Karmann Ghia that made me abandon my hunt for one after I was told by the seller that it was pristine and rust free when in fact it wasn't at all.







Fast Bug

11,597 posts

160 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
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4rephill said:
The Karmann Ghia is a great looking car and is seriously cool now - It's just always seemed to be a bit under-powered so it's performance has never quite matched it's looks.

Shoe-horn in a 911 turbo engine and then things might get a bit more interesting!
Far easier and probably cheaper to do it with a flat 4 engine smile

4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Monday 6th July 2015
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Fast Bug said:
4rephill said:
The Karmann Ghia is a great looking car and is seriously cool now - It's just always seemed to be a bit under-powered so it's performance has never quite matched it's looks.

Shoe-horn in a 911 turbo engine and then things might get a bit more interesting!
Far easier and probably cheaper to do it with a flat 4 engine smile
Easier and cheaper maybe, as interesting and exciting? - I doubt it! wink

(Whether the Karmann Ghia chassis could deal with a Porsche 911 flat six turbo power plant is another matter! smile )

Fast Bug

11,597 posts

160 months

Monday 6th July 2015
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My Beetle has around 200 bhp and is low 4's to 60. It's got excitement by the bucket load biggrin

LordHaveMurci

12,034 posts

168 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
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I'm sure there was a build thread on here where a bloke put a Scooby flat 4 in a Beetle (cabriolet?).

sm34uk

135 posts

149 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
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LordHaveMurci said:
I'm sure there was a build thread on here where a bloke put a Scooby flat 4 in a Beetle (cabriolet?).
Is Richie Webb's drag racer a Subaru turbo engine'd car?

Not sure if there is a thread on it but it is getting to be an increasingly common conversion and I think these are the best well known companies for it. Mine still has the VW aircooled engine so can't comment on how good they are.

http://www.tsrengineconversions.co.uk/default.aspx
http://www.rjes.com/
Certainly the Samba has a fair few threads on converting buses and cars over from VW to Subaru power. The good thing for the bus is they have plenty of space for the radiators; much less room in a convertible Karmann Ghia unless you do away with having a spare wheel.

Fast Bug

11,597 posts

160 months

Tuesday 7th July 2015
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Richie's is based (loosely) on a VW case from memory

sm34uk

135 posts

149 months

Thursday 16th July 2015
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Went down to the garage to check on progress and not sure it is looking like it is going to be done for any part of this summer but pushing them to complete in time for Beach Buggin' 15. Not confident though.