Better 'Daily Driver': 1970 VW Karmann Ghia coupe or 1973 Porsche 911 T?

Question

Which would be more reliable? cheaper to maintain? easier to find parts for? Is either of these even worth considering as a good-weather-only daily driver?

Answer 1

Either car could make a decent daily driver, and each will have similar issues as they are old cars. Both are about as reliable as you can expect from a car of this age, and they each have their charms. Both can be costly on upkeep, though either are also fairly easy to work on. I know the Porsche side of the equation better than the Ghia. I know the Ghia has an enthusiastic following with some, and that there are some parts here that are not shared with other VWs, which will mean some extra expense. On the Porsche side, there are quite a few exhangable parts between most 911s, which could make it's overall cost of ownership closer to the Ghia (but probably still more expensive).

A good condition 911T can be somewhat pricey, and if you are planning to use this for alot of driving, you might be better served looking an a 911SC (which should run in the same price range as a 911T and would be very reliable).

Answer 2

The two cars are very different, the Ghia engine is the exact same as a bug engine (ghia has front disk brakes) so the parts are incredibly easy to find,easily boosted to higher HP, and provides good reliability and longevity.
The 1970 has 57 HP,1600cc. In 1972&1973 Hp was 60 due to dual port heads. HP dropped to 46 in 1974 due to pollution controll. 60 hp isn't terrible in a 1900Lb, 2 person car. I have a 1969 convertible with about 90-100HP. I have Dual port heads (from1971) dual kadron carbs,header,009 distributor and petronix electronic ignition (no points to adjust ever)very reliable.
The porsche 911 is a 6 cylinder, much better engine but much ,much more expensive. Don't expect "deals" on a Porsche.
How much do you want to spend ? decent Ghia 4-8000$ , porsche 911 12-15000$. If you go VW rocky mountain Motor Works has all you'd need for parts.

Answer 3

Porsche 911 hands down. The Karmann Ghia is a primitive, cheap car that happens to have an attractive body (to some people). The Porsche 911 engine is NOT a VW engine in any way shape or form and is of much higher quality internally and would easily last 3X as long as a VW engine.

Answer 4

The Volkswagen is absolutely going to have the cheaper parts. The Porsche will have decent acceleration, while the Ghia will be slow. Neither will be a Rocket. 911 will handle better, but parts are vastly more expensive and harder to find for sure. The Ghia is fun enough to drive as long as you aren't a speed demon or demanding too much from it.

I'd go for the Karmann Ghia unless you have $1000s to invest in the Porsche to make it mint as a project. The Karmann Ghia will be easier to maintain and with a JC Whitney catalog you can even spruce it up a bit without going broke.

Answer 5

The Karmann will run forever for peanuts so long as you don't get the engine too wet. Problem is it doesn't have enough HP to get out of it's own way. The 911 is a rocket and costs about as much as a space shuttle mission to maintain properly. Face it -- throughbreds need constant pampering and old VW's are simply an oddity. Myself -- I would buy a $1,500.00 beater Toyota or Nissan for daily driving and the 911 for my soul.

Answer 6

Porsche are Porsche no matter the year, Porsche and VW are similar and have a close history, but Porsche is a car people actually want more, and a porsche would either stay the same in market priece or go up while a VW will continue to goe down, but also Porsche is a better brand name and is faster, better handler, and safer, YES SAFER.

Answer 7

A 911T in that year is still pretty simple mechanically and very similar to the VW. Considering there are plenty of parts for the 911, it will go up in value, when taken care of is very reliable, and it is more fun to drive, I’d shoot for the 911.
-J

Answer 8

DK Is this about you!??
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