Karmann Ghia help?

Question

I fell in love with a 1969 (i think) karmann ghia. It is so cute at looks in pretty good condition. It is for sale for 6500. Is this a good deal? My dad is concerned with parts. Are parts hard to find? Are they super expenisve? Help! i know NOTHING about old cars! (or new ones for that matter) but i'm willing to learn for this one!

Answer 1

The mechanical parts are easy to find; it is the same engine as the Beetle, and you can get a rebuilt engine for $1500. I own a 1973 Ghia, and replaced the clutch and exhaust relatively inexpensively. What is very costly is body work; Ghias are notorious for rusting and for getting dented in the nose. Replacement sheet metal is available, and parts cars can be found as well. The patch panels are more expensive than Beetle parts, and require welding. The Karmann Ghia body was hand welded, and bodywork should be done by someone who is skilled. This is the greatest cost involved in restoring a Ghia. In buying a Ghia, the body should be your first concern, then the mechanicals and lastly the interior. If you are looking for a car to use as a driver, rather than a restoration project or a show car, then some rust on the body may be acceptable to you, as well as minor scratches or chips in the paint. Look for rust in the floor pan, the rockers and behind the back wheels where the bumper bolts on. I have seen a lot of Ghias rusted behind the back wheels and the rear bumper is loose as a result. Use a magnet to check the body for filler. If the magnet doesn't stick very well, that area is mostly putty. Some putty may be unavoidable in an older car, but you want mostly metal. About any Karmann Ghia part you may need (from mechanical to body to interior, for all years, both new and used) is available from Karmann Ghia Parts and Restoration in Ventura, CA and online at: http://www.karmannghia.com/home.asp. You can also find classifieds for parts at thesamba.com. Ebay and thesamba.com are also good resources because you can look at the prices for comparable Karmann Ghias. Generally, $6500 for a 1969 is a reasonable price for a Karmann Ghia that is in fair or good shape. A show quality or perfectly restored 1969 would be 10,000 or more, while a complete car in need of restoration would be 2000 or so, a parts car would be 1500 or less.

Answer 2

Underneath the parts are all VW Beetle, and you can find them anywhere. The body is hand built, so body parts can be difficut if you crash it. A '69 is a good year, and $6,500 if it's in great shape sounds okay. Check it over for rust and have an air cooled VW mechanic check the compression and engine condition.

If you or somebody in your family is mechanically inclined, buy a copy of "The Complete Idiots Guide to Volkswagen" by the late John Muir. It's worth its weight in gold -- even used --and is a huge help in keeping any air cooled VW well maintained.

Answer 3

Good year, and you can find EVERYTHING you need for a Karmann Ghia in eli whitney's and other mags. old vw parts are still being made (new) both original and after market. It is a great car to own. Have fun.

Answer 4

Its a great little car. I had one. Parts now that is difficult to say. I would call the VW dealer and ask him what a starter, carburetor and muffler cost. Once you hear what the parts would cost you my want to reconsider. Remember its and older car and many things need replacing. Can you afford to replace the three things I mentioned as they are the first to go. I know the muffler is part of the exhaust manifold .. the last price I heard for original factory parts it was eight hundred dollars..Of course there are after market parts. That is if you can find any

Answer 5

Something you might consider is the fact that these cars are poor winter weather performers. Heat can be nonexistent in temps just below freezing and foggy windshields are common in rain or cold. These cars wearout quickly at speeds above 60mph. and are severely underpowered on modern highways.If you intend to drive it in fair weather and stay off interstate highways this car is a blast-especially the convertables.

Answer 6

Awesome car. I own 3 old Beetles right now. There are lots of places to get parts. And they are easy to work on. Here are a bunch of web sites for you. Go to a book store and get a Dune-buggies & Hot VW's magazine.

http://www.hotvws.com/
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/
http://www.chirco.com/
http://www.mamotorworks.com/
http://www.westcoastmetric.com/

These are just a few. E-M me if you have any other ???