Volkswagen Karmann Ghia?

Question

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia?
what do you think about a volkswagen Karmann Ghia for a 16 yr old?

what else do you think about the car?

Answer 1

Cute liilte car great on gas .... built right back in the day.. not made of plastic.. I think it would be a pretty good car if he/she likes it i would go for it

Answer 2

ianhad:
The driving age in the UK is 17, which is just one year beyond this girls age. So, does that 1 year really make that much of a difference? No, it doesn't......so stop being such a big old drama queen.

arielaungst:
The Karmann Ghia is a classic, and it could end up being hard work to maintain it to a standard which it deserves. Personally, i'd go for something newer and less of a potential money-pit until you're older.

Answer 3

Excellent little cars! Mechanically,simple as a button! Just make sure you get a good one.
Maintenance parts are cheap & plentiful but remember this is a 'coachbuilt' car so body parts can be expensive and repairs if done correctly can be pricey too!
Make sure all the heater connections are good and warmth shouldn't be a problem.
Just drive safe and enjoy your wee car!

Answer 4

AZ is a great place to own a Ghia. But you are going to swelter in the 120 deg summers. Is it a coupe or convertible?

Go for it!

ASE Cert Auto Tech, 92 GTI16V 2.0L

Answer 5

I'm dead set against it. A 16 year old person is most likely not able to keep up with the maintance demands that a car like a Karmann Ghia requires.
The valve adjustments need to be done on a regular basis:
every 6 months or 6,000 miles, oil changes every 3,000 miles, lubrication of the axle beam every 12,000 miles or once a year.
But the largest issue is safety. Todays vehicles have anti lock brakes, air bags, a modern heater/defroster set up, power steering, power brakes, some have curtain air bags, stablility control on some and fuel economy and power that allows them to keep up with the demands of traffic.
You son/daughter is the most valuable item of your life. Young people and some young adults think that they can accomplish almost anything and a auto in the hands of someone who does not respect the power and limitations of a vehicle is someone who is asking for trouble.
Today I do some vehicle consulting; I will offer you this advice for free today. Young people should be given as much as possible a car that they wouldn't want to drive!!! The tendency is to drive with a lot of friends in a car, to drive too fast and sometimes to drive after drinking too much.
I advised a friend to purchase a Volvo sedan that was not exciting to look at or drive. The vehicle was not "cool" to his son, but it provided curtain air bags, anti skid, stability control and abs with electronic assist. The car was somewhat bigger than the son wanted, but that was the purpose.
My friend reports that his son hardly drives the vehicle: the son says that his friends say it ain't cool and don't like being seen in it, but that he drives the vehicle only when he has to.
If he were to get hit in it, I know his chances of survival are very high: gas and repairs become secondary to being able to survive an accident.
Teenage drivers are 4 to 6 times more likely to die in a crash than any other age group. They also have among the highest chance of multiple injuries in an accident as they usually tend to drive with multiple people in the vehicle.
I realize that this may sound like I'm being fatalistic, but I'm not. In this case, age does bring wisdom: its a case of allowing them to get to that point.
Hope this helps, a car nut.

Answer 6

What year? I had a 1956 model and loved it. Despite freezing my *** off in the winter (heater was next to worthless), I loved the car. Floored it could hit 72 miles per hour on level ground, a bit more going down hill.

Answer 7

You are an exdtremely fortunate young Lady to own such a sought after classic. They are in high demand around the World Miss. An easy engine upgrade to the larger Bettle engine and you could sell it for your set asking price. Do not part with this rare car Miss......................

Answer 8

Wow - that's a hard-to-find automobile. For a 16 year old? Pretty cool, pretty sweet, but you gotta make sure that it's still reliable mechanically, as it is quite old.

I love that car by the way! Good luck, g'bye..

Answer 9

they are fun!!!
get a JCWhitney catalogue for any parts.. we restored two of those little guys.. the only thing it don't have is a/c. There are extra blowers you can get out of the catalog to solve the heater problem too! (we restored a sedan '65and a convertible 1969)...

Answer 10

Ariel, its a good car if you haver a good mechanic. V.W.'s are finicky. Valves need adjusting EVERY 3,ooo miles any other way you headed for burnt valves an poor running.
Have a v.w. man check it real good before buying.