1957 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

Coupe

4 - Cyl.

Manual

1644014

Gasoline

Volkswagen: Karmann Ghia Coupe 1957 K-Ghia - Same owners for 54 yrs! 97K orig! This is truly an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity for any Karmann Ghia lowlight enthusiast! This beautiful sports coupe has been driven by the same adult owners for the past 54 years! It has never been in an accident, or even dented, according to the deceased owner’s 70-year “younger” brother. You will absolutely marvel at how laser straight the ENTIRE body is. In addition, it has only been driven 97,494 miles since new! I have written verification and extensive service records to document the low original mileage. It will be included with the sale of my car. If you have a serious interest in purchasing my 1957 K-Ghia, please read on. However, when viewing the pictures, please keep in mind that they do this Ghia no justice at all. First, I really don’t know how to take a decent picture, plus the day I took them, it was overcast so the paint looks dull and the lines of the car do not look nearly as crisp and defined as they do in person. It needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. The following text regards additional details and some history of my 1957 K-Ghia – VIN #1644014/Karmann #22654/Engine #1820873. HISTORY: Mr. Fong, a civil engineer, purchased this beautiful car brand new at Lasher-Niello VW in Sacramento, CA in late 1957. Over the next 21 years he would drive it a very short distance to and from work logging a total of 78,000 miles before giving it to his “younger” brother, Leo Fong, who recently passed away at age 73 (his death certificate is included in the sale). Leo, also a retired civil engineer, used it as a second car and drove it very sparingly over the next 32 years, covering only 18,000 around town miles. It currently has only 97,494 total miles. Leo’s only surviving sibling (and executor of the estate) provided me with a handwritten letter verifying the ultra-low original mileage and same family ownership since new. Neither brother ever married, so they were the only two drivers of the car between 1957 and 2010. I also have extensive service records dating back to the late 1970’s. As an aside, I also have two 1956-1957 Road and Track magazines featuring lengthy articles and road tests that the elder Mr. Fong used to research his new purchase. They are both in excellent condition and really fun to read. By the way, according to the magazines, the K-Ghia did zero-60 mph in 28.1 seconds! And, as if the magazines weren’t cool enough, also included with the car is the nicest 1957 factory owners’ manual you will ever see in your lifetime! How it was kept in such perfect, seemingly unused condition for over 54 years is beyond me… Unbelievable! MECHANCIALS: You won’t find one that drives much nicer than this! The peppy 36hp engine was fully rebuilt 18,000 miles ago in 1979 and still runs like new! I have the detailed receipt for this rebuild. It included, but was not limited to new main bearings, rods, lifters, camshaft, pushrod tubes, pistons and cylinders, cylinder heads, spark plugs, fan belt, oil pump cover, carburetor kit, oil switch, fly wheel seal, complete muffler, gasket set and more. In addition, the shop sublet for a crank grind and line bore. Records also indicate that my car has new Linkpin/Kingpin sets, new brakes, wheel cylinders, bearings, and only about 50 miles on a new clutch, oil changes for both the transmission and engine, and new brake pads. Basically, everything is fresh mechanically and it feels like it! The original transmission shifts flawlessly through all the gears even when cold. However, first gear and reverse are a bit loud – just enough to remind you that this VW still has the original “crashbox” transmission. It is quiet in all other gears. BODY / PAINT: I don’t even know what to say. It’s the most incredible, all original K-Ghia body I’ve ever seen – straight from the factory with no accidents. The door fit is perfect, and the hood to nose fit is incredible. The original bumpers fit to the body is equally impressive. This car retained its original paint until 2006 when Leo decided to have it repainted for its 50th birthday. It was faded and tired looking. Although I wish he had kept it the original Cardinal Red color (an orangish red), he at least went with a really nice quality, clearcoat paint job. There was no body work needed and it cost $4,000. Quite honestly, it looks like a more expensive paint job to me. Maybe it’s just because the body itself is so “glass-like,” or possibly because they used a lot of clearcoat, or both. Either way, it’s absolutely beautiful! Since the new paint was applied six years ago it has only been driven about 700 miles, so it still looks near perfect with only a few, hardly noticeable, flaws. For some reason, Mr. Fong chose to have the side moldings removed (the holes were correctly braised and not filled with bondo according to the upholstery shop). I seriously contemplated having the molding put back on, but in the end I decided against it because the lines on the side of the body are so perfect and straight that I didn’t want to spoil THAT look. If you are able to see my car in person during the auction, you’ll see what I mean. By the way, did you happen to notice the pristine, original aftermarket, one-piece wheel covers? These are authentic and were sold as an alternative to the stock hubcaps in the 50’s. You will NEVER see another set like these again – especially in this condition! Talk about the rarest of rare! As a side note, almost all the rubber on the car is new including the rear window and windshield. Also, all of the original chrome trim on the entire car in in excellent condition (although there is some very light pitting on part of the driver’s door handle and side view mirror). When I purchased the car, the original front and rear bumpers were in perfect condition with no rust, but did have some hazing to them due to light scratching over the years. They have now been properly re-chromed and look amazing! They are virtually flawless! INTERIOR Holy Cow! I just spent well over $6,000 having the entire interior restored by Karmann Creations here in Sacramento. What else can I say? It’s simply stunning! Fortunately, the upholstery shop had the original interior to work off of so most everything is very close to factory specs. It’s all brand new, custom made and manually machine stitched, including the beautiful grey felt headliner, oatmeal German square weave carpet and the incredible corduroy inserts. Although the rear bench seat should be just an all grey vinyl, I decided to spend extra and match it to the front seats. It looks a million percent better and I’m sure that if the VW factory could have spent more time and money when building this car back in 1957, they would have done it exactly the same way as I did. I would go so far as to say that it looks more “factory” than the actual “factory.” Make sense? I have driven my Ghia only 200 miles since the interior was restored. P.S. The original rear-view mirror with dual visors is to die for. It’s as good as it gets! Totally amazing, especially considering its 55 years old! Same goes for the interior light and its chrome trim – and it actually works, too! Overall, this is an absolutely spectacular 1957 lowlight Karmann Ghia with a wonderful history along with substantial documentation and super-rare literature. It is extremely original other than the slight color change. I would describe it as show car or “street concours car” that could (and should) be driven and enjoyed anytime and anywhere with complete confidence, while still winning a lot of trophies. However, it is simply too original to be in concours condition. To me, a true concours car is one that has undergone an extensive, “body off,” nut and bolt type of restoration and cannot really be improved upon (or be driven and enjoyed!). Generally, these type of restorations are done for a reason – they need EVERYTHING! Often times, many parts are taken off donor cars or are purchased on the internet or at swap meets. This is certainly NOT the case with my car. It is as original as it gets, right down to the Motorola radio. This 57 K-Ghia was not “brought back to life,” it was simply freshened up with one repaint after 50 years and had the interior re-done to a high standard six years later. There is absolutely nothing that needs to be done to drive or show this car. However, if I were keeping it, I would possibly consider doing five things: 1. Whitewall tires – Purely a matter of personal taste. Because the present tires are like new, I just couldn’t justify the $600 expenditure. 2. Front and rear trunk gaskets – The upholstery shop forgot to install them. They’re new and will be included in the sale of the car, along with the original steering wheel/horn button and a few other things that were replaced when having the interior restored. 3. Driver/passenger windows have some vertical scratches – Really nice used original sekurits go for $125. Bottom line, the windows are down when I drive (it is California after all) and I would do the same if I were to put it in a car show. I didn’t feel the need at the time to replace them. They function perfectly. 4. The original Motorola radio doesn’t work – Could just be a fuse for all I know, I haven’t checked it out. 5. Clock doesn’t work – Whatever… The lights, blinkers, wipers, etc…. all work perfectly. I’m quite sure that a majority of you potential bidders know a lot more about these lowlight K- Ghias than I do (I’m more of a Porsche enthusiast and have owned several of them over the past 40 years). I’m sure I’ve skipped several things that may be of importance to you, so please feel free to call me directly anytime (preferable before 9:00 PM PST) and I will gladly answer any questions as knowledgeably and honestly as possible. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL ME – I WILL NOT RESPOND. MY PHONE # IS (916) 220-2460. Also, please do not ask what my reserve price is. However, I will say this…. I have set my reserve at significantly LESS THAN ½ of the $67,000 sale price that was achieved by a fully restored, lowlight K-Ghia at Pebble Beach last August. Lastly – If you are a serious buyer, then please make an attempt to view my 1957 K-Ghia before the auction ends. If you cannot find time to see it in person and are uncomfortable purchasing a car in this manner, then please do not bid on the car. If you are lucky enough to submit the winning bid, please do not ask me to see the car first and then you’ll pay me. That would be unfair to me and the legitimate bidders involved in the on-line bidding process. I expect payment in full within 72 hours of the end of the auction either by cashier’s check or wire transfer. When all funds have cleared at my bank (Wells Fargo) then I will FED EX the clear, California title (in my name of course). At this point you may personally pick the car up and drive it home, or arrange for a transport service to pick it up. I am more than happy to keep your new 1957 K-Ghia stored in my garage for 2-3 weeks if need be if that helps accommodate the trucking company’s schedule. Once again, my Phone # is (916) 220-2460. Thanks and Good Luck!