1960 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

U/K

1.2L 1192CC 73Cu. In. H4 GAS OHV Naturally Aspirat

Manual

3160479

Clear

Gasoline

Let me tell you a little something about Gracie, since this car is about having an experience, and not about simply owning a piece of machinery. I grew up around Volkswagens, even learned to drive stick on a Beetle. The Karmann Ghia was always the sleek older sister to the Beetle, and I wanted one of my own for years. A convertible, of course, because that's how where you see the Porsche-inspired lines and the sheer sweetness of her shape. Well, fourteen years ago, I got Gracie. She came from California, via Ebay. The original plates were still on her, those great black-and-yellow ones, with the Palm Springs' dealer advertising surround too. Not a bit of rust, no dents, original chrome. Pretty much original everything but the exterior paint (a really nice match though), the carpeting and convertible top. Really sweet. It was love at first sight. I found the title recently, and she had 39,255 miles on her then. Since she only has 43,000 now, you can see that she's been used sparingly, and only in perfect weather. She drove great from the start, but I still had the engine rebuilt a couple of hundred miles ago, more as a safety measure than anything else. Now she starts right up, runs smoothly, and I never have to worry about anything going wrong. I've only gotten caught out in the rain twice in all these years, and popped the top right up in a minute, and drove home safe and dry. I looked back recently at the receipts for everything I've had done on her. Not much over the years, but I've consistently changed her oil and done a few things: changed out the headlight switch, installed new front shocks and steering damper, new rear brakes, and had the engine rebuilt. She hasn't needed much. Has passed every inspection. I suppose this is the beauty of having a car with relatively few moving parts. The only downside to having a car of this vintage is that she tends to move a bit slower than a brand-new one. She can easily do 65 on the highway, and what a great feeling that is. But because Gracie's based on a 6-volt electrical system, her turn signals are slower to blink and her headlights are not going to blind anyone. So driving her is more about paying attention to the driving and not simply getting from one place to the other. I could have switched over her electrical harness to a 12-volt, but then her original instruments and radio would need to be changed out, and that seemed sort of cruel to me. I like her just the way she is. I've thought about changing her cosmetically over the years, but the driving season is short here, and I never seemed to get around to it. I know she'd like new carpeting, and maybe even new seat covers and door panels, if someone was so inclined, but all of that's cosmetic and secondary to the body condition and driving experience. I've also thought about changing the top, as it has a plastic window, but since I never put it up, it never seemed to be that big a deal. As the weather got warmer this year, and it was finally time to get Gracie back on the road after the long winter, I thought about how little I drive her, and what a shame it is that she's not more used and loved. She's been cooped up in the garage for all these years when she could be out having adventures and seeing the countryside, just the way she was meant to. So I've decided to sell her, in hopes that she will make someone smile the way she has made me smile, and maybe fulfill someone else's wish to finally have the sweet little car they've always wanted. Ask me anything; I'm happy to oblige. Since I know nothing about shipping, I'm going to leave those arrangements up to you. If you want her, I'm sure you'll find a way to bring her home. On Jul-01-15 at 19:59:53 PDT, seller added the following information: Please see photo of driver's side door: There is a tiny ding about halfway down. Sorry I forgot to point this out in the original description! I'm happy to send more photos if wanted.On Jul-02-15 at 13:31:42 PDT, seller added the following information: As of today, I've added a couple of pictures upon request: the last four show a close-up of the driver's seat (minor split), a shot of the underside, a minor paint blemish on the rear and the VIN number. *I also have the original plates and owner's manual to be included in the sale. Please note that the car is located in Huntington, NY and available for inspection.