1968 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

Coupe

1600 cc, 1971

4-speed Manual

Clear

In 2004-2005, the man I bought this Ghia from (in 2006) worked with a local mechanic & body shop & took a 1971 VW 1600 CC engine & slapped it underneath the hood of a '68 Karmann Ghia Body on top of the '68 Chassis. They lowered the body a few inches to take away the frumpy look Ghias have at regular height. They also opted to permanently remove the side windows, making it a true CA cruiser. Along with the top-quality upholstery, this (no side windows) is THE defining feature of the vehicle. The entire combination gives this V-Dub a low, smooth, sleek appearance that gathers questions everywhere I drive it. It's just one of those rides that gets constant looks & thumbs-up, since the day I drove it home. So: This Ghia has no side windows, and that is permanent. Re-installing them would be prohibitively expensive, unless you're a body-guy with tons of extra materials, equipment and time, but that would defeat the purpose of the vision in the first place. Driving this Ghia is very much like driving a convertible, but with less wind noise, allowing the quality of the sound system to really have its full effect as you & your lover feel the breeze & just cruuuuise. I have spent 6 years and much money on top-notch CA pros taking their project to near-perfection. I never intended to be selling it, but I'm leaving the US for work & have no idea if or when I'll be back. Old cars always need lots of maintenance, I just want you to know I've done all the major stuff that needed doing & by the absolute best in the business. I just commissioned an EXPENSIVE, COMPLETE upgrade of the electrical system. All aging vehicles suffer from the deterioration of wires and fuses, including basically any other car you might be considering (Owners always conveniently decline to discuss this, bc it's an expensive PAIN) and since I was intending to have this car forever, I regarded this expense as a normal investment. You get a classic ride with COMPLETELY revamped electrical! I replaced all 4 tires less than 500 miles ago. I did not purchase a spare. There's obviously a slot for it in the trunk, I just prefer the canned goo for quick flat repair, which allows me to use the extra space in the trunk for other stuff & to get a bit better gas mileage (she gets approx 24 mpg highway) thanks to less weight. The suspension is also entirely new, another expensive upgrade, performed, as with all the work I have had done, by a professional VW specialist. The carpet under the trunk lid is brand new and custom fit (cut from unused carpet from an unrelated vehicle). I definitely have invoices from work done. Not guaranteeing every single one, but the vast majority for sure. The only mechanics to touch it have been the Hungarian legend "Bela" in Burbank, CA (world-famous, look him up), the other local VW old-timer: Layne, at Westside VW in Santa Monica, CA (Did the entire suspension/underbelly last year), and his neighbor Lincoln Auto Electric, whose owner has been doing electrical and V-dubs since the 70's. Those 3 men have all been doing V-dubs at LEAST that long, and the result on my ride has been phenomenal (and expensive, naturally). The original rebuilders who I bought it from chose to put Porsche headlights on the front, instead of the rounder V-dub originals. You either like this look or you don't. I love it. I have garaged and covered it 100% of my 6 years of ownership. The car cover is brand new. It comes with a cover of its own. I paid approx. $200 for this very recently & am throwing it into the deal, here. The interior is immaculate. Not a snag anywhere. The most recent paint job (2010), followed removal of some bondo underneath the first paint job (if you don't know what Bondo is, it's essentially glue for auto-body metal, a quick-fix applied to small structural issues. I had a body shop replace this with permanent body metal.), and it is as pristinely red as the day it was completed. I have waxed her plenty of times over the years. The radio is a modern detachable face, Bluetooth ready for the music streaming from your phone or other device, so NO CABLES OR WIRES NEEDED TO HEAR MUSIC FROM YOUR OWN DEVICES. I purchased and had installed a brand new HIGH QUALITY amplifier when I did the electrical upgrade. Makes a HUGE difference in sound. The battery (AAA) is also brand new. The odometer reads just over 40,000. Given the nature of the rebuild, I really put no faith in the number. All I can go on is the strength of the motor, which has been faithfully high for the approx. 15,000 miles she has given me. Not a SINGLE issue from this engine. The dual carburetors are also a signature of the rebuild. They give you approx. 90hp from the 1600 cc engine. The most significant "issue" that I pass along is that, when shifting to 2d gear, if you try to jerk it into gear, the transmission will refuse the insertion and you will get a grind. This points to the very beginning of the end for this transmission. This happens in no other gear, and when you shift with care into 2d, it doesn't happen there, either. SO, if you exert such care, this tranny will give you plenty of life. I have already reduced my asking price by $1200 to cover the eventual expense. Considering the tip-top shape of everything else, this is really small stuff, and you really can work around it for a long time still. I would also recommend new pedals, more for esthetics and safety than functionality. I have already purchased new pedal covers and shifter, red & black to match the interior. Just like the cover, I'm throwing those into the deal. And if you are a CA resident, I also bequeath to you the vanity plate: KARMNN. To conclude, I've enjoyed every ride I've ever taken in this classic V-dub, which is not only a badass head-turner, but is in insanely better condition than when I purchsed her 6 years ago. What you get is one of the strongest, most unique Ghias on the market. Seriously.