Discussion
I'm really fancying one of these at the moment. I've been doing a lot of reading around the web on them, but still have some questions:
- What's the situation with petrol - are most converted to run on unleaded nowadays?
- Some of them are stated as having a semi-auto box. What's that about? And is the manual better?
- Are they really usable everyday? What would it cost me to get a 70s coupe in daily usage condition? How much might the upkeep be? More than a modern car?
- Are any of the stock engines fuel injected, or all carbs?
Thanks in advance.
- What's the situation with petrol - are most converted to run on unleaded nowadays?
- Some of them are stated as having a semi-auto box. What's that about? And is the manual better?
- Are they really usable everyday? What would it cost me to get a 70s coupe in daily usage condition? How much might the upkeep be? More than a modern car?
- Are any of the stock engines fuel injected, or all carbs?
Thanks in advance.
Edited by evenflow on Thursday 12th June 14:26
good choice, i'm a bit of a KG fan too, you'll find some info and a buyers guide here if you haven't found the site already,
http://www.karmann-ghias.co.uk/
http://www.karmann-ghias.co.uk/
Edited by Forthright MC on Thursday 12th June 15:22
cardigankid said:
I didn't think it would be, and the suggestion was a bit tongue in cheek I must admit, but I've often thought they had a lot of similarities.
True enough. Just fancy something a bit older, with some character. I also think the shape of the KG is one of the nicest ever penned.
ETA: Forthright, is that yours? She's a beaut.
Edited by evenflow on Friday 13th June 09:55
I happen to have bought my Spitfire from the guy who runs the UK karmann Ghia site. Very nice and very knowledgeable guy. I am sure if you email him he will give you loads of very good advice.
One of the things he was lamenting at the time when he just bought the Karmann was that the panels of each car are pretty much hand shaped so are incredibly expensive to fix. So as an everyday car I think I would be tempted to use something different as you tend to pick up lots of small dents in older cars from ignorant sods parking next to you.
One of the things he was lamenting at the time when he just bought the Karmann was that the panels of each car are pretty much hand shaped so are incredibly expensive to fix. So as an everyday car I think I would be tempted to use something different as you tend to pick up lots of small dents in older cars from ignorant sods parking next to you.
evenflow said:
What's the situation with petrol - are most converted to run on unleaded nowadays?
With years of lead on the valve seats, most can take unleaded without any problems. You'll be doing a valve adjustment every 3000 miles as part of the service anyway so just make a note if any valve needs adjusting all the time - a sign the seat is getting beaten away. It only does 4000rpm flat out so you're generally ok.evenflow said:
Some of them are stated as having a semi-auto box. What's that about? And is the manual better?
The semi auto is a clutchless manual box with 3 speeds and a torque converter. It's a bit slower but otherwise alright for lazy driving. There's a microswitch in the base of the gearlever so when you move the lever to change, the valves on the gearbox do their stuff. Manual box is better.evenflow said:
Are they really usable everyday?
Sort of... There's usually no heater fan (some '70s cars have one as an option) so the airflow to the screen is down to engine revs. If you're driving through traffic you don't get a lot of heat and the screen mists up dreadfully. This is even worse if the car is damp inside. Aftermarket heat exchangers don't give out as much heat and OE ones aren't available any more other than second hand. An Eberspacher or Webasto petrol heater would make a world of difference for £200-£500.The other issue is rust. Ghias can rust alarmingly so you'll need to keep on top of waxoiling it all over. The body was built by Karmann, not part of the VW assembly line, so there's hand finishing all over. This means it might have even worse rust protection than you'd hoped!
evenflow said:
What would it cost me to get a 70s coupe in daily usage condition?
Have a look on the owners club or thesamba.com (US site). £5k ish?evenflow said:
How much might the upkeep be? More than a modern car?
You really can do all the servicing yourself with basic tools. There's no oil filter, the sump only holds 2.5 litres so the 3000 mile service is mostly your time and points & plugs. £20? Brake parts are cheap too, but you'll need a 36mm socket and 3/4" drive to get the rear hub nut off for rear brake work. Or a Torquemeister tool. Tyres are 165x15 and they last for 40,000 milesGet yourself a book by John Muir called "How to keep your VW alive, a guide of step by step procedures for the complete idiot" So much better than any Haynes manual you'll wonder why they all aren't written like that. A Robert Bentley VW Workshop manual would be useful too.
evenflow said:
Are any of the stock engines fuel injected, or all carbs?
You mean carb, not carbs
Fairly sure it'll be carb all the time, injection didn't get to Beetles until about 1976 in the US and by then the Ghia had been replaced by the Scirocco.garethj said:
evenflow said:
What would it cost me to get a 70s coupe in daily usage condition?
Have a look on the owners club or thesamba.com (US site). £5k ish?evenflow said:
How much might the upkeep be? More than a modern car?
You really can do all the servicing yourself with basic tools. There's no oil filter, the sump only holds 2.5 litres so the 3000 mile service is mostly your time and points & plugs. £20? Brake parts are cheap too, but you'll need a 36mm socket and 3/4" drive to get the rear hub nut off for rear brake work. Or a Torquemeister tool. Tyres are 165x15 and they last for 40,000 milesGet yourself a book by John Muir called "How to keep your VW alive, a guide of step by step procedures for the complete idiot" So much better than any Haynes manual you'll wonder why they all aren't written like that. A Robert Bentley VW Workshop manual would be useful too.
With servicing and parts seemingly so cheap, how is the 5k/annum figure arrived at? What are you including?
Cheers.
Ooops, I meant £5k to buy a car, thought that's what you meant?
Cost per year depends on how many miles you do, how often you service it yourself and how good the car is to start with. Modified cars usually need a lot more care than original ones in my experience.
Start with a "dry state" car (Texas, California etc) that doesn't need welding but it'll still need new window rubbers and door seals or it'll leak. But as long as you get it waxoiled every year you won't need welding done to it. That's where the big money can be spent with old cars, and old Ghias especially.
If you can, take an expert with you when you look at a car. Go to owners club events so you can see what good ones look like... usual stuff
Cost per year depends on how many miles you do, how often you service it yourself and how good the car is to start with. Modified cars usually need a lot more care than original ones in my experience.
Start with a "dry state" car (Texas, California etc) that doesn't need welding but it'll still need new window rubbers and door seals or it'll leak. But as long as you get it waxoiled every year you won't need welding done to it. That's where the big money can be spent with old cars, and old Ghias especially.
If you can, take an expert with you when you look at a car. Go to owners club events so you can see what good ones look like... usual stuff
beautiful cars these, I've always had a soft spot for them even though I generally hate teh beetle and VW's (irrationaly I might add)
There is a company in Germany doing fibreglass versions that go on either a beetle or original KG floorplan IIRC, quick google gives this
http://www.rudolph-roadster.de/
There is a company in Germany doing fibreglass versions that go on either a beetle or original KG floorplan IIRC, quick google gives this
http://www.rudolph-roadster.de/
Have news from my friend...
-What's the situation with petrol - are most converted to run on unleaded nowadays?
No need to convert, as long as the vehicle isn't a pre 67 then the engines came with hardened valve seats from the factory and quite happily run on unleaded.
Manuals are in my opinion better, only for the sake of less to go wrong and slightly better performance. The Semi-auto engange a auto clutch when the gear stick is shifted.
Also YHM
ETA: Semi-auto do have the advantage of having 4-joint rear suspension. Whereas all others are swing axle. 4 Joint is better handling... So could be worth looking for a Semi-auto which has been converted to manual.
evenflow said:
-What's the situation with petrol - are most converted to run on unleaded nowadays?
No need to convert, as long as the vehicle isn't a pre 67 then the engines came with hardened valve seats from the factory and quite happily run on unleaded.
evenflow said:
- Some of them are stated as having a semi-auto box. What's that about? And is the manual better?
Manuals are in my opinion better, only for the sake of less to go wrong and slightly better performance. The Semi-auto engange a auto clutch when the gear stick is shifted.
evenflow said:
- Are they really usable everyday? What would it cost me to get a 70s coupe in daily usage condition? How much might the upkeep be? More than a modern car?
They can be usable as an everyday car, but I'd not recommend it. They require more regular sevicing (oil changes, plugs, points etc) which although a lot easier to perform than on a modern car will take up more time. Also, remember that Karmann Ghias are all hand made (coachbuilt) and rust would be an issue if used everyday. You would have to keep an eye on any rust spots as repairs will be more expensive than a modern day car. A good 70's (not the prettiest of years - go for a 68 or earier) would cost about 5k... That should get a decent solid car. evenflow said:
- Are any of the stock engines fuel injected, or all carbs?
All carbs. No Karmann Ghia came as F.I from the factory.Also YHM
ETA: Semi-auto do have the advantage of having 4-joint rear suspension. Whereas all others are swing axle. 4 Joint is better handling... So could be worth looking for a Semi-auto which has been converted to manual.
Edited by Gretchen on Monday 16th June 11:56
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