This exact car was the first given to me by my grandparents. 16yr old hot to trot in my Carolina blue Ghia. Many memories, I didn't even know what I had. Miss it much and would love to get another one day. Sold for 400... Started my love for VW's.
I also have a 74 Karmann Ghia. I drove it until 2011. It’s on Jack stands now, I have been hunting parts and pieces for years. I found the original A/C for it. I acquired a 74 Porsche 914- 2Liter fuel injected engine, 5 speed, and the Magnesium Alloy wheels. After I put in the new floors, it’s body work and paint. I sure miss driving it. It holds the curves like it’s riding on rails. Mine does have a back seat, that does fold down.
Had a 74 that looked exactly like this one that I bought in late 73 for $6,000.00 while stationed in San Diego and I absolutely loved it. Received order's to Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines and took it with me, and drove all around the area. Was hoping to get an extension to my time there, but was turned down and had to sell it quickly. Received an offer for $7,000.00 froma local business lady but I didn't have enough time to do the extensive paperwork in order to sell to a local national. Finally sold it to another Sailor for exactly what I paid for it, $6,000.00
Oh that’s cool, funny thing is I had a set of plate frames from there a couple years ago, who knew I would end up with a car from that same dealership, lol www.denwerks.com
It wasn't the last year there was a major body revamp and they were continued for a few years after that. To my knowledge they were the only VW model not built in Bavaria. They were built in Osnabruck and on my first Germany posting I was based about 45 minutes walk from the factory.
Purchased a 1956 KG in Bremerhaven for 2 g's prox.I added a gas gage, blaupumkt radio and a tool kit mounited on the spare.Delivered to Bklyn Army base.Traded it in four years later for a T-bird at 2G's.`It took me through Hofstra in style....
...hey-Jason, Stanley and Nolan... ...sweet '74 Karmann Ghia...love how Stanley gets spooked by that massive 1500cc for these Type 14's AND Nolan's hilarious method of using a crank to lower the window...sooo millenial... ...this would be the perfect car to put a towel on the passenger seat and take Stanley for a spin...Lord knows, that he works for room and board, but he IS your best marketing tool...you should just can "The Pit Stop Shop" and rebrand it as "Stanley's Store"...give your buddy the recognition he's earned...just sayin'...
They really are so beautiful! They make a better 911 than a 911 does. The roof arch is 911 but the rest of the body is one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
thank good.....i'm so sick of people doing karmann ghia reviews and never showing that back seat......idk i thought the back on the 73 and 74 didn't fold down......thanks for showing that
An amazingly clean car. 1:30 That must be a US colour as the blue used in Europe would have been Marina Blue. The bumper overiders would have been an M-Option in Europe and the bumpers would have had rubber inserts. They're the bumpers from the Type 3. 11:45 The i-pod connection is interesting because the bracket that retains the wire supports the heater lever illumination spotlight. US laws required that heater controls be illuminated which gave VW designers a problem The spotlight was their solution across the range, the yellow knobs on the levers between the seats were part of it, the rest of the world having black knobs. None of the carpet looks original. I would have expected the salt and pepper pattern supplied across the range and on the 914. 14:37 The 1584cc engine appears to have an alternator. The black box on the valance is something to do with emissions, it wouldn't be on a European vehicle. 18:04. Is that a windscreen washer pump? The windscreen washer would be powered pneumatically by the pressure in the spare tyre, that's what the hose is for but maybe an aftermarket pump has been fitted. 18:58 The instruments are those supplied on the 411/412. The right control column stalk says wipe/wash so it may be fitted with the intermittant wipe facility, otherwise available as a (very rare) M-Option 20:00 The combination brake and fasten belts light is another US safety item. The seat belt system would detect a person sitting in the seat/s and light the lamp and sound a buzzer. The brake warning lamp would light in the event one of the dual circuits failed. 20:50 The power supply is a recent replacement for the cigar lighter.
@ Hey, those massive ugly bumpers that were installed beginning in 1974 do a better job at protecting the body than those bumperettes. Why not install them on the car? The point being is this: drive carefully and you won't damage the body.
There are some people in Germany who also have a Karmann Ghia but they do not restore it. They keep it looking old and rusty and do nothing to prevent it from falling apart. So eventually only the Karmann Ghias in the US will survive.
Clean and grease the crank and window regulator gears. When the felt gets a little loose the window rocks slightly and catches. Cars that are supposed to be restored and the glass and lock rods bang around in the door when you go over bumps or close the door drive me crazy. Yours is very tight. Just a slight track adjustment will keep it from wearing out quickly.
