Is that one year of dust I see on this tip car which was brought to us by TJ? Looks more like the accumulation of a half decade or more, but nevertheless, this one’s ready to come out of the barn and make you happy. If you’re even a little bit inclined to agree, get on over to this spot on craiglist and make a play for this 1968 VW Karmann Ghia. The listing asks only three grand to make it yours. At that rate, would you even hit the guy in New Orleans with a lowball number? Don’t be a Po-Boy. (He says and waits for the torrent of abuse that’s sure to come.)

Repeat: you’d better not try an offer; just give the guy his money. The car is claimed rust-free and with no accidents. The word “Bondo” has apparently never been uttered in its presence. The interior is clean. The VW was a runner (more on that in a minute), though it is claimed that it has sat for about a year. It will thus need a battery and probably fuel pump, says the seller, but you might as well add to that all the fuel system components as well as brake hoses and other rubber/soft parts. But again, look at the starting number: How can you go wrong? Best of all depending upon your tastes, it’s a convertible. Where you gonna find that for five thousand bucks, factoring in purchase price, aforementioned parts replacement, and even shipping?

The mileage indicated is 96,000, and though the photos in the ad leave a lot to be desired, the engine one is pretty good. You sharp-eyed Barn Find experts can, if you would be so kind, weigh in on whether the mill shown would be original to the car. No claim is made either way. It looks pretty clean from the outside, but there’s one thing makes me go “Hmmmm,” and that’s what appears to be a Hurst T-handle shifter appearing in the interior. Could there be anything to worry about there in terms of what this signals? Maybe that was just a lark on the part of some Cajun individual from the car’s past?

The Karmann Ghia model is, I’d bet, on most people’s long list of must-owns. It’s good-looking and sporty, with that reliable VW power under the hood. I mean trunk lid. There’s lots of support for newbies to the marque in the way of clubs and publications, and parts supply is good. This is one of those cars that has a bit of an exotic feel but without the hassle of Porsche-priced components. For this money, you can get the car in question driving, have a summer with it, and then figure out what to do with it. Heck, even if it turns out to be an expensive paperweight, it’s cheap. But if it runs and drives, even with some effort and expense, it’s going to prove its worth as a sports car.