One of the most gratifying parts of reviving a barn find is washing off the years of dust and grime to see what the car really looks like. Of course when I’m buying a car online, I prefer to see it cleaned up before I bid. I know you miss out on the joy of washing the car yourself, but it saving you a lot of heartache in the long run. The seller of this Karmann Ghia did a great job of photographing it all dusty, but they have cleaned it up and boy did it clean up nicely. Of course having it cleaned up revealed some issues that aren’t noticeable in the dusty photos. It has some rust spots on the nose and some paint damage, but overall it looks to be in solid condition. The paint even looks shiny and could left alone. Amazingly, the nose is straight and dent free! You might not get the joy of cleaning this one off, but if you have been looking for a Ghia to enjoy you know what you are getting with this one! Find it here on eBay with a $7,900 BIN. Given the car’s location in Riceville, Tennessee I would want to inspect it for hidden rust. So do you prefer your barn finds to come with their dust intact or are you alright with them already being cleaned?
The before and after photos are fun to look at, but honestly I can think of many other cars I would rather have for this kind of money. The auction has a ton of watchers though so maybe I’m alone in that?
i too think rust could be an issue with this car. a PI would help a lot. seller does not have a ” make offer ” option but it would not hurt to make one. nice find
Jesse hits right on the flaw in grungy barn-find photos — they hide a lot from the potential buyer. The combination of VW and “last year available” is probably bumping up interest in the Karmann Ghia. But it’s still the sort of ride dentists used to buy for their daughters.
Grammar star.
If I was the “finder” I would like to see the dust. If someone else found it, I’m OK with them washing off the dirt after they get some good pictures. At that point, I want to see what I’m getting for their “bumped up” price.