The Karmann Ghia Convertible (or Cabriolet) was produced between 1957 and 1974. That makes our feature car among the last produced. This one will require a complete restoration, but it doesn’t appear to be a lost cause. You will find it listed for sale here on eBay. The Karmann is located in Northford, Connecticut, and is being sold with a clear title. At the time of writing, bidding has reached a mere $510.
The seller is a little bit light on information here, but the photos seem to tell a lot of the story. It looks like this Karmann has been sitting outside for a while. The owner states that the car will need new floors, but thankfully, brand new floors are included in the sale. I’m not sure how long the car has been sitting in its current location, but I am a bit worried by it. As well as the floors, there appears to be considerable rust in all of the lower extremities of the body such as the lower fenders, quarters, and rockers. This makes me wonder just how solid the frame is on this car. If it badly rotted then it may not be the end of the world, as the frame is pure VW Type 1, so replacement frames are readily available and cheap.
Placing an ad for a vehicle with photos taken in a picturesque location is nice. Posting photos of a car full of dead leaves is probably not quite so good. This Karmann has obviously been sitting out in the weather for at least a few months, as verified by the leaves that now call it home. If it has been the victim of any reasonable amounts of rain, then the chances are pretty good that the majority of the interior trim will find its next home in a garbage skip. The cards for the door trims are warped, and while the padding on the seats may be able to be dried, I wouldn’t be betting my house on it. The dash pad looks quite good, but the gauges will also be throw-away after they’ve had moisture in them
The engine is the Volkswagen 1600 flat-four that produced 60hp and drove through a 4-speed manual transmission. The engine doesn’t currently run, but it is said to turn freely. The exhaust is not currently attached to the engine, but it is included with the car. As is the case with so much of this car, the engine and gearbox are pure Volkswagen, so sourcing parts will be quite easy if a rebuild is required.
During its 17 years of production, Volkswagen managed to produce 445,000 Karmann Ghias. This should mean that they are not a particularly rare or valuable vehicle, so you wouldn’t think that they would be worth much money. The most highly-prized examples are from the very earliest production years, and from the final year of production. If you want to lay your hands on a really good 1974 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet, then you need to have at least $17,000 to achieve your dream. This one needs a lot of work, but then, you can do a lot of work on what is essentially a Volkswagen Beetle for that sort of money.
It will make a good parts car. Not every car that still exists is salvageable, the ship sailed on this one a long time ago.
Steve R
Why would someone leave any decent convertible out like this? What a waste.
MikeG….. I know this is what you meant, and I agree, but I just had to complete your thought…..”out like this WITH THE TOP DOWN !!????”
As the saying goes, “Can’t fix stupid”. Just have to shake your head left and right while saying “wwwhhhaaattttt??”
Have to respectfully disagree on the write up suggestions here. Due to the improper outdoor storage- this one is a parts car pure+simple.
Time to send to parts land for the least fave year Ghia 🤦♂️
You’ve got to admit it, guys, this rusty Karmann Ghia ragtop does make a change from all those grossly-overpriced-but-equally-rusty Porsches that have graced this site in recent months.
Sadly, it is probably no better than a parts car…
U would think the guy would pull this crate up onto dry ground, clean the leaves out and inflate the tires. I’m sure this one will turn to crackers when you go to move it. parts car.
Goood luck to the new owner,
cheers
GPC
There’s two ways to look at this car: 1)Leave it where it is or 2) Make it your own.
Take your time, rebuild what needs to be rebuilt, paint the car if you don’t like Red (I don’t) and install a lighter colored interior in it which will make it easier to be in on Summer days with the top down. I have no idea why car makers still put black interiors in convertibles. It makes no sense. Anyway, it entirely relates to how much you like these cars and how good a wrench you are.
I believe the only thing holding this poor VW together is the leaves so don’t dare remove those.
oh I can only imagine what several the inches of rain water that sat in the floorwells and likely the frame sitting on the ground have done to this one..I see some great parts for the Ghia enthuasist who is restoring a 70’s vert.
Back in the 80’s, I bought all the VW’s and VW stuff from a widow whose hubbie had been in the business for many years. There were 5 cars sitting in the back yard, one being a Bug convert. When I hooked the towbar to the front axle, I pulled the car apart; front and rear. Luckily, there was a salvage yard nearby to get rid of a lot of the junk that he kept. Many 5 gallon buckets of used spark plugs. Really?
I would be looking at the jag in the field behind it.
Look, it’s parked outside the creepy cabin, right where the teenagers left it before they went inside to be murdered. That’s why the top’s down.
LOL. Blair Witch Project indeed! I can speak from experience that even in the best of conditions the Ghia converts were prone to frame rot. My sister made one of these her first car ten years after it was made. Total loss on the bottom portion. It was a beautiful copper exterior with saddle interior and tan canvas top. Didn’t make it one season in her possession.