Sizing up a Karmann Ghia for RestorationBy Scott Dempster “the Ghia Guy”
Restoring nothing but Karmann Ghias for the last 20 years, I'm often asked after a brief (or sometimes never ending) description: "Is this a good car to restore?" My answer, in general terms, is that the Karmann Ghia is much like a Mustang or Corvette...Sharp unique design, old enough, interesting history, and is well recognized.
In personal terms, the attitude of the restorer usually falls between "How much money can I make off this thing,” to "She's been a member of our family for 25 years!" If you're the latter, you can stop reading now....it is as they say a pure "Labor of Love". If you're concerned with saving money and time (which can also increase enjoyment), choosing a good Ghia is the 1st and most important step in the restoration process. Below are areas that will help you weigh out purchase price vs. cost to restore.
Rule #1: Beware of first impressions!! Good restoration projects often look bad and likewise, some very bad cars look good at first. To make things simple, let's rank by importance, the three main areas of restoration: #1 Body, #2 Mechanical, and #3 Upholstery.
The least important is the upholstery because if everything is bad, one can currently do a nice stock interior for around $600.00 to $10000.00 complete. Give me something that was used as a hen house or wolverine cage. This will cost about the same to restore as an interior that's "a bit tattered" or "needs some TLC" (as ads often say), but you will most likely pay much less for the “hen house” Ghia.
When it comes to the mechanical, everything (with the exception of front disc brakes on '67 or later Ghias) is the same as the Beetle, meaning parts are available and reasonably inexpensive. Like upholstery, there is a price ceiling, and you’re finished with something near 100% of new original.
This brings us to our #1 concern...The Body.
Unlike the interior and mechanical, which can be only so bad, (at which point you replace everything) when fixing the Ghia body, the sky is the limit, price time and loss of sanity wise. Sheet metal body parts cost two to ten times that of a Beetle and all fenders must be welded, not bolted on. To make matters worse, unlike the interior and mechanical which can be restored to nearly 100%....the body usually cannot.
Localized rust or collision damage, even serious damage, is most often preferred to minor rust and/or collision damage spread throughout a Ghia's body and floor pan.
Rusted out rockers (inner and outer) used to be the end of a Ghia until just recently, when complete rockers once again became available.
If rockers are rusted, also look for rust or openings where they connect to the wheel wells. In an exploded body view, one can see that the seams below the doors are where the rockers dip under the fender metal and continue (under the fender skin) all the way from one inner wheel well to the other. In a convertible, this area is critical because not only are the rockers the only thing that connects the front of the body to the rear body section, they also contain an extra support "beam" inside the structure. A good test of a convertibles' integrity is to open both doors, stand on top of the rocker (door threshold plate) with one hand on the windshield frame and lightly bounce. If the car "wobbles" or "flexes" in different directions, work is needed in the rockers.
Under, or just in front of the rear seat is where rust is likely found in the floor pan. If rust is found in the front foot well area, a close inspection for rust in the backs of the inner front fenders should be made. On the whole, floor pan rust is one of the area where a whole pan ½ (one on each side) can be swapped in for a reasonable price.
Other common areas of rust are at the bottoms of both doors and rear deck lid. The outer skin on both of these structures rolls up around the inner structure along the bottom edge. Besides obvious holes, beginning rust is indicated by a swelling or unevenness in these areas. Also check the spare tire well, under the battery, as well as a good general look over the whole car.
In respect to collision damage, always check the front nose by how "crisp" the center ridge looks. This ridge should look the same from the front of the hood down to just above the horn opening underneath. Look at the inner front fender structure (and nose) from inside the front trunk. Previous collisions will show as wrinkles in the front and sides of these areas. Another important area to avoid problems around the headlights. The edge of the inner bucket should protrude beyond the edge of the fender. If this area has been damaged, headlight & trim ring fitting will be difficult or impossible. Luckily, all the sheet metal is available for this area. Be sure to inspect the engine compartment as well for collision and rust damage.
Missing parts may help you get the purchase price down, but actually cost you no more in restoration. Parts such as side chrome molding, other bright work, all upholstery, and any parts made out of rubber are all replaced in restoration....missing or not. On a higher end, i.e.; more complete restoration, the windshield, turn and taillight lenses would also be replaced.
Parts you don't want missing are: bumpers, rear deck lids and convertible top frames. Even in bad shape, these parts can either be restored or have good trade-in value for better parts. A lot of Ghia people as well as KGPR buy and swap parts among themselves, so extra parts are a plus.
In addition, 1960 & 1967 Ghias can be particularly difficult to restore because of a lot of 1 year only parts (especially the '60), so these cars should be very complete if you are going for a total original restoration. Other year Ghia parts may be substituted if you’re not worried that you and about 12 other people in the world would likely know the difference. But as they say “stock is forever” so I always recommend reasonable effort to preserve the originality.
Another plus for the buyer is the "basket case". This is an otherwise complete Ghia that (typically) a restoration started when the owner lost interest. This may be a good choice for someone who has already done a partial or full Ghia restoration and can identify most of the parts separate from the car. Be sure to check the fit and alignment of any parts separated from the Ghia such as bulb-holders, trim rings, doors, deck lids, etc. It’s a good thing to do when first checking out a Ghia, but ESSENTIAL as the 1st step in the bodywork phase. If any of these parts are damaged, replace with undamaged parts before starting the body work. This is time very well spent before the paint goes on, so do it!! We will cover Paint Prep in a future installment when I get into the actual restoration process.
As for styling, many people (myself included) think the older (more classic) the better; But (of course), "To each his own". Major styling changes are grouped as follows:
56-59: Small front vent openings with double bar vent grills and small "coffin" shaped tail lights. The headlight openings are lower in the fenders, hence the common nick name “Low light” for pre 1960 ghias.
a. 56-57 shared steering wheels with the Bug, 58-59 was uniquely Ghia with wheel spokes off center from the center hub.
b. Front turn signals changed mid year 59. Earlier were similar to the same vintage Bus style (large chrome sleeve covering a raised body section) with side mounted screws holding a plastic lens. Later is a solid chrome base with a thin ring with forward mounted screws holding a glass lens. This style continued through mid 64.
60-69: Larger "tear drop" front vent openings (to end of production), Slightly larger "cats eye" tail lights.
a. 66 has 1" wide chrome trim strip running across the dash face.
b. 67-71 New dash with centered speedometer & very small clock &. fuel gauge.
c. 68 on, fuel filler in right fender, new "trigger" exterior door handles (as opposed to thumb actuated button), and ignition switch in steering column.
d. Mid year 69 gets a new convertible top assembly featuring side securing latches and a fold down glass rear window.
70-71: Larger 9" tail light with flat face, wrap around front turn signals with side reflectors. Shortened bows (tubes) on rear bumper to accommodate wrap around rear reflectors for N. American market.
72-74: Huge 13" tail lights, larger one piece blade bumper, updated black dash face, two large black faced "tunnel" gauges, four spoke steering wheel with large center horn area.
a. No back seat in '73 and 74, just factory plywood!
Major mechanical improvements happened in 1967, with the addition of front disc brakes and a 12 Volt electrical system, and in 1969 with I.R.S. (independent rear suspension).
Like its brother the beetle, the Karmann Ghia experienced changes every single year of production. The above grouping covers the most noticeable changes through the years.
Look at several Ghias if possible (if you don't already own one), or use this information to help give you an idea for what you're in for!
If this is your first Ghia restoration, labeling parts and even taking pictures before disassembling will be very helpful when you start reassembling 2-4 months (or more) down the line.
GOOD LUCK!
The Ghia Guy
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