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Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:50 am

I'm curious, how does a tuned bug or ghia drive compared to an old 911? (say 1964 to 73) Obviously Porsche has an untouchable racing pedigree. But, aren't they cousins? The old Porsches were used for all kinds of racing, the VW, not so much...Can a bug/ghia be tuned to perform similarly? I used to own a 71 ghia and after driving a a friends 993 I feel they have almost nothing in common.
Thanks.

Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:07 am

Here's the deal, 911's use an extreeeeemly similar rear suspension to the late model IRS beetles. But the front suspension is completely different on a 911, it's an Independent setup, so no beam in the front (except on the 356s and such, but we aren't talking about those, are we? :lol: ). So I'd imagine the probably wouldn't STOCK. But I'm sure with enough work and maybe one of those funny mendola IFS systems you probably could get it to handle in a similar manner (if not better)

Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:12 pm

Are you talking handling or performance?

You could get a ghia to go around a corner as well as a 911, but you will NEVER match the performance of a 911 with a VW.

Even the first 911's, 64,65,66 had a 2 liter six with six one barrel carbs, factory headers, 4 wheel disc brakes, 5 speed transmission, and the list goes on.

Don't take the performance of the 911 lightly! It's far better then your imagination!

Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:51 pm

How could you not make the ghia just as fast as the 911? 2332, 4 wheel discs, 5 speed conversion,etc.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:40 am

I always thought that a Ghia was the poor man's Porsche.

Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:59 am

rustfree1967bug wrote: How could you not make the ghia just as fast as the 911? 2332, 4 wheel discs, 5 speed conversion,etc.

The Ghia was sort of a sports car based on a production car that was little more then a people mover. The 911 was a race car for street use.

The engines are from a totally different design paremeter. There is just NO comparrison other then they are rear engine, air cooled.

In it's stock form, the early 911 had 120 more horsepower then the VW. Thats a BIG deficit to try to make up.

Want to make your Ghia have the performance of the 911? Then install the 911 engine and 901 transmission in your Ghia!

Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:51 am

or just buy a 911 -- by the time you install all that shit needed to make the Ghia run/handle as well as a Porsche... you could have had a Porsche...

Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:12 pm

The acceleration part of the 911 performance would be easy to achieve.

An '80s non-turbo 911 was maybe a 14 second car, not what most would consider a blistering fast hot rod these days. I've driven a few,they are peppy but i didn't find the acceleration all that exciting. Saying a you'd have to swap to a Porsche engine to match their performance is a major exaggeration. A good running 1776 or 1914 would get the job done,a piece of cake with a 2-liter.

I don't know how the '80s 911s compared to the earlier cars performance wise. I do dig the early 911's (before the Miami-Vice fat fender accordian bumper whale tail era) and I'd take one hands down over a late model Ghia. :wink:

Sat Mar 20, 2010 8:37 pm

Driven several of both... NO comparison. Anything is possible, but what would be the point?

Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:37 pm

Mr. Loaf wrote: I always thought that a Ghia was the poor man's Porsche.

i've always heard the 914 was the poor man's porsche, and the ghia was the poor man's 914.

Mon Mar 22, 2010 8:29 pm

To me the ghia was easier setting up and beating the 356 series.
and not really comparable to a 911

I owned 3 ghia's in the late 70's. and beat the pants off speedsters
cornering.
also had an EP 914 1.8 that would corner as well as the big boys but, no way om the straights could i keep up with a geared 911

old school stuff but, good memories 8)

Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:51 pm

Just a provocation but, If the early 911s have 'any' Ghia/Beatle beat no comparison/hands down etc. what is the appeal of the ghia? and furthermore what are the appealing attributes of the Ghia/Beatle from a driving perspective?

Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:47 pm

Two different cars designed to fill two different needs. They're both aircooled is about as far as any comparison need go.

Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:51 pm

The Ghia is a bug, with a different body. The front end, the engine, the trans, the rear suspension, is all the same as a bug. The floor pan and body is a little wider.

Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:55 pm

Michael Wlosek wrote: Just a provocation but, If the early 911s have 'any' Ghia/Beatle beat no comparison/hands down etc. what is the appeal of the ghia?

The Ghia cost just a tad less than a 911...

Tue Mar 23, 2010 6:49 pm

Tram wrote: Two different cars designed to fill two different needs. They're both aircooled is about as far as any comparison need go.

I typed that up for the 911/ Ghia comparison. I hadn't realised that the conversation went to Ghia/ Beetle.

Just to be clear.

Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:42 pm

Michael Wlosek wrote: Just a provocation but, If the early 911s have 'any' Ghia/Beatle beat no comparison/hands down etc. what is the appeal of the ghia? and furthermore what are the appealing attributes of the Ghia/Beatle from a driving perspective?

In my experience, the VW crowd (in the real world, not based on online faux personnas, lol) is more down to earth than the Porsche crowd. :lol:

Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:57 pm

Michael Wlosek wrote: Just a provocation but, If the early 911s have 'any' Ghia/Beatle beat no comparison/hands down etc. what is the appeal of the ghia? and furthermore what are the appealing attributes of the Ghia/Beatle from a driving perspective?

Well lets see, when the 911 came out at the end of 1964, you could buy 4 1/2 Ghias for the price of a 911. That kept a lot of folks buying Ghias in place of 911's.

The Ghia had 40 horse power, and a top speed of about 70mph.

The early 911S 2.2 liter had 160 horse power and a top speed of 160mph.

If you really think there is a comparrison, you have not spent time behind the wheel of a true 911!

Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:02 pm

How about in Grand Theft Auto?? :twisted:

Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:55 pm

As you enter a corner take your foot off the brake and stomp on the gas, the Ghia won't fishtail.