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Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:03 am

Hello all,I am looking for an early ghia and found one from a gentelman who says it is a 1956 ghia coupe. The problem is it has bullet turn signals and I believe it to be a 1957. Chassis number is 3098 and I was wondering if anyone can identify the true year of the vehicle.The original pan is gone but everything else is there. The gentleman claims it is one of the first 600 ever produced. My concern relates to the turn signal style which I know to be a 1957. I cannot seem to find any information on this current chassis number. Please, can anybody help me?
Thank you,
Nicki

Tue Jun 08, 2004 8:24 am

Nicki,
To the best of my knowledge, Karmann Ghias never had a 4-digit chassis number, nor were there differences between 1956 and 1957 front turn-signal lights (someone will correct this if I'm wrong).

Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:15 am

56 ghias will have the one piece bumper blades

Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:23 am

I believe 3098 refers to the body number from Karmann, not the chasis number. I am not sure where to find stats on Ghia body numbers but it must be out there somewhere.

I know of a Ghia body number 593 and it is considered pre-production '55, so thinking that they made about 10,000 Ghias in '56, sounds like a '56 to me with wrong signals.

Here is a link that shows how many Ghias were produced in 1956:

http://www.vw-karmannghia.nl/index.php?navpos=2,23

Tue Jun 08, 2004 10:03 am

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Karmann_Ghia_Registry/homepage.htm

scroll down a ways and they explain the Karmann numbers vs the VIN and where to find them on the early cars.

Tue Jun 08, 2004 10:08 am

SuperSkim wrote: 56 ghias will have the one piece bumper blades

My understanding is that the '55 and very early '56 Ghias have the one piece bumper blades. I've had a few '56s and only one of them had the one piece bumpers.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

Tue Jun 08, 2004 8:45 pm

post pics!! :D

Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:52 pm

Thanks for the response, According to B.Y.F. parts the ghia is a 1955 model the #3098 is actually 30981 (body #) The turn signals are the same apparently up to 58's. But unfortunately the owner threw away the origanal chassis due to the fact that he came across a beetle one with no rust. This car is missing one foot all the way around the bottom and the rest has pinholes all over. If I was to restore this car, It would be worth no more than any other common ghia, And he has cut all the metal away to refab himself, Although He has done a amazing job, It is nowhere near finished and to even attempt this any other way but his origanal plans would not be feasable in any way. You would need roughly 40,000
With yourself doing most of the work. Thank's for responding untill next time. Cheers!