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Sat Jan 19, 2019 2:09 pm

'59 Lowlight with a Denzel engine sold for $64k at Gooding this weekend. One of the few cars to sell substantially higher than the minimum estimate.

Sun Jan 20, 2019 4:44 am

https://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1959-volkswagen-karmann-ghia/

Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:37 am

Beautiful, but no dash pad, gas tank wrong color and '58 horn badge...but then again it does have that Denzel

Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:18 am

McFunzeepants wrote: Beautiful, but no dash pad, gas tank wrong color and '58 horn badge...but then again it does have that Denzel
The gas tank color would be a deal-breaker for me. I wouldn't go a penny above 62 Grand. :wink:

Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:40 am

Nice car and the Denzel engine would be sweet.

1. It bugs me that it has that crappy unsecured fuel filter on the fuel outlet
2. Hate the red trim rings, I'd ditch those ASAP

Easy stuff to fix though.

Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:50 am

McFunzeepants wrote: Beautiful, but no dash pad, gas tank wrong color and '58 horn badge...but then again it does have that Denzel
A '59 had a dash pad?

Sun Jan 20, 2019 10:48 am

Is that interior color scheme even correct?

I tried looking it up in the Karmann Ghia Paint/Interior Info found here on The Samba, but I'm a bit confused as to which possible colors would apply to that particular car.
IIRC, the August thru July model year scheme didn't begin until the early 1960s so I believe you'd need to know the VIN - is that correct?

Something about that combination of black vinyl and brown/red cloth just doesn't look right to me.

What do you suppose the value of a Denzel engine like that would be just by itself?
Could it really be worth $25k-ish? :shock:

Sun Jan 20, 2019 10:54 am

KGCoupe wrote: Is that interior color scheme even correct?

No the upholstery is incorrect but hey, who am I to criticise but inexcusable it doesn't have an original rubber bulkhead and floor mat set when they are readily available. :roll:

Sun Jan 20, 2019 10:54 am

My original May 12, 1959 build lowlight has a dash pad

Sun Jan 20, 2019 6:02 pm

KGCoupe wrote: What do you suppose the value of a Denzel engine like that would be just by itself?
Could it really be worth $25k-ish? :shock:

The Engine alone? It may seem crazy but I believe Yes

Sun Jan 20, 2019 6:08 pm

I was looking up old Denzel engines to see if there were any prices here (not really) and I saw this car was for sale on this recently for $85K:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2220441

I wonder if they got less than they wanted?
Maybe $85K was too much to begin with.

More pics at
http://www.oldbug.com/denzghia.htm

Sun Jan 20, 2019 6:16 pm

I'm no expert, but is the side badge supposed to be the "bat wing" version?

Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:02 pm

I'm assuming this brilliant red 1959 coupe was built late (Nov. Dec.) 1958 as it still has the curved metal dash which wouldn't have the black padded ribbed dash yet. I believe the black padded ribbed dash began in January 1959.

This 1959 would have left the factory with a brilliant red gas tank and a beige interior. The black gas tank would be correct if it had been a replacement tank because I doubt you could go to a VW dealer and specify which color tank you needed and that it would be in stock. I'm sure that for the extra money the VW dealer would be happy to paint it to match your car.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned that it has the wrong wiper blades, shifter knob, hood pull release, ebrake boot and wrong visor assembly.

Yes, it should have the batwing style Karmann Ghia body badge.

I've been told that the Denzel engine is quite rare, desirable and that $20,000-$30,000 wouldn't be a crazy price.

Mon Jan 21, 2019 10:22 am

theghiagirl wrote: I'm assuming this brilliant red 1959 coupe was built late (Nov. Dec.) 1958 as it still has the curved metal dash which wouldn't have the black padded ribbed dash yet. I believe the black padded ribbed dash began in January 1959.

This 1959 would have left the factory with a brilliant red gas tank and a beige interior. The black gas tank would be correct if it had been a replacement tank because I doubt you could go to a VW dealer and specify which color tank you needed and that it would be in stock. I'm sure that for the extra money the VW dealer would be happy to paint it to match your car.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned that it has the wrong wiper blades, shifter knob, hood pull release, ebrake boot and wrong visor assembly.

Yes, it should have the batwing style Karmann Ghia body badge.

I've been told that the Denzel engine is quite rare, desirable and that $20,000-$30,000 wouldn't be a crazy price.

The door panels are wrong too. Sewed seams, looks like cloth inserts...
A lot wrong with this car, obviously wrong for someone who knows them, but that's not who buys at these auctions. Likely there are not a lot of nice early resorted Ghias going up for auction so for these buyers it's a novelty. Sort of like with split buses a few years ago.
Once the fly by night restorers get a sense there is a market they will start buying them up and doing quick and incorrect "restorations" that people who know the cars will laugh about, but the clueless with deep pockets will buy up.
Eventually the market will get over saturated, buyers will get pickier, the wheat will get sperated from the chaff and prices for poorly done common cars will fall while nicely done and unusual models will hold value.
I wonder about the Denzel engine premium. Who even knows about them other than VW and Denzel people? Wouldn't they also then know the cars better and be more picky about the restoration?

Mon Jan 21, 2019 2:46 pm

I have an unrestored May 1959 Cognac coupe that doesn't have a dash pad, and can't see any evidence it ever had one.

Mon Jan 21, 2019 3:15 pm

Small screws under the dash lip indicating the aluminum trim piece was there, hence a dash pad.

Mon Jan 21, 2019 7:27 pm

My brother has a 59 that doesnt have a pad either. I dont see screw holes anywhere. I had it to bare metal too.

Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:55 am

Jason, maybe your brothers is a "late" 58 (59 years model with different shaped metal dash).

Because just like theghiagirl replied the shape of the metal reveals if it should have a padding or not. And all 59,s certainly didn´t have the metalstrip either.
They where glued on, often cracked and once removed you actually can´t tell if it has been there or not...

Cheers/Jonas

Tue Jan 22, 2019 4:44 am

holy cow.
that is a lot of Money for this car.

Tue Jan 22, 2019 4:46 am

iowegian wrote: McFunzeepants wrote: Beautiful, but no dash pad, gas tank wrong color and '58 horn badge...but then again it does have that Denzel
The gas tank color would be a deal-breaker for me. I wouldn't go a penny above 62 Grand. :wink:

dealbraker for me are the upholstery, the wrong side badge, wrong Gastank Color. it is a nice car. but to expensive for this condition