1971 VW Karmann Ghia Coupe runs in my blood

[bruehoyt]

When I was a young kid in the early 70's, my mom had a 60 something Karmann Ghia. It was only for a summer. It had holes in the floor pans. My brother and 2 sisters would watch the road through the holes. My mom had seatbelts installed in the back seat. I remember LOVING that car.

My first car was a 71 Ghia coupe that i bought in 1985. My brother wrecked it. I replaced it with a beautiful 74 Super Beetle in 1986. But while it was beautiful, it was a mechanical nightmare. Next I got another 71 in 1987 - it was in perfect original condition. I drove it for 5 years. It was hit a few times and I decided to part it. I put the engine in a 74 Ghia I picked up cheap in 1992, stripped some parts, and sold the rest.

Those cars were the cars I drove everyday. I din't have a work car and a vintage VW. I just had a car that was a vintage VW.

Before the 74, while I still owned the 71, I bought a basket case 67 Ghia in 1991. For a brief period I had the 67, 71, and 74 as well as my work car. I might have even had a 68 beetle I bought for parts at the same time.

I rebuilt the 67 engine to 1641 with a dual weber carb and monza exhaust. I didn't do the body work for another few years and it just sat there. I finally finished it around 1997. Then I sold it. Not sure why. A few years later I bought a 70 ghia at the local VW show (maybe 2000). I Did some body work and painted it. I drove it for a couple years. Then around 2003 I sold it with all of the parts I had accumulated over the years in.

Over the years I had other non VW vintage cars as well.

In 2004 we had a baby: no vintage cars for the next 10 years.

As the kids got older and income was higher, I wanted another Ghia. My wife wanted a minivan. - So I started looking for a Transporter. I wound up with a 71 Tin Top Westy. ( I still have it).

In 2017 a friend insisted I buy his project car 71 Ghia Autostick. It came with parts to convert it to manual if I wanted to. I decided to keep it autostick as long as it works. The project got sidelined for a year and a half while I restored a '67 Volvo for a friend.

Finally this spring I started this car. I am nearly finished now. I took lots of pics along the way. I will start posting them here soon.

This is my 3rd 71 Ghia Coupe. I also had 70, 74, 67 Ghias, a 74 Super Beetle, and 71 Bus.
I had a couple other parts cars and a couple water cooled dubs. My Mom had 2 bugs and a Ghia. My Grandma had a bug and a bus.

[bruehoyt]

Here's how it looked. It needed a fuel pump and battery to start and some wiring to sift.

[John Moxon]

Welcome to a true Ghia man...looking forward to see how your project has developed.


_________________
John.
Judson Supercharger Information on The Samba
My 1958 Shorrock Supercharged Karmann Ghia
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[bruehoyt]

I saw plenty of rust on it. I didn't realize how much until I started chipping away at it.

I am new to welding in pieces. My first welding was on a 67 Volvo I restored for a friendd last year.

Here is the passenger side:

[bruehoyt]

rust removal -pass side

As I started picking away at the rust, I found it more extensive than I anticipated. Icut away what you see here. Then I ground, scraped, sanded, and chemically treated any exposed rust. I did not eliminate rust from this car. It was not going to be worth the time investment. So, I made it good enough for what I was willing to put in it and get out of it.

[bruehoyt]

new skin

[bruehoyt]

Primer and paint

[bhartwell59]

[bruehoyt]

[kingkarmann]

Another Central Ohio Ghia lover
Looking forward to seeing the finished result in the flesh! (er metal)

[bruehoyt]

This is my first autostick. I didn't want an auto. It just is what it is.

The guy I got it from gave me a manual transmission and pedal cluster to convert it if I chose.

He couldn't get it to shift. He only drove it a handful of miles. Who knows about the previous owner. But to get it in gear, he would just force it without disengaging the clutch.

The issue with the electronic clutch was simply a severed wire to the fuse.

I changed the auto trans fluid, checked tehegear oil. Zip tied the hanging shift control thingy because it was hanging in the engine bay.

It shifted well and drives fine in 1st.

In 2nd under acceleration (and occasionally in 1st under hard acceleration) It bangs out of gear.

So I put in a new shift coupler. Set the shift contact switch. Checked the Clutch free play and searches the Samba for answers.

The Clutch had too much play, but I was hurting myself try to reach teh nut to adjust it, and decided to take it the the local air-cooled VW repair shop. I also asked them to give me an opinion if it is internal trans problem.

The shop suggested transmission mounts as a potential problem - which I had read about on the Samba the day before.
-They say teh mounts are good and it is likely an internal issue. GRRRR.

I asked him to set the clutch freeplay anyway,

If the transmission truly needs internal repair, I will probably convert it.

I have an extra engine that I will get ready before I take the current engine/transmission out.

[bruehoyt]

Engine bay: Nothing special here.

I replaced the fuel pump before this pic to get it home.

I took out external pieces to get to bodywork. I cleaned up and painted what I took out.

New ground strap, battery, fan hoses, stock exhaust and pipes, fuel pump, fuel filter, oils gaskets, points, spark plugs, plug wires, belt

Carb rebuilt, valves adjusted.

Eliminated a hard start relay. Cleaned electrical connections.

Pics not uploading now. I'll try later.

[mc2NY]

I hear ya, regarding Ghias “running in my blood.”

I bought my first Ghia (a 1965 coupe) in 1977 after driving by it, sitting on a corner car lot, for a few weeks on my way home from work daily for a few weeks. I finally stopped and went in to ask, “What the hell is that ugly little red and black car?”

“That’s a Carmin Greer! Volkswagen made it. $299. Some guy found it in a barn!”

So...for $299, I got my first Ghia. RUST FREE, no less and it ran GREAT1 Needed nothing, except to clean out some straw. Had a minor crease along the front quarter that I fixed and had it repainted silver for $99 at MAACO. Drove it for 15 months until some woman T-boned me at 2 a.m., as I sat at a red light in a snow storm.

Sold it hit for double what I paid for it and immediately bought my first Ghia Convertible...a 1969 1/2 I found in Hemings. Drove 4 hours each way in a blizzard to go get it. Sunset Orange and clean for under $850.

Wishing a year I had bought/flipped six other Ghia verts. I ended up driving Ghias full-time for 13 years and always had at least one until 2006, when I was forced to sell my two after Hurricane Katrina, to keep paying a mortgage on my trashed New Orleans house. Missing them, I started searching for replacements in 2016 and was shocked to see where the prices had spiked to!! But I managed to find some great replacements, since I knew what to look for.

I’ve owned around 35 Ghias over the years (mostly ‘68-74 verts,) essentially buying/flipping to get my four 1969 keepers for free (one-owner 2 coupes, 2 verts.)

I think I may be the ONLY guy to walk away from THREE totaled Ghia accidents....each time, I was stopped at red lights!! Thank God for German steel!!

[bruehoyt]

WOW! You have put my Ghia "obsession" to shame!


That's a lotta Greers.

My first was only $450 in 1985 - but it had bad brakes, a wrecked rear fender and rough paint and upholstery.

My second was in perfect shape though - and just like you it was sunset orange.

[bruehoyt]

So the opinion on the auto trans is that it is an internal issue.

I can drive it in 1st fine up to 35 and shift into 2nd and drive up to 50+ without hard acceleration. But if I push the gas pedal down, it slams into neutral.

Trans mounts are good.
Shift coupler new.
Shift contact adjusted.
Clutch freeplay fine.
Electronic module working well.
No vacuum leaks.
Auto fluid and trans fluid good.


I have the manual transmission, pedal cluster, new pressure pate, throw out bearing and clutch I can put in. Or I can tool around town as is.

Switching or not switching, I will sell this thing in the next year or 2 with the other transmission included.

[bruehoyt]

Stuff I still need to do

Resolve transmission issue repaired, replaced, tolerated
Passenger seat upholstery must be repaired
Driver seat upholstery should be repaired
hook up defrosters
horn repair
back up lights
interior light needs installed (stock light has no wires - I forgot before I installed headliner)
rear view mirror glass needs replaced
Front trunk hinge doesn't sit down correctly.
Add USB port
Speedo/Odo needs greased or rebuilt.
Fuel gauge reads 1/3 tank always.
Clock doesn't work.
check/repair rear window defrost


there are other minor items that could be perfected, but won'r be. it is what it is.

[bruehoyt]

I'll go back in time and post some more of the how I got here photos. But for now this is what it looks like. It runs OK, It looks good. It still needs work.

[TDCTDI]

Go ahead & disconnect the speedometer until you can rebuild or lubricate it. If it’s starting to make noise like it needs to be lubed, it will lock up & wring the cable off.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[bruehoyt]

[bruehoyt]

It has been a while since I posted updates.

Unfortunately, I have determined the transmission has an internal issue. It drives fine in low and 1st. In 2nd it works fine as long as the accelerator is not punched. If attempting to accelerate to fast in 2nd, it pops out of gear. It is easily reengaged.

This makes it a nice car to drive around town, but not something you would want on a road trip.

Passenger seat upholstery - I covered it. I made a cushion -foam wrapped in vinyl.
Driver's side repaired with clear adhesive vinyl repair. The seats are what they are. If I find a great price to reupholster or replacement seats, I might do it.

Haven't bothered with defroster tubes yet. I get very good heat on passenger side foot and rear. Driver side cable needs connected.

Horn needed the relay. I bought a pack of 5 on Amazon cheaper than I could get 1 from any aftermarket VW parts suppliers online.

I didn't get the back up lights connected yet. No power to them. Ill track it down on the next warm day. But I realized license plate lights were out. Just needed bulbs!

Interior lights were added. LED with a lit blue toggle switch in the aux heater dash hole.

Rear view mirror glass, like the seat, will only be replaced if I find a great price.

Front trunk not sitting down in back is hardly noticeable and doesn't affect anything. Low priority.

USB port coming soon.

Speedo greased (twice) working well now.

Fuel gauge works now. I replace the sending unit.

Clock and Rear window defrost not looked at yet.