1967 Karmann Ghia Coupe Blue/White - restored - mild "Outlaw elements 1.9L Motor

1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Restored Description

Up for sale is our 1967 Karmann Ghia coupe purchased November 2009 from a nice VW enthusiast in Ohio. It is set up as a lightly modified “outlaw”, but maintains much of its original look, a quality that was important to us. Later in this listing, I have included the description of the Ghia as provided by the previous owner when it was offered on eBay. That straight forward and detailed assessment by the previous owner was why I picked up the phone and called him. The conversation further confirmed to me that the seller was a good and honest fellow, committed to describing his car accurately. After that chat, I just sent him a check. Be advised, this listing is very long….you might not want to read it UNLESS you areseriously considering the car.

During our ownership, we have properly maintained this nicely restored car and have provided additional improvements listed below:

Reading the prior owners description that follows below, you can note it was a California car until he purchased it in 2005. After it’s restoration it remained garaged in Ohio, as it has here in Pennsylvania after we bought it. Note the photos which show how clean this body and chassis remain. We have a handful of classic cars and they reside in a heated garage just outside Philadelphia in the western suburbs.

Please call me at 610-246-8850 to discuss…Michael

Prior Owner’s Description.

You are bidding on a 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. I bought this car in late 2005 un-restored from Jamul, CA. and spent the next 6 months creating the resto-custom you see here. Please read the description thoroughly and PLEASE ask questions. I've got nothing to hide on this car, and I want the new owner to be completely satisfied with their purchase.

BODY -This was a complete body-off-pan restoration. The body was very solid when I bought the car, but had been 'tapped' on the left rear corner at some point, so the left rear corner has been replaced from the back of the wheel arch to the rear.

I have also added VW Type 3 side turn lights on the front fenders. Both bumpers and the side trim are polished stainless steel, so no worries about rust or pitting there. It has genuine European taillight lenses, not re-pops. The 'Volkswagen' emblem has been removed from the rear of the deck lid. The paint is PPG Midnight Blue and VW Alpine White. It is not perfect, but it is very nice and draws a ton of compliments.

The heater channels, front doglegs, floors, battery tray, and every other rust-prone area on the car are 100% solid and original VW from the day it left the factory. The only rust repaired area was above the headlights, and was replaced with new metal, welded in. The battery was moved from the engine bay to its new spot under the back seat. All of the floors and the trans-tunnel were coated with 2 coats of rust bullet, then 2 layers of sound deadener. The bottom of the floor pan was then painted gloss black. The roof rack DOES come with the car. It is an original VW dealer accessory, and the wood slats are original and very nice.

INTERIOR -The seats are 1967 seat bottoms with 1965 seat backs. I like the look of the lower seat back better than the '67 models. Seat belts have been added in the rear so the kiddies can ride too. They are bolted through the floor, and then reinforced on the backside with 3/16" plate steel and grade 8 bolts. I created a lockable storage space behind the rear seat that also houses speakers for the stereo.

I also built a center console to house 2 more speakers and a battery operated clock. The dash was cut out and replaced with a dash face from a 1965 Ghia. I like the look of the earlier dash. In place of the stock VW clock is a custom made (by me) tachometer which works perfectly. The dash was smoothed, and the speaker recess was filled with a steel plate welded in. You can't tell there was ever a speaker in the dash.

The rear view mirror is a custom surf board, again made by me, made of rosewood with a cherry fin. I get as many compliments about that as I do the rest of the car. The wiring harness is a Wiring Works VW factory color coded harness, installed in 2006 when I finished the car.

ENGINE / TRANSAXLE -The engine is a freshly built 1915cc with dual Dellorto DLRA40 carbs. Ported/polished 041 heads with 1:25 ratio rockers and stock vented VW valve covers. Straight cut cam gears, counterweight crankshaft and lightened flywheel.I installed a new clutch disc and throw-out bearing when I installed the engine in March of 2009.

The transaxle is a freeway flyer unit with heavy duty side covers and welded 3rd & 4th gears. It also has the shorter 1965 axles (as opposed to the stock long axles of 1967). Does not popout of any gears. The shifter is an original Hurst unit. THE SHIFT KNOB DOES NOT COME WITH THE CAR... it was a father's day gift from my son. I will install another one before you pick it up.

WHEELS -The wheels are polished 2 Liter alloys from a Porsche 914. They are a direct bolt on and do not require any adapters. Brakes are stock front disc and rear drum. The car stops straight as an arrow.

Overall, this is an exceptionally nice Ghia. It's not perfect, but you can drive it anywhere, park it in a parking lot and not worry about it, and it draws compliment after compliment. It has won numerous awards at local car shows, and won Best Daily Driver at the 2008 VW/Porsche Family Reunion in Cincinnati