vw karmann ghia
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Q: Can I put the engine and transmission from a 1974 VW Super Beetle into a 1970 VW Karmann Ghia?
I would like to take the engine and transmission from my 1974 VW Super Beetle into my 1970 VW Karmann Ghia. The Super Beetle has the manual transmission, and the Ghia has the autostick transmission. Will the engine and transmission from the 74 Super Beetle fit into the 1970 Ghia? What kind of work will I have to do with the electrical system?
A: you shouldnt have any electrical problems. you will probably need to get a 1970 ghia shift rod. the auto-stick tranny has a different nose cone and the linkage will not work. you can use the 74 shift assembly though
Q: What is the best year for a VW Karmann Ghia restore project?
Am interested in buying a karmann ghia to semi-restore. Not much of a mechanic here, but am willing to learn. So the idea of a complete restore is out of the equation. Probably want a daily driver that runs and that I can slowly make additions or upgrades to. Any suggestions on which year I should get? Want to hear community thoughts. Thanks!
A: Any year that you can buy
Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of driving a VW Karmann Ghia?
I’m considering getting a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and was wondering if anyone could tell me more about the car. Is it reliable?
Can you get up to speed fast enough to merge onto a highway?
A: i own a shop,and they was pretty good little cars ,they did rust a lot in the back ares a lot,and this caused a lot of problems with that part of it,and the heaters don’t work good in real cold weather,other than that they was ok cars,good luck,i hope this help,s.
Q: MY generator broke in my 1972 VW Karmann Ghia new one. The engine is actually from a VW Thing.?
MY generator broke in my 1972 VW Karmann Ghia, I need a new one. The engine is actually from a VW Thing. I don’t know what year. Are all generators the same? What should I get? And any cheap?
A: Most stock VW generators are the same. Take it off the car and take it to a parts store they can match the numbers to be sure.
Q: The doors on my 72 VW Karmann Ghia doors touch the front fenders?
I cannot paint because both doors rub against the front fenders, it will cause the paint to chip. I was thinking about grinding off metal on the edge, but is that safe? Please help!
A: the doors can be adjusted, I would grind them off as a last resort, if you can’t adjust them a bodyshop can.
Q: how does a guy find the firing order on the distributer of his 1974 vw karmann ghia?
ive got a sandrail with a vw motor and i have gas and spark but the plug wires are in the wrong order. i know the cylinder order but not the distributer order
A: Firing order is 1-4-3-2. It’s stamped on the case under the distributor stand.
Q: What is involved on “degunking” a carburater on a 1972 VW Karmann Ghia? It has been sitting for 2 years,
The car has been sitting for 2 years. I have used choke spray cleaner and managed to get it started, then it stalls . Will it help to remove the carburater and have it cleaned? Is this something relatively easy to do yourself??
A: If you are sure the carb is the problem you probably need to get a rebuild kit and have the carb boiled out to clean up all the passage ways. They used to make a special cleaner for this and you just disassembled the carb and soaked the metal parts in it for a day. Removed, cleaned and reassembled. However with the advent of fuel injection this may no longer be available. Just need to check with your local auto parts store. No point in having a mechanic rebuild as you can get a new one with a guarantee for about the same price. Check your local auto parts stores or jcwhitney.co,
Q: VW Karmann Ghia tachometer installation ( vw beetle) rev counter?
i have decided to fit a rev counter to my 1971 karmann ghia.
i have bought a rev counter.
there are three wires coming from it.
one is live, one is earth, where does the third go?
is it the low tension or high tension on the coil?
A: Most of the old style tachometers work in the same way and the third wire goes on the negative side of the low tension wiring at the coil.
On one side of the coil you have an ignition feed and on the other side, that goes to the distributor is the negative side.
Q: How do I replace the starter on a 1968 VW Karmann Ghia?
A: Follow what Fish-Eye said, but realize that one of the bolts in the starter is a long bolt with a round head with a flat side on it. The flat side has to face the body of the starter (this keeps the bolt from spinning). The nut for it is a 17mm in the engine compartment behind (or in front, depending on your perspective) the fan shroud. Make sure when you put the new starter in, you put grease on the end of the shaft and gear. Have fun!
Q: VW Bug, or VW Karmann Ghia? Or something else…?
I am a 17 year old driver currently trying to find a good, reliable car. I’m interested in learning to work on a vehicle myself, therefore I’ve been looking into older cars without any over-complicated parts such as ECU’s. I’ve been taking interest in older VW’s lately, particularly the 1970’s Beetle and Karmann Ghia’s, due to the simpler air cooled engine (and also the stylish appearance 
). Price is not an issue, however I was wondering which would be more better/reliable?
I just want a vehicle that, over time I can actually make mine and not have to rely on mechanics and such to care for my vehicle.
Also, does the Karmann Ghia have an AC unit? I can’t seem to find anything online about it. All I know is that the Beetles don’t.
Answers would be very appreciated
A: No one loves the air cooled VW’s more than me, but I have to tell people this all the time – 70’s VW’s were never particularly reliable. Beetles were very easy to fix, so that makes up for it, IF you’re willing to fix it. Karmann Ghia’s are less easy to fix, and parts are harder to find.
If you’re thinking of getting an old Beetle or Karmann Ghia as a daily driver, get two. Get one of each. One will always be broken. As soon as you fix it, the other one will probably break. So, most of the time, you’ll have at least one working car.
You’ll learn a lot about cars, and have fun fixing them, if you’re serious about making them a daily driver. If you don’t have the time and energy to spend a few hours every week repairing your cars, my advice is to avoid old VW’s.
Q: 1968 VW Karmann Ghia?
I bought a Karmann Ghia like this one, but mine is a hard top and beige…
http://www.karmannghias.com/cars/61greenghia/index.htm
Anti-sway bars, larger performance tires 190X65HR15, the handling is incredable!
The freeway flyer transmission, I cruise freeways at 80 mph at the perfect 3,700 rpms for these air cooled wonders.
My 1,700 engine is rated at a conservative 80 hp with dual Delarto carberators and gets 28.8 mpg (yes, it does drip a little oil).
Whenever I drive it, like at the beach, people are always taking pictures of it so I never have to worry about it.
Parts are plentiful and inexpensive too… and if I ever have any questions, the seller always answers them. These VW class of people are wonderful. “True to the spirit” they call it.
http://www.karmannghia.com/home.asp
Recently, I was told I paid too much ($6k). I could not believe this. I get so much enjoyment from this car. But did I pay too much?
I even dream about driving this car.
Thanks! There was only so much room to write my question. I do have an Cylinder Head Temp., Oil Temp, and Oil Pressure gauges… and yes, a 5 qt. oil sump pump for Mobile 1 Synthetic.
A: Too Much> NOT IF YOU LOVE IT!
Get a oil cooler and oil temp gauge though….I’ve lost several VWs to third cylinder overheating, mostly coming back from the beach(200 miles uphill).
Q: Body seam filler in a VW Karmann Ghia – what is it?
Buddy and I are prepping his old VW Karmann Ghia for a much needed respray and bodywork.
PROBLEM / PUZZLED
What did the factory use for seam filler? This shytte looks like lead. We have halted work on the car until we know for sure. Did Volkswagen / Karmann use lead filler on these cars?
And if they did will paper masks be acceptable for working on it?
.
.
thanks to “manuel n”
As I stated, we have stopped work on the car and will pick up the proper materials tomorrow. GOOD CALL !
.
.
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A: You are right , they used lead to fill low spots and holes. Use etching primer to seal it and be sure to use foam respirators not the cheap paper ones.
Q: Should I buy a 70’s Porsche 914, VW Karmann Ghia or a Beetle for a project car?
My four teenagers and I would like to start a project of building a VW Beetle or a Karmann Ghia or a Porsche 914. Looking for a straight body that doesn’t require any work and the best value replacement parts. We want something that will have some performance once it’s completed.
I have found a 73 914 for $1,000 but needs a new fuse box and possibly all new wiring. The price looks good but I wonder if I would get a better return on doing a Beetle or Ghia instead. The appeal of the 914 is the mid engine layout for excellent balance. Can someone help me decide?
A: The Porsche 914 is an excellent handling car, but parts supplies for it are dicey at best. I would not be surprised that the vehicle would need new wiring, those vehicles ran pretty warm when new and with the wiring now being 30+ years old, the insulation is cracking and the ground circuits are problem prone due to age and corrision. The VW 411/412 suffers from the same problems as the 914 does. Because of the miles of wiring in one of these vehicles, expect to spend a lot of time and effort straightening out the wiring concerns. It is not a job for those of faint of heart.
I like the way the Porsche drives, but keep in mind in order to make it even just a daily driver it will require a ton of work. The fuel injection system used on many of these is now problem prone; it worked well when new, but it was an early electronic system, so time has passed it by and the parts are getting rarer and rarer. Many of these parts are rebuilt only and some of the rebuilders of these parts do a pretty poor job of it… Expect to spend top dollar for many of these parts, especially on Porsche only parts.. If you’re keeping it, for me at least, this would be my choice. If its something you’re going to sell after you finish it, I’d pick something else…
The Beetle is the easiest to restore as a project car. Mechanically bits are easily available from many vendors and tend to be far less expensive than the Porsche. Unless its a late model Beetle with Fuel Injection, they are simple to repair and almost everything is available for it, including new body parts, which certainly isn’t the case with the Porsche. The faults are well known: poor wind resistance, especially cross winds; so-so handling, so-so braking, poor heater and defroster, high noise levels, especially at freeway speeds; and only so-so fuel economy, even with a lot of modifications to the engine. But, you can easily modify the motor to get more performance from it, just don’t expect to get good economy from it. Also, there is excellent independent VW Beetle clubs all over the place and many magazines devoted to the Beetle, so support on your project will be easily found.
Finally, there is someone who will always want a Beetle, so when it comes time to part ways, it will be easy to sell it.
A Ghia has the same basic mechanical relationship with the Beetle.
It has better handling, better wind resistance, somewhat quieter than a Beetle (wind noise), better braking on late models (disc brakes in front), and is an easier vehicle to drive in everyday driving.
It shares the same basic faults as the Beetle, plus special parts that are not shared with the Beetle are harder to come by, as they stopped building the Ghia around 1974 and didn’t sell anywhere as many.
As long as your not looking for body parts, you should be able to restore one of these almost as easily as the Beetle. Think of it as a “sporty” Beetle….
Well, I hope this helps you a little, best wishes on whatever project that you take on as a family project, a car nut
Q: I have a 1971 VW Karmann Ghia. does anyone know if the hubcaps from the same vintage Beetle will fit?
A: rims are the same so they should.
Q: where is the vin number located on a vw karmann ghia? also how can i tell the model year?
A: check the drivers side win sheild. 5th or 6th number should be the year
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