Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia, 1963

Tämä sivu myös suomeksi. See also update 09/2024.

I finally found a Ghia for sale and bought it without a second thought, altough it took all the money I had or could borrow. Doesn't matter. :)

I started really looking for one at autumn and was offered one at beginning of May, so it took about six months as I bought it May 28th, 2000.

Ghia is my daily driver (or motorbike) at the summer and will be stored in warm and dry place for winters.

I have plenty of pictures of my Ghia, here are some of them. More pictures can be found from here.

As you can see from the pictures above and below, the colour of the car seems almost variable, depending of the camera and time of day etc. (Pictures taken with several digicameras.) On my monitor the picture above is nearest, the others are a bit too dark or too blue.)

Inside view shows aftermarket steering wheel (Don't know the brand. It has a small 'dp'-logo on the horn button. If you know, please e-mail) and six little holes around radio. I suppose they are the remains of original radio. Steering wheel is now replaced with original one.

Current radio is a Blaupunkt and it now has two knobs as I found the original Beetle-type knobs for it.

Small blizzard at the beginning of the November 2006. Melted away in couple of weeks but made me put the car into winter storage.

I do have a switch for the windshield wiper, but it's too new model so I won't install it before I'm sure I can't find the washer button. I think it's the same as Beetle's so it will be easy to find.(Or so I thought, I was wrong: update at 9th of September, 2001).

Some new pictures from summer 2016:

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P1010013.jpg 713.02 KB	P1010014.jpg 589.24 KB	P1010015.jpg 751.41 KB

Base paint 500.92 KB	P7241807.JPG 530.54 KB	P8212025.JPG 482.42 KB	P9062073.JPG 314.38 KB	P9062074.JPG 337.16 KB
Season 2019 ends 726.76 KB	Already packed 546.51 KB

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Season 2021 wrapped up 476.58 KB	Season 2023 goes on 303.66 KB	Season 2024 ends 365.85 KB

Below is the picture which I got with the offering e-mail. As I had always wanted a sky blue Ghia, it was clear I had to take a closer look. It didn't matter that this was over 300 miles away. :) It was also the first Ghia on sale this year (2000). (There aren't many Ghias here in Finland and still less sold. As euro is low and pound & dollar high, it would be very expensive to buy one from either England or USA.)

Non-standard parts:

• AS-series engine (1915 cc with dual Dellorto, see Engine Rebuild below)) with 12 volt electric conversion done and H4-headlights. ( Bought new 7" Hella's and Philips' +30% H4's = a lot of light :) )
• Front seats.
• Windshield spray switch.
• Steering wheel. Replaced with original in 8.8.2000
• Cal-look windshield and rear window seals (no chrome list). Replaced with original style and chrome trim, 8/2019.
• Wheels. Too new style (and chromed), from 1966-> with slots and Porsche-style hubcaps instead of original full moon with small and black (body colour?) VW-logo. In progress, wheels already in blasting 9.9.2001 and finally painted in 2010 and installed, 2015.
• Radio. Although the Blaupunkt I have is from early 60's, so it might be right for the European version. Wrong knobs, though. (Beetle knobs on the store now, 2008 and installed 2015.)
• Paint. K-G has light blue color (P54, Olympia Blue, from 1972), but it wasn't available in 1963. Roof has Blue White, L289 and that's a correct one.

  The identification I got from VW-museum simply states that original colour is 'blue' with alternatives at that being 'seeblau' and 'polarblau'. As there are some remains of original colour (dark blue) visible and based on them, I'd say the original colour is Sea Blue (L360) with Blue White (L289) roof. Polarblau is actually almost grey and that's definetely wrong despite some parts of the body has also that.

• Mirrors. This car originally had 2 exterior mirrors as factory options (option 194) and it's missing from passenger's side. Driver's side mirror is also be wrong, an aftermarket product.
• Whitewall tires. Also an factory option missing (option 128).

Things to do: (in order of observation)

• Fix two small dents in nose section.(Size of a finger tip.) -- Fixed 2015
• Clean battery connectors and wash battery seat -- done 3.6.2000 New battery 12.8.2001, the old one died silently after 10 years of service. Again new battery in 2009 and 2016.
• Adjust driver side door, find rear seals
• Adjust both windows, don't seat properly. Passenger's side window is quite loose, maybe broken trails.
• Clean trunk. Done 5.9.2001, Trunk carpet not so good.
• Fix small scratch on passenger side, below door -- fixed 2016
• Fix another small scrath on passenger side, rear wing -- fixed 2015
• Find upper half of engine compartment seal (Is there any?) -- Done, a kind of. There is no such a thing, never has been. Strange.
• Fix horns -- done 1.9.2000 (Other had contact problems and the other burnt breaker points. Cleaning contacts, cleaning breaker points and redjustment was sufficient). I made a separate page of repair operations, see below.
• Find decent looking original steering wheel (I have one but it needs restoring first.) -- done 8.8.2000, restored the original somewhat; it's not good but I can stand it awhile.
• Fix reverse light. Diagnostics done: no wires & no switch either. Speedometer cable switch too expensive, on hold (2016).
• Fix windshield seal leak. It lets water in if driven in hard rain.
• Change or re-chrome front bumper, left and right ends. Adequate as it is, but not even good. -- Re-chromed, 07/2018.
• Re-build the engine or replace it. Leaks oil a bit. -- Fixed 7.9.2000. Rebuilt in 2009-2015, now 1915cc with dual DellOrtos. Only thing broken was oil sump cover's paper seals. I changed them to new ones and now the engine doesn't leak. :)
• Rubber boot covering the horns is missing. Also water drain pipes from the trunk (two) and hood support rubbers (two). -- Bought 24.12.2000, I'll install them when snow melts away, sometime in the spring 2001. Done 5.5. 2001. .... Rubber boot is crumbling away, needs to be replaced again. 5/2021.
• 2019 Roof painted white, chrome trim installed and new seals
• 2024 Drive shaft rubber boots replaced
• 2024 Still problems with leaking oil sump cover, "copper" gasket rings are crap and won't seal.

Repairing things:

1: The horns

2: Engine rebuild 2009-2015

Other Karmann-Ghia -pages

Karmann-Ghia -webring has many sites (>100) and it can be found from here.

Private Karmann Ghias, from oldest to newest, unknown at the bottom:

• Cream Coupe -58
• Dennis Farr's K-G page (Green Coupe, -68)
• Karmann Ghia World (White Coupe, -69)
• Badura's Karmann Ghia Site (Orange Coupe, -70)
• Green Coupe, -71
• Cream Cabriolet, -72
• Essence of Ghia (Lime Coupe, -72)
• Sand blasted Ghia body
• Red Convertible
• Mauve Coupe

  Ghia resources, pictures:

• The Karmann Ghia Connection
• Karmann Ghia Welt Fotos, In German

  Clubs:

• Karmann Ghia Club Suedhessen, in German
• Karmann Ghia Owners Club (USA)
• Karmann Ghia Owners Club (France), in French

  Registries:

• 56-59 Karmann Ghia Registry
• Type 34 Karmann Ghia Registry

  Companies:

• K-G Motorworks (lots of pictures in Gallery-section)

• Factory data available (In German) Beetle and other Volkswagens:

• Aircooled Only- links
• Beetle Clinic - Ihre Käferwerkstatt, in German
• R.A.M.V.A. Problem Solver

• Main page

Page modified last 24.09.2024