Volkswagen Karmann Ghia buyer’s guide

What are the weaknesses and peculiarities of the famous Italian-Germanic model? Here is the list of possible pitfalls to check before opening your wallet

 

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, or how to best dress efficiency in the Germany of the 1960s rebirth. The production of the small German designed by the Ghia bodywork and assembled in Saxony by the Karmann bodywork on the Beetle mechanics actually began in 1955 and continued with an unstoppable boom in the following years, until the closure of the production chain in 1974. The world it has seen almost 445 thousand of them in circulation, between coupé and convertible versions: not in Italy, though, where this elegant sports car has never known a high-volume diffusion. Most of the cars were sold in their homeland, Germany, and in Brazil, where production went on at the Volkswagen headquarters with some minor changes compared to the Old Continent version. Currently “we have about 100 Coupés and 60 Cabriolets and we think that in Italy there may be another fifty around”, reveals the president of the Karmann Ghia Club Italia Emilio Fano. He also indicates the critical points of the model and what you have to pay attention before you buy your Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.

 

 

 

Identity card. To correctly identify the car, the identification numbers are known with the acronym VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) or “matching numbers“, which corresponds to the definition most commonly used in the context of vintage cars to establish their originality. The correct code combination of the main components (chassis and engine) indicates that the car corresponds to the production specification when new. It is also possible to have the certification of the “matching numbers” by requesting the “Fahrzeug Identitats Urkunde” from the Volkswagen Museum, which contains the data and the original equipment of the car. Among other things, the certificate indicates the country of destination and any special set-ups according to the standards of the time. The chassis number of the Karmann Ghia is instead located at the end of the central tunnel, in front of the inspection cover of the shift rod joint: the detection is done by lifting the rear bench. This number must match the one stamped on the riveted plate inside the front luggage compartment. On which there are other technical features of the vehicle. The engine code is instead punched under the base of the dynamo support.

 

 

 

Bodywork. It can be more complicated and burdensome to fix than mechanical components. If the restoration has already taken place, it is a good idea to get photos of the car before the works to understand the actual extent of the interventions. The bodywork should then be inspected, possibly also from the inside, to see if any repairs have been made not in a good manner. An effective way to check for abundant grout is the sound of the sheet metal being dull rather than metallic as it should be. Another important element to carefully check are the points where water infiltrations can be accumulated due to the aging of the rubber parts. A classic example is the bottom of the door with bubbles under the paint: the cause is the water deposit lying for long periods, which is usually created by clogged drainage holes and deformed glass scraper rubber. We now come to the number one enemy of all classic cars: rust. For this reason, even in the case of buying a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia abroad, it would be better to opt for a specimen arriving from a country with a dry climate.

 

 

 

Car body. The elements on which to focus attention are the interior of the headlights, that is the cups containing the front lights, removing the chrome rings. Another fundamental part is the “nose” between the two front air intakes: it is necessary to check the joint of the sheet and the presence of putty or welds (from inside the front hood). The side rails along their entire length and the general condition of the car bottom from the outside and inside must be carefully inspected, as well as the interior of the engine compartment with particular attention to the part under the starter battery. The general condition of the front and rear wheel arches (upper part) and the presence and status of the protection fixed inside the front fenders (it is a vertically fixed panel which also needs to be checked) are also important. Finally, we must not forget the integrity of the opening cables of the engine compartment and the front hood, since their breakage would involve cutting the sheet metal.

Motor. It is the same as the Beetle: forced circulation air-cooled with thermostatically controlled fan, with 4 opposing horizontal cylinders, overhead valve distribution, rods and rocker arms with central camshaft. The power, originally 30 hp with a displacement of 1,192cc in the first version, has grown to 50 hp in the most recent series with a displacement of 1,584cc. Air cooling is as simple as it is effective since the fan has the impeller keyed onto the dynamo shaft. Which rotates at double the number of revolutions compared to the engine and is driven by the crankshaft via a belt, ensuring a constant flow of air regardless of the driving conditions. The flow is regulated by  a thermostat that adjusts the air flow, already consistent, based on the temperature of the engine.

 

 

 

Specific components. Keep your eyes peeled for the engine crankcase, which is pressure-cast in light alloy. The use of this magnesium-based material made it possible to limit the weight of the engine by containing the overall weight of the car just over 800 kg. The crankshaft is forged, with cranks lying in the same plane. All bearing pins are inductive hardened. The shaft rests on light alloy bearings with lead sliding surface; the four connecting rods are in pressed steel with a double T body section. They are coupled to the crankshaft by means of replaceable lead bronze bearings and carry bronze bushings for the piston pins. The pistons are in light alloy with steel armor. They are each equipped with two compression segments and a scraper ring. The four cylinders, cast in special alloy, are identical to each other and can be replaced individually together with the relative pistons. Special cooling fins, brought back by fusion, ensure the exchange of heat with the cooling air. The heads are divided into pairs of cylinders, are abundantly finned and are detachable. The distribution shaft is housed on three supports obtained directly in the crankcase and is driven by the crankshaft by means of gears with oblique teeth. The valves are operated from the cams by means of tappets, rods and rocker arms.

High-end features. The mechanics have refinements worthy of cars of a higher category. For example, the adoption of a radiator for the optimal maintenance of the oil temperature and, consequently, of the engine. By a special thermostat the lubricant passes through the radiator only with the engine at temperature. Another gem is the positioning of the oil radiator: it is not in sight since it is located inside the fan casing and is in turn ventilated by the flow of air directed to the finned cylinders and the engine heads. All measures that have made it possible to limit the capacity of the lubrication circuit to just 2.5 liters. The oil bath air filter is also remarkable, since any impurities in the air sucked in by the carburetor are retained by the oil after passing through a metal filter. A similar system has also been adopted for the engine oil filter which only needs periodic cleaning, without having to be replaced.

 

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