1965 Karmann Ghia Coupe

Description for Volkswagen Karmann Ghia 1965

The vehicle you are bidding on is a 1965 Karmann Ghia coupe. The name originates from, Ghia, the designer, and Karmann, the builder of the body. The running gear is, of course, Volkswagen. Some say that Ghia originally designed the body for Chrysler, but they did not proceed and the design was scaled down and became the car we know today. Whatever the reason, the Karmann Ghia remains one of the most beautiful designs ---ever.

For myself, I have been driving, repairing and restoring VWs since 1958. In all this time, I’ve longed after a Ghia, but never owned one until I bought this one a few years ago. The previous owner had taken many steps toward restoration of the car. He had a remanufactured engine and clutch installed, had new floor pans welded in and had the body painted. He also clearly had the ability to reupholster the interior and installed new carpeting, door panels and seat covers in correct black vinyl. At some point, the electrical system was converted to 12 volts.

When I got the car it drove well except that second gear would frequently fail to engage. Often, a shift aimed for second tried to engage reverse. Not good! While this might have been a simple adjustment, I reasoned that all the failed second gear attempts had probably damaged the gears which might have resulted in later failure. Consequently, I purchased a completely remanufactured transaxle and installed it along with an Empi shifter. Problem solved.

As mentioned, the body was painted when I got the car. The paint is clear coat and has good gloss. The previous owner always garaged the car and so have I. I would say the body work performed was good, but judged in the light of what we see coming out of automobile factories today it, of course, does not compare. The chrome is good and the glass likewise although the windshield has a small star almost in the exact center. I did install new door seals and various body rubber pieces. Windows roll up and down well and I serviced the mechanism when I had the door trim off. The rear quarter windows swing out. I also added considerable sound deadening where I could. The wiring dated to 1965 so I installed a complete new 12 volt wiring harness. I sand blasted the rims, epoxy primed and painted them then installed five new radial tires. While radials never left the VW factory, they make a major improvement in the way the car drives.

Engine and transaxle. In 1965 the engine would have been 1200 cc and made perhaps 36 hp on a good day. The previous owner had a remanufactured 1600 cc dual port engine and a new clutch and pressure plate installed which really moves this light weight car along. I was told it had about 500 miles on it when I bought the car. It is much peppier than my 1968 Type 1 with a 1600 cc single port. The flywheel ring gear is correct for the installed 12 volt starter. As described earlier, the transaxle is a remanufactured unit installed with new mounts.

So, why do I want to sell this Ghia? Both my wife and I enjoy classic cars. We’ve had a few, mostly VWs, and now I want to step outside of my comfort zone. We did do a Model A pickup some years ago, but now I’m thinking of a 30s coupe or two door. There is only so much space in the shop. If you are interested, or just want to shoot the breeze about VWs, call me at 734 439-7717.