Oghh. This is the car that made me love cars since I was a kid. My dad had a red Karmann Ghia, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Many fond memories of it not starting.
Hey I have a pretty similar story! My grandma used to own a yellow one; I never had the pleasure to see it in person, but the first time she showed me a photo of it I fell in love with the thing! It was the car that got me into automotive stuff.
It warms my heart to know that you are willing to drive around with a camera strapped to your head and earmuffs on, in order for us to experience these cars. You rock, man!
You can see quite a few of those here in Brazil due to the massive influence Volkswagen has had in the country for over 60 years, such a beautiful gem.
THIS was My first car, a 1971. Mine Orange convertable. circa 1975 to 78. Gas was $.40 CENTS per gallon. Ten gallon tank, so $10 bucks filled her up. (Gas station pumped the gas for you.) It was a joy to drive. Dependable and fun. 8 Track in glove box for tunes. Thanks Dad !!
I love old VWs. They feel like they will run forever and are so light and fun to drive, while also being comfortable and practical. In many ways they are the ideal vintage car.
My friend had one of these and we'd run around in it and it felt just like an MGB. Sat low, had a torquey engine and it zoomed around. It was a real sports car , as long as you didnt see it from the outside .
Hi Ted - I'm not commenting much usually but beside my love for old cars, I also do have videography as a passion and side-job. Your filming is always well made and class (appreciate the view given by the cap mount vs the head band most people use) but this time the camera movement at 0:46 with the sun rays perfectly following the lettering, was simply top notch. Well done mate
Great drive! I had one in 1970, bought it new from a VW dealer in Chicago, same color (amber), but a hardtop. Only made one long trip, Chicago to New York City and back. Driving was a pleasure. Fine memory watching this video!
The VW Karmann Ghia was my very first car- a 1968 beater my brother had given up on. This 1970 model is in fine condition, a gorgeous drop top version in fact. My 1968 model... not so much. But it was free to me just saying- that worked. I worked on it some, got it running, cause in HS if you had a car, you had a better chance with the girls. "Hey honey you wanna go for a ride somewhere, sometime maybe?" The Drive In Movie theater, the Lake, the shopping mall. Gas prices back then were- $ 0.28 cents a gallon. I could fill my tank for $ 2.50, drive it for 3 weeks. This worked for my budget- as a 16-year-old self-employed business owner- Grass Removal Technician- Landscaper. Sold it to a Ghia enthusiast- who had a yard and garage full of Ghia's in various states to wrench on. You never forget- your first car, your first girl, your first real road trip to the horizon. The Ghia back then gave me freedom to go where I wanted & whenever. Easy to work on, cheap on gas, basic transportation from point A to point B. Simple sometimes works. Given the electronic complexity of modern cars of today, the tech & laptop to find the customer issue- makes me long for the days of simple car transportation. Thanks for this video- brought back some good memories for me.
Thanks for the ride along, and yes, an inch and a quarter of free play in the steering wheel is normal 😜. Mine's the same year, but is a coupe. I built a "bulletproof stocker" for it which is balanced and blueprinted, and it's been running beautifully for ten years now.
My dad's got a 61 convertible we just finished restoring for the 2nd time!! (Garage fire). With karmann ghias you either 1. Had one, 2. knew someone who had one, or 3. Rode in one before.
Nice catch! I owned a '69 Ghia, same color convertible! Poor thing didn't like upstate NY winters and rusted away. They are great fun to drive! I built my own engine, hot-rodded it a little and still managed to get around 35 MPG with a car which could beat V8s from the line. Good memories and thanks for posting! I will vicariously enjoy it through you! 😊
Cousin Clark loved the Lambos. As a Gen-X kid, The Karmann Ghia is such a beautiful bit of cool. It takes the happy joy of the Bug and is a beautiful package. The Ghia is measured in smiles per gallon.
Mine was a '68, loved it and would love to have another Cabriolet. Fantastic and fun car. My wife and I on chilly evenings ( around 40 degrees ) would get in take the top down turn the heat up and head out on the highway. Would love another.
My first car!!! Drove it until the floor boards rusted out. Propped up the drivers seat with a two by four for another 15k miles. I still have dreams of driving this car. 😅
As stated in the video - in North America, gasoline is sold by a different octane rating system than the rest of the world "R+M/2" - the average of the RON & MON methods. 91RON=87octane, 95RON=90octane, and 98RON=93octane (dependent on the MON of the particular fuel).
Even "in the day" (i.e. the 1970's) everyone would complain about how Porsches had put on size, weight and price compared to their cars of the 1950s. Car and Driver held up the Karmann Ghia as "today's Speedster" that offered 90% of the experiance of a Porsche Speedster, for half the price! (...of a used Speedster of the time)
I also point it out when I see it. Surprisingly I have seen like 10 different ones this year alone. They are really pretty, and they sound beautiful. Our company VW Crafters also have Reverse Down Left. Interesting point of similarity.
Everything about this makes me remember my '74...I miss that car dearly and would probably still have it if it wasn't totaled by some old man who had no business being on the roadway. On day when I'm old and grey, I'll pull from my retirement fund and get another one
That's a beautiful little Ghia... But I'd tighten up that steering a wee bit. I know they were never as tight as a more modern car, but once those old ones have a bit of age on them, they can get a little sloppy. Otherwise, she's gorgeous!
Got one for 45k eurs .. First owner was Belgian older man.. he cried when he sold it.. he can't drive anymore and he want to help his grandkids.. Got lucky because is in really perfect condition. I will probably do some modification and fix steering wheel.. it's ok as stock just want little bit to be on safe side, not used to that empty gap.. I must say it's pleasure to drive it.. and i must admit, ladies love it 😁🤣
That steering box should probably be adjusted.There is too much free play in the steering.These little cars can be adjusted to make fun little handling sporty things.Never a 356 but fun nonetheless.
VW needs to put a convertible back into their lineup. Not sure why they dumped the Beetle and EOS verts but VW is known for some good soft tops...so they need to get one back in the showroom
im not a big fan of the look of the classic Volkswagen beetle but the Karmann Ghia on the other hand looks super cool if i were to own a old Volkswagen it would be a Karmann Ghia
I wish someone could explain to me the thought process behind not allowing other drivers to "zipper" merge (?). My booty clenched when that A6 showed no signs of willing to slow down for you to hop in front. Glad it didn't end up ugly, it would be such a shame to damage that candy red Alf... I mean VW. :)
Another Karmann Ghia "review" gone wrong... What a DOG of a karmann ghia :( Whoever built this Ghia went for ALL VISUALS and 0 mechanicals.... I could tell this would be the case 5 seconds in when I saw the horribly cut and fitted window scraper rubber (top of door) that this was going to be "one of those Karmann Ghias". Karmann ghias (and bugs too) handle quite well when they are setup! Keyword, when they are setup... Same with the steering, they have good steering for street and a bit of sporty feel if it actually has decent tires and just the OG front swaybar... This one looks like it has an original, un-adjusted, worn out, steering worm gear box. Not to mention, this engine should be 60 horsepower... Thats as much as an early-mid 1950s porsche 356. If you had drove my 1971, you would have had a blast! All I did was: tires, twin carbs (like an old 356), exhaust, and a 1/2 inch rear swaybar. Night and day.... The OG karmann ghia is truly a daily driver... It is setup JUST LIKE A BUG. That means, maximum fluff and squish, and maximum MPG.... AKA, NOT for speed... but ask any VW racer and they will say that VW did these things because they knew their market! All it took for my ghia to go from performance like this video to an absolute gem that I just can't stop driving was tires, shocks, carbs, exhaust, and tuning! THATS IT! It was actually comparable to the one 356 I ever drove... All this is cool and all, but it is a secret :D if people knew this, their prices would rocket and (I) dont want that :P
Yep, I had a restored 72 with a reconditioned steering box, it was really nice and tight, no comparison (unfortunately) to this one. But nothing a bit of work can't fix.
Oghh. This is the car that made me love cars since I was a kid. My dad had a red Karmann Ghia, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Many fond memories of it not starting.
Hey I have a pretty similar story! My grandma used to own a yellow one; I never had the pleasure to see it in person, but the first time she showed me a photo of it I fell in love with the thing! It was the car that got me into automotive stuff.
It warms my heart to know that you are willing to drive around with a camera strapped to your head and earmuffs on, in order for us to experience these cars. You rock, man!
You can see quite a few of those here in Brazil due to the massive influence Volkswagen has had in the country for over 60 years, such a beautiful gem.
Karmann Ghias always put a smile on my face. Beautiful styling that has aged incredibly well, both in the coupe and convertible.
My grandparents bought my dad a yellow one when he was in high school. I always thought they were super neat!
THIS was My first car, a 1971. Mine Orange convertable. circa 1975 to 78. Gas was $.40 CENTS per gallon. Ten gallon tank, so $10 bucks filled her up. (Gas station pumped the gas for you.) It was a joy to drive. Dependable and fun. 8 Track in glove box for tunes. Thanks Dad !!
one of the most beautiful cars i've ever seen. never had a great experience driving it, but it's a damn thing to look at.
I love the subtle *cluck cluck* sound of that shifter. No clue why but it sounds so good
That sound is one of my favorite parts of driving my hardtop. I guess It's part of the feedback of "operating" the car.
I love old VWs. They feel like they will run forever and are so light and fun to drive, while also being comfortable and practical. In many ways they are the ideal vintage car.
My mom tells me my aunt was dying for one of these as a teenager growing up. “CUTEST CAR EVER!” 😍😍
I have a '73. Love it. I get thumbs up from people every time I take her for a drive.
My friend had one of these and we'd run around in it and it felt just like an MGB. Sat low, had a torquey engine and it zoomed around. It was a real sports car , as long as you didnt see it from the outside .
Hi Ted - I'm not commenting much usually but beside my love for old cars, I also do have videography as a passion and side-job. Your filming is always well made and class (appreciate the view given by the cap mount vs the head band most people use) but this time the camera movement at 0:46 with the sun rays perfectly following the lettering, was simply top notch. Well done mate
Thank you for noticing! I was really excited about that shot
I purchased a 1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe half a year ago. Absolutely in love with the car. Far from perfect but just so enjoyable to cruise in!
Just in time for the german national holiday. thank you for that. sadly vw doesn't come up with such cool designs anymore.
Great drive! I had one in 1970, bought it new from a VW dealer in Chicago, same color (amber), but a hardtop. Only made one long trip, Chicago to New York City and back. Driving was a pleasure. Fine memory watching this video!
My first car was a 1960 Ghia I bought in '66. Red convertible with tan interior and top. Taught my sister to drive a standard in it. Very fun car!
The VW Karmann Ghia was my very first car- a 1968 beater my brother had given up on.
This 1970 model is in fine condition, a gorgeous drop top version in fact.
My 1968 model... not so much. But it was free to me just saying- that worked.
I worked on it some, got it running, cause in HS if you had a car, you had a better chance with the girls.
"Hey honey you wanna go for a ride somewhere, sometime maybe?" The Drive In Movie theater, the Lake, the shopping mall.
Gas prices back then were- $ 0.28 cents a gallon. I could fill my tank for $ 2.50, drive it for 3 weeks.
This worked for my budget- as a 16-year-old self-employed business owner- Grass Removal Technician- Landscaper.
Sold it to a Ghia enthusiast- who had a yard and garage full of Ghia's in various states to wrench on.
You never forget- your first car, your first girl, your first real road trip to the horizon.
The Ghia back then gave me freedom to go where I wanted & whenever.
Easy to work on, cheap on gas, basic transportation from point A to point B.
Simple sometimes works. Given the electronic complexity of modern cars of today, the tech & laptop
to find the customer issue- makes me long for the days of simple car transportation.
Thanks for this video- brought back some good memories for me.
Thanks for the ride along, and yes, an inch and a quarter of free play in the steering wheel is normal 😜. Mine's the same year, but is a coupe. I built a "bulletproof stocker" for it which is balanced and blueprinted, and it's been running beautifully for ten years now.
My dad's got a 61 convertible we just finished restoring for the 2nd time!! (Garage fire). With karmann ghias you either 1. Had one, 2. knew someone who had one, or 3. Rode in one before.
I've got a '70 coupe currently being restored. I can't wait to drive it again, hopefully by next summer. Thanks for this video!
Older people in Brazil called him "Fusca de terno" or Beetle in a suit.
Nice catch! I owned a '69 Ghia, same color convertible! Poor thing didn't like upstate NY winters and rusted away. They are great fun to drive! I built my own engine, hot-rodded it a little and still managed to get around 35 MPG with a car which could beat V8s from the line. Good memories and thanks for posting! I will vicariously enjoy it through you! 😊
Still looking forward to you driving an old classic Saab, great video as always!
Awwww. One of my absolute top favourite cars!!! LOVE IT💓
Cousin Clark loved the Lambos.
As a Gen-X kid, The Karmann Ghia is such a beautiful bit of cool. It takes the happy joy of the Bug and is a beautiful package. The Ghia is measured in smiles per gallon.
Mine was a '68, loved it and would love to have another Cabriolet. Fantastic and fun car. My wife and I on chilly evenings ( around 40 degrees ) would get in take the top down turn the heat up and head out on the highway. Would love another.
These little convertibles are the most fun to drive!
My first car!!! Drove it until the floor boards rusted out. Propped up the drivers seat with a two by four for another 15k miles. I still have dreams of driving this car. 😅
As stated in the video - in North America, gasoline is sold by a different octane rating system than the rest of the world "R+M/2" - the average of the RON & MON methods. 91RON=87octane, 95RON=90octane, and 98RON=93octane (dependent on the MON of the particular fuel).
I had a yellow hard top , never got stuck in snow.
My aunt had a blue one. A dope, cool little car.
Even "in the day" (i.e. the 1970's) everyone would complain about how Porsches had put on size, weight and price compared to their cars of the 1950s. Car and Driver held up the Karmann Ghia as "today's Speedster" that offered 90% of the experiance of a Porsche Speedster, for half the price! (...of a used Speedster of the time)
Having driven a lot of speedsters I can only assume VW was paying for a lot of advertising in Car And Driver for that statement to be made
Technically speaking the floorpan is the only thing it does not share with the Beetle... lovely car!
I also point it out when I see it. Surprisingly I have seen like 10 different ones this year alone. They are really pretty, and they sound beautiful.
Our company VW Crafters also have Reverse Down Left. Interesting point of similarity.
Born in my birthyear, yeah! What a nice little car.
The dry rasp of the engine sounds so intense once it gets going for something putting out 10HP
I love these and the Volvo P1800.
Perfect video, perfect car, perfect channel!!!
Everything about this makes me remember my '74...I miss that car dearly and would probably still have it if it wasn't totaled by some old man who had no business being on the roadway.
On day when I'm old and grey, I'll pull from my retirement fund and get another one
this car is amazing, but we all need a therapy drive in the type r broo..
That's a beautiful little Ghia... But I'd tighten up that steering a wee bit.
I know they were never as tight as a more modern car, but once those old ones have a bit of age on them, they can get a little sloppy.
Otherwise, she's gorgeous!
Often , very often I dream this car
Always thought it deserved more ooomph than that provided by the little air cooled 1600.
There's certainly some aftermarket things you could do to get some extra ponied
I had a '70 coupe a few years ago. I loved it around town but at 65-70 MPH on the highway the engine was screaming.
My parents bought one in the same red such a nice car i got to drive it to bit weard coming from a brand new car but still cool
Got one for 45k eurs .. First owner was Belgian older man.. he cried when he sold it.. he can't drive anymore and he want to help his grandkids.. Got lucky because is in really perfect condition. I will probably do some modification and fix steering wheel.. it's ok as stock just want little bit to be on safe side, not used to that empty gap.. I must say it's pleasure to drive it.. and i must admit, ladies love it 😁🤣
That steering box should probably be adjusted.There is too much free play in the steering.These little cars can be adjusted to make fun little handling sporty things.Never a 356 but fun nonetheless.
How would anyone come up with the idea of spoiling one of the most beautiful rears in automotive history with a luggage rack?
VW needs to put a convertible back into their lineup. Not sure why they dumped the Beetle and EOS verts but VW is known for some good soft tops...so they need to get one back in the showroom
im not a big fan of the look of the classic Volkswagen beetle but the Karmann Ghia on the other hand looks super cool if i were to own a old Volkswagen it would be a Karmann Ghia
They are beautiful ❤
Pls try the Porsche S/T!! Love your videos 🔥
I had this in highschool
Beetle steering ratio?
Lock to lock turns?
Old, light cars are a different world.
I wish someone could explain to me the thought process behind not allowing other drivers to "zipper" merge (?). My booty clenched when that A6 showed no signs of willing to slow down for you to hop in front. Glad it didn't end up ugly, it would be such a shame to damage that candy red Alf... I mean VW. :)
Brad Pitts's car in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
A Volkswagen Karmann Ghia has no radiator
Well that's because it's air cooled!
It also doesn’t have a wing. Or jet propulsion
Looked much faster than it was - but Germans loved her.
🔥🔥🔥
Such an endearing car. I love seeing these at shows. Is the handling in the beetles of the time that wallowy? Looks nice.
No, the steering definitely needs some repairs
No. Many depending on how early had steering boxes that can get worn out or just very very old bushings.
Is your steering box tight?
i have the same model and same color!
Can you please review another caterham or a kei car
That was a 4 speed manual!
Engin looks to be a 1500 single port.
Find the torque??
“Fuel pump going”… not if it’s a stock 1600. Mechanical pump 😉😉
Bad owner for letting the steering get in such a bad shape. My rebuilt steering box was like a dream, this has a HUGE slop, not normal.
Yes, up to spec steering, good shocks and nice radials with the independent suspension on these gives a fun cornering experience.
I have a 71 Karmann Ghia…
It’s my every day driver …👍🏻
It can be seen on my channel .. The Jeff Galey channel
Mater: Volkswagen Karmann Ghia has no radiator because its air cooled
This cars screams come drive me Barbie
So Audi drivers are basicly the same everywhere..
Another Karmann Ghia "review" gone wrong... What a DOG of a karmann ghia :( Whoever built this Ghia went for ALL VISUALS and 0 mechanicals.... I could tell this would be the case 5 seconds in when I saw the horribly cut and fitted window scraper rubber (top of door) that this was going to be "one of those Karmann Ghias". Karmann ghias (and bugs too) handle quite well when they are setup! Keyword, when they are setup... Same with the steering, they have good steering for street and a bit of sporty feel if it actually has decent tires and just the OG front swaybar... This one looks like it has an original, un-adjusted, worn out, steering worm gear box. Not to mention, this engine should be 60 horsepower... Thats as much as an early-mid 1950s porsche 356.
If you had drove my 1971, you would have had a blast! All I did was: tires, twin carbs (like an old 356), exhaust, and a 1/2 inch rear swaybar. Night and day.... The OG karmann ghia is truly a daily driver... It is setup JUST LIKE A BUG. That means, maximum fluff and squish, and maximum MPG.... AKA, NOT for speed... but ask any VW racer and they will say that VW did these things because they knew their market! All it took for my ghia to go from performance like this video to an absolute gem that I just can't stop driving was tires, shocks, carbs, exhaust, and tuning! THATS IT! It was actually comparable to the one 356 I ever drove...
All this is cool and all, but it is a secret :D if people knew this, their prices would rocket and (I) dont want that :P
This steering operates like it's not connected to the front tyres, A LOT of movement with hardly any action. This must not be normal...
Yep, I had a restored 72 with a reconditioned steering box, it was really nice and tight, no comparison (unfortunately) to this one. But nothing a bit of work can't fix.
🫡🫡🫡
How did brad pitt make it look so fast lol
I think they dropped a Subaru engine in it.
@@solarwave youre right i just looked it up
I don't like the sound of that transmission. At all. I wonder how the gears look. It won't be pretty.
That steering is dead…. takes half a turn from left to right just to keep that thing on the road.
Cabriolet is pronounced cabrioley
Bro. It’s German and spelled Kabriolett on the badge in the car haha. I know how to say cabriolet when it’s spelled that way. I’m not a moron
@@TedwardDrives no, I know you’re not! 👍
I could drive it dri nk
13:37 hehe
Beautiful car. Way under powered. Complete rust bucket.
A Ghia design, but largely cribbed from Virgil Exner and his K-310 / Chrysler d'Elegance cars.