Turbo-Bestie: 1966 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 14
This next car is offered at a premium asking price, and you know I’m never keen on paying a premium for anything…but…BUT…wow…this just might be worth the price of admission, particularly if you are a fan of the Karmann coach built body (with styling by Ghia) mounted on Beetle oily bits. Find this 1966 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Type 14 offered for $17,990 in West Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
From the front this thing looks like another Ghia with a Beetle headlight conversion, a 2.5 inch drop, and a nice light blue paint job. It’s only when you turn this thing around that the true insanity of the build becomes apparent.
Under the hood Out in the open is a 2332cc pro-built turbo “sand rail” flat-4 that is boosted with a decent sized T-3 turbocharger with an external wastegate and zero muffling. This thing will be loud and faster than you ever want to go in a Ghia.
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Wow, so much to like…. and then I got to the rear end. To my eyes, that set up is a travesty. Then I read the ad, which tells me that the sale includes a matching blue deck lid, with a dual carb non-turbo set up. Hooray! I would love to see a photo of the car that way.
Buy this, install the dual carbs, sell off the turbo setup. Then to my way of thinking, you would have something that is pretty much equivalent to the renowned "356 Outlaw" cars that are pulling in close to 6 figures. Money in the bank, not afraid to drive it, and frankly, the KG even looks better. Win, win, win!
Really beautiful build. I would prefer the decklid on it as well.
The greenhouse of a Ghia is so perfect.
Here's the updated version of this car… thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1859179