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Posted by: DerekKim Sep 25 2006, 05:22 PM

I ran into the same Ghia twice today! I love em. Sweet cars. He honked the first time and I gave a thumbs up. My first honk and I was nervous. Went to good ol' Taco Bell and ran into him again. I honked this time. I got a honk back and a peace sign from the gal he was with! VW people are so nice.

Posted by: Vacca Rabite Sep 25 2006, 05:47 PM

Ghias are awesome. I looked at them before I finally bought the 914. They were the cars that got me thining about small aircooled projects. That was in Baltimore. Now that I live in PA, and down the street from a pretty good bug shop, I see them all over the place. That and a lot of immacualte beetles.

Zach

Posted by: PORobinSCHE Sep 25 2006, 06:36 PM

i think the ghia and VeeDub folks identify with the Teeners more than the Porsche crowd. i've gotten nary a wave in either the 914 or 944. stuck-op SOB's

Posted by: GeorgeRud Sep 25 2006, 06:47 PM

Years ago, Car and Driver magazine did an article calling the Ghia the new speedster. Don't know if that was accurate or not, but they sure were pretty and reliable too.

I'm sure if the tinworm didn't attack them with such ferocity and they had a bit more oomph, we'd see a lot of them today. Everytime I see a nice one I start thinking of another project. VW parts are still quite available and cheap in comparison to Porsche parts, though the Ghia is premium to the Beetles.

But then, I still consider a VW Thing with a 911 engine in it a good idea!

Posted by: craig downs Sep 25 2006, 07:28 PM

I had a Ghia once and loved it. It had a great driving position and was wider than
the bug. Hot VW did a histry article on it a few years back. They said VW designed
it simular to the 356 with higher gearing and the driving position to name a few.

Posted by: cooltimes Sep 25 2006, 07:41 PM

Here is one a Ghia I had along with an earlier 914. Been a while. The little girl of our visiting Irish guests in pix is now 21.

MikeCool

Posted by: bd1308 Sep 25 2006, 07:42 PM

ah, higher gearing....AKA lower rpms?

Posted by: SGB Sep 25 2006, 08:44 PM

I Sold my 72 1600 dual port to buy my 914. Ghias can be brought into a state where they become fairly decent riding and enjoyble cars.

Posted by: drewvw Sep 26 2006, 06:38 AM

my first and most loved auto now lives a quiet life in my parents garage, where she sleeps comfortably and is occasionally driven in the summertime when I return home.

ghias rule. I'll never forget the first day of junior year of high school, showing up with it. Mad respect...


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Posted by: John Kelly Sep 26 2006, 09:10 AM

One of my old Ghias...

John www.ghiaspecialties.com


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Posted by: 1bad914 Sep 26 2006, 10:57 AM

My 72 with a 2085cc motor, fun car! Wish I never would have sold it. Love the Ghia, will own one again.


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Posted by: DerekKim Sep 26 2006, 07:16 PM

Mmm makes me want to get one. They are reliable you say? hmmm

Posted by: erikstoll Sep 26 2006, 07:32 PM

ive heard they are, and hear they are not.. im interested to hear as well

Posted by: JPB Sep 26 2006, 07:36 PM

Reliability = the new parts you have insatlled squared.


Enough new parts and its new again.

Posted by: eds72 Sep 26 2006, 08:42 PM

Put a nice T4 in it, and it will be reliable. About three years ago I built a 1971 cc with 2.0 square port heads , European hydro cam, and 8.9:1 CR. 44*38 valves, dual springs, 44 IDF's. The car was a rocket from 70-100 mph. You couldn't even hear it run at idle.






http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v285/eddie71sb/T4%20ghia/?action=view&current=Liz109.flv&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch5

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v285/eddie71sb/T4%20ghia/?action=view&current=Liz111.flv&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch1

Posted by: zen motorcycle Sep 26 2006, 08:52 PM

First car I ever owned was a 68 ghia with an 1800 cc engine. Rebuilt it from a basket case to a daily driver. I had to use my parents cars until I was 17 but I did finish it. man wish I had it back now so I could do it right. Only problem with them was in the rain with a low tank of gas they could get a little squirley on the front end

Posted by: Boojum Sep 26 2006, 09:19 PM

Yeah, but you have to recognize that lots of people buy fancy cars like a Porsche because, well, just because they can, and it's not because they want a sporty car. The basic 911 models are at a price midpoint between most other cars and much more expensive and exclusive GTs and sports cars such as the Porsche 911 turbo and GT3, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, etc. I think most of these people would happily buy and drive more expensive car if they had the ability, and they would do so for no other reason than expensive cars are status symbols, and not because they love cars

It's my thoery that owners of newer Porsches tend to be jerks because of this middle price point. It seperates them into categories: rich jerks who can afford Porsche, and even richer jerks who can afford costlier cars. The same problem affects Mercedes and BMW, because there is a large price gap between a top end Mercedes or BMW saloon, and say a Rolls, Bently or Maybach.

Of course, that's not to say that there aren't plenty of good, non-egotistical owners of new Porsches... It's just that they're more likely to be driving Caymans. And by the way, I've received a few waves in return from Cayman drivers, I think most just don't notice because they're too busy drewling.

Posted by: Hammy Sep 26 2006, 09:42 PM

Had a young guy not too older than me in a Ghia honk and wave on the freeway once. cool in my book Always liked the way Ghias look

Posted by: jonwatts Sep 26 2006, 09:55 PM

I saw two different ghias today (driving).

It's an omen. Someday I will own one and do horrible things to it with a welder.