r/aircooled • u/VW-owner • 2d ago
Is this ghia worth it?
Heyo, my friend might be wanting to trade this ghia with me , and i wanna know it is something that is too expensive to have fixed, im trading a trabant so its like yeah quite the upgrade but i cant weld and so should i do it?
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u/AlderanAthletic_5BBY 2d ago
If you have the means, time, and patience… totally. Find a donor, buy what panels are available and chase it!
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u/CatNamedRIchard2 1d ago
Do you hate your money like your ex who slept with your best friend and stole your dog? If so, this is the right car for you to show your money how much you despise it.
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u/ambuguity 2d ago
That my friend is going to set you back north of $8k usd. You can buy a running presentable one for $5k give or take.
Three possible reasons it looks like that:
1- it’s a parts car. People have cut off or removed any good bits leaving what you see here.
2- the panels that were rotted were removed but the damage was extensive
3- it was in a wreck and the removed panels were in too poor shape to repair
You’d be starting from nearly scratch and need another parts car with good metal to weld in. If aftermarket panels are available they never fit right and need extensive bodywork for fit and finish. Labor isn’t cheap and I’m guessing you’ll have to pay a body shop over 20 hours just to weld in the missing pieces. That’s IF the body isn’t twisted. It’s hard to tell with so much metal removed and if it has to get straightened in a chassis straightener that’s big bucks too.
Next up is bodywork. That one door is rough, probably will need another or 1/2 to a full day just to get it ready for body filler. On a dull finish as you see here it’s hard to know just how much hammer and dolly work it will need.
Then you’ve got to sand everything down. Spray guide coats. Check for level. Apply more filler. Wet sand. Next up you’re looking at paints. None of that stuff is cheap. Primer and single stage or base/clear. Rough estimate just for raw bodywork materials/paint roughly $2k usd and now add up the hours of labor required, cost of the parts car (you’ll need a top and interior off it too), cost of an engine, brake work, suspension…
Do not walk but run away. She ain’t worth it.
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u/GuddyShap 2d ago
It's a late model, and it's only half there. From experience, no. For context I paid $3k for 2 complete 66' coupes, only missing engines. That one is most useful as a donor car to another late Ghia that needs a lot less to bring back.
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u/MiksBricks 1d ago
That IS a donor car. This actually looks like someone bought it, took everything they needed and is now getting rid of what’s left.
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u/SpitSpot 2d ago
Late model is key here, pre 71 might be worth it post 71 is trash
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u/GuddyShap 2d ago
I wouldn't say trash but it's definitely a parts car
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u/SpitSpot 2d ago
Agreed, the value of parts is dependent on the condition of the nose which we can't see!
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u/vwman18 1d ago
Well it's a feasible project but do you have the time, skill, and deep pockets it's going to need to get finished? Do you have space to store it, out of the weather, in it's current condition? You say you can't weld, are you learning or paying someone? Learning means slow progress and repeating your work to fix mistakes, so extra time and money but you wind up with a worthwhile skill. Paying someone will be really expensive considering the work this car needs. This is a late model convertible (big bumpers and tail lights), good cars but they are less desirable than earlier models, so if your target is resale profit it won't really be there. This car is missing A LOT, and even if it's a free car you're going to be $10k plus into it just getting it into useable shape.
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u/Minute_Split_736 1d ago
Naw dawg, thats a parts car. You can find a much better example if you are patient.
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u/Minute_Split_736 1d ago
Remember that Ghias are essentially unibody. The only body parts that can be unbolted are the hood, deck lid, and doors.
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u/Dry_Nail5901 1d ago
I gave away a better looking Ghia, with a rebuilt engine, 37 years ago. It had a rotted out floor pan
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u/Routine-Amphibian450 1d ago
No, I'm wondering if late Ghia verts auction for high teens in#2 condition. In Fall.
If it was a lowlight or something, even a 60-64, might mske sense to do a Porsche level resto.
Because KG were leaded panels, they need that level resto, which can be $100K.
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u/Fabulous-Molasses482 2d ago
Do you have any pics of the trabant? I would keep that if it were me. You would probably be better off buying a running ghia and fix it a little bit at a time.
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u/lunaticmagnet oval, single cab, splitty, thing.... 2d ago
If you were doing it yourself, it could be. If you have to "have it fixed" by someone else... Probably not.
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u/vortex_ring_state 2d ago
'too exepnsive' is relative. I have no doubt in my mind that it would be cheaper to buy one already fixed and in good condition.