hey guys i'm new to the sight and love all the input that everyone has on various different subjects and problems.i have a question though,i've come across a 68 ghia that is in great shape all origanal paint,interior etc. paint still has a little shine but it is a 68.the guy says no rust,never wrecked just a great car all around and runs like a champ.i have'nt seen the car yet i'm meeting him jan.4.i've owned several vw's in the past but this is a autostick,i know the usual spots to look for rust and such but some a
advice would be helpful also.im more concerned about this autostick, should i be?
if the car runs like he says, should i be concerned or is there a quick fix that you can do on a autostick just to get it sold?maybe i'm just thinking to much because of what other people have told me about the a/s.my uncle had one when i was alot younger and i talked with him and he said he never had a problem with his,but then theres your buddies going dont do it.can you guys help me sort this thing out?
thanks, clint
Hiya Clint,
Welcome to this corner of the Volkswagen Universe!
I'm a subjective kinda guy when it comes to the AutoStick. I drive one every day. But when I give advice to somebody contemplating and AS purchase I really try to be as objective as I possibly can. That being the case............here goes.
1. If you are thinkling about buying the KG with the intention of using it, then, by all means, drive it around a bit. Get used to the whole AutoStick driving experience. Ask the PO for an extended test drive with him aboard for advice on shifting, etc. The person best equipped to determine whether or not the AutoStick is for you - is you! Give it a chance.
2. If you're perceptive, you'll notice that most of the folks who knock the AutoStick are from the "Need for Speed" crowd. And they have no (or very little) hands-on experience with an AutoStick themselves. Conversely, you will find that almost everyone who has owned an AutoStick has a positive view of the transmission and the car. Even those folks who have sold their AS equipped car in favor of a manual usually have good things to say about the AutoStick. In short, carefully consider WHO you are getting advice from.
3. If you are thinking about flipping the car, know that almost all problems with an AutoStick can be fixed without ever having to get inside the transmission itself. And most of those fixes are fairly straightforward and simple. Consider this, the clutch components in an AS are buffered by the torque converter and that results in an amazingly long life for the clutch. I pulled my clutch with 100,000 miles and it still had 70% wear left! Try that with a manual! It is true that many new replacement parts for the AutoStick are very hard to find. But that is more than offset by two factors..........the parts last a loooong time and due to the quality of original manufacture, used parts will be more than satisfactory for almost any AS application.
Finally Clint, if you need any specific information regarding the AutoStick, this is the place to come. Good folks here with the experience and the time to explain and help.
thanks alot bookwus(mike)?your help is greatly appreciated,im excited about the car i
just hope it stands up to everything the guy is telling me.the pics of the car are great
real clean inside and out,the motor shots the are same way real clean motor,i just can't believe the guy is going to let this one get away,guess thats better for me.im also
kind of excited about the a/s because no one i know has one, all my buddies drive manuals.will this help the car in the future as far as value?not that im going to sell but just wondering.if the car is what he says, i'll keep this one forever.i'll send pics when i pick the car up if everything goes well,and im sure by what you've told me it probably
will.
thanks again,
clint
'62 bug ragtop
'68 ghia a/s?
Hiya Clint,
Quote from: clint on 28 December 2008, 15:56 ......the pics of the car are great real clean inside and out,the motor shots the are same way real clean motor.........
Post some of those pictures up here. We'd like to take a look too. And.............be sure to post a picture of the engine compartment (as close up as is possible) because we can often spot AS related areas that may need attention.
Quote......will this help the car in the future as far as value?......
Hah! There's a lot of speculation about the possibility of increasing value of AutoSticks. At this point in time I would not advise anybody to buy an AutoStick equipped car based solely on its potential future value as an investment. While I certainly do not see the value of such a car depreciating I don't see it appreciating any faster than a car equipped with a manual transmission - yet. But the Law of Supply & Demand says that situation could change sometime off in the future (it just hasn't as of yet). Consider this...........about 10% of Type 1s imported between 1968 and 1975 were AutoStick equipped. Many of those cars, attractive because they were not hot rodded, were eventually purchased and converted to manuals. So the number of AutoSticks is growing smaller when compared to the total number of Type 1s still out on the road.
Clint,
I'd (well, I will!) echo Mike's statements. Frankly in my end of the world, KG's are rare and sexy and MANY of them are rustbuckets or approaching that state. Really hard to find one 100% "cherry". Those that are (or have undergone all rust repairs) command top dollar here.
Pics for sure. A test drive (extended one) will surely aid your cause. Easy to spot leaks, easy to get an idea of shifting, what your suspension is like etc etc.
Regards
Volkenstein
thanks bookwus,i'll let you know how it turns out,i really like the car and like i said i'm also excited about it being an a/s.oh yeah i'm trading a '03 honda vtx 1300r still in good shape, but i'm kinda over it.i've been in a couple of really close calls if you know what i mean.people just don't look out for bikes no matter how safe you are,i've had a couple of close friends check out because of stupidity.talk to you soon.
clint
62 bug ragtop
68 ghia a/s?
thanks for your reply volkenstein,this k/g is really nice,bookwus seen a couple of pics of the car and agreed.he found a couple of minor negatives but all in all he said it was a real good car.i'll send some pics when i pick the car up,if i can figure out how to get them to vwar until then thanks alot for all your support
clint
62bug ragtop
68ghia a/s?
Hiya All,
For those of you who would like to take a look at the car Clint is thinking about............
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=693067
And Clint, I noticed one other item........the generator has been installed incorrectly. It should be rotated 90 degrees to the right. That doesn't sound like a big deal but placed as it is now the generator's fan tin is oriented incorrectly and could result in the generator overheating. Again, this is something a good VW mechanic would not do. You might want to bring that to the attention of the seller.
thanks alot bookwus,you really see the simple stuff that just stands out that one wouldn't normally see.now that you point it out it's real obvious.you're right the electrical hookup should be in the opposite position closer to the fanshroud right?
as far as the fuel filter where do you suggest that it be installed?i've seen several filters in the engine compartment so i'm kinda lost on that one.okay one more question
as far as the distributor,what would you suggest other than the 009 as far as a daily driver goes?i'll leave it at that for now,i really appreciate your time and help.
thanks
clint
62 bug ragtop
68 ghia a/s?
Clint,
I'm 60% certain you have a Brosol H30/31 Pict on your car. If that is truly the case, leave the 009. That carby needs a specially curved & vac canned SVDA (from Aircooled.net) to work. The 009/H30-31 combo is better (relatively) than a 009/34 Pict combo.
If you have a genuine 30 Pict...then just score a better secondhand distributor that matches..a 113905205P, 205AA, 205AD, 205AE or
Bosch No 23115056 or 078.
At least the guy has clamped the fuel filter properly!! Down by the trans or underneath the fuel tank is quite OK.
Is it just the picture or does the lower part of the passenger door have rust bubbles???
I'd still roll it ;D
Regards
Sean
thanks for the info. volkenstein that will really help out alot.so,as far as the rust bubble i'm not really sure yet i'll see the car this weekend for the first time.the owner tells me that's a reflection off the driveway???i seen the same thing and asked about it,he promises the car is rust free,i hope thats the case.i've been waiting since before xmas
about the 21st to see this car,the owner has gone on vacation and will be back on the 4th of jan. he says he'll be back early in the day and i hope thats the case because if not i might have to wait until the following weekend..that would suck.the car is a few hours south of me and i'm trading a motorcycle for this car so i'll need a whole day to make this happen.wish me luck
thanks alot for your help
clint
62 bug ragtop
68 ghia a/s?
p.s. waiting sucks
Wow Very nice Karmann Ghia auto
well worth $15,000 AU.... ++++ maybe $20,000Au
in Australia...
Excellent car...
You know of course that You cannot unbolt the guards/fenders/wings of Karmann Ghias...
they are hand made coachbuilt cars...
lead swiping was done to cover the joins in the body...
very few people can do that nowadays... 2 part body putty is now used...
cheers
LEE