Tag Archives: The Samba
California Cruising: 1968 Karmann Ghia Coupe
Found here on The Samba is a cherry 1968 Karmann Ghia. The car wears its original Velour Red color on a nicely restored black interior. The previous owner repainted the car and it shines nicely. The nose is amazingly straight and free of damage, which is pretty rare for an old Ghia. Underneath the heater channels, rockers and floor pans are all solid. The 1600 Dual Port motor runs great and starts easily while the transmission shifts smoothly into all four gears plus reverse. Inside the front seats have been freshly restored with new covers and padding. The dashboard and top pad are new and all of the lights and gauges function as they should. New speakers and a new Vintage Sound stereo sound great. The headliner and all of the glass are in great shape. New H4 headlights keep things bright out front and new 15 inch steel wheels and Bridgestone tires are ready to be driven. All this Ghia needs is a new owner to hop in and start cruising. Asking $13,000 obo. Feel free to email with questions or to set up a time to check it out.
1975 Time Warp Porsche 914
Found here on The Samba is a very original 1975 Porsche 914 1.8. This 914 was originally sold in Pensacola, Florida and has spent its life in the Sunshine State and Georgia. The car still wears its original Laguna Blue color (paint code L50C) although it has had one respray. The 914 features rare white vinyl seats, center bolster and door cards, which offset the blue nicely. The stitching at the center of the rear bolster has pulled slightly and there is a ¼” rip on the upper passenger door card. Other than that, the interior is in great shape. The original grey carpet makes a nice contrast and shows very little wear. The factory Blaupunkt AM/FM radio is present and works although it is slow to turn on. All of the gauges and lights function as they should. The mileage is 112,131. I have a stack of records dating back to the cars’ delivery in August 1975 including the original window sticker from Bill Campbell Porsche + Audi in Pensacola.
The original 1.8 liter Type IV motor is present and retains its Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection. The 1.8 pulls nicely and cruises at highway speeds with ease. The side-shift Type 901 5-speed transmission shifts in all gears and the four-wheel disc brakes stop well with no brake fade. Period correct German ATS five-spoke 15” wheels are wrapped with Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grid 195/65R15 tires that have very few miles on them. Originally an A/C equipped car, the condenser is still mounted in the front trunk however the rest of the system has been removed.
The shock towers and floorboards are in great shape. Rust present is a silver dollar-sized area of surface rust on the passenger side rear fender, slight surface rust in the rear trunk (no holes) and a hole at the base of the passenger side firewall.This 914 runs and drives great and is perfect for a spring trip to the mountains or your favorite section of twisty road.
The car has a clear title and is in Athens, Georgia. Feel free to email with questions. $11,500 obo.
The Ultimate Weekend Warrior: 1989 VW Vanagon Carat
Found here on The Samba is an ’89 VW Vanagon Carat Edition. The Carats are some of the most desirable of the non-poptop Vanagons. Westfalia built backwards facing foldable jump seats, pop-up table, extra lighting, cup holders and a full size Z bed set these apart from traditional Vanagon L and GL models. 1989 was the second year of the last iteration of the Vanagon line. Updates include a lowered ride height, smaller steering wheel and factory body kit with ground effects.
The 2.1 liter wasser-boxer flat four runs great and has roughly 45k miles on a top-end rebuild. This bus has the three speed automatic gear box that shifts smoothly in all gears. Recent work includes front brake rotors and pads, rear brake drums and shoes and a new master cylinder. A new fuel pump and filter were installed in June and new tires were installed in April. The previous owner repainted the original Bordeaux Red Pearl a shade lighter. The paint shines and looks good. There is a roughly four inch dent at the rear of the sliding door but no scratches (see pictures). The interior is in good shape with only slight wear and a couple holes in the base of the driver’s seat (see pictures).
The bus has 227,157 miles on it however the odometer reads 83,897. The original tripometer stopped working so the speedometer which houses both the trip and odometer was replaced. The original unit is included with the sale. The fuel gauge stopped working (a common Vanagon problem) so you just have to keep track of the mileage between fill ups. There is no rust above or below on this bus.
It has a clear Georgia title and is in Athens, GA. Feel free to email with questions or to arrange a time to view and drive it. Asking $7500.
Late ’72 Built Porsche 914 Project
Found here on The Samba is an early ’73 914 Project.
Originally painted Olympic Blue (L51P) this 914 has been resprayed red at some point in time. The original 1.7l remains although the fuel injection has been swapped for a single Weber. The motor spins freely however we haven’t tried to start it. The preferable side shift transmission is present and engages in all 5 gears + reverse. The interior is fair but will need some work. The rockers and floors are sound less one rust hole at the back passenger side. The hell hole has rust that has been painted over by a previous owner and the battery mount moved to the rear trunk. Assume that this area will need more work. All in all this is a good project or a great complete parts car for your other 914. We have several other parts available if interested. $1950 or best offer. Feel free to email with questions or to come see it. The 914 is in Athens, GA. Sold as is with a bill of sale only. Buy these up before they head north along with the other early Porsches.
One fast Orange: Custom 1970 Formula Vee Bug
Found here on The Samba is a radically customized 1970 VW Beetle.
This Formula Vee inspired Bug was originally built in Louisiana in the mid-2000’s with virtually no expense spared. The list of upgrades and add-ons is impressive to say the least. The build was so good it garnered it a write up in Hot VW’s Magazine in December, 2007. From the late 60’s through the mid 70’s the Formula Vee catalog offered an array of options and parts that your friendly Volkswagen dealer could add on t0 your new Beetle. Many of the options were cosmetic including the side decals, shift knobs, steering wheel and the like. In addition, performance upgrades were offered including stiffer suspension, free flow exhausts and magnesium wheels.
The builder of this 1970 Formula Vee Bug took that concept of clever bits and pieces and turned the volume up to 11. Long gone is the original 1500cc type 1 motor. In its place is a tricked out 2276 that has been built to the 9’s. This beast features an 82mm SCAT Volksrace II crankshaft, CB Performance 5.5 H beam rods mated to Mahle 94mm forged pistons with lightened wrist pins. The CB Performance 044 SuperMag heads have been CNC ported and feature 42mm intake and 37.5mm exhaust valves. An Engle FK8 hot camshaft runs the valves with a lift of .534 and a .258 duration. A lightened 12.5 lb chromoly flywheel was installed along with a Kennedy stage 1 pressure plate and a Daikin solid hub disc. To keep everything cool a 28mm full flow oil pump moves the oil through a CB Performance 2qt Wide Glide oil sump with both an internal sump filter and a remote screw on type filter. Dual Weber 44mm IDF carburateurs let this beast inhale through CB Performance match ported intake manifolds. A custom built 1.5″ A1 Sidewinder ceramic coated exhaust with a stainless steel Magna Flow muffler lets it breath out. A Raby Aircooled Technology DTM fan shroud houses the Type 4 oil cooler. To add spark to the mix an MSD distributor and CDI ignition box have been added along with MSD wires.
A Maxi Flyer transmission was installed complete with “Super Differential” and polyurethane mount. Shifting duties are handled by an original Hurst shifter. The front suspension features a 2″ narrowed beam with 2.5″ dropped spindles and KYB GR-2 shocks and a 5/8″ narrowed sway bar. In the back the stock rear suspension was lowered one click and KYB Gas Adjust shocks and a torque bar chassis stiffener were added. Four wheel disc brakes were installed along with stainless brake lines.
The body features Creative Car Craft fiberglass rear fenders that are 1.5″ wider than stock and new stock front fenders. These house brand new 205/40 R17 Yokohama tires on BBS RGR dark anodized wheels. A Euro rear apron, Beehive taillights, rear pop-out windows and vent delete side windows were installed. Inside new charcoal cut-pile carpets, a new headliner and custom dashboard compliment a pair of Scat Procar Rally seats. Finally to help this bug make the long haul a 16 gallon fuel tank was installed.
Since its completion in 2006 this bug has been driven 14,730 miles. There are a few small paint chips on the nose and front fenders (pictured) but the paint still shines like new. Underneath the floorboards and heater channels are completely rust free. This bug is in Athens, GA and has a clear Georgia title. Feel free to email with questions or to set up a time to check it out.
The Formula Vee is being sold with the BBS RGR 17″ wheels for $14,ooo or $11,500 with the 5-Star 16″ wheels pictured in the Hot VW’s article. Offers will be considered.
Austrian Built: 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon
Found here on The Samba is a very original 1991 Vanagon GL.
This GL was built in the same Graz, Austria factory that built most of the Syncros. By ’91 production was winding down on the venerable T3 and van production had moved to Austria. This particular Vanagon has just over 146k on the clock and runs strong. The stock 2.1l fires right up and pulls well. The 3 speed automatic transmission upshifts and downshifts smoothly. The cruise control and power door locks function properly. The A/C blows but could probably stand a charge.
The body is in great shape with no rust underneath or at the seams. The Hankook tires have plenty of life in them and the Pastel White paint shines. A trailer hitch has been added for light towing or a bike rack. Inside the grey cloth/vinyl interior is in good condition with no tears. The front carpet is original and in good shape. The rear carpet shows some wear but is intact. The Panasonic In-dash CD player works properly and plays through stock speakers. All gauges and lights function properly. In the back the rear seat folds flat into a bed and the center seats flip forward.
Recent work includes a new muffler, exhaust seals and new valve cover gaskets. The bus is in Athens, GA. Feel free to email with questions or to arrange a time to come and see it.
$7500 or best offer.
Very Original: 1985 Volkswagen Vanagon in Athens, GA
Seen here on The Samba.
Up for sale is a very original, good running ’85 Vanagon GL. Recent mechanical work includes a tune-up with new distributor cap and rotor, new plugs and air filter, oil and filter change, new battery, new thermostat and water pump, cooling system flush and a new clutch slave cylinder. Inside the original rear carpet was replaced and the middle seat removed for more storage. The middle seat will come with the sale. The bus runs well and starts every time. It still wears its original Dove Blue Metallic paint color although its showing its age. There is no rust underneath and the typical rear passenger side corner dent is small. The only rust on the bus is on the driver’s side nose above the headlight grill (see pictures). The rest of the seams are in great shape.
Clear Title. Feel free to email with questions or to set up a time to see it. The bus is in Athens, GA. $3,800 obo.
Porsche 914-6 Rally Recreation in Nevada
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1597420
Well, its for sale folks!! The VintageWerkes first saw this radical rally 914 in Monterey, California at Laguna Seca in 2010. The owner took a run-of-the-mill 1970 1.7l 914-4 and transformed it into a fire breathing 914-6 stripped down and then built back as a rally car that could probably tackle the Dakar. A 2.8 liter twin plug 911 motor is mated to a 915 gear box and all the rally garb you could imagine has been added. Now get this….with everything blazing you’ll have 14 lights shinning on the front of this thing (we hope the alternator has been upgraded) so the road should be pretty clear ahead. Couple that with a full roll cage, period rally gauges and a Red Stripe beer paint scheme and this would be a blast at any vintage rally event. Find it above on The Samba for a steep $55k. Do it yourself though and we’re sure you’d have more in it than that.
’86 VW Westy Syncro in Florida
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1489870
The Vanagon Syncro is a rare breed. Volkswagen’s viscous coupling AWD system was mated to the T25 Vanagon in 1985 and the result was (if you can believe it) a slower, heavier Vanagon! The off road capabilities though were impressive and they’ve since become sought after with prices soaring to stratospheric (for a VW) levels. The cream of the crop in 1986 was to buy a Vanagon Syncro decked out in Westfalia Camper trim. This Westy Syncro is for sale on The Samba in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. The seller claims that is has a mere 98k miles on the original engine. It has had a recent respray in the stock gold/brown color and many new interior parts added. The asking price of $25k is fair for this Camper with several trading north of $40k out West. Snatch this one up and head out for an adventure!
Cousin to the 914: ’74 VW Type IV in Texas
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1560393
In the late 60’s Volkswagen was putting the finishing touches on the follow up to the Type 3 or Fastback, Squareback and Notchback series. The Type 4 had a flat four similar to that of the previous generation but it was a bit larger at 1.7 liters and featured Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection.
At the same time Heinz Nordhoff, who was at the helm of VW, wanted a replacement for the Karmann Ghia and Ferdinand Piëch at Porsche wanted a less expensive replacement for the 912. The result was the 914 which would be sold jointly by the two companies. The Porsche version would carry a 2.0 liter flat six and the VW version would use the 1.7 liter four from the Type 4. Unfortunately Nordhoff passed away in 1968 before the first 914 hit the road. Kurt Lotz was his replacement at Volkswagen but without a personal relationship with the Porsche family the deal soon fell apart. Lotz drove VW to front engined, water-cooled cars and the VW 914 was doomed.
This Type IV 412 was the last year of the breed and is on The Samba in Lewisville, Texas for a very reasonable $2500. It shows some wear and the seller claims that a faulty fuel pump is keeping it from running. All else looks very honest with this car and it may even still wear its original gold paint job. The plethora of 914 engine parts available mean that you could really make this a sleeper.