Last Call- What's Wrong With This Picture Edition

Robert Emslie

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Corvair Ghia

At the recent Vintage VW show in Oxnard CA – where he picked up a second place trophy for his Karmann Ghia – my friend Marty happened upon this white Type 14 displayed on the lawn and it caused him to do a double take. Can you catch what’s odd about this Ghia’s engine bay?

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Image source: ©2013 Hooniverse/Martin Martinez, All Rights Reserved

 

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Robert Emslie

Robert Emslie

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37 responses to “Last Call- What's Wrong With This Picture Edition”

  1. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    Got the wrong engine innit?
    Sort of on-topic: Picked up a Typ34 Ghia Cab Matchbox at Target today.

    Reply
  2. smokyburnout Avatar
    smokyburnout

    Air-cooled VWs don't have Corvair-style belt drive?

    Reply
  3. Joshua Woodall Avatar
    Joshua Woodall

    Corvar engine? I have never seen one. But I one picture is all it took to remember its funny looking.

    Reply
  4. stigshift Avatar
    stigshift

    Cor-mann Ghia! That thing has to flat out scream.

    Reply
  5. frankthecat Avatar
    frankthecat

    Looks like someone wanted to give their nader-hater plastic surgery courtesy of Ghia.

    Reply
  6. Modeleccentric Avatar
    Modeleccentric

    Hey. that Karmann sounds funny..

    Reply
  7. Feds_II Avatar
    Feds_II

    So Mrs. Feds' MPV turned 20 this year, and is 9,000 kms away from its 3rd timing belt (270,000 kms). , which I'm not 100% interested in changing. It runs fine, but is getting a little rusty around the edges, and will probably need some work to get past its next e test.
    In my pursuit of a car that can fit 3 kids across, gets decent mileage, and comes with the 4-wheel-drive, I've stumbled upon the Grand Vitara. Local dealers are starting to blow them out (top of the line w/leather, right at $20k). Suzuki is leaving Canada at the end of next year, but claims warranties will be supported. I'm not terribly worried, as it's a longitudnal 4-cylinder with a 4-speed auto and a timing chain. How wrong could it go.
    Would you do it? if not, what would you get?

    Reply
    1. B72 Avatar
      B72

      I was about to suggest a Dodge Caravan, then realized I missed the 4WD bit.
      Have you driven the Suzuki yet?

      Reply
      1. frankthecat Avatar
        frankthecat

        The Town&Country's had an AWD option from 1996 onward!

        Reply
        1. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
          ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

          It went away when they changed some of they added the fold flat seating. Anyway, back to helping Feds, I think the Grand Vitara is the car that Cool-Cadillac had where he got really good at swapping out a differential. So don't buy that particular one, but it's a clue to go and do some research to see if it's endemic. Personally I would not have a problem buying a car from a near dead brand.

          Reply
          1. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
            ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

            Man I need coffee.

    2. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
      ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

      <img src="http://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/pictures/VEHICLE/1990/Mazda/14576/1990.mazda.mpv.6869-300×189.jpg"&gt; It's three across in the back row…

      Reply
    3. Feds_II Avatar
      Feds_II

      I haven't driven it yet, but its her car, so comfy seat and reasonably quiet are probably all that matter. That, and space.
      I'm trying really hard to keep the mpv, but she wants more cargo space, which means folding the rear seat and letting the 5yo ride shotgun (since there's no airbag, still not ideal) or putting all 3 in the back, but that gets them out of reach-back-and-smack'em range.
      I've looked at just about everything. Forester and CX-5 were popular with Mrs, but the Vit undercuts them by $10k, and honestly, interior-wise, there's not too big of a gap. I'm also thinking about creaking the old wallet open for a WRX, though she's not thrilled about it, and it might end up too small as the kids get bigger.

      Reply
    4. desolit Avatar
      desolit

      "3 kids across"
      are they still in booster-seats or full (what i like to call) 'race-seats' . Take the seats with you and make sure they fit across. The most fuel friendly and smallest thing (with 4wd or awd) that we found for my borther-in-law was an Acadia. you could fit 3 seats in most cars but then you cant close the doors without breaking a seat or throwing a kid across the other two.
      Granted, you said kms and you will probably fit all three and then i will blame it on 'Merica sized seating.

      Reply
      1. Vairship Avatar
        Vairship

        Or 'Merica sized kids…

        Reply
  8. PSAutomobilist Avatar
    PSAutomobilist

    Nothing's wrong with a Corvair engine- now just replace the VW surrounding it with a proper Corvair.

    Reply
  9. jjd241 Avatar
    jjd241

    Daily random GIF
    <img src="http://i.imgur.com/IsCw8TU.gif&quot; title="Hosted by imgur.com" />

    Reply
    1. Preludacris Avatar
      Preludacris

      You have my attention! What's the original video?

      Reply
      1. jjd241 Avatar
        jjd241

        Don't know where it came from. It was posted on this Tumblr. He has lots of cool stuff…
        http://mksim.tumblr.com/

        Reply
      2. ToLiveNDieInNJ Avatar
        ToLiveNDieInNJ

        [youtube Mmh-ew1swD4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmh-ew1swD4 youtube]

        Reply
        1. Preludacris Avatar
          Preludacris

          Awesome. Thanks

          Reply
    2. BobWellington Avatar
      BobWellington

      I've probably watched this at least 20 times, and the count continues to go up.

      Reply
    3. MVEilenstein Avatar
      MVEilenstein

      mmmm suspension articulation.

      Reply
  10. Van_Sarockin Avatar
    Van_Sarockin

    Why would you slam the engine, and not the rest of the car?

    Reply
  11. windbuechse Avatar
    windbuechse

    Several were to be seen in the seventies – we called them Kor-ghias. You had to flip the ring gear on the swingaxle tranny to accommodate the 'vairs reverse rotation. My favorite had steel flared wheel wells with a Targa roll bar and removable roof.

    Reply
  12. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Crown (I think) makes or made reverse rotation camshafts for Corvair engines, and bellhousing adapters, so they could be installed in VWs. Clark's Corvair Parts sold them. I remember seeing a Corvair-powered Type 34 Karmann Ghia when our club hosted the CORSA convention back in 1995.

    Reply
    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      I just looked, and Clark's still sells all the reverse rotation stuff (it's Otto Parts, not Crown). Complete kits, adapters, reverse rotation cams and distributor gears, clutches, flywheels, starters, alternator fans and pulleys, etc. They also still sell the Crown Corv-8 stuff (mid-engine V8 conversion), and Kelmark and Glenn Pray Cord 8/10 stuff.

      Reply
  13. Preludacris Avatar
    Preludacris

    This evening as I got on a nice curvy onramp, I noticed a bike rapidly closing the gap behind me, so I floored it. I figured let this guy have at least a taste of fun: don't want to be a roadblock. So – bwaaaaaaaah, bwaaaaaaaaah – we loudly get onto the highway and he flashes his high beam at me, I'm like cool cool. But then he rides up RIGHT behind me, double flashes me again (at this point I'm checking if my headlights are on), and disappears at warp speed with no further attempt at communication.
    So… did I do something wrong? Was my oil smoke unappreciated, or can a flash mean 'thanks?'

    Reply
    1. dead_elvis Avatar
      dead_elvis

      Flash-to-pass. Some European bikes have a button to do just that, involving less finger movement than switching between hi/low beams. Any idea what he was riding?

      Reply
      1. Preludacris Avatar
        Preludacris

        Nah, it was dusk. Something sporty but didn't look like it was built for racing. I don't know much about bikes honestly.

        Reply
  14. MVEilenstein Avatar
    MVEilenstein

    Proof that modern technology is no substitute for common sense.
    I had just exited 520 at 148th Ave in Bellevue/Redmond this morning, waiting to make a left turn, when I see a black suitcase in the other lane blocking traffic. About 20 yards ahead there's a new Nissan minivan with the back hatch open, pulled over on the shoulder.

    Reply
    1. rennsport964 Avatar
      rennsport964

      Ah, Eastside 520. How I hate you. Or rather, your drivers.

      Reply
      1. MVEilenstein Avatar
        MVEilenstein

        I blame Microsoft.

        Reply
    2. rennsport964 Avatar
      rennsport964

      Marcal: I need to remind you that Redmond Town Center will be having an exotics gathering this Saturday from 8:30am to 11am. I will be busy, unfortunately, otherwise I'd bring the RS America.

      Reply
      1. MVEilenstein Avatar
        MVEilenstein

        That sounds like a great time! Sadly, I'll be in Darrington all weekend, out of cell range, and away from, well, just about everything. It's good to do this once in a while.

        Reply
  15. Mister X Avatar
    Mister X

    Oh cool! Around 1982 I had a customer come to me with a white Karmann Ghia of this vintage, and he had me build him a 1965 Corvair (140 HP x 4 1 bbl carbs) engine with a reverse rotation camshaft, the cam also was considerably "hotter" than stock and I made other performance modifications as well.
    After he installed the engine he came by the shop to show me and one couldn't tell it wasn't stock without a close look. It was a true sleeper, and he surprised everything from TransAm's, to Ferrari's with it, and I'm not kidding, it was wicked fast, he ran it at Fremont Raceway but I can't recall the E/T, but it was quite low through the quarter mile.
    I ran into him years later and he told me he put the stock VW engine back into it because it was too fast for him and he was sure he woulds kill kill himself in it.
    The engine in the photo above is also a 140 HP engine, but the 2 secondary carburetor ports have been blocked off with aluminum plates. And the fact that it's missing it's harmonic crankshaft balancer will mean a broken crankshaft between the number 5 & 6 main journals (flywheel end) at some future point, a common problem when the balancer is replaced with a solid crank pulley from the anemic 95 HP engines (to "save" money).

    Reply
  16. Apps Hub Avatar
    Apps Hub

    Engine is placed at a wrong place 😛

    Reply