Talk about air cooled nostalgia. For the past several years I’ve been following the progress of (and occasionally helping out with) the restoration of my buddy Scott’s Karmann Ghia Type 34 1500. Killer car, and hella rare. A few weeks ago I was going past a repair shop in Silver Lake and — whoa! — there’s a Type 34 just cold sitting there. I texted Scott — as the shop is like two miles from his house. Then he showed up at a party I threw and told me no, there’s no Type 34 there. And I was like, dude, there’s a Type 34 there. And we were both wrong. Jump.

Though he was more wrong than me. You’re looking at a Type 345 Sunroof 1600 (as opposed to a Type 343). Scott went and took some pics of the car and since he knows VWs better than, well, you, I’m believing his findings. The car is either a ‘67 or a ‘68. The most interesting aspect to me is that the sunroof pieces are found on the 356. As in the Porsche 356. Even more interesting, some of the sunroof parts carried over to the 911/912. The Type 34 was always known as the sporty VW and according to, uh… owners at least, the Type 34 was the thinking man’s alternative to the Porsche 356. Regardless, neat car. [Source: VW+VW1500]

Pop quiz: What do you get when you join together in unholy alliance of famed K-Car maker Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz, the brand favored most by both recent Middle Eastern and Asian immigrants? And what if you got a little kinky by adding some Karmann spice to the mix? I think you know where this is going and I think you know you want to hit the jump.

Long story short, you get the Chrysler Crossfire. Now we know the Crossfire isn’t a “new” car, and that it’s been reviewed countless times. We also know it still manages to generate controversy wherever it goes. Some think it ugly, others think it gorgeous. Some think it’s a terrible reminder of the time, money and effort wasted during the DaimlerChrysler experience, while others (like me) see it as one of the most underrated cars ever built.

Let’s just lay it out there — you’d have to be even crazier than me to ever buy new. Overpriced, crappy interior (with the exception of the sound system), and while the drivetrain and other imported goodies are fun, even on a brand new Crossfire they were already a model generation old. Huh? Remember that Daimler “allowed” the Crossfire to ride on it’s cast-off, previous generation SLK platform. Its pre-2003 SLK platform. So, happy eBaying.

But used… the car is another story entirely. My father recently picked one up for my mother because it was “cute” for a very good price and low miles — so I get to take it out and put it through the paces. My immediate reaction to seeing the exterior was “gorgeous.” I love the styling and even though it was designed by Eric Stoddard, the fact that it’s built by Karmann really shows through — to the point where I can see the lines of old Karmann Ghias. Remember, the original Crossfire concept showcar was quite a bit larger (mostly longer) and Chrysler had to shrinky dink the then split window coupe to ride on the SLK chassis.

Under the hood though, is where the Ghias of yore and the Crossfire deviate sharply as relatives. The naturally aspirated 1st-gen, 215 hp V6 is a scream to drive. I was giggling like a schoolgirl ripping through the local canyons like a schoolboy. On the freeway, road noise was at a minimum and I had decidedly Mercedes-like control even at 140 mph, with power left in reserve. And this baby isn’t even the high-po AMG SRT version with its 330 epic horsepower.

At more sane speeds, the Crossfire is schizophrenic — it drives like Mom’s mini-van at anything below 60mph, though in a good way. It’s quiet and soft, everything you’d expect in a high end luxury sedan. Once you got up past 60 however, and it was like the girl next door at her first frat party — wild.

Lets not forget the all important donuts and drifts! Turn the traction control off, and listen to the tires squeal! I definitely romped it through the local high school parking lot (don’t worry, on the weekend…) and enjoyed getting the tail out. The good news is not once did I feel like the car was driving me. There’s so much compliance to the chassis that you’re in control, even when you’re not. All in all, a fun package that’s thankfully more SLK and less Town & Country than the badging wants you to believe. If you can find one of these babies used — pick it up. If nothing else it’s a damn good looking addition to any stable. So says me.

Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here with a depressing tale of woe and terrible luck. Everyone has been there– no matter what you do, no matter how many cars you drive, you somehow have the wrench of death for a time where your vehicles simply refuse to operate. Most of you know what I’m talking about; those few weeks while you figure out a problem and every time you get behind the wheel you just pray to the car gods that she’ll start this time; only to be thwarted time and again, moving from car to car, only to have them all fail like a poorly constructed house of cards. Hit the jump to hear the sob story!

So I’ve been house hunting. In the process, I decided to actually go and check some of the places out. I hopped into the drivers seat of my 1970 Karmann Ghia and drove to the local Costco to fill up.

After filling up, I got back on the freeway, but as I shifted into fourth and started going up the hill, something happened. I suddenly felt the RPMS rev down in a smooth curve until the engine sputtered and died. At first I thought that maybe I’d lost a valve, but when I pumped the gas I got some life, and then for no reason at all the engine came back to life! However upon accelerating again to a constant speed, the process repeated, with the engine peaking at 70 MPH and the revs suddenly nosediving in a smooth deceleration, as if the gas or spark was suddenly cut off.

Needless to say,  I pulled over to investigate. Finding nothing obviously wrong- no overheating, no massive oil leaks, no smoke- I started the engine again. It fired right up and idled smoothly. I proceeded to rev it as high as I could a few times from the carb, and it responded normally. Scratching my head I returned to the drivers seat and drove away, everything seemingly normal. However I started cruising in third at a constant speed when it happened again! Cursing at the top of my lungs, I pulled over to see what was wrong. Once again, I couldn’t find anything. I decided to head back home, cursing my bad luck.

As I drove home, the situation seriously deteriorated, with me barely limping into the parking lot of Autozone. I purchased a fuel filter to eliminate it as the cause, but it did no good. After driving for five minutes, the symptoms returned the same way they had before. I limped the car home, alternately cursing and begging softly for my car to continue on. I ended up having to stop several times to let whatever it was that was going on “re start” its cycle. An hour and a half later, angry and annoyed, I locked the car up and proceeded to borrow my room mate’s Corolla to get my house hunting done.

Sad. I know. At this point I’m thinking it could be a few things– bad gas, crud in the tank, insufficient fuel pressure, fouled plugs, broken rotor and/or cap in the distributor, and problems with the float/ check valve in the Carb. Right now I’m leaning towards some combination of bad gas, crud in the the tank, and the check valve in the Carb. My theory is that bad gas allowed some crud and maybe water to damage the check valve, decreasing the flow of gas into the bowl. The slow refilling of the bowl means that at idle and under acceleration, the engine runs normally, but once at constant throttle, the bowl drains too fast for the gas to refill the bowl, causing the engine to seemingly run out of gas.

I’ll have to bust out the tools and dig into it, so look for the update! In the meantime, I’m hoofing it. Again. Dr. VW- out.

The car above may look like an abortion, but it is one of the most interesting cars I have ever encountered. While it’s covered in various layers of bondo and body fillers, underneath all that nastiness is a body of bonafide metal, making this a coach built body. But by whom? The story, if it can be authenticated, goes that VW outsourced a side project to a body work school in Germany, and the car above you is the result. While it hasn’t yet been stripped to bare metal to see exactly how it was constructed, most of us speculate its a hodgepodge of one off, hand rolled steel pieces as well as modified or trimmed body parts from several VW’s of the era- including the Karmann Ghia, Beetle, and early Porsche’s. It’s also quite possible that this vehicle may have eventually given rise to the early Notchback prototypes, and the engine bay is extremely reminiscent of some strange Brazilian VW’s from later in history. Regardless of WHAT exactly it is and HOW it was built, this 50’s VW is an extremely rare piece of history.

This car looks more familiar! You might recognize this ride from Familienfest 14!

You may also recall that this car got negative marks when I first saw it because it ran so poorly… well let me tell you what an improvement! It ran like a Swiss watch when I was there, and I got a good chance to talk to the owner about what was giving him trouble last time– clogged and incorrectly sized jets in the carb. Happens to the best of us, and I can say that it makes all the difference.

Well webriders, thats all for today, but check out the gallery and make sure to check in again for San Diego Locals at the end of the week! Different club, different location, and different rides. This is Dr. VW– out.

Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here for our last installment of the Familienfest 14 coverage! We spent the last two blogs covering in depth the shows more radical rides, but in this segment we’ll talk about the two best and worst cars from Familienfest 14! Hit the jump to check out what differentiates a hero from a zero.

First up… the heroes. This yellow Doublecab took Dr. VW’s vote for  second best of show. Tastefully restored and flawlessly executed, the doublecab represents an interesting factory version of the bus that wasn’t always popular, and probably never this flashy. Clearly designed for work and delivery use, single and double cab busses are not only rare, but sadly unloved for most of their entire history, leaving many in unsalvageable states of disrepair. It has only been in the last 10 years or so that these variations became popular among the show crowd, as the 21 window ragtop samba busses skyrocketed in price and became scarcer and scarcer to find for the restoration/show circuit. This yellow creation was an interesting mix between show flash and spartan utility, featuring a simple, period correct, gray interior but offsetting it with the flashy pop-out windows. Freakin sweet.

On the flip side, this car is a zero. Now before you scratch your heads, there is a reason why this car made it onto the “worst list”. No, I’m not a fan of flames but in this case it was done well. The reason this car got my vote for one of the worst was not its looks, its gorgeous, but it was the lack of priorities. This car was all flash and no substance, with a poorly built and even more poorly tuned engine that shuddered and gasped and ran like absolute crap. The sound from the exhaust was sickly, even the newer members of the crowd laughed as it struggled to idle. In this case, the car earned its spot on the worst list because if you’re going to show up with a car, at least have it running right. The VW scene is pretty laid back when it comes to looks- you could bring a beater into the show for all anyone cares- but these engines are practically idiot proof, and a 5 year old could tune them; so many people see no excuse why a car that flashy should run so poorly. They get an A for effort, but an F for execution.

Another Hero! This Type 34 Ghia got my nod for best of show. Aside from being extremely rare, this car was built right and restored to original specs, no small feat for a car that is rarely found complete and features TONS of year only, model only, and type only parts– none of which are reproduced. Furthermore, finding one this straight and rust free is like the holy grail, as the 34 or “razor” Ghias were one of the few “unibody” VW/ Karmann chassis. With no aftermarket body metal (or any other T3 or T34 specific parts for that matter) being reproduced, building a show quality razor ghia is not a task for the faint of heart. Even simple basic items like window seals, tail light lenses, etc, are NLA and impossible to find in good condition, even on a good day with a stack of cash in hand. This car was immaculate, a definite labor of love and worth far more in parts alone than any of the cars at the show.

And finally… our last zero. This “hoodride” split window bug. Now, I won’t go so far to call myself a purist, but you have to draw the line somewhere. A lot of people really dig this beater, lowered, and rally/stencil look, but I am not a fan. Furthermore, I feel that a car as special as a split window ought to be brought back from the grave, not stenciled over and allowed to continue rusting away. Pictures speak louder than words.

Well webriders, that wraps up our Familienfest 14 coverage! Be sure to stay tuned for Foriegn Fridays this week! This is Dr. VW– out.

Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW back again for part three of the Familienfest 14 series! Last time we talked about the lead sled Karmann Ghia that I had the pleasure of seeing several times around the VW show circuit. Today, we’re going to take a look at another custom Ghia, but this one if at the polar opposite end of the spectrum. In fact, it’s so weird, it might even be the only one of its kind. Check out the Baja Ghia!

Now, like the Sled Ghia, I had the pleasure of seeing this Ghia for the fourth or fifth time in the last few years. I’ve always thought of it as one of those insane abortions that end up happening, but I’ll admit the car has grown on me. At any rate, its a first class peice of engineering and fabrication, even if does lack the refined sophistication usually associated with Karmann Ghia chassis based vehicles.

Unlike the sled, this Ghia does have some Fiberglass work, but you wouldn’t know it just by looking. As far as customization goes, the ideology and general design practices employed by baja bug enthusiasts were carried over and applied to the Ghia chassis. Fully caged, cut off rear apron and shortened fenders, cut wheel wells, and a full body and suspension raise are the hallmarks of the offroad buggy crowd, and can be seen effectively executed on this ride while still maintaining the core lines and shape of the Ghia. The engine is also caged, with an offroad exhaust to provide the necessary ground clearance. Special offroad parts are evident on the engine, including pre-filter socks over the carb air cleaners, high vibration coil, aftermarket distributor and electronic ignition– just to name a few!

No corners were cut with the suspension either, with multiple shocks and custom mounts, this ghia stands taller than even some of the other extreme buggies. The interior is spartan but also technologically advanced, featuring a large tach, custom shifter, and tons of switches for the fog lights and other accessories. Pretty rad, for a frankencar.

Well webriders, thats all for this edition of Foriegn Fridays! Theres more Familienfest Coverage on the way, so stay tuned! In the meantime, check out the rest of the pictures from the gallery! This is Dr. VW– out.

Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here for part two of the Familienfest 14 coverage! Today we’re going to discuss a car, that in my opinion, should have won best of show. Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this ride. in fact, I’ve seen it on at least 3 other occasions, and it has always caught my eye. It began life as a Karmann Ghia, but now… well it must be seen to be believed. Hit the jump to check out the Lead Sled Ghia!

Wow. Just wow. Now, some people might look at this and instantly think: fiberglass. Sorry folks, this was done old school using all metal. No bondo either! Filled in and smoothed the old fashioned way using molten lead.

The story however, is even deeper than the body mods. The car was originally a T-boned wreck, even the professionals would have put the poor car down and scrapped it. But not Doug. Doug saw the potential in the car, and he took it to the limit. Stripping the car down to bare metal and repairing the damage was the first order of business, followed by the radical customization. Completely redesigned rear fenders, frenched in headlights, custom front grills, roof chopped ultra low, rear tire skirts, and a seriously badass paint job grace the exterior, while the fully custom white on white interior is jaw droppingly awesome. The overall car however, would be nothing without the stance. Slammed as low as realistically possible, this car is no trailer queen, having been driven “quite a bit” since its completion.

The overall look is very much like that of other 50’s lead sleds, but the difference here is that under the accessories and fab work, you can still tell the car was once a Karmann Ghia. While other sleds lose a lot of their original lines and character, becoming a one off representation of the owners’ tastes, this Ghia manages to come across as a factory car that just came out looking badass.

The custom interior accessories, however, is where this car truly shines. With a skulls, bones, and bright white surfaces offset by deep red drops of blood (not real), the interior is pretty much the most metal thing ever created. If Dragonforce had a car, this would be it. If that isn’t enough, word on the street is another car is nearing completion metal wise… but shh! It’s in the DL. We’ll just have to wait until he reveals it at a show…

Well webriders, enjoy the pictures and be sure to check out the gallery. Theres more Familienfest coverage on the way! Be sure to stay tuned. This is Dr. VW-out.

Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here with Foriegn Fridays. I realize it isn’t friday but thats because I didn’t want to spill the beans too early! Saturday, as some of you might remember from one of my previous posts, was Familienfest 14; and as promised Dr. VW was there to get the best shots from the show! This is part 1 of a 4 part series, so buckle in because this is a Foreign Friday Auto Adventure!

I suppose it makes sense to start off with a summary of the entire day, and then get into juicy details later on in other posts. I woke up exceptionally (for me) early and made my way down to the IKEA parking lot in order to lead a small cruise of T3’s from the San Diego area up to the show. From there, I met up with Doug and his ALL METAL lead sled Karmann Ghia, who will be the subject of a later post. I’ve actually seen this Ghia several times in the last three years at various events, but it was great to finally meet the owner and speak to him in person. Word on the street is, he has something else in the pipeline…

From there I had a few brat’s and bought my T shirt and raffle tickets, and proceeded to check out the T3’s. Not as many showed up this year as the previous Familienfest, mostly due to the absence of the 1500 club. There was however, a newcomer to the San Diego T3 community. He ended up taking 2nd place in the T3 Category.

From there I hit up the swap meet, which was mostly full of Bus stuff but still had some neat items; one booth had a table with nothing but Judson Superchargers and Magnetos, incredibly rare accessories for early 36 and 40 HP type 1’s. I managed to score as well, picking up a relatively difficult to find tachometer, in perfect working order, for a measly 5 dollars! Then it was on to the Porsche Speedsters… love those things.

Onwards to the Bus and Camper displays, with a little jaunt into the Bug sections. A few standouts, including a sparkling blue bug (which looked great but ran like crap) and a rad blue flamed bug that took 2nd place in the late model Type 1 category. From there, I kicked back with my fellow T3 enthusiasts and waited for the announcement of the winners and the raffle prizes. (unfortunately I didn’t win the Rancho Performance Street/Strip freeway Flyer Transmission– damn.)

Well that was Familienfest in a very, very small nutshell! Stay tuned for more in depth coverage of several standout rides and other topics of interest in the coming days! In the meantime, peruse the galleries and head down to the forums to discuss your favorites! This is Dr. VW, signing off.