Painting, bodywork and rust removal – more than just a change of color
This VW Karmann Ghia Cabriolet came to us from Hamburg – initially just for a new paint job. After removing the body from the chassis, it quickly became apparent what the previous owner hadn't mentioned: the supposedly already restored chassis, including the suspension, had only been cosmetically refurbished. Rust had continued to spread in many places.
This is a common sight with the Karmann Ghia Type 14. Many vehicles, between ten and twenty years old, were patched up rather haphazardly to make them look presentable again. A car with a separable floorpan is particularly easy to split in two. The body and platform can be spruced up separately without actually restoring the sills, heating ducts, floor areas, and suspension.
For this project, that meant: paint and surface finishing would only be applied once the floor assembly, sills, heater ducts, wheel arches, and suspension mounts had been reconstructed according to the findings. A VW Karmann Ghia restoration doesn't begin with the paint, but with the question of whether the structure is sound. The convertible presents an additional requirement: before being lifted off the ground, the body must be secured with a stiffening frame to prevent deformation. Door gaps and convertible top fit depend directly on this.
Body completely welded – design and susceptibility to rust of the Type 14
On the Karmann Ghia, fenders, side panels, and bumpers are welded directly to the body. Only the hood and doors are separate parts. Everything else can only be removed through bodywork, cutting, or sawing. This makes sheet metal work more complex than on vehicles with bolted-on components and explains why inadequate preparatory work often remains hidden for a long time.
In addition, the Karmann Ghia Cabriolet is prone to rust. Sills, heater ducts, seams, wheel arches, spare wheel well, floor connections, and convertible top areas must be inspected particularly carefully. The body was only inadequately protected in some cavities from the factory. The sill construction of the Cabriolet is more complex than that of the Coupé because the lack of a roof structure has to be compensated for. Insulation materials and moisture can further promote corrosion at the rear wheel arches.
Anyone wanting to have a Karmann Ghia restored should therefore not only pay attention to the paintwork, chrome, and interior. What lies beneath the surface is crucial. A sham restoration is often only recognizable when the floor pan and body are separated, old layers of filler are removed, and critical cavities are opened up.
Straightening work, rust removal and bodywork according to findings
In our workshops, the underbody and bodywork are assessed separately. Overpainted or filled areas are exposed, old welds are inspected, and poor preparatory work is removed. Only then do new sheet metal work, seam sealing, cavity protection, corrosion protection, and paint preparation take place.
Known problem areas such as sills, heating ducts, seams, spare wheel well, rear wheel arches, and floor assembly mountings are individually inspected. For convertibles, the convertible top frame, door fits, and body reinforcements are also checked. Poor preparatory work becomes apparent at the latest through uneven door gaps, poorly fitting side windows, or a leaking convertible top.
Chassis, brakes, and engine can only be properly assessed after the bodywork is complete. If the underbody has only been cosmetically refurbished, axle components, bearings, lines, brake components, and mounting points must also be critically inspected. A Karmann Ghia paint job only makes sense if the body, platform, and mechanical components form a sound foundation.
Have your VW Karmann Ghia Cabriolet restored – even after sham restorations
Especially with vehicles sold as already restored, photos of the underbody, sills, heater ducts, wheel arches, spare wheel well, seams, convertible top area, and suspension are a necessary first step. The exterior condition of a Type 14 often reveals less than the details underneath.
In our workshops in the Czech Republic, we examine what lies beneath the surface and how bodywork, rust removal, painting, cavity protection, and technical aspects can be combined into a viable project. For a VW Karmann Ghia Cabriolet with classic car registration potential, the effort is only worthwhile if the old, superficial restoration isn't simply covered over with paint, but rather the root cause of the damage is properly repaired.
