Some of my oversights were really obvious head-clutchers (e.g., Trabant, Saab 96, De Tomaso Pantera), while others required making all sorts of crypto-arbitrary judgment calls. In order to prevent the flood of hate mails I got from Land Rover, Jeep, and Toyota FJ freaks with Part I, we're going to make one seemingly obvious point even more obvious:
NO TRUCKS! NO TRUCKS! CARS ONLY!
Got it? And, once again, we're denying the Ford Fox and Panther platforms and the Volvo 140/240 entrance to this list. That doesn't mean we don't love those cars (in fact, I've owned at least one of each), but each underwent a major chassis redesign before it hit the magical 20-year mark. I'm still not convinced that the C2 and C3 Corvettes are the same car, and Ford's nostalgic reissue of a handful of ceremonial Model Ts doesn't add another year of production to the T's scorecard. Feel free to debate the merits of these decisions in your comments, but try to keep the venom level at or below rattlesnake level. OK, here we go, in order of years of seniority:

Morgan 4/4
54 years (1955-present)
When Morgan redesigned the suspension for the 4/4 Series II in 1955, they figured there wouldn't be much need to change anything after that. Engine suppliers come and go, so they've had to change powerplants every so often (the current 4/4 comes with a Ford Duratec four), but otherwise the Morgan remains pretty much the same wood-framed machine our grandparents knew and loved.
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Lotus / Caterham Seven
52 years (1957-present)
You don't see Sevens on the street very often, since the racetrack is this car's natural habitat, but they are road-legal motor vehicles and thus qualify for this series. Lotus built the Seven until 1972, and Caterham (and about 500 million others) have kept the production lines going since then.
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Hongqi CA770
40 years (1958-1998)
Even the Great Helmsman himself needed a car, for those occasions when he had to inspect the progress of the Great Leap Forward, and there was no way that the People's Republic Of China was going to let the running dogs of imperialism outdo them when it came to classy luxury rides for important government officials. Thus was the Hongqi CA770 limousine born. It appears to have ZIS ancestry, but the Bamboo Curtain keeps such sensitive state secrets from our hands.
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Nissan President 150/250
24 years (1965-1989)
Until replaced by a stretched version of the car we know as the Infiniti Q45, Nissan's luxury flagship was the mighty President. The styling appears to have hints of Mercedes-Benz W123 and Plymouth Volaré, and power came courtesy of the President-only Nissan Y OHV V8.
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Trabant
34 years (1957-1991)
There's not much to say about the most famous Warsaw Pact vehicle of all: two pistons, two strokes, plastic body, and more than three million made. Primitive by any standard, but it put East Germany on wheels!
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Bristol Type 603
33 years (1976-present)
The case could be made that the 603 was really just a warmed-over version of the 1946 Bristol line, but we're setting the 1976 body redesign as the cutoff. You could get a 603 with a Chrysler 318 or 360, and some even came with factory turbocharging!
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Lada Niva
32 years (1979-present)
I dismissed the Lada Niva for its truckishness the first time around, but Unicmanest has convinced me that it's no more a truck than was the AMC Eagle or Subaru Outback. And no, there's no possible way to convince me that the Land Rover was really a car.
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Toyota Century
30 years (1967-1997)
The first generation of the Toyota Century limo, which was based on the Crown luxury car, stayed pretty much the same for 30 years. Why tinker with a successful formula? The "Toyota Hemi" V series V8 powered this perennial zaibatsu favorite.
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Lotus Esprit
28 years (1976-2004)
This was a really tough one, but I'm going to say that the endless series of minor mutations in the Esprit kept it essentially the same car for its run.
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Shanghai SC760
27 years (1964-1991)
It's tough to get good information about Chinese cars designed before Nixon's 1972 trip, but it appears that the Shanghai SC760 was an all-Chinese design and remained virtually unchanged throughout its production run.
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Studebaker Avanti / Avanti II
25 years (1962-1987)
I wanted to stay away from the slippery slope of replica cars, if only to avoid the nightmare of dealing with Cobra replicas, but the Avanti II was built using the original Studebaker frames and tooling and thus qualifies. The engines were small-block Chevrolets (proper Studebaker V8s being unavailable), but otherwise we're dealing with genuine Avantis.
Suzuki Alto / Maruti 800
25 years (1984-present)
The Maruti 800, still in production in India today, is based on the second-gen Alto. It has a long way to go in order to match the Hillman Hunter/Hindustan Ambassador, but 25 years is a good start!
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Rolls-Royce Corniche
24 years (1971-1995)
There's not much you need to change on a car like this, so Rolls-Royce stuck with a winning formula.
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Rolls-Royce Phantom VI
23 years (1968-1991)
374 were made. The Queen got two of them. Any questions?
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Wartburg 353
23 years (1965-1988)
With only seven moving parts in the engine, there wasn't much to go wrong with this East German machine.
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Audi 100 C3 / FAW Hongqi CA7200/CA7300
(21 years) 1982-2003
FAW (or some copycat) might still be making Audi C3-based cars in China now, but we can't be sure. We are sure, however, that the production run lasted at least 20 years.
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Jaguar XJS
21 years (1975-1996)
Should this car be lumped in with the XJ6, just because the chassis is pretty much the same? Blasphemy!
De Tomaso Pantera
21 years (1970-1991)
Can we write about the Pantera without mentioning Vince Neill and his ill-fated 3-block trip to the liquor store? Apparently not! Anyway, the Ford Cleveland-powered Pantera stayed more or less the same for the entirety of its production run, and we all want one!
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Reliant Regal
21 years (1951-1972)
Yes, three-wheelers with closed bodies count as cars. The Reliant Robin nearly qualified as well, but missed by a couple of years.
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Volkswagen Karmann Ghia
20 years (1955-1975)
I left the Karmann Ghia out the first time because it's just a Beetle pan with a sporty body, but that wasn't fair. The Karmann Ghia was a distinct model! Too bad the Brazilians didn't keep making it for an extra 30 years.
Reliant Scimitar
20 years (1964-1984)
The first few generations of Scimitar were pretty much the same car under the skin.
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Saab 96
20 years (1960-1980)
How did I miss this car the first time around? Its ancestry stretches well beyond 20 years, but a couple of decades as perhaps the best two-stroke car ever made is accomplishment enough.
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Cadillac D Body
20 years (1977-1997)
I was very skeptical about including this car in the list, but Cadillac ice-racer William sold me on it. He also came up with some exhaustingly comprehensive rules for determining eligibility for the All-Time Survivors list, and I'll post them pretty soon, but for now I'll just share what he had to say about the Caddy D:
Of course it's the downsized Cadillac Rear Wheel Drive Fleetwood/de Ville ("D" Body), introduced on Cadillac's 75th anniversary for '77. Built from August 1976 until July 1997, the new "Right-Sized" Caddie (and GM's first full metric car) came in a variety flavors (de Ville sedan and two door, Brougham & Fleetwood) and a litany of engines: The program started with the L33 425, last of the "big iron" Caddie V-8's (down from the glory days 500 CID and nearly the same digits in torque), and soldiered on with the most diverse/bizzare collection of engines ever to grace a motor car: 368 Cadillac "Sleever," LF9 Buick diesel V-8, 253 Buick V-6 (the first non-V-8 for a Cadillac), the "8-6-4" disaster variant of the 363, an Oldsmobile 5.6, and finally the Cadillac "GM Corporate V-8 engine of Tomorrow" (forgotten the next day) the All-Aluminum cam eating 4.1 HT. And that's just the first ten years. Sure the de Ville and Fleetwood nameplates bailed to the dark side going front wheel drive in 1985 but the Brougham soldiered on in venerable "D" body glory for another decade and more.

The engine-of-the-week theme continued with an Oldsmobile 307 LG8, Chevy 5.0L and finally the Chevy 5.7. With the beginning of the Republican power shift, production packed up and moved to Texas to be closer to oil millionaires who would soon rule/ruin the world. The 1994 re-deux took the "D" body into the world of suppository-based styling complete with Corvette-derived LT-1 350, but in reality it was just a re-skin with the same frame and underbody of Grandpa's car. GM corporate greed and America's thirst for pickup trucks finally made the plant more desirable for more profitable mobile gun rack production and the last GM rear wheel drive passenger car was retired, but only after Elvis and 1.7 million examples had left the building for the last time.

20 years? The (separate) frame, main body structure (more steel alone than most complete cars) is the same from the first to the last. Panel for panel all are the same until '93, when the got out the hasp and rounded out the edges. But nothing else built by Detroit comes even close, so I think we have a strong candidate for the something that was truly Big Three built "big iron" and didn't finish out its production life in exile in Argentina (though likely this was the car exiles in Argentina where driving)..

Summer's over, and there's a crisp flavor to the air that may or may not be H1N1. And while the leaves are turning, and you're eyeing the winter stockpile of firewood for cottonmouths and black widows, there's still time to enjoy some top-down motoring. Perhaps a drive down a sun-dappled country road enjoying fall's fireworks as the trees turn vibrant reds, yellows and golds directly above your head would take away the stench of yesterday's Maverick Molotov which went down in a 77% Crack Pipe defeat.

And so, for your Friday enjoyment, we have a 1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible presented car show style by a formally clad lady with some sort of weird tchotchke in her hand. What that is, and why she is emulating Vanna White goes unexplained, but she must have gone back to her day job - dancing around a sombrero at El Coyote - as she only appears in that one shot. The VW, on the other hand, gets the full paparazzi treatment with 35 pictures and two videos for your edification and auto-erotic pleasures. The videos demonstrate that the seller is eager to sing the praises of this car, and that he needs to take a video editing class.

Drop top Ghias share their basic platform with the Type 1 beetle, and maintain that car's strengths and weaknesses. Typically, the Ghias exhibit evidence of repair to the compound curve nose, which lacks the fortitude of Mike Tyson in low speed impacts. This one, however, looks to be in good shape, indicating a life spent at a reasonable following distance, or a skilled repair sometime in the past. The interior is not so pristine, although there's nothing too egregious going on in there. A pair of aftermarket seats, apparently chosen by Bud Tugley, have been fitted, as has a killer stereo with something called assplode speakers. While those might dim your ardor for the cockpit accoutrements, the manly-knobbed Hurst shifter will make it all better.

Lifting up the old girl's skirt and having a peek at her motor reveals. . . . a Vee Dub aircooled flat four. Not really anything noteworthy other than the question of displacement, as the seller doesn't know if it's a 1600 or 1776, although we should point out that both of those were very noteworthy years. Other than that, it looks pretty standard Volkswagen, and comes with a new clutch, which should provide some assurance in buying this car. Plus nothing engenders peace of mind while parked in a questionable neighborhood like a Valuecraft battery. No expense was spared in the preparation of this VW.

So, nice car, potentially free dancing lessons, and bikini contests at VW car shows, what's not to like? Well, there's that price- buried in the ad is the Buy-It-Now price asking $9,300. Now, super clean Ghias, especially drop tops, do go for lots more than that, but this one isn't in that league. Would you pay that $9,300 for a chance to dance with this Volkswagen? Or, is that a price that has two left feet?

You decide!

eBay or go here if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

The seller is asking $6,000 for it, which might be the deal of the century… or it might be huge optimism on the part of the seller. These things are so rare that I just can't say. What do you think? Sorry, Graverobber, I'm repo-ing the Nice Price Or Crack Pipe series for the day- you can have it back tomorrow!

I've also received word that another DOTS honoree is up for sale: the 1965 Dodge D100 pickup, which needs a new clutch and can be yours for a mere $500. That's right, a Slant Six-powered, three-on-the-tree-equipped Dodge pickup for five Benjamins; anyone interested should email me and I'll put a note on it for you.

Within sight of this old VW can be found the 1924 Ford Model T, the 1919 Ford Model T, and the 1971 Chevy C10 pickup. It takes a dangerously obsessed very devoted Karmann Ghia aficionado to be able to identify a K-G's year with any precision; I'm looking at the bumpers, taillights, and turn signals and guessing mid-1960s here. If any of you can provide a more accurate model year for us, please do so.


Air-cooled VWs tend to rust even in Alameda's dry climate, though this vehicle has rusty areas that suggest a brief stint in road-salt country. But so what? It's a reasonably early Karmann Ghia and it runs, so life is good for this VW's owner. This is the oldest example we've seen on the island so far; prior to today, we've had this '70, this '71, and this '74.

This one might not be a '74, but the bumpers place it somewhere in the Malaise Era. It's a Beetle under the skin, but for some crazy reason the sporty Karmann Ghia actually weighs more than the utilitarian Beetle: 1,919 versus 1,831 pounds. Both cars got the 46-horsepower 1600 engine. Yes, US emission-control regulations were tough on the air-cooled VW.


The price tag on the Karmann Ghia was pretty nice for a convertible: $3,935. Still, that was 10 bucks more than the 78.5-horse '74 MGB, and $970 more than a Triumph Spitfire. Wait, was the Spitfire really that cheap, or is the Standard Catalog mistaken?

The yellow '72 Porsche 914 lives at the same address, but the crucial difference is that the Porsche is owned by a rent-paying tenant and actually runs. I can't puzzle out the year on this car exactly, but items such as taillight lenses seem to point to 1970 or 1971. VW experts?


The owner seemed to be hoping that he'd get some offers on this car, once its beauty could be seen by many passersby; failing that, The Crusher's hunger for scrap steel to ship to China make it worth at least a hundred bucks.


I've driven a few Karmann Ghias of this era, and they behave pretty much exactly like Beetles on the road- not surprising, given that the chassis is identical to the Beetle's. The '70 K-G coupe is more than 100 pounds heavier than its Beetle sibling (1,918 pounds versus 1,807), so the "sporty" car of the pair is actually the slower one. However, for a two-seat coupe with Italian styling, the Karmann Ghia's price was hard to beat: $2,399. A new MGB-GT- not exactly a high-performance machine- would have set you back a stunning $3,260.

This is the first time I've ever found a DOTS car using Google Street View. A friend told me he'd seen a bright yellow IHC Scout with big tires on the island; he remembered the neighborhood, but not the exact street. I figured a vehicle like that would stand out on Street View, so I started looking... hey, what's that weird green car? A Renault Caravelle? I grabbed the camera and headed right over there.


This car is rough. Basket-case rough. In fact, I'd describe it as a Hell Project if it had any drivetrain other than air-cooled VW.


The rollbar and seat harnesses indicate possible rally hoonage in this car's past.

Wouldn't you feel sharp rolling down the boulevard in a vintage Mercedes roadster? Ja, ja, of course... but- Mein Gott!- look at the price tags on those things! But don't walk away, buddy- have we got a deal for you! How about this 1956 Mercedes 190SL (go here if the ad disappears) for only $6,500 asking? You'd probably ask "Where's the catch?" Well, no, you wouldn't- not after you saw the photos! But don't let appearances fool you- this car is even rougher than the photographs indicate. Take a deep breath and dive into some Craigslist-spec CAPSLOCK description. The high points: the engine is a Ford 289, the rear end is a narrowed Ford of some kind, and the transmission isn't mentioned (we're betting on the Mercedes-Benz-approved Leaky C4 Option). As for the interior, we'll let the seller put it in his or her inimitable style: "ITS BEEN GUTTED DO YOU SEE AN INTERIOR NO I DON'T." It allegedly "RAN GREAT" for a while, but wouldn't you know, a "FUNKY NO KNOW ELECTRIC PERSON WORKED ON IT" and this car's running days were over. Best of all, you'll have a chance to break out the Ass-Bondo: "IT WILL NEED TO GET SOME BONDO. TO FIX THE ASS END." We suggest going for the 10-gallon Economy Size bucket of Bondo, or even the 55-gallon drum.

Considering a vintage Mercedes-Benz? What, you're too good for your old friends? You think you're some kind of landed gentry now? Hell no! That's why you need a classic People's Car for your next project... but of course you'll need the ability to drive through the mud at high speed, which is why you oughta take a squint at this 1969 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia with Buick V6 and 4x4 Drivetrain (go here if the ad disappears). It's priced at $500 less than the 190SL, and the seller claims it "Runs All Day Long" and "Just Needs Paint." We think it "Needs A Lot More Than That," but there's no problem on an air-cooled Volkswagen that can't be fixed with lawnmower parts and a $9.99 convenience-store toolkit. This fine off-road machine comes with Buick V6 power, and we all know what happens when you add turbocharging to that engine! It's also got Super Swamper tires and a rollbar, so you'll be able to go anywhere and not fear death. Hey,y'all, watch this!

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The Puma has quite a fascinating history; it's a sports car made in Brazil and based on the pan used by the Brazilian VW Karmann Ghia.


The Puma replaced the Malzoni GT, which was built using DKW components, so in a way this car is descended from DKWs. Here's an article about the Puma, and here's one about its place in the evolution of Genaro Malzoni's series of Brazilian bombers. Definitely worth a read.


When I first saw this car parked on the street, I thought it was a 911 with a really strange body kit. Upon closer examination, I figured it was some kind of VW-based kit car... but the quality seemed way too high for a crappy 70s kit, and the interior didn't resemble VW stuff in any way.


The fiberglass is a bit rough in spots, but it's in pretty decent shape for an orphaned 37-year-old Brazilian car.


Given the vast array of go-fast parts available for the VW air-cooled engine, this car could be made into something that could give a 911 a real run for its money... in fact, since I have no idea what hardware lurks under that engine cover, it's possible that it's already fast as hell. Hmmm... definitely room for turbocharger plumbing in there...


So keep up the good work, WhatWouldJesseDo, and I'll see you at the Park Street car show next month.

You know those ads that show cars blasting through walls, windows, etc? Volkswagen went for a new approach to that concept with this ad. Sure, the Karmann Ghia isn't fast! We ain't gonna lie to you, buddy... but it'll last forever and gets great mileage! – Murilee Martin

Related:
Down On The Street: Volkswagen Karmann Ghia [internal]

Today's Down On The Alameda Street car is a clean VW Karmann Ghia convertible. I'm not enough of a KG expert to nail down the exact year on this one, but the taillight size seems to indicate early 1970s.

It's difficult to think of the Karmann Ghia as a true sports car, what with the wait-for-it throttle response of the Type I engine and the seriously funky handling peculiarities of the breed.

Nonetheless, this car has style, perhaps even soul.

If it can be kept from rusting into a heap of reddish powder (air-cooled VWs are the only cars I can think of that develop structurally harmful rust levels in the dry coastal areas of California), your Karmann Ghia will still be running decades after the last street-driven Italian or British sports car of its era has sputtered to a halt.

Having ridden in a few stock KGs, I would say that a dual-Weber 1835cc engine is pretty much a necessity, preferably with straight pipes. Sure, you'll die in a backwards fireball the first time you give it too much throttle in a turn, but at least you won't have to merge onto freeways doing 30 MPH.

If you squint real hard you can almost fool yourself into believing it's a Porsche. No, wait, you can't. – Murilee Martin

Related:
Porsche-Powered Karmann Ghia: Yes, You Can Have One [internal]

Yesterday we told that the engine from the Karmann Ghia Type III we're sorta helping to rebuild had to be yanked out because of a bad noise. Well, we just got the word from nous bon ami Scott and here is the why. If you remember way back to the beginning of this set of posts, you will recall that one of the pistons was bad. So, Scott replaced it. Turns out that the new-old stock part is – wait for it – 1/6000th of an inch taller than it should be. So, it was whacking against the head, forcing the exhaust valve to open. Which is why the noise sounded like an exhaust leak. Bad news: Scott needs four new pistons. Good news: pistons are cheap. Better news: new engines are pretty cheap, too, and lots of much more powerful mills will bolt right in. And yes, we are going to suggest an engine from a STI. – Jonny Lieberman

Diagnosis: rejected transplant! [vw+vw1500.com]

Related:
NOOOOOO!!! Karmann Ghia 1500 Back In Pieces [Internal]

Dang nab it. Last week we reported on our preliminary road test of crony Scott's Type III. In that report we, uh – reported – that the engine was making some funny noises. Scott figured these stemmed from an exhaust leak. Well guess what? Bad motivator on exhaust valve number two. And with only 15 miles between teardowns, too. Sigh... Scott, however, is claiming that she'll be ship shape and back on the road within a week or two. We'll let you know. And it looks like that motorcycle jack really is useful if you want to haul a long block around. – Jonny Lieberman

Ever had the feeling you've been someplace before? [vw+vw1500]

Related:
It Lives! Preliminary Road Test Of The Rebuilt Karmann Ghia Type III; Karmann Ghia 1500 Restoration [Internal]

Oh happy day! Nearly 11 months since we first became involved in the rebuild, our pal Scott's 1962 Volkswagen 1500 left the garage. Actually, it was motoring about the day before we showed up to snap picks and drive it. Only we were out of town. Still, and you will agree if have rebuilt a car, that first drive is wedding night bliss after a long, difficult and oftentimes sweaty courtship. And I only did about 0.02% of the work. Still, I knew going in that even if the brakes failed on the way down the hill and we T-boned a Volvo, it would be awesome. And we didn't hit any Volvos.

Besides the total lack of seat restraints, what struck me most, first was how close the windshield is to my face. I've driven a few older 911s and bugs and the sensation is similar. That relatively huge piece of curved glass is just right there. Also similar is how fast that sensation fades and the realization that the upright glass affords you great visibility. Almost as different, but also ultimately easy to adjust to, is the fact that the gas pedal is seven inches closer to the floorboard than the brake pedal. Forget heel & toe. Seriously, just put it out of mind. And the steering wheel is essentially in your crotch.

That said, I had forgotten what a hoot it is to drive a rear-engined car sans power steering. Despite swing axles and wonky tires there is a directness to every movement that just brings a smile to your face. The feeling is so much more fluid than the nose-heavy plodding I'm used to. It's akin to gliding. Scott and I each took a fairly spirited lap around the Silver Lake Resevoir at speeds fast enough to require top gear. We hit some good curves, too. And while picking out your line is a bit on the challenging side, once you're into the apex, the Type III is simply slick. I even managed to ditch a tailgating LR3 in the bends. What a blast, man.

Now, we're saying "preliminary" road test because the Karmann Ghia isn't finished yet. The engine is a bit out of tune, there might be an exhaust leak and the brakes need some TLC. Plus the interior and exterior are going to get a thorough once (or thrice) over. Still, I can't hardly conceive of a better way to spend Memorial Day than mid-speed hooning in a 45-year old ride. And talk about loving a car just for the curve of a hood. Just look at that beaut! – Jonny Lieberman

VW+VW1500 [External]

Related:
Engine On: Karmann Ghia 1500 Rebuild Update [Internal]

For those of you following our pal Scott's Type III rebuild odyssey, you will be stoked to hear that the engine is running. I was over at his place drinking some really fine beers (Duvel and Allagash Victoria) on Saturday and listening to a weird mechanical hum. Turns out it the noise is from the generator, and Scott has a new one on order. We didn't take it for a spin because A) we were drinking and B) after more than five years of just sitting there, Scott wants to bleed the brakes. And seeing as how he lives at the top of a hill, is a good idea. But don't despair, as a full test drive will be taking place in the upcoming weeks. Anyhow, the engine sounds loud and air cooled and is running strong. All 50 some odd horses of it. Want to hear for yourself? Then jump. – Jonny Lieberman

It's Alive! [Volkswagen + VW 1500]

Related:
Rebuilding a 1962 Karmann Ghia Type III [Internal]

It has only taken a smidge over eight months since we dropped it, but this past Sunday I helped buddy Scott nearly-literally shoehorn the beautifully rebuilt 1500cc wind-chilled motivator back into his project Type III. Scott has a much more knowledgeable write up of the day's proceedings over on his impressively researched VW 1500 restoration blog. But I will say this: I hate the clutch return spring on all Type III Karmann Ghias. I thought the Germans were supposed to be such great design wunderkinds? Turns out they're French. Anyhow, now that the engine is back home, Scott is just waiting on a six-volt battery, some last minute futzing (oil leaks) and my sister to get married before Jalopnik gets a test drive. The plan is to point the car up hill, in case the brakes don't work. Make the jump to see a photo of the idiotic part that took longer to install than the actual engine.

Below is the dang-blasted Clutch return mechanism and stupid return spring. Instructions concerning how to re-install it are missing from both How Works A Volkswagen and the factory manual.

Ninety-minutes and two bloody-hands later. We even got the clutch cable reattached. Jalopnik Top Tip: If you are wondering why your old VeeDub toolkit includes a 14mm wrench, look no further than the nut on the end of the clutch cable.

And now, because I love you all, some gratuitous shots of the engine. Enjoy! – Jonny Lieberman

Engine In [vwplusvw1500.blogspot.com]

Related:
How Works a Volkswagen? Karmann Ghia Type III Rebuild, Part 1

While close acquaintance Scott contemplates seppuku, we watch with joy as the headless Type III dusts a hopped up Bug in the quarter-mile. Or the 4/10ths of a kilometer as it were. Make the jump for even more pics of the orange-striped hotness! [All our tips are belong to Vega] – Jonny Lieberman

Related:
http://jalopnik.com/cars/retro/forget-schadenfriday-modded-vw-1500-rules-the-divine-229945.php">Forget Schadenfriday: Modded VW 1500 Rules the Divine!!; More: What in the Gasgacinch? 1962 VW 1500 Karmann-Ghia Restoration Blog in Full Effect [Internal]

First of all, YES!!!! Second, just yesterday we were listening to comrade Scott kvetch about not wanting to paint his Type III black. How about black with a white roof we said. Yes, that's a factory option Scott replied, but he'd look like the fuzz. After we ran through all the OEM colors and Scott explained how red is the ultimate midlife crisis color for a Type III (which we still don't get), we suggested that since the car has such a unique front end a two-tone paint scheme is the way to go. Scott glared as if we just denied Volkswagen helped out with the Holocaust. Well, eat this Scott! Orange skunk stripes on a pewter body. Though gray is probably a factory color. And the orange Le Mans-ish lines most likely came free with a Hazet or something. Either way, we're sure Scott is thumbing his eyes out. Go ahead and jump for a few more pics. [Vega is the tipmeister]

Yeah... Hell yeah! – Jonny Lieberman

Gerd Weiser Dusseldorf [GWD]

Related:
What in the Gasgacinch? 1962 VW 1500 Karmann-Ghia Restoration Blog in Full Effect [Internal]