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1974 VW Karmann Ghia

August 1, 2022 By Gauge Magazine


View Full Gallery
Issue
August 2022
Owner
keith molenda
Photographer
chris gosda

Ride Details

Original Cost
4k
Build Cost
12k
What was the inspiration?
got bored with the hot rod scene in mn, happened to go to the only vw show on year and noticed there were only 3 Ghia's and all were from out of state. i decided to find and build a ghia
How long did it take you to build?
around 6 years. family, kids, work and life. i would do something major to it every year as the wallet allowed
How long have you been building?
i am 49 now and have been into cars all my life. started with bmx bikes doing my thing to them and that morphed into mopeds and then vw's. and dozens of other makes and genres of cars. the answer would be at least 35 years but didnt get real serious until my late 20's when i actually had money to blow on cars
Club Affiliations
freaks of nature north carolina chapter
Your future plans?
paint, change up the wheel/tire setup. i am pretty happy with this little car and she is a better runner than i am driver
Vehicle history
found the car while driving around st paul sitting in a rickety old garage with the door half opened. got a hold of the guy, made a deal and towed it home. cleaned the mouse turds out, washed the gunk off of it, did a tune up and she fired up. originally i was doing restoration but soon found i just couldnt leave it that high and it just took off from there
Thanks to
my wife heather earl 'glenn' kelly freaks of nature minnesota chapter freaks of nature north carolina chapter fahromwerkin (a great herd of vw guys from st paul mn)
Previous Rides
1972 vw westy, 1971 vw single cab transporter pickup, 1963 corvair convertible, 1956 chevy rat gasser, 1949 gmc truck, 1951 chevy truck, 1963 ford thunderbird

Engine Details

Engine Add Ons
full flow header and open stinger

Chassis Details

Front Shocks
Monroe
Rear Shocks
Monroe
Springs
spring plates
Compressor Info
Dual Viair
Valve Info
old school valves
Other Mods
fabshop 104 dual bag beam in the front

Paint Details

Graphics By

Interior Details

Upholstery Description
Sewfine and other handmade accents

“Lemonhead”

1974 VW Karmann Ghia

The 1974 VW Karmann Ghia is a unique classic car that has won the hearts of car enthusiasts all over the world. Owner Keith Molenda decided to take on the challenge of building his own 1974 Karmann Ghia after getting bored with the hot rod scene in Minnesota. After attending a VW show and noticing that only three Ghia’s were present, Keith made the decision to build his own.

The original cost of Keith’s 1974 VW Karmann Ghia was only $4,000, but the build cost quickly rose to $12,000 as he made major improvements to the car every year as his budget allowed. Keith has been into cars his entire life, starting with BMX bikes and then eventually moving on to VW’s and other car genres. However, it wasn’t until his late 20’s when he had the funds to blow on cars that he got serious about building them.

Keith’s Ghia has received recognition from the Freaks of Nature North Carolina Chapter, a car club that he is a member of. His future plans for the car include a new paint job and changing up the wheel/tire setup. He’s happy with the little car and describes it as a better runner than he is a driver.

The vehicle history of Keith’s Ghia is an interesting one. He found the car sitting in a rickety old garage with the door half-opened in St. Paul. After making a deal with the seller, Keith towed it home and did a tune-up to get it running again. Originally, he planned to restore the car, but soon found himself making modifications to it and improving its performance.

The Ghia features a full flow header and open stinger engine add-ons, Monroe shocks in the front and rear, spring plates, dual Viair compressors, and old school valves. The chassis has a Fabshop 104 dual bag beam in the front. The interior features Sewfine and other handmade accents, while the paint and graphics details are not specified.

Keith’s Ghia is a testament to the passion and dedication that car enthusiasts have for their vehicles. The time, effort, and money that he has invested in the car have resulted in a unique and personalized vehicle that stands out from the crowd. The Karmann Ghia will always be a classic car that will continue to inspire future generations of car enthusiasts.

Owned by: Keith Molenda

Photos by: Chris Gosda


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Filed Under: August 2022, Event Coverage Tagged With: 1974 VW Karmann Ghia, bagged beam, car chassis modifications, Car Clubs, car engine modifications, car graphics, car paint, car restoration, Custom Cars, Feature Ride, Feature Vehicle, Freaks of Nature, Karmann Ghia, Keith Molenda, Monroe shocks, Sewfine upholstery, Vintage Cars, Volkswagen, VW, VW enthusiasts, VW shows


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