Austin Mini Cooper or VW Karmann Ghia?

[midinite]

thanks for all the inputs.
was able to see the karmann again this afternoon, had a chance to drive it...not bad for a 44 year old car. learned that the engine was replaced with a 1600 vw engine, still air cooled. by the way, everything is original except for the front seats, the engine, and of course the paint.
i was also able to set up a sched. for a test drive with the mini either saturday or sunday. hopefully, after this test drive, i would be able to decide. i'm keeping my fingers crossed that either 1 would still be available when i make up my mind.
pls. keep all the suggestions and advices coming...

so is it a real cooper?

also, check out the thread looks vs. performance. where you stand will influence your decision

[wildthing]

can someone explain the historical significance of the karmann ghia?

this OT pero if tama ang hearsay nuon, the designer of karmann ghia was the same one as the porshe (the first one) so that's why they have very similar styling....I just don't remember which one came out first.

it is like a poorman's porshe....but then again the fact that it is 44 years old and it is still running....it is already an achievement...

[midinite]

this OT pero if tama ang hearsay nuon, the designer of karmann ghia was the same one as the porshe (the first one) so that's why they have very similar styling....I just don't remember which one came out first.

it is like a poorman's porshe....but then again the fact that it is 44 years old and it is still running....it is already an achievement...

so which of the two is a design icon? diba may re-issue and mini...even movie remakes to attest to it? just like mustang and others have done the retro look. You could say that is something going for the mini. cant say the same for the karmann.

also, is the karmann in question a car that is what they classify as a survivor? like it has been maintained and kept running for the past 44 years or was it the subject of a restoration that brought it back to life. from a collectors point of view those are two drastically different things. also to see a 44 year old running car here is no great achievement. in fact, i am afraid that there are things that were done to it to compromise its integrity. like a vintage rolex my friend got na seiko ang loob. or a triumph bonneville another got and honda pala ang pistons. the beauty of pinoy ingenuity

[jlo1]

midnite, i guess its just an austin mini. will try to check it out over the weekend.
wildthing, i heard that story too. i'll check the net to verify.

it has been rumored that the karmann might be produced again, just like the beetle, mini, mustang, thunderbird, etc.

[midinite]

it has been rumored that the karmann might be produced again, just like the beetle, mini, mustang, thunderbird, etc.

is that rumour on the net? or word of mouth? any links?

[niky]

RE: Compromise:

The Karmann Ghia is known more for its beauty than its performance. I'm of the mod-res school of thought... Keep the looks, but modify it if you have to, to make it reliable, safe and comfortable.

Same thing with the Mini. The Mini is known for its go-kart handling, not super-reliable internals, so many Mini owners, pragmatically change the accessories for Japanese ones, just to make sure the famous British electricals don't break down or catch fire on the road...

If you're worried about the value of the vehicle as a collectible, then maybe a modified car isn't for you, but if you're buying it to enjoy it, by all means, get the modified car.

[rab]

for city driving the mini would be ok but on two lane highways the karmann will get my vote.

[jlo1]

with regards to the rumor on the reincarnation of the karmann, as far as i remember, i read it in one of C! magazine's past issues. i guess it's still on it's conceptualization stage.
i agree with nicky with regards to keeping the look of the car, but decently modifying it to achieve reliability, safety, and comfort. imho, a decent modification would be using same brand parts.
i'm still looking forward to test driving the mini this weekend.

[ecks]

austin mini cooper po!
I love the cars in the movie "The Italian Job"

[rey_rya]

I'll vote for the Mini Cooper- lots of fun to drive pero parang gusto ko ring masubukan ang VW.

[mykel_buera]

for me. both ok. kc i have both gamitin mo karman hedturner, gamitin mo mini hedturner din. pareho din mahal parts, pareho din 2 doors, pareho din may balor. my mini is australian version, my kg is type 34. by my experience for vw is for power, as well as mini is power also but its easy to manuever. para kang naka go kart. if ul notice vw are used for drag and minis are for slaloms and circuits.

[2slow]

For me mas ok yung karmann. rare kasi dito sa atin. Yung mini mas marami

[swordsman]

so ano na napili? ano ba price ranges nung pinamimilian?

[finchmunoz]

so ano na napili? ano ba price ranges nung pinamimilian?

This may be too late but... what the heck!.. I'd go for the KG. True, the Mini's fun to drive. Its a road-hugger, responds well, more predictable. But the start of your forum had 2 questions - 1 - parts availability and 2 - drivability.
The VW still is the best selling car in the world. The KG, however, was made from a VW beetle floor pan, same engine, same door mechanisms, same suspension parts of a beetle. Though the body was coach-built by Karmann coach builders (that's right, all KGs were coach built in a "barn" factory in deep inside Germany) for VW. It was VWs introduction to a new line of VWs since the beetle was selling like bananas, VW envisioned a VW model for the higher-end citizens of West Germany and the US - thus, the KG was born. In 1967, my dad bought his 1500bug for 9,997 pesos! (not bad but for a man whose paycheck was less than a grand, that was alot of money. The KG, at that time cost more than 23k! (comparable to an vios vs a camry). The KG, were only shipped to the Phils only upon placing an order became rare because of price, and a 3month waiting period.
My answer to the original 2 questions are:
1- parts availabilty - the VW beetle, being the most selling car in the world would have more parts available even in the future (compared to a mini) - and are available locally! Restoring a KG is quite difficult. Rubber parts are only available in the US and will cost about U$1k (from the counter - not including shipping costs)! Body parts are difficult too. you may find a few parts here (in swap meets during VWshows) - just make sure the KG you're buying isnt rusted up so you wont have to worry about that. However, after restoring a KG, you can drive it to the ground if you want. The engine is of a beetle - parts are available over the counter in araneta ave &/or buendia. compare that to a mini? imagine yourself in a stoplight driving on a sunday afternoon with your newly restored shinnig project car. You pop the clutch and your cable snaps! (what would you rather have? the KG or the mini?) you could've had a spare cable had you chosen a KG. The mini? you'd probably have to call a friend from the mini club to borrow a spare cable from him. or wait for the next shipment of his parts.
2 - performance wise? KG vs mini? On a straight line the KG's bound to win on a good stock 1600 engine from a stoplight... (minis will just spin their front wheels while the KG's ideal drag car set-up would've took off already) add a 40mm 4barrel carb and you're talking about eating up honda civics with 30 more years of technology on them. (just hope there's another stoplight coming up before he hits 5th gear). The minis are very shifty cars. Ive driven minis before and I am amazed at how predictable it is. It feels light (though the power of the 1275cc may, in my terms be "short"), the power to weight ratio is like no other. Just hope that a few corners will come up ahead if you go against a VW.

BTW - the minis were built to fit 4 adults in England! The average height of the english is 5'11! I doubt if you'll have trouble getting into either the mini or the KG.

[stadaenko]

yup this might be late too but i still voted for the karmann ghia.

i absolutely am smitten by the design and the curves on this baby. even the protruding cone-shaped front signal lights, if i remember it accurately. besides, i don't understand getting all giddy about restoring the ubiquitous (really) austin mini which has say about 200 or so of them out there in manila's city streets. do people really still gawk at these??? while karmanns on the other hand are a sight to behold every single time you witness one in motion. its a beauty, its vintage and its rare (really).

[gfaleghorn]

i'd go for the karmann, they are super rare and exudes classic beauty. the best looking karmanns are those in the era 56-59, with a low headlight. it has a resemblance to the porsche 356. minis are good looking too but you see them all around. karmann's are very rare you don't spot too many of them for months, for years. i myself was smitten with a karmann. a junked karmann just caught my attention when i was in cavite and i just couldn't help but stop to talk to the owner if he's selling it. and so it was. that was in 1998 and we agreed at 80k. but then someone beat me to the deal and got it that same afternoon for 100k. so my hunt for a karmann began and it was only in 2006 when finally i got myself a karmann. since then, it's been a love affair with a karmann. finally i got the dream car that i longed for. if you happen to find a karmann for sale go grab it before someone else does. minis are everywhere and you can pass every opportunity to buy one because there are a lot more coming. but in the case of karmann's you shouldn't let every opportunity to have one just pass you by. even a junked and rusty karmann with incomplete parts is pricey. that's how desirable karmann's are. go for the karmann, you'll never be sorry if you get one, no matter what the condition is. there are shops that can restore them to the last detail. get the karmann, keep it, and if you have enough funds already, have it restored. parts are not a problem. you can order them from the internet and will be shipped right at your doorstep, but at a cost though.

[chr1smj_15]

i choose briefcase #15, and that is mini cooper.

[bogart_seph]

austin mini for me! yeah baby!

[Blade]

i loved both cars...
that's why i have them in my 1/64 diecast collections...

but i would go for the mr bean effect...mini cooper baby...ooohhh yeahhh...
saw several restored mini coopers at transhows and wow...ang lupet...
:batman:

[drey]

For me, none of the above... Hehehe...

OT na... Pero for me, any of these babies...