Japanese Karmann

Oi All .

Last year I found a right hand drive 74' Karmann in Texas with Japanese rego . The past three owners were US Navy with the last bringing the car back home when his deployment was up .

In the 17+ years he owned it he left it on Japanese rego and it was a nightmare to export as a result . US Customs knocked it back 4 times for various reasons but in the end I got it out here a few months ago .

Importing is what I do for a living and every so often I get to keep one . This rare bird is my One and look forward to picking peoples brains and getting help with parts supply

Wayne

Wow! What a beautiful car! 😵
Always happy to help with parts etc.!

Welcome to the forum 👍

Welcome to the forum and what a great car and history for your new family member as well. Ask any questions you need and someone will be ready to help out.

Yogie

Hi Wayne and welcome to forums or madhouse as some call it.

I actually know of you through the HD forum, I guess you just thought you would try a different form of air cooled engine 😂

I have one of the two wheeled variaty also, but it hardly gets riden these days.

You will find all are willing to help, but I guess you know your way around a motor or two.

Congratulations on the new car.

Kev

I also know of you from the HD Forum, nice aircooled.
Small world Wayne!!

Yeh I am the same person . With the HD boom over we moved onto other areas for import .

This car had me with the back story . Three US Navy officers in a row owned it from new . Richard was the last one . He bought it in 87 when he was stationed in Yakusuka in the US Navy Stores department . Purchased off another officer about to rotate out . Over the next three years Richard and his young family travelled across Japan in the Karmann . The front seats were pretty shabby when he bought the car so a friend owned a car salvage yard in Yakusuka and had a Rover 4 door sedan recently in . The car had been driven for 400kms before being wrecked . The seats were a perfect match and the bolt holes even lined straight up.

At the end of his tour they returned to Texas and took the car with them . Richard kept the Japanese rego active right up until I bought it from him in October last year . Richard left the Navy a few years ago and ended up as a civilian employee of the US Army in a large stores depot in Texas . The Karmann being used less and less over the years . Until they decided the car needed a new owner .

So the little car from Germany . That was purchased in Japan by a string of Americans . Was bought in Texas . By a German Australian .

Top that for a back story

chopaweeza wrote:So the little car from Germany . That was purchased in Japan by a string of Americans . Was bought in Texas . By a German Australian .

Gotta love that story line 👍

Well travelled car!! where are you currently?

Hawkesbury in NSW . I keep a car for a time and then sell it . Average one a year . By years end this one will probably end that way .

nice find

Nice car for sure, the yanks are very fond of RHD

I now have a Panhead inbound that has taken my fancy so when this comes back from getting the work done on it will be up for sale . The fact that a man my height can't easily fit in the Karmann is a major factor in the decision .

a very nice "late" Karmann Ghia..

its just terrible to be tall... at times...

being a shortie can be good at times.. but not all the time... lol😂😂