Hybrid Hot Rod 2.0 - The Pria Ghia
 

I brought a 1971 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia home to be joined with a 2004 Prius. I’ll do my best to document the journey. Coming soon... The Pria Ghia https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-h...pria-ghia.jpeg

Sounds like a fun project. Looking forward to updates.

Subscribed :)
All still well with the Prius truck? No news for almost 4 months?

Priuck is doing great. Drive it everyday weather permitting. Drove to a show in Toledo
(3.5 hour drive) this summer. Rained most of the way home. Realized how much the old truck leaks. Been working on weather proofing since then. Also had a huge speaker in it to mimic big engine sounds. Fooled a lot a people and got a lot of laughs. Even helped a friend move his couch last weekend. Good old/new truck. Didn’t think I’d do another build, but this Ghia fell in my lap. We’ll see how far the rabbit hole goes.

Yikes, I hope you don't intend to make it front-engined. It would need a raised hoodline like a New Beetle. Compare the cowl height.

Compare the weight and power of the two drivetrains. My own perpetually stalled conversion is a Highlander/LX400h rear axle into a 1958 Beetle. As a pure electric. The single-speed 68hp performance should equal the stock drivetrain and weight.

So I hope you put it in back. For inspiration I suggest the Toyota Alessandro Volta.

I don’t know if the 54 hp (assuming it is a type 34 with the latest engine, otherwise it is even less) is enough to move that Prius shell around? :D

I think you're onto something. This is the oldest entry on my album of Photochops, from 2013.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...7-12-29-57.png

VW engine in FWD with a Type III axial [secondary] cooling fan with an eleven blade Porsche [primary] fan running at crankshaft speed. My calculation was that with the weight savings and improved aerodynamics, the performance would be no worse than the VW platform, maybe not as good as the stock Prius (a testable hypothesis).

I support this approach. I believe it involves mating a Superbeetle transaxle with Golf driveshafts. Plus it conserves that Ghia bodywork. Plus you could make the Prius an hybrid again with a Buick altermotor.

Nice job, Subscribed! :{)

It will be a front engine front wheel drive. Basically it’s going to be the stock Prius drive train shortened 11”. I’ve been studying blueprints, running the tape measure and believe it can be done. We’ll see as the project unfolds.

:turtle:

[shrug] Anyone can restore a car, it takes a real man to cut one up. Anything is possible: duckduckgo.com:blue+manta+v10+karmann+ghia

https://www.vau-max.de/thumbs/lib/00...wide/33200.jpg


11" height-wise or width-wise? If you're taking 11" out of the width, just use longer offroad A-arms.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3e/a6/81/3...4f4d096bf8.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3e/a6/81/3...4f4d096bf8.jpg

A lifted Prius did pretty well in the Gambler 500. Does it have those nice Y-spoke aluminum wheels unde plastic hubcaps?

I'm sure it might be easier to fit than a Ford 302W V8. There is (or used to be) at least one Karmann-Ghia fitted with a front-mounted 302W in my country.

I don’t think you’re understanding what my plans are. It’ll make more sense as I move forward. I’ll try to post more pictures of this build than I did with the 46 Chevy truck.

S'okay, just spitballing to see what sticks.

I trust you [FWIW ], based on the refinement that went into the stance of the truck. The Ghia has a low cowl height compared to say a Beetle or a Prius. Will you reconfigure or rotate the drivetrain?

I believe I can get the cowl down far enough for the Ghia front clip. I may need to put lowering springs or air ride on it to get the ride hight correct.

Subscribed!

Is sectioning the Prius cowl an option, with maybe a bubble in the hood?

Are you going to try to reuse the Prius dash again?

Can I subscribe without announcing it to the world? :)

I’d like to remove the Ghia dash and use the Prius dash with all the creature comforts. I’ll tint the windows some so as to keep the Prius portion a secret.

Gonna make it a British "Q-Ship"?

Works for me. :thumbup:

Technically, yes; by clicking Thread Tools on top of the page and then selecting Subscribe to this thread.
Practically, I doubt it ;)

Sounds like a great project!

Bill the Engineer

Hoopie, what is your estimated completion date? :)

Calculate it here: Star Trek Stardate Calculator

I’d like to be driving it by the first weekend in October. As far as completion, I’ve never completed a project. There’s always something more I want to do. Satisfied in life just not in the builds.

I can only imagine what that is like.

Like on my project, the height of the body is going to be dictated by the structure around the front struts fitting under the Ghia's front fenders. It might stand tall using the Gen-II Prius as a starting point. A rolled-over Prius C might have been lower and have a shorter wheelbase. Either way it is going to be a fun ride!

Bill

Is it too late to roll over this Prius? :)

Ok you have a ball joint front so just whack the pan back the same distance on the prius and add attachments to the backbone tube/ tunnel

Here's a Superbeetle that's had the MacPherson struts replaced by rocker arms.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-f...suspension.jpg

Given the location of your drive train, longitudinal coilovers might work out.

Can't wait to see how the 1971 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia turns out. Nice company for your Prius!

I hadn't noticed the year. 1971 was great:

Type I: first year for 2 models, the Standard and the Superbeetle
Type II: Last year for the Type I engine and first year for disk brakes
Ghia: last year for the original bumpers. The Type 34 was already gone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Karmann_Ghia

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-ho...1-dji-0150.jpg

Overview of the Pria Ghia Project. Still running the tape measure. Need to be sure I can make it all hide under the Ghia before I dive in.

Which rear suspension are you going to use? The Prius wheelbase should be 106" and the Ghia is 94.5".

Will you cut the Ghia floorpan shape out of the Prius floor, or shorten the Prius underbody?

At this point I plan on the chassis and suspension being all Prius. I will need to shorten the wheelbase 11” I believe that section will come out of the rear passengers floorboards. Still measuring before I start cutting. There will be no Ghia suspension at all. I plan on using it for a buggy or sell it.

Thanks. If you have the black Y-spoke alloys under those hubcaps, I think they would look good on the Pria Plastidipped Gold or something.

Do priaa have a pan or are they unibody?

Obviously you know that ghia's are bugs with fancy body?