Whether it’s just adding a set of aftermarket wheels or going deeper with powertrain and suspension mods, many automotive enthusiasts take great joy in customizing their rides. Some take it further than others, but only a rarified few dive from the highest board into the deepest end of the customized-car pool. And that’s just where you’ll find the builder featured here, the very ambitious Scott Woodard.
Back in the mid-2000s, Scott had an idea to customize and modernize a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. He didn’t just want to give VW’s classic sporty coupe a mere restomod treatment, however. He wanted something completely bespoke, something nobody else had, and he wanted to do it himself.
He already had a touch of experience with the craft and had built heavily customized VWs in the past. What he didn’t realize, though, is that he was about to embark on a journey that would push his fabrication, design, and engineering skills to the limit. In the end, he’d get exactly what he was after. A stunning Ghia sitting atop a modern Mercedes SLK320 chassis and drivetrain.
Why choose a 1974 Karmann Ghia? Woodard liked the design but saw the opportunity to make a few tasteful modifications to suit his liking. Here’s how he introduced the idea to a group of enthusiasts on TheSamba.com back in 2006.
I love the looks of the 50’s, early 60’s sports cars but want something different. I have a 356 Speedster replica and really enjoy it but want to build something front-engined. Nice 50’s corvettes and mercedes are going for big money so I’m thinking about going a different route. I have some experience modifying vehicles and doing bodywork and I don’t necessarily want info on how hard it will be to build ( I know what is involved) but rather a critique on the style. It will be front engine and rear wheel drive and is based on a karmann ghia body style. Here are a couple of photochops I did to get an idea of what I could do. Input very welcome, positive or negative.
For those wondering what his renderings looked like, here you go:
Scott also posted a video of him working through the idea, and it’s kind of amazing to see how basic the Genesis of this concept car was.
To put it mildly, reactions online in 2006 were a wide-ranging mix of good and bad. In fact, the very last response sort of encompassed both reactions. “Wow … Just, wow … May God have mercy on your soul …,” the poster said. That didn’t discourage Woodard though. He continued mulling over this project in his mind. By 2022, he’d made some significant strides.
While the body above doesn’t look amazing in terms of condition, that was somewhat intentional. “I did not want to start with a nice Karmann Ghia since I knew I would be cutting it up but the amount of bodywork on every single panel had me regretting that decision,” Woodard tells The Autopian. It’s clear to see that by 2022, he’d crafted the new grille and freed the body from its original chassis.
On the flip side, he’d decided very clearly that he wanted to use a Mercedes-Benz SLK as the chassis and drivetrain which explains why the body features the tri-star badge on its front grille. Of course, old car bodies and new car underpinnings don’t fit perfectly with one another very often. That led to another challenge for Scott. “A lot of thought had to go into being able to access any parts of the engine bay for maintenance and the Ghia has a very small hood. Because of this, the body had to remain removable,” he says.
The melding of the two cars virtually actually ended up being the most rewarding part he reports. “I found designing the car to be the funnest and easiest part. I enjoy playing with programs like Sketchbook to see if things fit and visualize modifications. I really do not think I would have had the guts to try it without that helpful tool.”
Scott made massive progress over the twelve months between April of 2023 and 2024. He modified the body not just to accept the slight styling changes he wanted but also to fit the chassis altogether.
By May of this year, he had added fender flares to deal with the wide track of the SLK. Then, in August he painted it gloss black which created a new problem.
“I missed small blemishes everywhere even after using polyester primer and blocking for days,” he said in a post. In an effort to get the project over the line without having to go too far backward, he repainted the car in an off-white gloss color. Now, it’s a genuinely stunning one-off creation that looks classic but rides like a modern grand tourer.
While Scott enjoyed building the car virtually, physically putting the Ghia body onto the SLK chassis and mating everything up proved to be the toughest part of this job. “Building the car was an absolute ton of work. I wouldn’t say anything was prohibitively hard but every step took so much time and it took a lot of motivation to keep going,” he said.
What would he do differently in the future if he had to build another? “I would definitely start with a cleaner body if I were to do it again, but I already have my next project planned which is a mid-engined Opel GT in the Dino 246 style.” We can’t wait to see that one come to fruition too. If this Ghia SLK is any indication, it’ll be a head-turner.
All photos by Scott Woodward, and here are a few more for you:
Horrible mutant car. Rather have any old SLK and/or Ghia.
I wonder what has more structural rigidity – the SLK’s folding top or the Ghia’s steel roof. Beautiful build though.
My first car was a clapped out KG convertible that I loved. I want his car now.