A CUT ABOVE

Four inches narrower. Four Wilwood-equipped corners. Four air tanks. And a set of bespoke FU30 split rims finished with centre caps designed by the owner himself. Lyndon’s 1967 Type 34 Razor Edge is a beautifully considered combination of classic Volkswagen design and modern Limebug engineering.

Words by Limebug | Hall of Fame — Featured Builds

Some cars have an unfair advantage.

The Volkswagen Type 34 Karmann Ghia is one of those cars that looks special before anybody touches it.

Sharp body lines, a distinctive roofline and some of the most unusual front-end styling ever to leave a Volkswagen factory.

It’s difficult to mistake one for anything else.

And because so few survive compared with the familiar Beetle or Type 14 Karmann Ghia, a well-presented Razor Edge is always worth a closer look.

Lyndon’s 1967 example takes that distinctive shape and combines it with a particularly comprehensive Limebug chassis specification.

Narrowed front suspension.

A cantilever rear air system.

Wilwood disc brakes at all four corners.

Bespoke three-piece wheels.

And an air management installation that looks almost too good to hide beneath the bonnet.

It’s a car where the individual components have been selected to work together, right down to the colour of the wheel hardware.

A different kind of Karmann Ghia

Volkswagen’s angular coupe

Introduced in 1961, the Type 34 was Volkswagen’s more upmarket interpretation of the Karmann Ghia.

Unlike the rounded Type 14, the Razor was developed around the Type 3 platform, sharing mechanical architecture with the Squareback and Notchback.

The bodywork was an entirely different proposition.

Long, angular wings.

Distinctive front lighting.

And a more formal, almost architectural appearance.

It was an expensive Volkswagen when new and comparatively few were built.

Today, surviving examples are particularly sought after.

Which makes the decision to modify one an interesting proposition.

But for Lyndon, the objective wasn’t to change the car’s identity.

It was to give the distinctive shape a lower stance and a thoroughly improved mechanical foundation.

The brief: low, but usable

A Razor built for British roads

When Lyndon approached Limebug, he wanted the Type 34’s chassis overhauled.

The car needed to sit exceptionally low, but he also wanted to enjoy driving it over longer distances.

And anyone familiar with British roads will understand why those two requirements don’t always get along.

Uneven surfaces.

Speed bumps.

Unexpected dips.

And the occasional stretch of road that appears to have been repaired using nothing more sophisticated than a shovel.

A permanently lowered car can make those journeys rather more interesting than intended.

So we developed the installation around our Deluxe Type 3/34 air ride system, providing adjustable ride height at both ends.

The aim was to give the Razor the appearance Lyndon wanted while retaining the ability to raise it when additional clearance was needed.

Four inches narrower

At the front, we fitted a 4-inch narrowed Type 3 conversion beam.

The reduced width allowed the wheels to sit further beneath the Razor’s original wings, an important consideration when achieving the intended ride height.

The beam was paired with Titan through rods and MOA430 air shocks.

To complete the steering arrangement, we also incorporated Limebug’s Ultrarm steering-angle corrector and steering-stop hardware.

Those components addressed the practical requirements of the narrowed axle rather than concentrating entirely on appearance.

The result was a complete front suspension conversion developed around the wheel fitment, steering and adjustable ride height.

The cantilever underneath

Getting the rear to match

The rear suspension received our swing-axle cantilever air ride system, together with lowered rear air spring plates.

The cantilever arrangement provided adjustable rear ride height, allowing the back of the Type 34 to sit in harmony with the narrowed front end.

It’s particularly effective on a Razor Edge.

The car’s long, sharply defined lower bodywork makes the relationship between the wheels and arches a central part of its appearance.

With the complete Deluxe installation, Lyndon could achieve the low stance he wanted without committing the car to one permanently fixed height.

It’s an important distinction for a vehicle intended to travel beyond the occasional showground.

Wilwoods all round

Modern braking beneath a classic body

With the suspension specification established, Lyndon also wanted to improve the brakes.

We supplied and fitted our Limebug Titan Wilwood disc brake conversions at the front and rear.

The setup combined Wilwood callipers with our machined brake components and drilled discs, giving the car a substantially different braking specification from its original 1967 arrangement.

Both ends used the 5×130 Porsche wheel bolt pattern.

That detail was particularly useful because Lyndon had already decided the Razor would wear a bespoke set of Limebug split rims.

The braking and wheel specifications could therefore be developed around the same fitment.

And while the brake hardware was selected for its mechanical benefits, it also looked rather impressive behind the finished wheels.

FU30 — Built around the details

A three-piece wheel with a personal touch

For the wheels, Lyndon chose our FU30 three-piece split-rim design.

The FU30 combines classic motorsport influences with modern multi-piece construction, making it an excellent fit for the Type 34’s angular bodywork.

But Lyndon didn’t simply choose a standard finish.

The wheel centres were specified in satin black, complemented by contrasting red hardware to match the car’s interior.

It’s a relatively small detail, but one that connects the exterior and cabin beautifully.

The dark wheel centres also provide a strong contrast against the polished metalwork.

And because the Razor’s suspension had been developed around the finished fitment, the wheels sit exactly where they should beneath the body.

Centre caps designed by Lyndon

The final detail made the wheels particularly special.

Lyndon came up with his own centre-cap design.

Rather than simply fit the standard items, we manufactured custom engraved caps based on his artwork.

It’s one of our favourite details on the car.

Something small enough to be missed at first glance, but completely individual once noticed.

The sort of finishing touch that transforms a set of aftermarket wheels into something genuinely personal.

Four tanks. One very tidy installation.

A different approach to air storage

The air management system is one of the most interesting parts of this Razor.

Rather than installing one large air receiver, Lyndon chose a four-tank arrangement using our compact MOA Skinny Tanks.

Two 1-gallon tanks.

Two 1.5-gallon tanks.

All finished in black.

Together, they provide a total nominal air storage capacity of 5 gallons, distributed across four smaller receivers.

The advantage was primarily packaging.

By using different tank capacities, we could arrange the system around the available space while creating a much more distinctive layout.

The result was something Lyndon wanted to display rather than hide.

Dual 485C compressors

To supply the system, we installed two stealth-black Viair 485C compressors.

The twin-compressor arrangement provided the air supply for the four-tank setup.

Air suspension management was handled through Air Lift 3P, allowing electronic pressure-based control of the car’s ride height.

It was a comprehensive installation, developed around both the functional requirements and the visual presentation.

Because with four black tanks and two compressors, simply throwing everything into the luggage compartment was never going to be satisfactory.

The Install Company

Making the installation look as good as it worked

Once the main components had been selected and positioned, the finishing work was handed over to The Install Company.

Their task was to create a presentation worthy of the rest of the build.

The four-tank layout, twin compressors and associated hardware needed to look like a carefully designed installation rather than a collection of components sharing the same space.

The finished trimming and presentation brought everything together.

The black tanks and compressors formed a coordinated arrangement, with the surrounding finish helping emphasise the system rather than conceal it.

It’s exactly the sort of detail that makes opening the bonnet worthwhile.

And on a car with this much attention paid to the chassis, brakes and wheels, it was an appropriate final touch.

A complete Type 34 transformation

What makes Lyndon’s Razor particularly appealing is the way the different elements complement one another.

The suspension establishes the stance.

The Wilwood brakes provide a substantial mechanical upgrade.

The FU30 wheels bring in classic motorsport styling, with bespoke details that reflect Lyndon’s preferences.

And the air management installation has been finished to the same standard as the visible exterior components.

Nothing feels like an afterthought.

It’s an example of how a complete chassis specification can change the character of a classic Volkswagen without altering the original body design.

The sharp lines remain.

The distinctive roofline is untouched.

And the Type 34 still looks every bit as unusual as it did in 1967.

Only now, it has a rather different set of mechanical capabilities underneath.

The complete build specification

Vehicle

• 1967 Volkswagen Type 34 Karmann Ghia Razor Edge
• Owner: Lyndon
• Chassis and suspension work by Limebug

Front suspension

• Limebug 4-inch narrowed Type 3 conversion beam
• MOA430 front air shocks
• Titan through rods
• Limebug Ultrarm steering-angle corrector
• Steering-stop hardware

Rear suspension

• Limebug swing-axle cantilever rear air ride
• Lowered rear air spring plates

Braking

• Limebug Titan Wilwood front disc brake conversion
• Limebug Titan Wilwood rear disc brake conversion
• Wilwood callipers
• Drilled brake discs
• Porsche 5×130 bolt pattern

Wheels

• Limebug FU30 three-piece split rims
• Satin-black wheel centres
• Contrasting red hardware
• Bespoke engraved centre caps designed by Lyndon
• Porsche 5×130 fitment

Air management

• Air Lift 3P electronic pressure-based management
• Two stealth-black Viair 485C compressors
• Two black 1-gallon MOA Skinny Tanks
• Two black 1.5-gallon MOA Skinny Tanks
• Five gallons total nominal air storage
• Bespoke luggage-compartment presentation

Specialist finishing

• The Install Company — air management trimming and presentation

A Razor with its own signature.

Some custom Volkswagens are remembered for one particularly dramatic feature.

An unusual paint colour.

A set of enormous wheels.

Or an engine installation that occupies considerably more space than Volkswagen originally intended.

Lyndon’s Razor is more subtle than that.

Its appeal comes from the way everything has been considered.

The narrowed front end.

The rear cantilever.

The Wilwoods.

The satin-black FU30 wheels with their red hardware.

And the beautifully organised air management installation.

But perhaps the nicest detail is those engraved centre caps.

A small reminder that, beneath all the specialist engineering, this is Lyndon’s car.

Built around his ideas.

And finished with something nobody else’s Razor has.

Sharp by design. Individual by choice.

Lyndon’s 1967 Razor Edge. A cut above.