A few years ago I had a chance to take a ride in a friends Thing and instantly decided that I needed to have one. For the past two years I've been keeping my eyes open for a Thing project that I could work on. The idea was to have something fun to ride around on weekends and to take on camping trips.
Late fall 2008 I stumbled across one that would fit the bill. Out of the two years imported to the USA ('73 & '74) it was the 1973 Thing that I wanted most. The '73 model has a number of unique features including a lack of side vents, a gas heater, and more. The car is pretty rough, but most of the hard to find parts are there. This page will chronicle its progress.
The following pictures were taken on a cold and rainy Saturday, 11/08/08. I don't know the history of the car yet, but will research as much as I can on where the car was originally purchased and where it spent the majority of its life. It was located in Oshkosh, WI, but
I don't know if it has always
been a Wisconsin car or if
its roots extend beyond WI.
Its rust may be a hint that it is
an original Wisconsin car!
In this picture you can see
the dealer-installed roll bar.
These were very nicely built
and fit the car and top
perfectly.
The convertible top frame is
intact, but obviously the top
itself is no longer on the car.
Three of the four original 14"
rims have been replaced with
standard 15" smoothie rims.
I'm not sure what I'll run for
rims, but a nice set of polished
Centerlines with some
aggressive tires would be nice!
The car has rust in the lower body panels and in three of four doors. Both front fenders have dents, but are repariable. New sheet metal is widely available so repairs shouldn't be a problem. The doors are salvagable but I may locate some used doors and simply replace them. The floor pans are completely rusted and will be replaced. The rocker and inner fender panels are in surprisingly good shape.
The car has all its glass and
seats, along with some hard
to find original pieces including the factory Saphire radio, floor-mounted speaker, dash knobs and switches, map light, windshield wippers, sun visors and the original speedometer.
In this picture you can see the original BN4 gas heater. These were unique to the '73 model year when in '74 they switched over to "fresh-air" heater boxes. This particular unit is totally complete, but may need work to make it function properly.
The front end is solid and there's no evidence that the car has been in an accident. The inner panels in the spare tire area and fender areas are completely straight and original.
The hood has some surface
rust, but is otherwise in
excellent shape.
The car has both the front and rear bumpers. It also has the original "AM" AS41 engine and Type 181- specific transmission. All lights and wiring appear intact.
Here's a shot of the rear of the car. As you can probably make out, the muffler appears to be missing. However, what's left of it is there. Its completely rusted out. This is really no big deal anyway, as plans will include a new header exhaust system.
As mentioned, the car still has its original "AM" case engine. The "AM" AS41 engines were specific to Type 181 Things. Its a complete 1600cc dual port engine with the hard -to-find '73 Thing fan shroud (a dog-house shroud without heater provisions).
The transmission is original and features the rare 4.625 ring & pinion. Some of these units came with a ZF limited-slip differential. We'll see if this has one when I rebuild it.
My plans are to build an engine that is dependable with decent power to take the family anywhere we want to go. The transmission will be geared more for cruising so likely will mean a swap to a 4.125 ring & pinion.
The car will remain where it is until springtime. At that time I hope to have a plan for where I'll park it.
I'm anxious to get started on this project. In the meantime, I'll continue to do my research on the car and begin to keep an eye out for parts.
This page was last updated: October 18, 2009
Thanks for checking out my Type 181 VW Thing page.
This shot taken 12-20-08 following some of the heavy snow we've been getting here in Wisconsin.
Pictured to the left is an original owners manual. I'm trying to find one for the '73 to add to the vehicle's "completeness".
An exploded view of a 1973 Type 181 VW Thing.
Accumulating Parts for the Restoration and Build:
This project will take time to complete. Over time I will be acquiring parts to complete the build. From engine and chasis parts to tires and wheels, this "thing" will get it all, from "top" to bottom, left to right.
The first part to arrive was a gently used S&S header and quiet pack exhaust system. This system is designed specifically for the VW Thing. This particular system is specific to the 1973 model year without provisions for heater boxes. The system features a standard 4 into 1 header measuring 1 3/8" diameter tubing. The dual quiet pack mufflers will provide a nice boost in performance and that classic quiet pack sound. The cool thing about this system is that the exhaust exits through the stock exhaust openings through the rear bumper. All that's needed is some sanding and fresh high-temp header paint.
Engine Plans:
The engine that I'm planning to build will be fairly mild by my standards. Here's a brief outline of what it will be:
NOS Kennedy 1700lbs pressure plate, 200mm rigid clutch disk
Rebuilt VW 311B connecting rods
Mahle 94mm "A" pistons/cylinders
Ported/Polished "D" port 40x35 cylinder heads
Engle W120 Camshaft (294 duration x.494" lift with VW 1.25 ratio rockers)
Standard aluminum bolt-on cam gear
Target 8.5 to 9.0:1 compression ratio
Dual Kadron Solex 40mm carbs (may change to Dellorto or Weber 40mm carbs at some point)
S&S 1 3/8" header system with dual quietpack mufflers
German 009 Distributor
Bosch 12V Blue Coil
Transmission Plans:
The transmission in this car reportedly contains the rare 4.625 ring & pinion, and could possibly have a limited-slip differential. The plan at this stage is to simply do a complete tear-down and inspection, and rebuild it using quality parts. Syncro hubs will be welded similar to my Single Cab's gearbox, and stock gearing is the plan.
1973 Type 181 Thing Transmission
1st gear 3.80
2nd gear2.06
3rd gear 1.26, welded syncro, HD keyway
4th gear .89 splined w/welded syncro
Ring & Pinion 4.625
Mobil 1 or Valvoline synthetic 85wt gear oil will be used with a Lucas Oil "shock" additive.
The possibility of a IRS Super Diff and heavy duty side covers may be added depending upon the condition of the internal parts during the rebuild.
The "Thing" Arrives Home!
The following shots were taken in May '09 when I brought my "project" home.
In this shot you can see two critical pieces of the engine's parts stash. First, I picked up a really nice set of original Solex Kadron carbs with original Kadron air cleaner assemblies. These carbs are one of the easiest bolt on's for the mild ACVW engine. They run exceptionally well with minimal tuning. In the background you can see a set of gently used Mahle 94A pistons and cylinders. A simple hone job and some new rings and we'll be in business!
3.80
