ok, so my uncle sells exotic cars, and he called me today to tell me that he might have a graduation gift for me. Apparently he bought a few more expensive cars, (cobra and a 68 mustang and one more i can't remember) and the person selling them threw in a VW Thing , i don't really know much about them. I know this isn't the site to post this, but anybody ever owned one of these, my 88 runner will still be my daily driver, but i heard that the Things are suppose to be really light, and ok for off road, what do you think?
VW thing?
- Thread starter linuxgeek
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Man I remember those things. Never owned one but they sure were ugly, IMO. A google serach turned up 1250 images but I don't see them as being very good off-road. I could be wrong though.
Scott
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Scott
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KMX3060
New member
I owned one and it was fun.
I bought it to tow behind my motorhome but I liked driving it around anytime.
There are several great websites for the thing. One comany uses them for offroad trips where they take paying customers through the desert.
They are called Kubelwagen in Germany and some were made to be amphibious and are really sought after.
You can get parts easily. The gasoline heater is a desirable accessory but many are afraid of using it. Mine had it and I used it easily but the defroster part is there in name only.
You could start at www.thesamba.com for information. A samba is what they call the VW bus. It is a great site for VW information.
There is a place in Orange County CA that specializes in Thing's.
I think they are also referred to as type 118's. Take a look at some of the parts on the thing and the first three part numbers are the vehicle type. Do a search on the internet for "type 118" or whatever the numbers are.
1974 was the last year for the US import.
Enjoy!
Brian
I bought it to tow behind my motorhome but I liked driving it around anytime.
There are several great websites for the thing. One comany uses them for offroad trips where they take paying customers through the desert.
They are called Kubelwagen in Germany and some were made to be amphibious and are really sought after.
You can get parts easily. The gasoline heater is a desirable accessory but many are afraid of using it. Mine had it and I used it easily but the defroster part is there in name only.
You could start at www.thesamba.com for information. A samba is what they call the VW bus. It is a great site for VW information.
There is a place in Orange County CA that specializes in Thing's.
I think they are also referred to as type 118's. Take a look at some of the parts on the thing and the first three part numbers are the vehicle type. Do a search on the internet for "type 118" or whatever the numbers are.
1974 was the last year for the US import.
Enjoy!
Brian
boston_kevin
New member
I wouldn't use it for off-roading, unless you are talking about packed dirt roads. This vehicle was purely a VW invention/alternative to the traditional convertible at the time. They were very fun to drive in, very reliable (like the bug) and extremely light weight (although not water tight like the bug - so don't try to float it).
Think of it as an economical and fun alternative transportation to your 4Runner. Besides, Retro is in style these days...
Think of it as an economical and fun alternative transportation to your 4Runner. Besides, Retro is in style these days...
ok, thanks for the great advice, here is what i know. the car is in perfect condition, new yellow paint job no dents or scratches, new convertible top. Inside has all been reupholstered, however the mechanics of the car were not touched, all though it only has 80,000 miles :awais: all we know is that it does work as of now. i'll check out some of those other sites, this is going to be completely new to me. A lot of this stuff i never even knew existed like air cooled engines. But should be fun to drive, although my mom is a little worried about safety 
charlier180
New member
GatorGreg said:
IIRC the VW Thing was only sold in the USA for Two Years ('73 & '74). As a result, there are not a lot of them still around anymore. Thing specific parts (in good shape) can be VERY hard to find and VERY expensive. Things in good, running condition can command high prices when sold.
The original poster might want to keep this information in mind when deciding what to do with the Thing they received. Given the age of the Thing and the lack of cheap, available parts it might not be a good idea to use it for off-roading. In the long run, you might consider cleaning it up and putting it on EBay yourself.
Thanks for all the info, i am not looking to sell it right now, because i feel it would be a little insulting to my uncle. But it will probably be worth some money when i do, at least i hope, since. it has all been restored to original factory condition. I did see some websites with off road things. They looked amazingly capable, but as you said, i really don't want to break it... that is what the 4runner is for 
hehe thanks for all the help.
hehe thanks for all the help.