1973 Thing made to resemble a WW2 Type 2 Kubelwagon
1971
1973 Acapulco
1973
1973
1974
1974
1974
1974
Acapulco Limo
15 thoughts on “For Brad in IL… VW Things. Does this make you happy?”
Heh. First one I ever saw was done up in sand color and Afrika Korps insignia.
Never owned one but rented one way back in Nice, France. Was a hoot to drive completely top down in summer. Of course some older frenchies kinda scowled a bit since it was nor a Renault Mehari and of course, Kraut made..
That sir is OUT-FUCKING-STANDING
We aim to please, so please aim….
I saw one identical to that red one with the white top in a Lowes parking lot last year.
It was identical and it was IMMACULATE.
I walked by it as the old guy who had it was backing out of a parking spot and I couldn’t believe the condition it was in, it literally looked like it just came off the show room floor.
The Type 181 carried several different badges depending upon where it was sold.
Kübelwagon copy.
My Thing was a blast to drive. When I was driving it regularly, it was very dependable and a lot of fun. One of the coolest features to me is the independent gasoline heater that would run without cranking the car. The switch beside the steering wheel was spring loaded. When wound to the left, the ignition inside the heater would spark igniting the heater and turning on the electric fan to push heat into the cockpit of the vehicle, The heater would run for approximately ten minutes. It was handy on cold morning to go out and preheat the car. When the heater was working at maximum temp, it was fairly loud and sounded like a shop heater or tiny jet engine running. It was very efficient.
When I was in Germany a soldier was transferred in and has a WW2 Type 2 Kubelwagon Thing. He received so much attention from the polizei he rattle can painted it red.
The Kraut version of a AMC Pacer. For Krauting Out Loud…
My wife wouldn’t be seen in one of those cracker boxes and she was born in Frankfurt. Just my 2 Deutsch marks
Having NO experience with one, I would like y’all to sound off:
How dependable were they?
Cost of ownership?
Mileage?
Did they wear well or were they cheap pieces of garbage (think: Trabant)?
Let me know, thanks!
I found mine in an auto trader magazine in 1992.
We were needing a 2nd car and thought we’d give it a look. It was in very good good original condition. Things imported into the U.S. were available in four colors only (In 1973 Sunset Orange, Red, Polar White, and Yellow in 1974 Avocado Green, was added). Mine was yellow. We found the car and drove it. It wasn’t really what I needed, but I told the guy I’d make an offer if it wouldn’t make him mad. He was asking $4,500 for it. I could tell his wife really wanted it out of their driveway (very nice neighborhood and the guy only drove it to the golf course). I offered him $1,200 for it and before he could answer, his wife said, “yes, he’ll take it”. As I was leaving he told me he’d paid much more than $1,200 for it ten years earlier. The car was in Selma, AL and it was about a 175 mile drive home. It ran splendidly. I had great luck with mine. I kept the oil changed and the valves adjusted and that was basically all the maintenance the engine required. The car got OK gas mileage (16-17 mpg), but remember they had a larger engine (76 h.p.) than the early Beetles. I drove it fairly regularly for about 7-8 years. My work was less than twenty miles both ways. I went on a couple of 300 mile round trips in it without any problems. In the late 90’s We’d haul it behind a motorhome we had at the time on longer trips. taking it to Gulf Shores several times. I told my wife if I was a teenager again, the Thing would be my car of choice for beach trips as everybody wanted to take a picture of it and girls would pose on it, etc. We got busy with kids, etc. and parked it. The soft top began to rot and eventually led to some floor pan rust problems. From time to time, I’d drag it out of the woods, clean it up rattle can it in a neat way to make it presentable, I fiber glassed some soft spots in the floor, did a brake job on it once, and drive it a year or so and parked it again. It always was easy to start. Once it sat for three years and fired right up. It has been sitting for a spell this last time and needs quite a bit of work although i believe it would be easy to start. If it was in the same condition as it was back in 1992, it would be worth $20k easy (maybe a little more). A VW collector told me a few years ago not to take less than $4,500 for it as any Thing that will crank and run is worth at least that. I see some without motors/transaxles priced for that on E-bay. I don’t know what they actually sell for. About three years ago we were headed to the beach when I saw a guy getting out and placing a for sale sign on a white ’73. I turned around and asked him “how much” he was asking for it and he replied, $12,000. I told my wife as I got back in the car that ours was now worth a fortune as his car was pretty rough. Seeing those pics in the post has sort of inspired me to get it out and going again, but as I said earlier. I have too many hobbies. Thanks again for the post.
Porsche engine to boot, bwahahahaha
Is the two door one a custom job? I’ve only seen the four doors.
Heh. First one I ever saw was done up in sand color and Afrika Korps insignia.
Never owned one but rented one way back in Nice, France. Was a hoot to drive completely top down in summer. Of course some older frenchies kinda scowled a bit since it was nor a Renault Mehari and of course, Kraut made..
That sir is OUT-FUCKING-STANDING
We aim to please, so please aim….
I saw one identical to that red one with the white top in a Lowes parking lot last year.
It was identical and it was IMMACULATE.
I walked by it as the old guy who had it was backing out of a parking spot and I couldn’t believe the condition it was in, it literally looked like it just came off the show room floor.
The Type 181 carried several different badges depending upon where it was sold.
Kübelwagon copy.
My Thing was a blast to drive. When I was driving it regularly, it was very dependable and a lot of fun. One of the coolest features to me is the independent gasoline heater that would run without cranking the car. The switch beside the steering wheel was spring loaded. When wound to the left, the ignition inside the heater would spark igniting the heater and turning on the electric fan to push heat into the cockpit of the vehicle, The heater would run for approximately ten minutes. It was handy on cold morning to go out and preheat the car. When the heater was working at maximum temp, it was fairly loud and sounded like a shop heater or tiny jet engine running. It was very efficient.
When I was in Germany a soldier was transferred in and has a WW2 Type 2 Kubelwagon Thing. He received so much attention from the polizei he rattle can painted it red.
The Kraut version of a AMC Pacer. For Krauting Out Loud…
My wife wouldn’t be seen in one of those cracker boxes and she was born in Frankfurt. Just my 2 Deutsch marks
Having NO experience with one, I would like y’all to sound off:
How dependable were they?
Cost of ownership?
Mileage?
Did they wear well or were they cheap pieces of garbage (think: Trabant)?
Let me know, thanks!
I found mine in an auto trader magazine in 1992.
We were needing a 2nd car and thought we’d give it a look. It was in very good good original condition. Things imported into the U.S. were available in four colors only (In 1973 Sunset Orange, Red, Polar White, and Yellow in 1974 Avocado Green, was added). Mine was yellow. We found the car and drove it. It wasn’t really what I needed, but I told the guy I’d make an offer if it wouldn’t make him mad. He was asking $4,500 for it. I could tell his wife really wanted it out of their driveway (very nice neighborhood and the guy only drove it to the golf course). I offered him $1,200 for it and before he could answer, his wife said, “yes, he’ll take it”. As I was leaving he told me he’d paid much more than $1,200 for it ten years earlier. The car was in Selma, AL and it was about a 175 mile drive home. It ran splendidly. I had great luck with mine. I kept the oil changed and the valves adjusted and that was basically all the maintenance the engine required. The car got OK gas mileage (16-17 mpg), but remember they had a larger engine (76 h.p.) than the early Beetles. I drove it fairly regularly for about 7-8 years. My work was less than twenty miles both ways. I went on a couple of 300 mile round trips in it without any problems. In the late 90’s We’d haul it behind a motorhome we had at the time on longer trips. taking it to Gulf Shores several times. I told my wife if I was a teenager again, the Thing would be my car of choice for beach trips as everybody wanted to take a picture of it and girls would pose on it, etc. We got busy with kids, etc. and parked it. The soft top began to rot and eventually led to some floor pan rust problems. From time to time, I’d drag it out of the woods, clean it up rattle can it in a neat way to make it presentable, I fiber glassed some soft spots in the floor, did a brake job on it once, and drive it a year or so and parked it again. It always was easy to start. Once it sat for three years and fired right up. It has been sitting for a spell this last time and needs quite a bit of work although i believe it would be easy to start. If it was in the same condition as it was back in 1992, it would be worth $20k easy (maybe a little more). A VW collector told me a few years ago not to take less than $4,500 for it as any Thing that will crank and run is worth at least that. I see some without motors/transaxles priced for that on E-bay. I don’t know what they actually sell for. About three years ago we were headed to the beach when I saw a guy getting out and placing a for sale sign on a white ’73. I turned around and asked him “how much” he was asking for it and he replied, $12,000. I told my wife as I got back in the car that ours was now worth a fortune as his car was pretty rough. Seeing those pics in the post has sort of inspired me to get it out and going again, but as I said earlier. I have too many hobbies. Thanks again for the post.
Porsche engine to boot, bwahahahaha
Is the two door one a custom job? I’ve only seen the four doors.
WOW!!! Just made my day. Thank you.