Das Thinga`ma`bob Part 5 Last in the series

Transcription

Page 1
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
A Publication of The Pacific Northwest Thing Association
and its affiliates
The Type 181 World Wide Registry and Things West
http://type181registry.com
JANUARY-MARCH 2003
$5.00
Das Thinga’ma’bob
Part 5
Last in the series
Page 19
VOLUME 9 ISSUE 4
Litchfield Bug-In
and
Thing Campout
Type 181 Registry
Thing Gift Shop
Page 30
Page 2
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Litchfield Bug-In and
Thing Campout
By Mike Basso, Schenectady, New York
The Thing Campout and Litchfield Bug IN was a huge
success. We had three things camping, plus one additional thing owner. This was mainly due to the threat of
rain all weekend.
Camping was, myself, Greg Fulcher, Kevin Ford and
Brenda Van Damme, and Doug Fontaine. We met at the
tent area, set up our tents, then got ready for the dinner
buffet. We all cruised over in Kevin’s car, it was the
cleanest out of the three in attendance. The food was excellent at the buffet, there was pastas, roast beef, hot
plates, salads, and fruit of all kinds. When we got back, we
had some Thing chat, then went over to the fair to watch
the fireworks. The rain held off most of the day of the
campout. Just after we went to sleep, the rain came down,
then it stopped when we got up, just in time for the Litchfield Bug In :).
We had over 10 things, and even more thing owners
came without their cars. I was able to give away most of
the dash plaques The Registry sent, thank you. I have a
list of attendees. I gave out all the Thing Stuff issues I
had brought with me, and many applications. I had a very
successful day vending also, all the thing owners have
been very supportive of me and I always try to make
good deals for folks at the shows.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Art Harm, 74 White thing Freehold NY
Michael Basso Black 74 Schenectady, NY
Fred and Jane Knapp. White 74 Sheffield, MA
John Haskell Green 74 Jewett City, CT
Doug Fontaine. white 73 Greenfield, MA
Kevin Ford and Brenda Van Damme. Lynn, MA
Sal Riccobono NJ
Greg Fulcher White 74 Groton MA
Sean Simpson White NY, NY
Ed Duntz Orange 73 Lakeville, CT
Joseph Baker and daughter CT
Murray Schyler. Litchfield CT
Dennis Fippinger Yellow 73 Burlington CT
Harold Hill Yellow 73 Pine Plains NY
We all had a great time at the show and campout, everyone appreciated the free issues of Thing Stuff and the
dash plaques, thank you very much.
Page 3
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Type 181
Registry
These are the results of 1,549 submissions to the Type 181 World Wide Registry.
If you have not registered your car(s) yet please do so after you have reviewed these statistics.
If you have more than one car please register each separately.
The input form is located on page 14. Computer users may input our Registry at
http://www.type181registry.com
THE MEDIAN AGE OF A TYPE 181 OWNER IS 43.5 YEARS.
(For some reason it is the males that tend to be the ones hesitant to list their ages)
The age is coming down primarily because we have been getting a large number of parents listing their 8-16 year olds as owners.
Distribution of
Model Years
Countries Where the Registered
Type 181’s are Located
Primary Color
Distribution
1970
3.75%
Austria
0.24% Guatemala
0.08% Puerto Rico
0.33%
White
16.68%
1971
5.95%
Australia
0.33% Israel
0.08% Romainia
0.33%
Orange
19.24%
1972
5.05%
Belgium
1.47% Italy
0.41% San Salva-
0.08%
Green
7.27%
1973
37.41%
Bulgaria
0.08% Indonesia
0.41% South Africa
0.24%
Yellow
20.98%
1974
33.25%
Canada
2.44% Korea
0.08% Spain
0.24%
Blue/
4.09%
1975
5.95%
Colombia
0.16% Luxemburg
0.08% Sweden
0.41%
Red
5.73%
1976
2.61%
Costa Rica
0.16% Mexico
2.36% Switzerland
0.33%
Tan
3.99%
1977
0.73%
Denmark
0.33% Monaco
0.08% Turkey
0.08%
Military
7.68%
1978
1.87%
France
0.98% Netherlands
0.33% UK
18.74%
Blue
2.66%
1979
0.41%
Greece
0.08% New Zealand
0.33% USA
65.04%
Black
1.33%
1980
0.49%
Germany
3.42% Peru
0.33% Zambia
0.08%
Other
5.42%
Condition of Registered Type 181’s
Show Car
Excellent
Average
Rough
Project
Parts
3.12%
21.01%
52.96%
10.95%
10.35%
0.70%
Use of Registered Type 181’s
Show Only
Driven Occasionally
Daily Driver
Off-Road
Other (RV,etc)
1.34%
42.74%
47.79%
5.77%
0.10%
Body Modifications
Major
Minor
Stock
Roll Bar
Hard Top
2.71%
6.12%
90.96%
31.43%
16.87%
Engine Modifications
Major
Minor
Stock
4.02%
4.52%
90.96%
Page 4
Thing Stuff
Thing Stuff
FOR THE
LAWYERS
A quarterly newsletter
providing information and
networking for Volkswagen
Type 82, Type 181 and
Type 182 owners and
Thing Stuff is a newsletter
enthusiasts worldwide.
Address Mail to:
Thing Stuff
700 SE Crescent Drive
Shelton,Washington USA
Tele: (360) Washington
USA
Tele: (360) 426-4513
FAX: (360) 427-3742
Email: [email protected]
Publisher & Editor:
David Campbell
(360) 426-4513
Editorial Contributors:
Mike Basso
Schenectady, New York
Bob Witte
Tampa, Florida
Tom Michel
Brandon, Florida
Subscription
Rates
Internet
Internet Download
$10.00
Hardcopies:
US, APO, FPO
$15.00
Canada & Mexico
$17.00
Overseas
$20.00
Compact Disks:
US, APO, FPO
$20.00
Canada & Mexico
$20.00
Overseas
$20.00
Advertising
Rates
Full Page
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One Fourth Page
Business Card
$95.00
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for Thing Owners and
Enthusiasts and is published
solely for the entertainment
of it’s readers. Most articles
are hearsay from other
enthusiasts or gleaned from
the vast store of writings on
the Internet and elsewhere.
It is very possible that
something could have been
lost in the interpretation.
Therefore, nothing in this
publication is to be
considered as expert advise.
It is the responsibility of the
reader to verify its accuracy
and safety. That having
been said, enjoy.
January-March 2002
=
We have the largest supply of new and recycled
Thing and Type 181 Parts on the West Coast.
If it’s Thing/Type 181 parts you need,
give us a call.
If we don’t have the parts you need,
we will find them.
German Ball Joints
German Front Brake Drums
German Rear Brake Drums
3” Lift Kits (While They Last)
$30.00 Each
$80.00 Each
$80.00 Each
$380.00 Each
Free Phone Advice, just call and ask
Tim Caves, Proprietor
(818) 353-0011
7381 Foothill Boulevard
Tujunga, California 91042
=
úqÉää=íÜÉã=óçì=ë~ï=áí=áå=íÜÉ=oÉÖáëíêó∞ë=±qÜáåÖ=
Engines that Fit Things
Type-I engines are almost all generic, all Beetle engines will fit
into THINGS, Type-II Early Bus engines (upright fans only)
will also fit. The original THING case is a Type-II or Universal
case to provide the attachment points for the skid plates that are
bolted onto the bottom of THING engines.
The surrounding rubber seal is the same as all Type-1's. The tin
is the same... except that not all tin is created equal. Imported,
non-VW, tin tends to not fit very well. 1973 THING and all
Military tin is without the holes for the heat exchanger tubes.
(they have gas heaters) Military tin also has a hole and cover flap
for a starting crank.
Page 5
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
I want to die peacefully in my sleep,
just like my grandfather.
Not screaming in terror like his passengers.
MEMBER DISCOUNTS
The following businesses have agreed to give our members at least a 10% discount on most parts & services in their establishments.
Check with your VW Parts and/or repair store and ask if they will give our members a discount for patronizing their
business? Most parts stores give discounts to car clubs. Remember to tell them you saw their ad in Thing Stuff!
Franklin’s German Auto Shop
Bugformance
1620 El Camino Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95678
(916) 929-4320
Victory Import Auto Parts
3300 Auburn Blvd #1
Sacramento, CA 95821
(916) 481-9300
Northwest Foreign Auto Parts
6725 Martin WAy East
Olympia, WA 98502
(360) 491-3352
11909 SE 169th Place
Renton, WA 98058
206-592-0540
Bugformace
630 East Weber Avenue
Stockton, CA 95202
(209) 467-7777
Roseville Volkswagen
830 Automall Drive
Roseville, CA 95661
(916) 774-2777
[email protected]
WagenWerks
321 SE Craig Road
Shelton, WA 98584
(360) 427-0530
[email protected]
Qualitat VW
3002 East Jefferson
Grand Prairie, Texas
972 262 8491
[email protected]
Page 6
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Page 7
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Receive one full year of
Entertainment and Information
For as little as $10 USD
(€ 7.67)
Page 8
Thing Stuff
By Tom Michel, Brandon, Florida
On Sunday, 17 March 2002, the
Spring Central Florida Drag Races
and Show, was held at the International Speedway, Lakeland, Florida.
The show was sponsored by Fisher
Buggies, a major Volkswagen parts
and service supplier from Tampa,
Florida.
While VW Things were most attractive to me, Ken Fisher had a
most impressive speedster. The
racer is named the Spirit One and
has some interesting artwork. Ken
and the car hold 13 National Drag
Racing Records. The vehicle has a
3500 cc VW engine that delivers
over 950 horsepower.
His record for the 1/8th Mile is
152.54 mph (Nov 99) and the 1/4th
mile record stands at 176 mph (May
99). (How many Things do you
know that go that fast?)
I located 3 Things during the day.
One was in the Car Show (Yellow)
while another was parked near the
car show vehicles. And, one modified Kubel was arriving at the show
just as I departed in mid-afternoon.
R
January-March 2002
Page 9
Thing Stuff
Kool Korner
Got a cool picture related to our Type 181’s
that you would like to share? Paul and Linda
Martin of Ashland, Oregon sent this of a
bull checking out their Thing on one of their
trips.
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
January-March 2002
1,000 Mile Club
To belong to the Type 181 1,000 Mile Club you need to have taken trips of
at least 200 miles in length for a total of 1,000 miles in any given year
Racking up 1,000 local miles doesn’t count. The purpose of this club is to
recognize those individuals who are not afraid to take their cars “on the
road”.
Greg Fulcher
Jim Bassett
Chatham, MA/Los Angeles RT
Grants Pass,OR/
Manzanillo,Mexico
Dudley & Judy Newton El Dorado,CA/Phoenix,AZ RT
Al & Liz Farmery,
Seattle, WA/Phoenix, AZ RT
David Campbell,
Shelton, WA/Los Angeles, CA RT
Ed Epp
Denver,CO/Phoenix,AZ RT
Jack & Fran Gruen Galt, CA/Phoenix,AZ RT
James Hopper
Livermore, CA/Phoenix RT
Gary Mondshine
Detroit,MI/Asheville,NC RT
John Young
Motor-Ioway 1000 Mile Tour
2000
7,413+
1998
2000
2001
2000
1996
2001
2001
2001
2002
6,933
6,478
3,015
2,263
1,824
1,463
1,445
1,300
1,000
Let’s here from those of you that go places and do things in your Type
181 Kübelwagen, Safari, Thing or Trekker.
Thing Stuff
Now on CD-ROM
Blazing Color - Blazing Speed
Archive Disk only $10.00
One year subscription On 4 CD’s $20.00
(Includes Archive Disk)
Thing Stuff
Shelton, WA 98584
[email protected]
Manufacturer of aftermarket
accessories
for the Volkswagen Type 181
Hardtops, Fenders, Roll Bars,Vents
A beacon of affordable Quality for 35 years
221 Ivy Street, Roseville, California 95678
www.kitcar.com/fiberjet.html
[email protected]
~Tell them you saw it in the Registry’s “Thing Stuff”~
Page 10
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
~~Letters~~
Dear David;
I am sending for my Thing
Stuff early because I know
where I will be this winter.
Right at home. No more Mexico.
Margy and I are quitting while
we are ahead. Almost every
winter there since 1955. I am
now 87+ years old and don't
want to be sent home in an Air
Ambulance or little square
box. We had many good years
there.
We didn't do too much Thing
driving this summer. We did
have one real wild and hairy
trip up to an old Forest Lookout. Had a flat, but I had 2
younger men with us and they
fixed it. It went flat because a
rock pushed the tire bead away
from the rim. We have been
places where people have cut
through 2 tires at the same
time. The hot dry weather put
a stop to all travel in the
woods. We had a terrible summer, too hot to drive the Thing
into Grants Pass even with the
Bikini top and no doubt you
saw pictures of our big fire
which was about 4 miles from
us.
Paul and Linda Martin were
flying in their plane to Gold
Beach and saw that fire when
it was small and reported it,
but our Smoke Jumper Base
had been shut down and most
of our fire fighters were on
other fires, so there goes thousands of acres and a hundred
and fifty million, eight hundred thousand dollars.
The Martins have been doing a
lot of flying, as I used to do
and are also seeing a lot of the
U.S. in their motor home.
Way to go, enjoy life as you On July 20, 2002 I renewed
go along. Margy and I have the subscription via the Web
done that.
and paid via MasterCard. I
changed to download to see
If any of your readers want a how that was. Do you have a
little advice on traveling in record of this? Just shoot me
Mexico I will be glad to tell an E-mail to let me know
them all they want to know where I stand.
and probably even more. My
phone number is 541 479 Thanks so much, I enjoy the
1022.
Registry immensely!
Keep up the good work David,
maybe we will meet again next
summer.
Sincerely,
Jim Bassett #0124
Wilderville, Oregon
You can see that I know very
little about computers.
Jim has always laid claim to
being the oldest active
Thinger. So far there hasn’t
been anyone to contest his
claim.
For years he and
Margy held the record for the
longest trip in a Thing - until
Greg Fulcher made his perimeter of the U.S. trip a couple years back. I was wondering what had happened to Paul
and Linda. I miss the Thing
gatherings they hosted in
Southern Oregon. When my
granddaughter, Alex, was
younger we used to head in my
Thing for her Uncle Brock’s
place in Sacramento, camping , rafting and joining the
Martin’s Thing gathering
along the way. If you are
thinking of going to Mexico it
would be a good idea to take
up Jim’s offer - that’s 50 years
of experience traveling in Mexico.
David
John Young #0910
San Antonio, Texas
John, there were approximately 3 weeks in July that my
application form was not functioning properly. When I made
a change to the form in early
July I placed a " in a HTML
code that gave the appearance
that everything was working
properly on the site, however,
the data was not sent to my
mailbox. It appears there were
16 of you that I know of so far
that attempted to subscribe or
renew during this time. Yours
was one of the kinder inquiries - I thank you for that. :-) If
you would go to https://
eweb11.ehost.com/~type181r/
Application/index.html and
complete the information
again I would appreciate it.
I have renewed your subscription. You can go to http://
type181registry.com/Thing
Stuff and use iiii as your
user name and iiii as
your password. (For some
reason some people have had
to enter this information twice
to get it to work) I hope you
have a high speed connection
as this is a very large file 6MB.
Also, I'll log you into our 1,000
mile club for your participation in the 2002 MotorIoway
tour. (See Pages 6 and 9)
David
Cool...got my first issue and
already got the tip about saving my belt loops and pockets...great...lots of good links
and fun reading...FYI about
the internet is works fine and
would like to download the
archive files...please advise...R
Richard Mowery #0995
Imperial Beach, CA
Richard, I don't have the space
for the Archives files on the
Internet. It is only available
on CD for $10 or upgrade to
CD subscription for only $5
more. The next issue [this
one] is the Archive issue.
[The Archive Edition has 10
years of Thing Stuff]
David
Just last week, my engine
started running very bad. I
went to do a tune-up and noticed that there is this dime
sized hole in the middle of my
carb. I know that a plug of
some type goes in there but I
cannot find it. This is a 31pict
carb. It's about a year old.
Anyone have a worn out carb
they could cannibalize so I can
drive my car? thanks,
Jimmy Uptain
Birmingham, AL
The same thing happened to
me on I-5 on my way from
Washington to California. I
Page 11
Thing Stuff
took a dime wrapped it with
electrical tape and held to the
hole with a rubber band. I
drove it that way for almost two
weeks until I could get a real
fix. It took the urgency out of
finding a new carb - I was able
to wait until I could get to a
swap meet and buy an inexpensive one which is still on mine.
David
Thanks!!
Can't wait til my wife sees
this
Jimmy Uptain
Birmingham, AL
Hi David,
ETD for Mexico has been put
back to Oct/Nov, maybe even
as late as Christmas
Meanwhile, does anyone market/has anyone made up lockable covers for the Thing's cavernous door pockets? I'm a bit
concerned about possible theft
from the car.
Do people fit oil filters (as in
Porsche #%^'s, for example) If
so,
who/where for advice?
Best,
John Mills #0958
In the 1980's I spent a vacation
on the island of Barbados, and
during that week my family
rented a vehicle that was
called a "Safari." It was manufactured by Volkswagen; however, it did not possess the
body type that one associates
with the VW "Thing" that was
marketed here in the U.S. (i.e.,
it didn't have the raised,
stamped metal side panels that
are so prevalent on the
"Thing). This vehicle was an
open top model that had what
appeared to be a fiberglass
body, which was smooth, and
it looked more like the customized car that appeared on
the Aaron Spelling-created
ABC television program
"Fantasy Island." Several people have suggested that it was
a Mini Moke, but I am very
familiar with that type of vehicle, and I can assure you that
this model was very different.
Any idea what type of "VW
Safari" we had rented, and
where I might find one to purchase? Your response via email would be much appreciated.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Cordially,
John, I have never heard of
anyone that makes door pocket Jeffrey A. Sapp
covers, however, several make Senior Associate Principal
glove box doors. The Thing DKW Capital Markets, LLC
Shop for one.
I think the car you are referOil filter set ups are all over ring to is the Gurgel which
the place. Any aircooled VW was manufactured in Brazil
parts/repair shop can fix you and looked very much like the
up (California Imports in Van- Safari. The VW Type 181's
couver?) and look in the ads in (Safari, Trekker, Thing, Kubel)
all had ribs. Here are a couVW Trends or Hot VWs.
ple sites that may shed more
light on your question. http://
David
www.jcgurgelguerreiro.hpg.ig.
c
o
m
.
b
r
/
Dear Mr. Campbell:
jipe_clube_gurgel_guerreiro3.
htm or http://www.
You are clearly an authority on
gurgelbrasil.com/
vintage VW's, so I was hoping
David
you could help me identify a
particular model.
January-March 2002
Is there such a thing? I remember Orca or something like that
Hi David,
I don't have any pictures of the
car in a digital format. I have
recently moved and the car is
buried in my new workshop
right now pending the completion of the "move in" process.
When I do get to it, I'll send
some digital pictures and the
VIN#.
Bob Whittaker
Seattle, WA
Yes Bob, we are one and the
same. As we grew we kept
changing our name to reflect
our membership:
Pacific NW Thing Assoc
Things West
Type 181 Registry
I've had more fun in that car
than I would tell in a court of
law. I went on my first date in Our original email address
that car when I was 16 and was [email protected].
even dated my wife in the car After we purchased our dosome 10 years later. Still does- main name we used the orca
n't have 100,000 on it and is address very little. However, it
straight as an arrow (little rust had already been scooped up
but it's a VW right?). Do you by the web bots spammers
know anything about how hard now use to pick up addresses
it is to install/remove a hard- off of websites and the orca
top? Can 1 person do it under address was obviously on sev30 minutes or so? I don't have eral spam lists. I was getting
one but was thinking it would over 400 spam emails a week
on orca. I now use an alias
be nice for the winter months.
email address on all our webI have other cars (current ob- pages that I can change easily
session with 911's) and was should a spammer use it. The
considering selling the thing Orcalink address is cancelled
when I happened across your now so if there is anyone out
site. I think I'll keep it now. there that still has the orca adMaybe my daughter can drive dress in their mailbox please
i t
t o
it in 10 years! That would be c h a n g e
[email protected].
great. Be talking to you,
Tom Hilmes
Springfield, MO
It depends on which hard top
you get. If you get the original
VWOA hard top I wouldn't recommend trying to move it
alone, however, most other
aftermarket ones (Fiberjet,
etc.) can be done by one person. They are awkward but
not that heavy.
David
Hi
I am looking to restore a thing.
I have seen a couple that were
used at hotels that had 6 doors
what were they called and
where is the best place to find
them?
Jeff Warden
Crystal Lake, Il
Jeff, I am only aware of 3 of
these. Two were made by the
Thing Shop and one is in AlSorry but what is the web page bany, Oregon. You'll have to
for your club again? Looking ask the Thing Shop who they
for the address for the thing sold their’s to, however, the
one in Albany might be coaxed
site not registry.
into selling his. What is the price
David
range you were looking at.
David
Page 12
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Rocky Mountain Thing Owner's Club
(ROMTOC)
To assist each other and share information on our
wonderful Things here in the beautiful Rocky’s
Northeast VW Thing Association
Scott Kreisher Editor/Publisher
814 Toby Run Road
Danville, PA 17821
(570) 275-0216
[email protected]
http://home.ptd.net/~peyer/
!Ranganath Weiner
http://home.att.net/~stswest/ROMTOC.html
[email protected]
VOLKSWAGEN THING
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
(VWTA)
San Diego Thing Club
The San Diego Thing Club would like to invite you to join us. We get
together to exchange Thing information, Thing stories, have bar-b-ques, go
for drives or just socialize. We get together every month or so at different
places around San Diego.
Christopher Cassidy (Activities Organizer)
[email protected]
Pager 858-530-7321
Club Web Page www.cassidy-online.com/thingclub/news.html
Pacific Northwest Thing
Association
“THE REAL THING”
THE OLDEST QUARTERLY THING PERIODICAL
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION IS ONLY $16.00
Rich Smith Editor/Publisher
1641 Joliet Road
Westfield, IN 46074
The
181/182
Register
40 Chelmsford Road
South Woodford
London E18 2PP
No Officers, No Meetings, No Obligations
Just Plain Fun With Nice People
Cruise & Pizza
Every 2nd Saturday of the Month
Check our Website for location
http://type181registry.com/PNWTA
Or call Al Farmery 206-545-1556
ENGLAND
Tel: (+44) 208-504 9834
Fax: (+44) 208-262 5752
Ian Harrison, Registrar
[email protected]
Page 13
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Change of Address
Failure on your part to submit a Change of Address with your Post Office
or with Thing Stuff does not constitute an obligation on our part to forward
back issues. Back issues are available at the cover price of $3.00 each
for hardcopies or $1.50 each for downloadable copies.
Name:
New Address:
City, State, Zip:
Feb 15 R
7th Annual Valentine's Cruise
Glen Leighton (360) 275-2539
Copy or Clip and send to:
Or call:
Or Email:
Type 181 Shows R and Volkswagen Shows with Type 181 Classes
Thing Stuff
Shelton, WA 98584
(360) 426-4513
[email protected]
THING GRAMS
If you have an Email address, post it to
[email protected] and join the other Type 181 owners on this occasional Hot List for news and upcoming events
related to Things, Trekkers, Safari’s and Kübelwagens. There
are 1993 Thingers subscribing to Thing Grams now.
It’s Free - Subscribe now!
[email protected]
http://www.type181registry.com/
Events/PNWTA/
February 16
Miami, Florida.
Volksblast 2003,
Info: 305-666-7905
[email protected]
www.volksblast.com
FEB 18 *
Bugfreeze,
Stafford Show Ground,
England
[email protected]
March 12, Sunday
Orlando, Florida
Downey Park,
VW Show-N-Shine 2000
Presented by Central Florida VW
Club info: 34786-1043 or
http://www.tekpage.com/cfvwc
March 29/30:
Fisher Buggies show and shine
and racing at Lakeland Dragstrip.
[email protected]
MAY (TBA)R
Dallas/Fort Worth Area, TX,
Kubeltreffen South,
http://www.thething.org/,
[email protected]
MAY (TBA)
Deer Park Winery
Escondido, CA
Things in the Sun
http://thethingshop.com
MAY (TBA)
Garden Grove, CA
Thing Swap & Show VII
http://thingsforthething.com
JUL 12 R
Kubeltreffen East,
Asheville, NC,
Mike Crisp 828-298-4168
http://kubeltreffeneast.homestead.com/KTE2002
Hail Storm Damage
Things Unlimited
Front and Rear Disk Brakes
Window Wiper Conversion Kits
The Largest Selection of Parts East of the Mississippi
Free Price List Available - U.S. Only
(850) 862-9850
Web Site: www.thingsunlimited.net
803 Oakridge Road, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
A blonde was driving home, and got
caught in a really bad hailstorm.
Her
car was covered with dents, so the next day she
took it to the repair shop. The shop owner decided
to have some fun, and told her just to go home
and blow into the tail pipe really hard and all the
dents would pop out. So, she went home, got
down on her hands and knees and started blowing into her tailpipe. Nothing happened. She blew
a little harder and still nothing happened.
Her Blonde roommate saw her and asked,
“What the heck are you doing?” She told her how
the repairman had instructed her to blow into the
tailpipe in order to get all the dents to pop out.
Her roommate rolled her eyes and said, “Duh,
Hello!! You need to roll up the windows first!!”
Page 14
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
TYPE 181 REGISTRATION
Name:
Year:
Color:
VIN:
We are a loose knit group of VW Type 181/182 enthusiasts tied
together primarily by this magazine, our annual Thing Flings,
Kubeltreffens, and frequent social gatherings such as VW Meets,
picnics, clinics, cruises (called Treffens) and the occasional
overnight tour. We wish to welcome these new and renewing
members. If any of these Thingers are in your area give them a
call and have a cup of coffee with them.
0329
0904
0566
0978
0675
0219
0865
0879
0907
0882
0140
0404
0762
0333
0325
0599
0977
0985
0653
0331
0757
0234
0805
0906
0819
0982
0646
0974
0665
0970
0888
0986
0607
0775
0802
0972
0641
0976
0366
0984
0973
0966
0971
Bob & Pat Whitfield of Batesville, AR
Gregory Davy of Tucson, AZ
Richard Jordan of Phoenix, AZ
Piet De Koning of Merelbeke, Belgium
Duane Maddux of Santee, CA
Bernie & Patricia Bernheisel of San Mateo, CA
V.J. Adams of Long Beach, CA
Alan Simon of Oxnard, CA
Jon Elissalde of Sacramento, CA
Bill Hinderer of Malibu, CA
Dudley & Judy Newton of El Dorado, Ca
Al & Sheryll Foye of Alpine, CA
Jim Fallon of Solana Beach, CA
Ben & Marjorie Ho of Moraga, CA
Robert Squire of Hesperia, CA
Mike Olson of Ukiah, CA
William & Lisa Parker of Lakeside, CA
Frank Walling of Northridge, CA
Dave Opperman of Healdsburg, CA
Ed & Phyllis Doss of Rancho Cordova, CA
Jan Farabee of Sacramento, CA
Dennis & Shirley Dunne of Sacramento, CA
John Taylor of Lakewood, CA
Larry & Gayle Lund of Knights Ferry, CA
Paul Swane of Dana Point, CA
Scott Lyon & Michelle Kissoore of Toronto,
Ontario, Canada
Ed Epp of Lakewood, CO
Douglas Frank of Norwich, CT
Richard & Marianne Huelsmann of Rocky Hill, CT
Mike Morrell of Wesley Chapel, FL
Dan & Karen Leonetti of Sarasota, FL
Hal White of Osprey, FL
Tim Corbett of Pompano Beach, FL
Tammi Kosack of Atlanta, GA
Bob Rotondo of Stoneham, MA
Pedro Sarda of Puebla, Mexico
Richard Nelson of Bloomington, MN
Andreas Krassa of Whitsett, NC
Don & Deborah Hammond of Las Vegas, NV
Kent Cassella of West Point, NY
Michael Mack of Farmington, NY
Pete Stewart of Jamesport, NY
Trent Liebold of Clyde, OH
Acapulco?
Your Age?
Email Address:
Condition:
Show
Excellent (Needs no work)
Average (Needs some work, presentable)
Rough (Needs lots of work, driveable)
Project (Unlicensed, Undriveable)
Modifications:
Engine
Body
Suspension
Wheels/Tires
Use:
Show Car
Drive Occasionally
Daily Driver
Off Road
Clip or Copy and Mail to:
Thing Stuff
SE 700 Crescent Drive
Shelton, WA 98584
Or Email to:
things@type181registry.
0983
0314
0872
0136
0142
0336
0124
0935
0981
0516
0975
0969
0511
0478
0021
0005
0442
0565
0979
0980
0859
0019
0008
0798
0051
0938
0942
Steve Link of Oklahoma City, OK
Logan Gray of Beaverton, OR
Tom Carpenter of Oakland, OR
Neil Jepson of Swisshome, OR
Anthony Sciuto of Sutherlin, OR
Lance & Jennifer Barker of Canyon City, OR
James & Marguerite Bassett of Wilderville, OR
Robert Shultz of Rainier, OR
Jared Porcenaluk of Pleasantville, PA
Steven & Louanne Hunnicutt of Travelers Rest, SC
Bill Lide of Irmo, SC
Gary Hale of Corpus Christi, TX
Hans Jorgensen of Brighton, UT
Lynn Blasch of Annandale, VA
Larry & Pollie Staples of Bellevue, WA
Bob Weimar Sr of Olympia, WA
Doug Macaulay of Bothell, WA
Barney & Sandra Pundt of Kelso, WA
Gwen Howell of Seattle, WA
Graham MacKenzie of Mercer Island, WA
James Mosley of Longview, WA
Roger & Mary Sackett of Bellevue, WA
Wilson Brown of Marysville, WA
Gretchen Westrick of Pacific, WA
Pete Sotelo of Yakima, WA
Bill Hughes of Shoreline, WA
Craig Fritz of Beloit, WI
Page 15
Information Central -The Hosts Tent and Car
The participants,
82 Things from
all over the East
and Mid-West.
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Even with the downpour its still the biggest show.
Shopping under
the Thing Shops
Big Top. With
show prices and
no shipping some
real bargains were
to be found.
Larry and Michelle
Dustman getting
their Thing Shop
displays ready for
the show.
Vince Sadowski of Things Unlimited offered his
wares and some respite from the rain.
Mike Basso, all the way from Schenectady, New York
with his Windas, Wipers and More Booth
Tom & Carol Pooles Toad Creek tours.
Page 16
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
At least its warm, taste good and
out of the rain.
Live Music by A Grain of Salt
A quilt made of old T-Shirts from car
shows that Ron and Jean Domeck have
participated.
Military Row Atten-hut!!!
Wrapping it up with good food and
good company at Tijuana Junction.
Beautiful cabinetry for sound and
storage. Another innovative idea in
Will Rockingbears fascinating car.
Medic, Medic!!
From my rental car on the cruise.
These trailers arent just for motorcycles.
Our cruise along the Blue Ridge Turnpike - 5 hours of breathtaking scenery.
John Trittles enormous 2276 cc fuel
injected blow through turbo.
Page 17
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
I had the distinct pleasure of attending Kübeltreffen East this year courtesy of Larry and Michelle Dustman and the Thing
Shop. They have been very supportive of the Registry and Thing Stuff and offered to fly me out to North Carolina to cover Kubeltreffen East. After years of phone calls and correspondence I was finally going to have the opportunity to meet some of my eastern
subscribers, advertisers and other editors of Thing publications who are all east of the Mississippi. I arrived in Asheville Friday afternoon just in time for the 6PM show registration.
Saturday was the main event. It appears that I brought northwest weather with me because it was one of the wettest days
they had had all year. It poured all day - as you can see in the pictures even some of the cars in the show were covered. Because of
the weather it was one of the smallest turnouts in years, however, it was still the largest show in the country with 83 Type 181’s participating. I saw some really unique Type 181’s here - a real Type 181 Dragster, owned and driven by John Trittle of Greencastle,
Pennsylvania that turns a very respectable 10.9s in the quarter mile - a true tracked swampbuggy, owned by Chris Rante of
Massillon, Ohio and, of course, Mike and Mary Crisp’s Two Door Thing. The Thing Shop had an enormous canopy set up for their
wares - it looked larger than their old showroom. They made just about their whole product line available for this show and as always offered their show discount. Vince Sadowski owner of Things Unlimited of Fort Walton Beach, Florida was there with a full
array of products as was Mike Basso of Windas, Wipers and More of Schenectady, New York. Great discounts and no shipping - it
was truly bargain day at Kübel Treffen East.
I had a wonderful time meeting people and putting faces to those names I only new from my subscription list, seeing their
cars, and talking about Things. Mike & Mary Crisp, who host Kübel Treffen East, averted a disaster with the rained out BBQ and
Awards presentations. With only a few hours to come up with something, they were able to secure the conference room and lobby
of the Hampton Inn, another hotel nearby, where the festivities came off right on schedule, albeit a little cozier than the great outdoors. All this while hosting a national car show - That’s impressive crisis management!!!
Sunday those of us that didn’t have to head home right away took a 5 hour cruise south on the Blue Ridge Parkway as far as
Devil’s Courthouse. On our return we had a late lunch at the Tijuana Junction Mexican Restaurant where we all had the opportunity
to say proper goodbyes.
Some Kool Stuff I Saw At Asheville
Chromed Plastic Trim on the Louvers
And an Oak Running Board
Oak Runners for the hood baggage rack.
Anti Theft and Anti Rattle device.
A set screw holds the Side
Curtain Feet in place
Will Rockingbear #0663 of
Burnsville, North Carolina
A between the seat console with storage.
(€ 7.67)
Page 18
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Kübel Treffen East (Continued)
Mike & Mary Crisp the hosts of Kübel Treffen East
PRERUNNER BUMPERS
From $85 EACH or $160 for a SET
See our website for available styles.
www.kemperfab.com
or
Email: [email protected]
~Tell them you saw it in “Thing Stuff”~
Chris Rante of Massillon, Ohio brought his Swampbuggy and drew a crowd fast.
Journal of Record
WHO:
Has owned the most Type 181’s:
125 Vince Sadowski (Things Unlimited)
Ft Walton Beach, FL
7 Reed Cowan
Rochester, MN
7 Glen Leighton
Allyn, Washington
Has had theirs the longest:
‘73 Fred Bunker Tyler, Texas
‘73 Albert Quiroga, Boca Raton, FL
November 1973
‘74 Wynona Dawson &
Joan Cortright
Bethany Beach, DE
More of Chris Swamp Buggy.
Has the biggest VW Engine:
2276cc Vic Wilson
Gardnerville, NV
WHO:
Has the biggest Non-VW Engine:
2300cc Pinto Ray Meinzer
Olympia, WA
Has made the longest trip in a
Type 181:
6,933 Jim Bassett, Grants Pass,
Oregon to Manzanillo,
Mexico via Roswell, NM
and Moab, UT
6,478 Dudley & Judy Newton,
El Dorado, CA to ???
Vermont & Return.
Got a Record?
Send it in!!
Page 19
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Part V
This is the fifth and last in a series of the customization, not the restoration, of a car. There is a difference, a great difference! Restoring is bringing a car back to its original state - little original
thought is required - lots of time and money - the desired results of all restorations are the same,
the difference is only in degree. Customizing, in addition to time and money, is taking a dream
(original thought) and making it come true - The object is to make the car uniquely yours. Bob has
performed a major customization on his orange 1974 Type 181. Here you will learn the nuances of
one man’s dream and the effort required in bringing it to fruition. In addition to sharing his experiences Bob also gives us access to some of his sources. Bob has presented his thoughts on this
subject in such an informative and entertaining way that we have decided to include the complete
narrative in a five part series. This is definitely not an article for the purist, if anything, this series
might be one of their worst nightmares.
By Bob Witte, Tampa, Florida
Windshield Replacements
After Thinga’Ma’Bob was all painted, I replaced the windshield glass in the Thinga’Ma’Bob myself. If you are careful, (and remember to “dry fit” it first!) it is easily a do-it-yourself project. The reason is it a DIY project is that the frame is in two parts. The
windshield is held together by two 8mm x 1.25mm bolts on the bottom end of either side.
I got a new gasket from Vince @Things Unlimited and I agree with the advice: don’t mess around, get yourself a new OEM gasket.
Clean and de-rust the inside as best you can and use the “never hardens” butyl based caulking (about $10 a tube) which you might
have to get at the auto glass shop.
I got the laminated safety glass with the reflective light green tinting and it was less than $70. I had them use the old cracked (but
intact) glass as a pattern, and note that the corner edges are slightly rounded (about a 1/4” radius). Put a bead of the butyl inside the
gasket and on both sides (front an rear) of inside of the top and bottom frame pieces. Install the glass in the one piece gasket and
turning the upper frame upside down, mount the windshield in the upper frame first. When in position (don’t force it too hard or
whack it with something that will break that expensive piece of glass!), then install the bottom piece. Install the four bolts, clean the
excess butyl and you are done!
However, while on the subject of glass replacement, for those of you with a hard top, I would recommend highly that the side and/or
rear window replacement be left to the auto glass pros. Even with all the tools and a high level of skill, it took the professional two
hours to re-install just my rear window! Also, the gasket that holds in the rear window is not readily available locally. I got mine
from JC Whitney (actually they were the only source I could find!)
Hard Top Restoration
The current hard top is my second top restoration and again one of the main reasons I bought my “parts” car in the first year of the
restoration project. It was an original VW style, so there are steel reinforcement frames imbedded in the several “ribs” on the top
and along the lower back inside lip. Since they were quite clearly rusted out, my first restoration phase was to remove most of them
for replacement. I used a die cutter to split open the fiberglass covering which worked well. I decided to replace them with oak
wood (or you could use aluminum – hard to find in the right size – which is why I used oak). I
used marine grade urethane construction glue to re-install the oak slats into the reinforcement
frames.
Next I removed the side windows altogether and fiberglassed over their openings. My first intention was to leave them like that (to give the hard top more of a rag top look), but then I hit upon an
interesting idea. I located two new chrome VW emblems from the 60’s vintage VW Bus. It is the
one that is about 12” in diameter that usually installs on the very front of the bus. I centered and
cut a set of corresponding “port holes” where the side windows used to be. I glued in some 1/4”
Page 20
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
tinted Plexiglas that I cut to fit for the new windows. Then after bending them flat, I used the chrome
emblems as my new “window frames.” As you can see from the photos, the finished product is an interesting look!
I used a set of chromed West Marine “T-Bar Hatch Fasteners” (model 342974). I used
four across the front to assure a good seal in the middle. As of this writing, they are
$12.99 each. That still makes a set of four cost one third of what a set of two of the stock
latches will set you back and they will never “pop out” (which is so common with the
stock latches). They have been in there now for several years and work great.
Here is the URL for that item: http://www.westmarine.com/. Just search on the model number or name
to pull up the description.
If the gutters are “dead” or MIA, you can get a set from The Thing Shop (for about $150
cate your own as follows: have a metal shop bend a pair of 65” long pieces. The shape is as
plus shipping), or as I did, fabrifollows:
Where the outer lip is 1/2” the horizontal plane is 7/8” and the inside window lip is 3/4”. The shop I went to didn’t have the ability
to do compound bends to make the gutters follow the contour of the side curtain openings (on the back end of the top). So after
much thought, I tried it myself and the following procedure worked quite well. Use a vice, or as I did, set up one of those workbenches with the “built in” vice to hold the piece steady. Then take a propane torch and heat up the place where the bend needs to
be. Working slowly and carefully, tap with a hammer the 3/4” window lip side while you pull the back end towards you. You will
get “crimps” on the 3/4” lip, but the 1/2” outer lip should pull around nicely and with no breaks. I had 3 pieces cut in case I screwed
up, but was successful on the first two tries. Total investment, $27 (and I have a “spare” left over!).
Inexpensive & Easy Side Curtains
In regards to “sources” for Thing side curtains, there is a non-commercial source to
consider – the classic, do-it-yourself!
When I got my Thinga’Ma’Bob in June 1998, all of the side curtains were missing
the original vinyl. The previous owner screwed some 1/4” Plexiglas to the frames
just to keep out most of the rain. Since I’m a tough old former biker, a little rain now
and then never bothered me, so I ran most of the three year restoration period without
side curtains of any kind.
And even my wife had to admit that they
well.
I never really liked the looks of the OEM side curtains so I decided to make my own
(despite my wife’s nagging me to just buy a set. Sure is great to have a wife who
tells you to spend another $1000 on your car, huh?) But as the restoration project
wound down, I finally got around to making my side curtains. They are tinted,
“frameless”, cost just $10 each and take about a half hour each to cut and assemble!
really look great! They have been on there for months now, and are holding up quite
Here is what it takes:
•
All you need to salvage from your old windows are the front and rear “feet” that drop into the slots on the door. I did a drill/tap
of 8x32 for machine screws where the rivets were installed originally in order to attach the plastic to the feet.
•
Rather than the overpriced plastic from your local lumber yard, I used commercial sign material. It was Cyro Industries,
Acrylite FF, bronze tint. I got it from a sign materials supplier who recommended it as the best stuff for what I was doing. So
far, I’m quite please with it. It cuts clean and does appear to be quite scratch
resistant. A 4x8 sheet will yield 8 windows and cost me $80 (I had 2 12” round
porthole windows and a couple of “wind wings” to do as well as the side curtains, thus I popped for a full sheet. For ease of handling, I had them cut it into 4
2x4’s. The nice thing about the commercial material is that it is paper coated on
both sides to protect it during the cutting process. Leave it in place as long as
possible.
•
I used a table saw and a saber saw for cutting the edges and angles, but you can
get away with just the saber saw. I have the factory hardtop, so my nominal
measurements were 17” high, 21” on the top length and just under 30” for the
bottom length. Measure your 181 for a best set of exact dimensions. After my
Page 21
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
nominal cuts were made, I “scribed” each window to fit exactly (interchangeability was unimportant to me). I got my angles by
carefully putting the side curtain in position and marking top and bottom and then doing a free hand cut off with the saber saw.
•
The last step is to attach the plastic to the metal feet. I set the feet into the proper position using cotton to wedge as needed. I
then removed just enough of the paper so I could see the predrilled holes, lined up my 1/8” drill and cut each of the matching
holes through the plastic. When done, I used washers made of neoprene bonded to stainless steel (from http:\\www.mcmaster.
com ) – one on each side of the plastic and hung the feet on the plastic using 1” long 8x32 stainless bolts. Using the inside
neoprene/stainless washers gave me enough offset to clear the welded seam on the top of the door and gave a better grip on the
plastic.
•
I then did final fittings of each window using my die grinder with 80 grit sanding disks. I used the green 3M finishing pads to
smooth the edges.
Since making my side curtains, I normally run only with the rear windows in, and I’m quite pleased that they are very steady with
little or no “flapping” even at interstate speeds. I was going to use a thin plastic “astragal strip” between the two doors. However,
hand fitting each door has resulted in a seam tight enough that I don’t believe it will be needed.
It is an easy enough project to do (actually one of the easiest of all mine!) rendering excellent results.
Aluminum Roll Bars
I had a 4 point (typical design) roll bar for awhile but didn’t like how it sat in the car,
nor the look of it. So it has moved over to a less-picky friend who is quite happy with
it as is.
After extensive shopping and viewing pictures of other Things, I opted to build one of
my own design. I was more interested in using the roll bar as a “fair weather top
frame” rather than a roll over safety item. This is because I have since decided to
never roll over my car. Therefore, I determined to have it made out of 1 3/8” aluminum instead of steel for looks (I’ll polish the frame later so it looks like chrome) and
weight considerations (like me, my car is overweight as it is!).
Most cages have the loop bends perpendicular to the long
side of the car, I wanted the loop bends to run lengthwise (i.
e. front to back, not side to side). This was done in my custom
version and it vastly improves the look as far as I’m concerned. I also had some 1/4” by 1” flat stock
welded in as cross bracing to attach the future top material to (I’m leaning towards 1/4” smoked Plexiglas
as my top material). I also had the bar built to run tight against the lines of the hard top I have. I angled
back the upper portion of the leading bar to match the angle of the windshield (ala the Thing Shop design –
but with a bit more angle).
The bar was fabricated “on the car” and fits like a glove. Looks good too! It took just under 6 hours of shop time (welding aluminum takes forever!!) and cost me $300.00 (but included some welding on my “new” Audi 5000 seats as well).
To Vent, Or NOT To Vent - That Is The Question!
First of all, I am of the school that says that the stock “air muffs” are somewhat ugly and clearly were an add on resulting from a
overlong committee meeting. Don’t forget that the 181 was around for the better part of four years before the muffs were added
(and the European versions never did have them). I don’t know how many times I stared at those top grills and pondered about why
they didn’t scoop from the front. So in the final quarter of the restoration game, I settled the issue for myself by filling in the tops
altogether and just going with the front scoop intake (described below) that I had cut in some months ago.
I put on a VDO cylinder head temperature sensor on cylinder 3 in the first year and had a normal temp of just under 300 degrees
around town (most of my driving is in town). Since I also cut 84 square inches of venting in the engine lid the main consequence
(and the one I was looking for) was an immediate and permanent reduction in the overall engine temperature. I gained a minimum
of a 25 degree drop when I cut open that 7”x16” hole in the rear deck lid and installed an regular, garden variety, household air conditioning vent (yeah, that’s right!) to cover the resulting hole.
In the heat of our 8 month long summer, I reduced that temp by an minimum of 25 degrees (hiway) up to an average of 50 degrees
(around town). Since the car lives in central Florida, this is a good thing! In our “winter” the engine cool down remains in proportional effect. However, I still get enough heat of course to use the hot air heating system (since it runs off the exhaust -- hack, hack,
cough, cough....). If it ever gets “really cold” down here, I just have to lift up the trunk lid and close off the movable vent louvers to
keep the extra heat in the engine compartment to help the heater stay useable!
For the more abstract of you, picture in your minds replacing the license plate area with a rectangular opening covered by a room air
Page 22
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
conditioning vent (the kind with both vertical and horizontal baffles) and you will not need a
picture. For the rest of you, check out the photographs!
The plate was relocated to the center of the 10”x24” external “trunk” mounted right in the center of the engine compartment lid (ala the 1920’s touring cars that had real trunks mounted on
the back of the vehicle). I made the opening fit the vent (approximately 6”x14” with a 1” lip
extending all around) rather than cutting first and fitting later. The metal vent was intended to
be temporary since I was planning to replace it with one made out of teak wood when I later
trim out the Thing with teak. However, since the external trunk hides it anyway, and I have
Inside view of decklid vent.
the option to close it off in the colder weather (it runs “too cool” when it dips down too far!) I
have decided to leave it as is. Were I to live in a much colder climate, I would cut down the air flow somewhat by blocking off the
engine lid opening.
In the process of restoring my Thinga’Ma’Bob, I removed the air scoops, and noticed no appreciable difference in temps upon doing
so. Anyway, since I had the positive effect when I vented the trunk lid, I even explored putting 73 side louvers on my 74, but there
is serious cutting and welding involved. You’d have to get
a set from a donor car and cut them into the 74. I search for
a long while to find an off-the-shelf substitute and settled on
making my own out of louvers stamped in sheet metal cut
to fit the “indentation” that is there.
However, I finally decided to stay with the muffs, with one
additional adaptation: I cut a 2.5” wide opening down the
front of each muff to increase the airflow. I also reinstalled
the muffs with a decorative chrome trim around the lip
(actually the metalized plastic door edge trim). I cut a 1”
strip on the lowest point of the inside to allow any water that gets in to drain immediately – rather than depending upon that all-butuseless drain hole the VW committee put there!
I actually have two sets of muffs, one is painted cream and the other brown. Since I re-installed the muffs using 10x32 stainless
steel bolts (using rivnut inserts), I can change the “complexion” of the car in minutes as the mood suits me!
All of the above can be summarized to say, “I made the muffs into real scoops, and vented the engine trunk lid to give the scooped
air someplace to blow out of.” The combination of which resulted in a measured 50 degree drop in ambient temperatures during the
heat of the Florida summers.
One For The Engine, Two For The Passengers
I certainly wanted the engine to be cool as possible, but with an un-airconditioned car in Florida, the occupants are in need of cooling sometimes as well! I had planned from the beginning to get a “real air conditioner” installed at some point. Not for me mind
you, since I seldom if ever use the A/C in cars that have them no matter what the temperature. I much prefer the fresh air than
“conditioned” air, but such is not the case for my wife. Therefore, I tracked down a rebuildable Thing A/C unit at Vince’s Things
Unlimited. But when I told my wife what I was doing, she said to not bother just for her. She wouldn’t believe that an A/C in a
steel box that had as many drafts as the Thing could be of any serious value. She said
that during the heat of the Florida Summers she would prefer we tow the Thing and ride
in her very air conditioned RAV4 when traveling with Das Thinga’Ma’Bob!! What a
woman!
So I came up with another “fresh air” idea to make me a bit more comfortable when I’m
tooling around alone in July. I’d install some kind of vent in the “leg area” of the front
part of the cockpit. I had first thought of the area just forward of the leading edge of
the front doors (where people normally put add on speakers), but I couldn’t come up
with an adequate vent mechanism that would fit there. I finally settled on an “eyeball”
style vent like you see on the common airliner. But that was too small, even if I could
find one. But after much searching, what I did find was aircraft related. I got a 2” eyeball from Aircraft Spruce in Georgia. They are likely one of the largest suppliers to the
small aircraft industry. Their URL is: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/
The mechanism’s were about $15.00 a pop and installed with a simple hole saw through the wheel well. They allow a very good
(and adjustable) air stream to help keep you refreshed. As an added bonus, their almond colored plastic was close enough to my
Page 23
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
interior color that I didn’t even have to paint them!
Three Things My Mechanic Just Loves
In the course of all this venting, one of the three things my mechanic just loves about working on Das Thinga’Ma’Bob came about. In making the air muffs removable and cutting a
larger hole on the sides of the car, he benefits by now having convenient and free access to
the normally inaccessible front cylinders. He just pops off the covers and has at it when
working on the engine. Another thing is the easily removable engine lid. Just take out the
four 8mm bolts holding on the lid and it (and the trunk) are out of the way. But of the three,
his favorite is the access he now has via a 16”x24” compartment lid I installed behind the
rear seat. It is just over the transmission, clutch and starter providing easy access to these
otherwise hard to get to components.
White Dash Gauges
Since the Thinga’Ma’Bob is dressed up like a 1920’s touring car, I really want “old style” off-white faced gauges. Being a I-wantto-do-it-myself kind of guy, I don’t want to drop $500 to do so – and the cylinder head temperature gauge doesn’t even come in
those styles.
What I’ve decided to try is to paint them all to match. Having spent a couple of years in the label printing business, it should be
really quite simple:
•
Shoot 35mm photos of the existing gauge faces with a close up lens.
•
Digitize the best shots and pull them into a photo editor.
•
Reverse out/fix up/size the images so that I have the marks and numbers the way I want them.
•
Reprint them on self adhesive “decal” stock available for color printers.
•
Paint the faces and needles the new background colors
•
Position the plastic overlay on the face
•
Reassemble the gauges
Now you can step back and say to yourself, “Wow, this only took me 62 hours and 14 minutes to accomplish!” All you have left to
do is go and explain to you wife the logic of spending $4000 dollars worth of what might otherwise have been billable time to save
the $500!
Customize Coffee Cups
Right after I “finished” the Thinga’Ma’Bob got a neat thing (pun intended!) in the mail. It is a custom coffee mug with a picture of
my Thing on one side and the car’s name on the other. You send in a photo or JPG of your true love (by the way, you could also do
your spouse if you have to!). Tell ‘em what you want on the other side, and you get back a great custom mug! All this for about
$15!
It looks hand painted, but it is done using some kind of sublimation ink transfer and applied using a heat transfer mug machine. Of
course the image is scanned or downloaded and printed using special ink on special paper, then heat applied. But again, it looks
hand painted!
I’m thinking about getting a “set” done after my car is fully assembled with different views on different mugs. Great for your Thing
birthday parties (what??? You don’t celebrate your Thing’s birthday!!??!!)
They are available from a fellow Thing lover, David Osborne. When last seen, you could reach Dave at: [email protected]
I get no commissions, discounts or even free samples, but highly recommended nonetheless!
It Is Electrifying
As mentioned above, the Thing electrical system is very sensitive to bad grounds and as you’ll see, bad contacts as well. A source
Page 24
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
of minor electrical problems which are all too common comes from dirty contacts at the fuse block level. However a simple clean
up will work wonders. I've had to do it at least twice in the last four years!
Here are a couple of things to consider for the clean up:
•
First: degrease the contacts with an electrical solvent
•
You can use an electric drill with a Dremel wire brush attachment to further clean "rough up" the surfaces. The low speed of
the drill means a good cleaning without grinding them down too much.
•
Use that "electric grease" goo to enhance the electrical flow and help prevent corrosion from reducing connectivity. The stuff I
have is "Dielectric Connector Protector" from AGC Co, Muskegon, MI and I haven't a clue where I bought it other than I'm
sure it was somebody's auto parts place. Mine came in a little blue packet you tear off the corner of.
Seat Adaptations
If you are nervous about riding around in a tin can with low back seats, and you want to stay “all VW” you can slide the 71/72 vintage Bug high backs right on your existing stock rails. During the course of a really hot week in central Florida that first summer I
had the car, I toured several area junk yards looking for them myself (yeah right!! In all my hours in rust land, I saw one lone VW,
a late 70’s bus – and I’ll come back to that).
In sizing up the lower section of the Thinga’Ma’Bob’s seat frames, I noted that the upper portion could be cut away to create a base
to which “ordinary” seats could be bolted. This was the solution sought after! The trick is to take off the original seat tracks (i.e.,
avoid those seats where the tracks may be welded!) The best matches for me turned
out to be the Ford Escorts (most models) and if available at a reasonable cost, the Voyager mini-vans. There were a number of others which looked to be “bolt-able” but I
just didn’t like them that much.
If you have one of those “you-pull-it” lots like we have around here, you will easily
find the “perfect” pair. Because of the aforementioned summer heat (and thanks to the
angels assigned to watch over nit-wit, ignorant VW hobbyist’s such as myself) I settled
for a tan cloth colored set of late 80’s vintage escort seats even though I really wanted
black leather. I settled because I had never been to a “you-pull-it” lot and didn’t come
with tools (other than pliers). I also settled, because those angels sent me over to check
out the VW bus even though I knew that the bus wouldn’t have anything useful for me
in this quest. Ha!! Think again!
The first generation Escort Seats.
In the back of this no-way-could-anyone-ever-restore-it VW bus was this already
pulled set of tan Escort seats!! Again because of the heat, I decided instantly that I
much preferred tan cloth over the black leather seats I just located in another Escort. I popped the two seats in the yard supplied
wheelbarrow, paid the gatekeeper the 10 bucks each (plus the usual tax, tag and title fees) and set out for home.
Skipping the couple of hours of first mistakes made, here is what works
•
Pop off the backs of your seats.
•
Hacksaw off the seat back adjuster knobs flush with the sides of the frame.
•
There was an almost perfect match on the width of my frame and the four factory mounted bolt holes. I did my
best to drill mating holes and was able to use two on one seat but only one on the other. (It seems that slight
variations make a big difference as to which way you will be facing!!) Therefore, I bought new 2” mounting
bolts (and nuts) and proceeded to drill additional mounts by coming in at a slight angle while the frame was attached via one of the “first hole” bolts. I used the 1.5” flat steel washers mated with lock washers to accommodate the unevenness encountered in the underside of the seat and to assure of a good anchor.
I kept those seats for a month or so until I could get back to the junk yard. An lo, and behold, those black leather Escort
seats were still there! So I popped for them and installed them instead of the tan cloth seats.
Some 9 months later in yet another “junkyard cruise” I came across a set of real leather seats from a 77 BMW 4 door sedan. It was
a bit more of a “squeeze” to fit them in a Thing, but the above procedure worked for them as well. These were my “second generation” seats. Though I wasn’t “in the market” for new seats, these BMW seats were just too good to pass up. They also bolted on
the stock tracks directly, but included a drop down armrest between the seats, and were three times more comfortable than the Escort seats. The passenger side had a couple of small cuts on the lower front and both sides needed new “tuschee” padding. So off
to an upholstery shop they went to be fixed up. Cost: $20 for the junkyard – $150 for the first class rebuild. As a side benefit, they
Page 25
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
had a very “stock” look since the headrest was attached rather than built in like the Escort seats – not to mention the first class leather as opposed to the split hide used on the
others.
As my wife so aptly noticed at the time, I was on my third steering wheel and third set
of seats in a year. I remind her that the Thing still costs me less than the $330/mo her
new car costs -- and has a fun factor that her “jelly bean” car will never provide!
Yet there was to be another chapter to the seating saga. About a year ago in another
foray into junkyard heaven, I came across an Audi 5000 that donated the “final” set of
front seats, a front tray (installed just under the glove compartment) and enough leather
to have the rear seats covered to match!
In all of the above cases, the cost was minimal, the comfort greater and the seats recline
nicely so I can take a nap when waiting for the Frau to come out from shopping!!
The final Audi Seats!
Wrap Up
In April 2001, as I lay semi-naked on a slab, some strange Doctor was sticking a stainless steel wrapped balloon into my heart to
repair a 99% blockage that should have killed me already. Today, I’m heading out in my Thing into chamber of commerce perfect
weather to run errands!
It is my thing to do what I want to my Thing, let it be your thing also. This is a primary mode of transportation and a hobby. In the
latter case, it is therefore supposed to be fun -- and for me it is just that, now more than ever! Staying stock is a choice and customization is a choice – and they are both good choices inasmuch as the result is another rare 181 is brought back from the brink!!R
Bob Witte lives in Tampa, Florida where, in addition to raising Things, he has a new baby to care for - a 1932 Mercedes Mann-
heim Replicar. We appreciate Bob sharing his experiences with us in this series on the customization of his
“Thinga-ma-bob”. I know we have all gained some insight on what a project like this entails and should we
decide to embark upon such an endeavor, we can do so with a little more confidence from the knowledge we
have gained from Bob’s experiences.
The end of a long journey.
The world’s first VW Thing Touring Car.
Bob’s other Toy.
Page 26
Thing Stuff
Classified
Classified
These classifieds are a free service provided by The Type 181
Registry to all members of the
Type 181 community. There
are hundreds more listings at
our website at www.
type181registry.com.
In this
publication because of space
constraints we include only
those that have been listed
since the last issue.
As with many free services
some individuals take what they
want or need then put it out of
mind. So there may be a few of
these listings that are already
sold and the seller did not have
the courtesy to inform us of this
fact. Should you come across
one of these, we would appreciate your letting us know which
so we can update these listings
and keep them as current as
possible. We can be reached
at: 360-426-4513 or
[email protected].
tor, new fuel pump, type 3 oil
fill, MSD 6A CDI ignition box,
MSD blaster 2 coil, Pertronix
wires,Weber DGAV progressive carb setup, full flow oil
system, 6 pass external oil
cooler, 500cc oil sump extension. spare weber dgav carb. $
1400
obo.
Email
[email protected] or call
Bill at 910-262-0793
(Willmington, NC)
For Sale: Parts from 74 Thing:
Used starter, Bosch (15.00),
Used alternator, Bosch (45.00),
Stock distributor (45.00),
Transaxles w/bolts (70.00) Pic
34 carb (5.00) Parts located in
Northern California ( Bay
Area), prefer not to ship. Have
some misc parts I will include
with pick up. Also have engine
I will take offers on. Email
[email protected] (Bay
Area, CA)
For Sale:
1973 fan shroud
with no heater ducts in real
good condition, $100.00 plus
shipping from Griffin,Ga.
For Sale: USED SOFT TOP.
30223
Email lamarchamComplete but vinyl is in very
[email protected] or call Lamar
poor condition and would need
at 770-227-7860 (Griffin, GA)
to be replaced. Good deal if
you have a hard top and want
For Sale: two type 181 brake
both options. $50 + shipping.
drums. 501615A. $ 100.00 obo.
Please contact: The No Name
Email [email protected]
Garage, 4210 West Seventh
or call Bill at 910-262-0793
Ave. Eugene, Oregon, 97402.
(Willmington, NC)
or call The No Name Garage at
For Sale: 4 almost brand new
(541) 344-2251(Eugene, OR)
Kumho tires 165R15, maybe
250 miles on them at max, you
For Sale: Out of a formula
can still see the nipples on
vee race car, 1600cc solo vee
them. Along with the tires
engine with only break in time,
come chrome rims 15 x 5.5"
testing time and two autocross
with no curbs scars. Additionevents on it. Crank machined,
ally, you also get 4 Porsche/
rods machined and balanced,
wolfsberg hubcaps, 2 have
Engle 120 cam, machined liftsome surface rust, but the other
ers, 12lb lightened flywheel,
2 are in great shape. To mount
new clutch, new pistons and
the hubcaps, you also get the
cylinders, new heads (gasket
clips and valve stems. Asking
matched and ports polished),
price $275 OBO. Buyer pays
windage pushrod tubes, solid
for shipping. Email
rocker arm shafts, 009 [email protected] or call
Type 181 Parts
January-March 2002
Classified
Classified
Neil at (713) 799-5478
(Missouri City, TX)
For Sale:
Doors, Bumpers,
Windshield frame, Hood deck
For Sale: Skid plate off the lid, Rear deck lid, Roll Bar
bottom of the engine. $100.00 assy. Email [email protected]
plus shipping from Griffin,Ga.
30223 Email lamarchamParts Wanted
[email protected] or call Lamar
at 770-227-7860 (Griffin,GA)
Wanted: CHROME WHEEL
For Sale: Have to sell/swap: CENTER CAPS need 2 or 4,
Doors, Bumpers, Windshield may take complete wheel set if
frame, Hood deck lid, Rear reasonable.
deck lid, Roll Bar assy. Email Also, COMPLETE TOOL KIT.
Ken at [email protected] (??,WI) Email [email protected] or
call Bill at 732-872-0023
For Sale: Vw thing rear tire (Atlantic Highlands, NJ )
mount for sale. Make offer.
Need Right Front
Email Lisa at roffner@w3az. Wanted:
fender,
and
both
left and right
net (??, AZ)
REAR fenders for VW Thing.
For Sale: Vw thing roll bar Any condition considered.
for sale $175. Email Lisa at Have to sell/swap: Doors,
Bumpers, Windshield frame,
[email protected] (??, AZ)
Hood deck lid, Rear deck lid,
For Sale:
VW Thing Con- Roll Bar assy. Email Ken at
vertible top frame. Good condi- [email protected] (??,WI)
tion. Buyer pays shipping,
$250.00 obo. Email
Tony at 949-466-3229
(Laguna Hills, CA)
Wanted: Front Left (driver's
side) fender for 1973 Thing.
E m a i l
D o n n
a t
[email protected]
(San Diego, CA)
For Sale: 1973 VW Thing
Doors (four). Minimal rust,
good condition. Buyer pays
shipping. $100.00 obo. Email
Tony at 949-466-3229 (Laguna
Hills, CA)
Wanted: I am looking for a
hardtop for my 1974 Thing.
Paint condition is not important
as I plan to paint it anyway to
match the car. Prefer something
in the Pacific Northwest, but
will consider anywhere. Email
For Sale: VW Thing engine Tom at Nonamegarage@aol.
cover. Fair condition. buyer com (??, OR)
pays shipping. $29.00 obo.
Email [email protected] or Wanted: I am searching for an
call Tony at 949-466-3229 Acapulco top and frame also a
bikini top with frame. Anyone
(Laguna Hills, CA)
with any information on these
For Sale:
1973 Thing hood items would be greatly appreciin excellent condition, can e- ated. Please Email Sal at Ricmail pictures on request. Hood [email protected] (Fairlawn, NJ)
is in & will be mailed from
Type 181’s Wanted
Ogilvie, MN Hood $ 50.00 +
shipp in g E mail ha a [email protected] or call Kevin
a t 0 1 1 - 4 9 - 6 2 1 - 6 7 1 9 3 2 4 Wanted: VW Thing that has a
(Ogilvie, MN)
working drive train and engine,
Page 27
Classified
body can be in fair to poor condition, must be able to drive now. Something in the 500 1000.00 dollar area, and not too
fa r fr o m h e r e . Ema i l
Charles at 307-245-3466
(Pine Bluffs, WY)
Wanted: VW Thing in reasonable shape. Prefer less rust. If
needs motor work no problem
or interior but must be complete. I would like a Thing in
Canada. I am in Alberta but
will consider all. Want a fixer
upper. Want to spend about
$3000. Email Colin
[email protected]
Wanted: Always looking to
buy VW Type 181 Things that
are in need of restoration or
parting. I will pay cash and tow
away from anywhere in the US.
Please no Things over $1000.
Email if you have a Thing.
Email Cletis at
[email protected]
Wanted:
Thing for under
$1000. cosmetic problems are
alright; i want to restore. Prefered if the engine and transmission are in good condition. I've
been having little luck finding a
Thing for sale in the Upstate
NY area. if anyone knows of
such an occurance email me.
E m a i l
N a t e
a t
[email protected]
(Lowville, NY)
$0000 to $2,999
For Sale: '72 Orange Thing.
Everything is original. only 36k
miles. Has been parked
(Covered) for five years. Was
running when parked. Always
ment to continue upkeep and
fix up. Needs New Top- original still on it but is tore bad.
Needs new plastic in all windows, has gas heater, hard to
Thing Stuff
Classified
find spare Gas Tank racks, as
well as original spare tire
holder on back. Rust in spots.
Floor pan good except under
battery due to acid leak. A
great weekend restore project
for someone that has the time.
Car kept in Iowa, and having to
move it soon. Asking $2500
firm. Email Eric at
[email protected]
(Russellville, AR).
For Sale: 1974 Type 181, Orange Nearly complete. Runs
well. Good for parts. $400
OBO. Call for details. Email
Brian at Home: 860.344.1745
Cell: 860.508.3624 Work:
860.565.6024 (Middletown, CT).
$3,000 to $4,999
For Sale: 1974 VW Thing $3,600 - Rare Green Color,
White Soft Top, Roll Bar,
Clean Interior, Newer Tires,
Good Condition and Runs
Well. Has repairable dent on
driver side fender-$190.00 will
restore to perfect condition (can
be arranged to be taken care of
by a body shop that I have
worked with in the past.) Drove
daily over summer in Utah,
kept in garage-won't drive on
Utah winter roads. Purchased
from previous owner in Glendale Arizona. Many pictures
available to send upon request.
Can ship anywhere in continental US for $300.00; will drive
to Southern California to deliver to buyer-would like to
take a surfing trip!! Many digital photos available upon request. Email [email protected].
edu or call Mark at: 801-3765419. (Salt Lake City, UT)
For Sale: 1974 Thing Acapulco Edition -New paint in
98 -Garaged ever since -All
original except new top, top
frame, and side curtains from
Classified
The Thing Shop -Includes sury
top and luggage rack -New battery -Full sized spare -Pictures
available upon request -$3900
o . b . o .
E m a i l
[email protected] or
call Adam at: 610-220-7187.
(Philadelphia, PA)
January-March 2002
Classified
(Gaithersburg, MD)
For Sale: 1974 Perfet Thing,
newer Mellow Yellow paint, nu
soft top, Porsche 15" cookie
cutter wheels polished, chrome
bumpers front and back, runs
great, original exhaust and now
has headers...smogged, drives
great, just tuned up....interior
like nu....clean and neat and
underpriced. also have original
wheels and nu tires. $4,999
or call bob at 213 637 5200
(Los Angeles, CA)
For Sale: 74 Thing, Great condition Nashville Tn 3300 See
my ad on the samba for more
info: http://www.thesamba.
com/vw/classifieds/index.mv?
photo+200211171955378303
3300 Email [email protected] or call
Daniel at: 615.255.0942. For Sale: 1973 Very nice
(Nashville, TN)
Volkwagon 4 door thing with
almost new tires, runs great >
For Sale: 74 Acapulco Califor- never been restored although it
nia car.Has Hard top. New needs a new soft top. > I have
tires.Original Blue?White seats the custom tow bar and wiring
Only thing not working is the it has side curtains and a cusfuel gauge. has one small dent tom > roll cage that is reR/F fender.No rust Every thing movible, interior is in very
is stock on this car. Pan in great good shape. > the only damage
shape.This Thing would be an is very small a dent in right rear
easy one to restore.or leave as fender skirt. > No rust on the
is.If you've wanted an Aca- car 3,700 pictures are availible.
pulco don't miss out on this $ 3 , 7 0 0
E m a i l
one.The U.S. Acapulco's were [email protected] or
only made for two months. call Randy at 928-681-3411
This one was July. $4800 (kingman, AZ)
Email [email protected] or
call Glen at (360)275-2539. For Sale: This very nice 1974
(Belfair, WA)
Thing has been owned by the
same gentlemen since 1981. He
For Sale: 1973 VW Hardtop has driven the vehicle mostly
Thing. Orange. Great daily around town on nice days. Updriver. New tires and brakes. dates to the car have included a
rebuilt stock engine with about newer top (purchased in Mex5000 miles on it. am/fm 8 track ico) and recent paint job in the
radio with 8 track tapes. $3,500 original Yellow, the only variaHave more pics on website if tion being Black accents added
interested
E m a i l on the fenders for a spiffy [email protected] or call Jim tone effect. The engine was
at: 205-699-9600. (Leeds, AL) completely rebuilt at 81,797
miles. Repairs to the 1600cc
For Sale: 1974 Orange thing, engine included NEW Cylinfair condition, hard top, spare ders, Heads, Muffler, Distribuparts: motor, soft top, 5 point tor, Gaskets, Push Rod Tubes,
roll bar, tow bar set of tires. Manifold Boots, Clutch, PresParts not sold seperately sure Plate, Throw Out Bearing,
$3,000.00 Email ownavw- Crankshaft Seal, etc. Also, the
[email protected] or call Heater Box, Rear Brakes, and
b r i a n a t 2 4 0 - 2 7 4 - 4 2 1 Brake Lines have been re-
Page 28
Thing Stuff
Classified
Classified
placed. The total cost of repairs
was well over $2000.00 . Receipts for all work will be provided to the new owner. The
interior appears to be original.
The seats would need to be recovered to bring them up to the
standard of the exterior. The
vehicle drives fine, except the
shifter pops out of fourth gear
if you lug the engine. Overall,
the fresh engine and nice exterior make this a wonderful car
you can drive as-is, or use as a
foundation for further restoration. $4,995 Represented by
AuctionSmith.com. Email
Robert at 518-587-8786
(Saratoga Springs, NY )
For Sale: ’73 Thing repainted
red. Good condition. Engine
was replaced at an unknown
time in the past. New mufflers,
turn signal flasher, horn, brake
light switch, oil pressure
switch. Brakes are in good
shape: linings on front shoes
are like new, on the back a little
worn. Gas heater does not work
but has all the parts except
timer. Heat control needs replacing. Fuel pump for heater
has not been checked. Wheels
have been changed to 15 inch
size. Front seats have been replaced with Mustang seats, but
original seats in good condition
come with the car. Top frame is
bent on the driver’s side, but
the cover is in good condition—does not leak Body has a
small dent in the front. Car
comes with a working jack but
no lug wrench. Asking $4500
o.b.o. Email tbhatchett@juno.
com or call Terry at (423)6241425 (Chattanooga, TN)
For Sale: '74 Orange Thing.
Engine in very good shape.
Good Tires, new rag top. It has
a gas heater and it works. It
comes with a tow bar - we
towed it behind our motorhome. Pans have rust.
$3500.00 Call George at 360457-7488 (Port Angeles, WA)
For Sale: 1974 Orange Thing
Located in Maryland, have restored %90 All mechanics Restored Except for Few minor
parts such as Windsheild wiper
washer. Wheel Bearings,
Brakes, Brake lines, cylinders,
good tires. Asking $4,500
For Sale: '73 Thing. Factory
hardtop, no soft top, no roll bar
holes. From Seal Beach, Ca.
New brakes and tires in early
2001, 1600 dual port with
newer carb. and alt. Runs good,
stops good, complete. Solid
original pan, very good body,
but not perfect. 1980's yellow
repaint on original yellow
paint. E-mail me for more pictures. $3500.00 Email
Eric at 509-226-5086 (Newman
Lake, WA)
January-March 2002
Classified
painted not too many years
back. This is a very solid car. It
turns heads everywhere it goes.
Big Time. Has chrome GM
wheels with white wall tires.
Air shocks at all 4 corners.
Beefed up engine that is dry
and really runs strong. Tranny
and clutch feel tight. Original
Radio does not work. A new
inexpensive one would be
nicer. Has newer speakers under dash already (surface
mount). Fully carpeted with
beetle bucket seats? Seats could
use a tuck, foam getting week,
materials pretty decent. It was
slightly wrecked once in the
right front corner. The outside
was repaired, but not inside the
trunk. It is not very bad. Have
to look to find inside the truck
at the bottom. I have lots of
pictures. Could maybe help
with delivery? This car will
make a drive no problem. Have
taken over the road with the
kids before. Runs with the traffic easily. Passes most. $4995
For Sale: 1973 Thing, 1600, Email Doug at dholtzruns great, good body with lit- [email protected] (??,??)
tle rust, decent soft top and
frame, good interior, Gas For Sale: 73 Thing I would say
heater, solid original floors. Good shape overall. New enIncludes hard top (Needs gine, NOT a leaker. Upholstery
latches.) Reliable daily driver. is new, Pans are in good shape.
Not a show car, but with a little Has been sealed, SoftTop is
work could be.$4,000 Email good, side windows needs reSarah at [email protected] placed at some point. Wipers
are ok, needs new blades, Body
(North Bend, NE).
is great shape, SOLID rig.
For Sale: 1973 thing orange Ready to go whereever you
blk top/interior very minor rust, desire. Tacoma, Wa area. Color
very original. rebuilt motor 400 is Yellow, Recent paint. $4000
miles ago new brake system OBO Email DAD6767@aol.
400 miles ago. very solid origi- com or call Dave at 253-922nal car. one of the best you will 8864 lv message if no answer.
find on the east coast. $4500.00 (Port Orchard, WA)
or best Email Cris at [email protected] (??, RI)
For Sale: 1973 Thing. Brand
new top, cd player, floor pans,
For Sale: 1974 Thing It was bumpers, floor mats, generator,
origionally a Texas car until a voltage regulator, tires, seat
couple of years ago. Off white vinyl, and many other parts.
with a black top. Top is fairly Over $2000 invested. Runs
new. Also have all 4 windows great. Tan with black top. Great
in good shape. The outside was deal at $4300.00 Will email
Classified
pictures to serious inquiries.
Email Aaron at steinly33@cs.
com (Pittsburgh, PA)
For Sale: 73 Thing newly rebuilt engine & transmission
orange 2nd colorado owner fast
engine runs excellent needs
new convert top $4,000 or best
offer Email [email protected] or call Mark at
303-567-2661. (??, CO)
For Sale: 1972 Orange Thing
Located in Southern Iowa.
Have to sell to my miss fortune, Having friend keep for
now. 32K original miles, all
stock. Needs some work, top
and windows, minor dent in
rear passenger fender. This is a
great fixer upper for a motivated THING restorer. Always
had plans to do myself but
never able to find the time. A
great deal for someone! asking
$3500 Email ltgroff@hotmail.
com or call Eric at 479-9682680.(AR)
$5,000 to $7,999
For Sale:
1978 thing, 31k
original miles. this one has
been a german military, hardly
ever used and has not seen any
rust repair in its entire life. only
repainted in red and black. mechanics work without any problems, as it should at 31 k miles.
it has german roadworthiness,
known to be the hardest to get
in the world, you won't get it
with any tiny rust trouble. the
top shows a little use, easy to
fix. we are asking 5,000 $ and
will be happy to send you many
pics as well as deliver to NYC
any time. right now, it is still in
germany.Shipping is approximately $500.00
Email
[email protected] or call Ralf
at 49 30 42010647 (Germany)
For Sale: Unbelievable Find!
Purchased this car from origi-
Page 29
Classified
nal owner in July. He drove it
only in the summers at the
beach! All miles are original
miles; Acapulco Style Top on
car; Body color/interior 'Thing'
yellow; Perfect Side Curtains;
Convertible Top Frame; Great
Seats; Minimum rust- all repaired (pics); Heater; Original
Jack; Spare Tire; Washer Fluid
Reservoir; Perfect Electrical;
All seals and fender welt in
great shape; Trailer Hitch;
Original Bumpers; Great Paint
Job; Original Bill of Sale/
Owner's Manual/Document
Case from VW MAKE THIS
THE PERFECT SHOWCAR!
I've got pictures of EVERYTHING for SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY. Price: $
6,750 OBO VIN: 1842625055
NOTE: Would trade for similar
condition Ghia convertible!
Email [email protected] or
call Jean at 901-359-3692.
(Memphis, TN)
$8,000 and Over
For Sale: '73 Thing - Featured
in Hot VW's January 2003 (this
month) Too much to list. This
car was shown at the German
Motor Works Show (largest
Thing show in the US) in May
(one week after it was completed) and took home 1st place
in Custom class - Best Interior and Best of Show honors! Interested parties please check
out the Hot VW's January 2003
issue, or thesamba.com (Things
for sales section) for more info.
SERIOUS INQUIRES
ONLY!!! No tire kickers or
info seekers please. $25,000
or call Darrell at 949 4819267 . (San Clemente, CA)
For Sale: 1974 Volkswagon
thing alcapulco car, 6300 miles
(driven mostly in parades and
stored in garage) new paint and
new acapulco top the rest is
Thing Stuff
Classified
original down to the tires, including the spare tire, color
blue & white with no rust anywhere asking price: $12,500.00
O.B.O. ( Must sell) Email
[email protected]
or call john at 423-639-7160 or
423-639-4955 (Greeneville, TN)
For Sale: 1974 Fully restored
Vw Thing. Everything Is New:
Top,Engine 1835Cc Seats,
Tires,Wheels,Gas Tank And
Hoses,Windows,Paint, Price Is
13,500.00 Firm Email
Larry at 714-342-4431 . (??,??)
For Sale: 1974 Original Acapulco Thing, Blue/White color
scheme, excellent condition.
Body was completed restored
by a local body restoration
shop. All old paint was removed before primed and
painted. Super Clean with
original factory Hard Top, also
restored. Includes original Acapulco Surrey Top and frame
(not yet restored - material is
faded but definitely usable as
is). This Thing has New Acapulco interior and Acapulco
Tan side curtains from The
Thing Shop. The engine is an
original 1600cc, clean, clean,
clean and custom painted. This
is an award winning Thing.
Award include 2000 KubelTreffen East in Ashville, NC
and Bugfest 2000 in Effingham, IL as well as many more
local VW Shows. Odometer
stoped at approx 17,000 miles.
Approximately 3000 miles
since restoration We have the
original owners manual and
Thing Shop floor mats and Side
Curtain Bags. Please feel free
to email us with questions. We
are asking
9995.00 Email
Cliff or Kris at c66manx@aol.
com (South Elgin, IL)
January-March 2002
Classified
Classified
Application
Oldest Thing Organization under the same management,
Since 1993.
(Formerly Pacific Northwest Thing Association and Things West)
We are the World's largest International Type 181 Club with members in 49 states and 18 countries. Nine years serving the Type 181
Community. In addition to our 32 page Quarterly Magazine we sponsor 3 major shows annually and numerous local gatherings (Treffens
& Cruises), we host a 46 page Type 181 website, operate a Type 181
Accessories Gift Shop and provide a nationwide network of recommended reliable VW Mechanics.
To join us please complete this form and mail with your remittance
to: Type 181 Registry, 700 SE Crescent Drive, Shelton, WA 98584 or
Call (360) 426-4513 or Email: [email protected].
Prices (US Funds) 4 issues:
Download: All destinations world wide (In color) $10,
Hardcopy:
Compact Disk:
In U.S. $15
In US, APO, FPO $20
In Canada/Mexico $17
In Canada/Mexico $20
Overseas $20
Overseas $20
Name:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Phone:
Year:
Birth Year?
Color:
VIN:
Email Address:
Condition:
Show
Excellent (Needs no work)
Average (Needs some work, presentable)
Rough (Needs lots of work, driveable)
Project (Unlicensed, Undriveable)
Modifications:
Engine
Body
Suspension
Wheels/Tires
Use:
Show Car
Drive Occasionally
Daily Driver
Off Road
I do / Do not have an objection to having my name & E-mail address given to
other Type 181 owners in my local area for the purpose of meeting and getting
together for coffee/pizza/etc.
We accept checks, money orders and all major credit cards
Card Name:
Card Number:
Expiration Date:
Signature:
Clip or Copy and Mail to:
Thing Stuff
SE 700 Crescent Drive
Shelton, WA 98584
Or Email to:
Or complete the form at
[email protected]
https://eweb11.ehost.com/~type181r/
Page 30
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Get ready for Winter
Get the perfect Gift for yourself or your Favourite Thinger.
S/He will love you more than ever for it
Please Allow 2 weeks for delivery
If you have a Type 181 craft that you would like to sell in our Gift Shop
please contact me at (360) 426-4513 or [email protected]
Center Consoles
Offered by Mike Basso of Schenectady, New York
Made specifically for the Type 181
$45.00 USD (includes S+H)
Hitch Covers
Painted Things
Offered by Philip Johnson of West Jordan, Utah
Computer cut 1/8 inch steel, painted or unpainted, makes a perfect gift for those who appreciate their Thing.
Painted ones are $18.00, unpainted are $14.00 with a $3.00 shipping charge.
Page 31
Thing Stuff
This is a great bargain. If you have a
Thing you can't work on your car without all these manuals. You scan
through like reading a book. Print the
pages you want as often as you want
and don't worry about getting them
dirty or ripping them.
The Parts Catalog has every part for
every Thing as well as pictures and the
parts number. The Wiring Manual is
5 pages and outlines everything you
need to know about the wiring - Codes
Offered by Jeff Kline
Topanga, California
$32.00 + $4.99 S&H
January-March 2002
The Heater Manual is the genuine
German\English one, it covers the
wiring, Repair & Troubleshooting and
all the parts and numbers. Two brochures are an extra bonus, they are
the showroom brochures, 8 pages
each with all the selling bull for the
type 181. They show all the additional
options for the Thing - All in color VERY NEAT. You would pay $100 +
for all this in printed form, it is a deal
at $32. Your satisfaction is backed by
a money back guarantee. All CD's are
password protected and copyrighted.
Pete’s Affordable Thing
Pete Sotelo from Yakima, Washington has developed a cut-out
of a Thing that has a lot of practical uses. A poor man’s sculpture, an excellent 3D view of what your car would look like
from all angles before you spend the bucks for a new paint job,
great inexpensive gift idea for your Type 181 friends, etc, etc.
The price is $5.00 for a set of 5 and includes postage
Lifetime Wipers
Swiss Cheese Mats
Offered by Mike Basso of Round Lake, New York
OEM wiper cores retrofitted with a heavy duty wiper blade.
$1 credit for each OEM wiper core sent.
$35.00+3.95 shipping priority mail
$85.00 +$12.00 S&H
Set of Four
Bonus!!!
Free Internet Subscription
or Renewal
To Thing Stuff Magazine
with each purchase
Please cut or copy this form and submit to T-181 Registry, 700 SE Crescent Drive, Shelton, WA 98584
QTY
ITEM
COLOR
COST
____ _______________________________________________ __________ ________________
____ _______________________________________________ __________ ________________
____ _______________________________________________ __________ ________________
S&H _______ TOTAL_______________
Printed Name _______________________________ Signature ________________________________
VISA/MasterCard # ________________________________________ Expiration Date _______/_______
Computer users may go to our Gift Shop at http://type181registry.com/Store to see our complete inventory and use the secure order form.
Page 32
Thing Stuff
January-March 2002
Wishing You a
Happy and a
Prosperous
New Year
From the Staff
Of
Thing Stuff
Art & Photography Staff
Finance Staff
The Editorial Staff
Mail Room Staff
Custodial Staff
(€ 7.67)

Das Thinga`ma`bob Part 5 Last in the series

Transcription

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