TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1971 Thing (adding another ongoing project to the long list)

Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:07 pm

So I had a 1974 thing I found at a towing yard for $100 and it was sitting in the back yard waiting its turn when last May I saw and ad for a 1971 Thing for sale two hours away. Well naturally I would love to have an older one and it looked way better than what I had so I talked th wife into letting me sell the 74 and a 57 Euro Beetle that I have bought a couple years back and getting the 71. The owner had bought and driven the Thing up from Mexico in 2003. Now when I bought it I knew it had some bondo and would need some work but I have tackles some serious nasty damage before so I figured it wouldn't be too bad. My plan was to go through the mechanicals and get it running and driving and get back to my wife 65 beetle restoration. Well the next thing you know I am in neck deep with metal work on this car. Pictures are as follow.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:15 am

Tearing it down I realized how bad the damage was. I was digging through layers of bondo and pait. I think this car was painted evey color in the spectrum. It had about 8 layer of paint and the filler was as think as 1/2" in some places.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:27 am

I had a donor rear but it did't cover all of the damage to my rear so I planned to fill in the gap with home fabbed parts.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:51 am

So at this point there was still details about how I was going to get louvers for teh left side and to decklid was just not hanging correctly and it would just be better if I had a whole rearend and didn't have to piece it. I then cam across an ad for a whole thing body in Pa so we drove up and picked it up. it had many useful parts on it. I too the rear and dissected it down to want I needed and them chopped the rear off of the THing. The donor rear neede some work so I did as much as i could before matiing it to the car. Plus I fived the bend frame section and repaired someof the wiring while the back was exposed.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:03 am

Now with the rear mated it time to make it look less like a 73 rear and more like a 71. I planned to hammer out the bumper trim plates but thought I would try plasma cutting a die set on my CNC plasma table (homemade) :wink: I cut a out three sets of dies before I got one I was happy with a pressed out a left and right trim panel with my press (also homemade. I like building machinery). I then welded them on. I got the wiring in the rear all squared away and put the engine back in.

Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:10 am

As usual, nice work Jeremy! You don't do anything half@ss! I'll be keeping an eye on this thread!

Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:13 am

looks good jeremy, we have missed you in Florida

Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:17 pm

What are you spraying on it? Work looks good, as always.

Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:10 pm

Thanks Guys, I feel half ass but I am trying to get better.
I am overdue for another trip to Florida Will. I have neglected my deluxe in lue of all the other crap I have been working on. It still runs but its not up to a trip to Bulli.

Tue Feb 28, 2012 1:39 pm

John Ghia wrote: What are you spraying on it? Work looks good, as always.
Thanks John, Its just rattle can color, oregano from home depot.

Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:31 am

Looking good. Any new progress with this project. It really caught my eye when I saw that your in Richmond. I have a 73 Thing in my garage in Hampton that im attempting to restore.

Wed Jun 27, 2012 10:49 am

I had not messed with the car in a few months. I finally got some time and motivation and started back at. I straighted the bumper, added wheel and tires going for a military look and started doing some body filler too. Once I am finished with the rearend I will switch to the front.

Wed Jun 27, 2012 12:11 pm

Damn Jer, looking good!