It's summer. Speedo time.

[surferdudedav]

AND NO NOT THE ONE YOUR UNCLE LARRYS GOING TO BE WEARING!! lol

im wanting to switch out the speedo and gauges in my 73' 181 but i dont want those awful looking aftermarket crap ones.. is there a way to put a mechanical gas gauge like the old bugs?? im not a big fan of the electric gas gauge.. never werks.. is there any links or tips of such work? i have access to a thing dash pods so i can cut and screw around and have room for errors and experimenting.. THANKS!!!

[kubelmann]

I just finished restoring the fuel storage and delivery system on our 67 vert. As such I just took apart and put back together all the parts you are talking about. If you want to convert to that system the easy way is get a complete early model VW fuel storage and indicator and convert the fuel deliver tube to the Thing system. So remove your gas tank. Install a 67 or earlier gas tank (some modifications will be required) The gas line hooks up the same way as your Thing. The float gas guage will need to be installed into a dash section. And yahoo you got it. Prior to attempting this swap you should get an early gas tank. Compare it you the stock Thing tank. Then make a list of the modes required to make this happen. Pmail me if you want help with the list. It is completely doable. It will require combining both system if you still want to be able to gas up without lifting the hood. There is another possible way for the conversion that would require cutting a round 4" hole in the top of both gas tanks and welding the top of one cut out onto the other tank.

[Ferretkona]

I like the idea of lifting the hood to fill up. Basically a free locking gas cap!

[kubelmann]

The good news is that gas tank uses the same Thing gas cap.. I can take measurements and confirm that the hood will close. Not a bad idea. I can also take other measurements to ensure it will fil.. The more I think about your idea the more I like it...

[surferdudedav]

yea, i may take you up on your offer.. ive never even looked back in there.. lol.. so pics are super!

[Ferretkona]

I had a Ghia speedo around here for a while. It had the gas gauge in it like our things. Seems like it had to have been electrical as well. Was there ever a cluster with a mechanical gas gauge in any VW? My Volvo has a mechanical temp gauge in the cluster.

[surferdudedav]

heres a pic of my friends 181.. i cant get ahold of him to find out what he did..

[kubelmann]

My 61 vert had the reserve tank lever and no gas guage. I loved that set up. I have thought about building a 2 gallon reserve tank into my offroad Thing that would be lever actuated. I seem to rememer that the 61 was the last year prior to the start of the float gas guage VWs. In 68 it became an electric float gauge system. But all of the late model speedos have a "vibrator" to allow a 6v gas gauge operate on a 12 v system. This makes me suspect that in some VW market there were 6 v electric fuel guages. But I have never even heard of a vintage VW air cooled speedo with an integrated "float" sensor gas guage. That said, I hope somebody jumps in and tell me there was such a set up to include year and model... On our offroad cars with fuel cells we include a clear sight tube which is the best fuel guage ever created. It is an external clear tube that goes from the top to bottom of the fuel tank. You look at the clear verticle tube and have instant feedback on fuel level.

[surferdudedav]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/205215.jpg lol duh

[kubelmann]

Very Cool. The car has had some tricks applied.. The speedo and fuel gauge are from mid 60s VW. The roll cage is a cool poor man's solution to offroad protection. Very well done...... Love the car. I have the parts on the 67 vert to measure and figure how it will fit in a Thing. I just had the gas tank out of the 67 a few days ago. It is not bolted down yet so getting measurements to the Thing is easy.. The dashboard gas gauge hooks to a long spring coil sheathed cable. The cable detaches from the fuel gauge by unscrewing a barrel shaped knurled nut. The cable is hooked to the mechanical float, fuel lever sensor. The sensor is sealed to the tank using a big round metal clip. The more I think about all the parts, the more I start to believe that this is a cool idea. Especially for a Thing restorer who had no gas tank, sender or good speedo gas gauge. The 60s speedo with no gas gauge and the 60s float gas gauge look great together.... You could extend that triangular dash mold coming out the sides of the gas gauge across the front of a Thing dash. That would look very cool

[lowindO]

Thats my thing with the old school gauges, it also has lowback bug seats.

I used the stock thing gas tank. I can't remember if i changed the sender unit on the top or not, but most likely i did.

I just hooked up the speedo, the speedo light and ran a basic jump wire to the light in the gas gauge. i eventually want to do a rhino type liner on the dash and in the entire inside of my thing.

All the parts for changing my dash over i acquired from a junk yard, and when you buy the guage from a junkyard you want to make sure the cable isn't broken. If the cable is broken then its pretty much no good. The most common spot for it to break is right at the little ball that hooks onto the sender.

I still have that 73 thing from the dash pic above.

[181freak]

i am using a 68 speedo in my thing.. it has the gas gauge in it, and still the look of a early 60s speedo. it looks great and is something different

but i like the idea of the seperate gauge too..
_________________
1973 Thing
96 Golf

*Looking for any Dealer Items from
MIKE GRADY VOLKSWAGEN in South Carolina!!!

[bmwloco]

You can easily get your speedo repaired. I've used http://www.speedometer.com to do a number of BMW Motorcycle and Porsche car speedo's and tachs fixed.

They're fast, really nice father/son, and it comes back looking better than new! Prices are pretty good too.

[surferdudedav]

ill prolly go w/ my dude LOWINDOS idea.. hit up the junk yard.. im not looking to build a show car.. lifes too short for that.. THANKS!!

[bmwloco]

Well, whatever. Drive what makes you smile dude.

Me? I don't mind ratty looking cars (and motorcycles) but I do care about good speedo/tach and proper electricals.

We all have our kinks.

[surferdudedav]

honestly.. im just a broke VW LOVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so if its mint condition or barely there I DONT MIND!! i love a show car but thats not exactly what i can afford, lol