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roocarl
Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2006
Posts: 16
Location: Brackley near Silverstone
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 Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 12:29 pm Post subject: Going to buy a Thing advice on seats please and other stuff? |
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Going to have a look at a Thing in the UK , looks tidy good paint no rot new sear covers but seats look a bit knackered under the covers  is it just a case of new foams or is it a bit more complex ??
Plus any other tips before I buy it is lowered so a bit concerned over the ride as well ?
Cheers Carl |
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WD-40
Samba Member
Joined: May 31, 2006
Posts: 1178
Location: Iowa
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| Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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With how hard Things are to come by, especially in good shape, I wouldn't worry too much about the seats or the ride height. Both are "easy" fixes in the big picture. 
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"The new Volkswagen 1303. We've made so many improvements, they're beginning to show." |
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oasis
Samba Member
Joined: December 12, 2002
Posts: 2168
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 8:04 am Post subject: |
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| WD-40 wrote: |
| With how hard Things are to come by, especially in good shape, I wouldn't worry too much about the ... ride height. Both are "easy" fixes in the big picture. |
I understand where you're coming from but I shared (and still share) roocarl's perspective with regards to ride height. I left out "seats" in quoting WD-40 because I agree with him on this matter.
In looking at all used cars, I rejected most lowered cars because there are so many ways to lower cars, and many are hack jobs or they butcher the actual ride of the car. I read a lot but that does not make me an expert on identifying who did what right and who did what wrong.
Furthermore, the only car I ever lowered to this day was my '71 Super. When I did that, it was to improve handling. To me, if it functioned well, it automatically looked good.
(Please don't read this as a slam on slammed Things. When I go to a car show, I admire 50-80% of the cars I see depending on the show. That said, I usually wouldn't own 90% of the cars I see.)
Furthermore still, most people want a premium for their modifications -- even if it's 20 cents on the dollar where they are taking "a loss." I'm not fond of paying someone extra for an extra I don't want or have to undo. At least if someone is charging a premium for keeping their car in a beautiful stock condition, I'm at a universally known starting point to start making mods if that's my intent.
To be sure, buying a used car is a long process for me regardless if it is a Thing, a Super, a Jetta, whatever. Perhaps if I were more expert in such things or as a do-it-yourselfer, I'd plunk cash down for cars more readily than I do. But I'm not. So I don't.
So, roocarl, seats -- Don't worry about it. If they're there and securely stable on their tracks, you can improve them no matter how tatty they are.
As for suspension, if you like the look, see if you like the ride. If you don't like the look and/or the ride, see if you're comfortable with swapping stuff to make it how you want it. And by all means, use that as a negotiating ploy. You shouldn't have to pay for something now-and-wow just because the seller thinks it's the greatest. You are buying the car for you.
That's my advice, anyway.
_________________
Now: 2003 New Beetle Turbo S / 1990 Single Cab Transporter / 2014 Tiguan R-Line 4motion / 2013 Tiguan S / 2002 Golf GLS TDI
Past: 1974 Thing Acapulco / 2009 Eos Komfort / 1997 Jetta GT / 2002 Cabrio GLX / 2002 Passat GLS / 1971 Super Beetle / 1993 EuroVan MV Westfalia / 1981 Pickup LX / 1985 Vanagon / 1986 Jetta GLI |
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Deckard
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2012
Posts: 296
Location: Knoxville, TN
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| Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with oasis, find out how it was lowered and what it will take to turn it back into stock height.
The windshied frame also appears to have been modified or replaced with a non-stock one; the frame looks too thin.
And it does appear to have the correct style of seats. |
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