Engine ID

[HOTBAJA]

We just replaced the engine in our 1972 thing, I am trying to figure out if it was the orig engine. how can you tell if was orig? there is no place for a mechanical fuel pump. What #'s do I look for?

[glutamodo]

If there was no place for a mechanical pump, then it was a fuel injection block made for model years 1975-1980. Get your engine serial number, which will likely start with AJ, and you can try to look it up and narrow down when it was built.

Here's a chart of original engines for a Thing:

http://www.geocities.com/vwtyp181/181_3-1.htm

for other engines, well, theSamba has a chart of VIN and engine numbers, but it stops at 1967.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/bugchassisdating.php

The old john Muir "idiot book" has a chart of VW engines that goes beyond that date, and I believe what is on this site is a copy of that info:

http://www.lennysvw.com/type1chassis.htm

Here is a site that lists most every VW engine code ever made, but it does not have detailed dates, and I'm not sure how accurate some of the dates they do have are.

http://home.planet.nl/~koni1691/ecodes.html

And here is another site that lists some VIN and engine numbers for 1970-1975:

http://members.tripod.com/%7Esuperkafer/vinnumbers.htm

-Andy

[kubelmann]

US imported 73 and 74 Things came with an engine that had a serial number that startes with AM. The AM case is for Things only. All US imported Things came with a mechanical fuel pump.

[glutamodo]

I would have mentioned the AM code for 73/74 things, but they did say that it was 1972 Thing. The question then becomes - is it really a 1972 model, (before VW made them for the US market) or rather an August - Decembr 1972 production which actually be the 1973 model year?

[HOTBAJA]

Yes it is an actual 72, it was brought into the US to show the exec's at VW what a thing was. From what I am told there where a couple brought in. It has early bus tail lights and early bug front markers other than that it is pretty much the same as all the rest. originally it was swing axel but PO converted to IRS. Got the new 1835 w Dual kadrons running last night sounds good. once I get a new harness installed, everything on the car will be new.