Thing your only aircooled VW?

[Captain Spalding]

Is your Thing your only love, or are your affections shared among multiple aircooled beauties?

If you have owned another aircooled veedub in the past, or have plans to own one in the future, by all means, make comment.

In part I ask this as research for my answer to Woreign's "What's so special about the Thing?" thread, but also to assess whether most Thingers are a subset of aircooled enthusiasts in general or a breed unto themselves.

[Towel Rail]

In my case, yes, the Thing is the only ACVW I personally own. That doesn't count the other four we have in the family.

[Thingggg]

Even if the current owners of Things have no other aircooled VWs currently, I thinkyou would find that most have owned others in the past. Therefore, this may be a more appropriate question, in my opinion, and would show that nearly all Thing owners are a “subset of aircooled enthusiasts.” I have talked to probably 50 owners @ shows all of which have owned others @ some time most only own the Thing now.

[dixonmanor]

My Thing is my first air-cooled car of any type (and also my first VW, though my dad owns a '66 Beetle and and an 80's-vintage Vanagon) and currently (and for the forseeable future) my only car. We'll see how she holds up during our WET Oregon winters...

[Woreign]

My very first car was a 1973 VW Super Beetle. I bought it for $1500 back in '88. It was bright orange.

I then bought a 1973 Porsche 914 (VW cousin) in '98. I restored it to it's original Zambezi Green. I sold it a few years later.

And now I have a 1973 VW Thing, which I bought two months ago.

I'm starting to think there might be a connection with the year 1973?

[Doc*181]

After 6 years I gave my 181 a big brother (Bay Pickup)

[TimGud]

deleted

[Thingster]

I was up to 6 (7? what does a driveable pan count as?) but i've trimmed it back to 3 (or 4 if you count a driveable pan). Have my Thing and two oval beetles.

Justin
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"I like to take my Thing out and play with it."
1974 Thing (Play Toy)
1957 Sedan(Show Car)
1954 Sedan (On the back burner)

[Ferretkona]

We just have the Thing for now, but I have usually had one air cooled in my driveway for 30 years. Four bugs, three vans and a 914.

[caspar]

'73 white daily driver
'73 orange - wife took over-
'73 yellow- had since '86 - on blocks-restore some day- orange was going to be parts car for yellow- orange was better shape lol

looking for bus/crew cab to add

caspar

[wings_n_fins]

I own a '73 Thing, and I talked my parents into getting a '74 for my younger brother, too!
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DAVE
'73 Thing
'07 Harley Sportster
'09 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

[Patmus]

My Wife and I currently own three ACVW's, Our 73' Thing, our 64' Kombi, and a 67' Ghia. Over the years I have owned every type of ACVW except a type4.

-Pat

[suntour]

My first car was and is my Thing. I bought it a few days after turning 16. (well there was a FJ-40 before the Thing but technically it isn’t a car.) I have owned a 70’ standard Bug that I found in a field in Sandy Utah and paid $200 for. Spent $75 dollars to get it running and drove it for a few years. I have also owned a 75’ 1800 914. That car was a joy to drive. Out of all the cars I have owned I regret selling that one the most.

I have also owned a few other FJ-40s along with other 4x4’s and a few random water cooled cars. All those have come and gone but the Thing has been with me the whole time.

I just found a real “barn find” 55’ Oval in La Crescenta that I am contemplating purchasing and always looking for another 914.
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Order of the Voodoo Spoon

[bucko]

My first car was a 64 Beetle (with a 58 36HP engine). Since those years I've owned a 77 Bus, a 73 Beetle, and now this 71 Military Thing.

Future plans are to own a nice Westy. I might consider a trade....

[n0limdon]

I had three different buses during 50s, 60s and 70s, the 70 model had a working air conditioner. Blew engines on all of them, twice with the 70 model. (dropped valves, broke jugs). Now I know enough to check the valves, whereas b 4 I just drove them like any other car.

[radioman]

I had a brand new 63 beetle(my first VW) for a couple years as a teensger. Twenty years later I bought and restored a 68 that I kept and gave to my daughter until she sold it....then bought a 67 and with my son built him a Baja which he sold and I restored my Dad's "70 that he kept for a few years. Now only have my 73 Thing. I sometimes think of selling but so far have just held on.
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It's a Southern Thing, 73, stock.
Bill

[stonebobbo]

My 74 Thing is my only air cooled VW anymore. It's been with us for 10 years. Also have had a 66 sunroof bug, a 72 SB convertible, a 69 kombi, an 80 vanagon. Does a 61 356B and a 79 911SC also count? And while not air cooled, my 2002 C4S still has the same mojo.

[iltis74]

I'm into Things and split buses. Used to have a '70 Beetle, but never felt about it like I do the others and last summer ditched it. The Thing was my first aircooled, next was a '65 singlecab that had been beat to death by a sheet metal shop before being stripped. I did the best I could restoring it while going to college and knowing nothing. It still needs another motor.

Things are simple to the point that there are no trim levels or really even many options, one thing I like about the split busses. I pretty much like about all busses but the trucks and deluxes are the only ones I could ever see myself owning. I'd like a camper but would probably go with a vanagon. Aside from the singlecab I've currently got a rusted out 21-window sitting in the yard that I'll soon need to get rid of to make room for a 23-window I just picked up.

Assuming that they all ran someday, the Thing would likely get the most miles, and not just because my Mom also enjoys taking her friends out in it, with the 23 a close second. The Single, though I do love it, just isn't as open on a nice sunny day.

[dborell]

In addition to my 73 Thing, I own a 63 Beetle.

In the past I have owned:
69 Beetle (1st car)
74 Super Beetle
77 Bus
78 Westfalia Camper

[Bobnotch]

Well, we've got 4 type 3s here, a 73 super bug (my daughter's car) and the Thing. We've had my wife's Fastback since 1989, and we've bought and sold a few bugs over the years too. I got my Notch in late September of 2000, and the other 2 type 3s came along since. The Thing we just picked this spring, and we're slowly restoring it for my dad to use as a winter beach cruiser. My son and I are having fun with this project, as it seems like VW raided the parts bin to build the Thing.
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Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120