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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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 Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:45 am Post subject: My Thing "Project" |
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Hello my name is Justin. I've been around Volkswagens pretty much my entire life. Mainly on the water-cooled side. I've always loved the Thing and never really had an opportunity to obtain one. Finally just 2 days ago I was able to bring home a nice rusty one.
Car came from Maryland and traveled all the way down here to sunny Florida in 1986. I'm the 5th owner and the last owner had it sitting on the side of his house since 2006. Pans are completely gone. Shell is 70% solid. I have a few places I will need to touch up. Motor turns freely so it will need to be freshened up. Also have the transmission.
My main goal right now is to just get the body off and replace the pans before I worry about anything else. But I love her and really want to get her back on the road.
This is my first true air-cooled project so I will definitely have many questions.
With out further or due here is my Thing.
Here is me picking her up:
Here is the clean out process yesterday:
All vacuumed out:
Big Body Rust Spot:
Here is the rest of the family:
Thank you in advance for all the help and advice!  |
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Shoyrtt
Samba Member
Joined: August 21, 2010
Posts: 1009
Location: Redlands, CA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:13 am Post subject: |
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Justin, welcome to the air cooled side.  It looks like you have some work to do. I'm wondering if every used Thing comes with leaves and debris? (my two cars did  )
What are the plans for the car? Back to stock? Lifted/off-road? Lowered?
I think you should bite the bullet and buy a complete new rocker panel (maybe two) to save yourself a lot of work:
http://www.thethingshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=181809151
Maybe the rear parcel shelf too:
http://www.thethingshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=181813125
For your pan replacements, you can either go with Thing pans or Ghia pans.  |
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tallman206
Samba Member
Joined: January 06, 2006
Posts: 316
Location: St.Petersburg Florida USA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:08 am Post subject: |
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Hello Neighbor!
Welcome to the Thing World!
I purchased my first Thing in 1990, an kicked myself for selling it in a weak moment in life. I acquired my second and current Thing around 2007 (purchased at KubelTreffen East, Asheville NC), and spent 3-1/2 years slowly resurrecting it from its rusty burned out former life.
I moved the Thing and myself down here from Atlanta about a year ago, and the Thing is currently stored in my shop in Pinellas Park, probably just around the corner from you.
You can see many of my restoration pictures on this site in the Gallery section under my user name. If you need any assistance or consultation, just let me know. If I get busy, I probably have many surplus new and used leftover parts from my restoration, but they are currently in a storage unit in Atlanta.
I had great fun showing it at the Pasco Bug Jam this past year. Can't wait for the next one.
Welcome, and have fun!
_________________
Jerry Henning
Southern Classic Works
St.Petersburg, Florida
1973 VW Type 181 with 616/33-6 powerplant
1962 356B-T6 Cabriolet Rustbucket |
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bugman8774
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2008
Posts: 52
Location: LaVergne, Tennessee
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome to the Thing world. I'm fairly new as well. This section of the samba is very knowledgeable and the people are very friendly and helpful. Bought our Thing last spring and slowly acquiring pieces. For me that is all part of the fun. Endless searching swap meets maybe to just find a horn button or a fender. Good luck with the project. I look forward to seeing your progress. Looks like between the both of us we have our hands full.
_________________
*Past*
-72 Empi Imp
-75 Baja Cancer Patient
*Present*
-74 Baja Bug ( \o o/ )
-73 Thing |O||_o_||O|
Its not dripping oil, its marking its territory! |
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Shoyrtt wrote: |
Justin, welcome to the air cooled side. It looks like you have some work to do. I'm wondering if every used Thing comes with leaves and debris? (my two cars did )
What are the plans for the car? Back to stock? Lifted/off-road? Lowered?
I think you should bite the bullet and buy a complete new rocker panel (maybe two) to save yourself a lot of work:
http://www.thethingshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=181809151
Maybe the rear parcel shelf too:
http://www.thethingshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=181813125
For your pan replacements, you can either go with Thing pans or Ghia pans. |
Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm really looking forward to this project. The leaves were just crazy. 3 shop vac loads full.
As for plans, it will be going lower. I'm a static guy by heart. However with little kids in the family they may like playing with air ride. Like a said though my main goal is to get the pans done. I really appreciate the additional advice of the rocker! That will be a must as well. I have been looking around on the ThingShop a lot since the purchase and will be making some purchases Friday when I get paid 
Again thank you for the warm welcome! |
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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| tallman206 wrote: |
Hello Neighbor!
Welcome to the Thing World!
I purchased my first Thing in 1990, an kicked myself for selling it in a weak moment in life. I acquired my second and current Thing around 2007 (purchased at KubelTreffen East, Asheville NC), and spent 3-1/2 years slowly resurrecting it from its rusty burned out former life.
I moved the Thing and myself down here from Atlanta about a year ago, and the Thing is currently stored in my shop in Pinellas Park, probably just around the corner from you.
You can see many of my restoration pictures on this site in the Gallery section under my user name. If you need any assistance or consultation, just let me know. If I get busy, I probably have many surplus new and used leftover parts from my restoration, but they are currently in a storage unit in Atlanta.
I had great fun showing it at the Pasco Bug Jam this past year. Can't wait for the next one.
Welcome, and have fun! |
Yes Hello Neighbor! Thank you for the warm welcome as well! I live over in Seminole and grew up my entire life in St. Pete. Thank you for the offer in helping me out! Again this is all new to me so any help in either sourcing parts or in just learning something new is very much appreciated! |
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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| bugman8774 wrote: |
Welcome to the Thing world. I'm fairly new as well. This section of the samba is very knowledgeable and the people are very friendly and helpful. Bought our Thing last spring and slowly acquiring pieces. For me that is all part of the fun. Endless searching swap meets maybe to just find a horn button or a fender. Good luck with the project. I look forward to seeing your progress. Looks like between the both of us we have our hands full.
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Thanks bugman8774! Nice to know I'm not alone Ya this project is definitley going to be slow paced. I just want to learn as much as I can and if you rush I always feel like I could miss something. I love the part hunting that is one of my favorite things about any project! Good luck to you as well my friend! I'll have to jump over to your thread and take a look at what you got going on as well! Thanks for the warm welcome! |
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citroen
Samba Member
Joined: February 28, 2010
Posts: 1578
Location: louisville ky
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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| any thing is worth restoring just take your time check out all the things my brother and I have restored the Domeck Brothers on my gallery plus the ones we are restoring now a lot of them worst than yours. We are here on this site to help there is no problem we have not had |
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HUGO bOSS
Samba Member
Joined: April 27, 2008
Posts: 2602
Location: Madeira Island - Portugal
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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| citroen wrote: |
| any thing is worth restoring just take your time check out all the things my brother and I have restored the Domeck Brothers on my gallery plus the ones we are restoring now a lot of them worst than yours. We are here on this site to help there is no problem we have not had |
Hi citroen, thank you for the kind words! I really appreciate all those scans from the gallery that you have posted as well as all the work you have done! I hope to be able to use you as a resource of knowledge my friend!
Thank you again for your kindness! |
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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| HUGO bOSS wrote: |
That's great allways to see another VW been saved...
About the panels, here in Europa are cheaper...
http://www.ebay.de/itm/VW-Typ-181-Kuebel-AUSSENSCH...2518.l4276
But the shiping costs maybe are a problem... 
About the restoration... I'm also working on mine 181... I have a topic on the Readers Rides... maybe can also help... The link is bellow.
And, please, keep us posted... |
Hey HUGO bOSS! Ya in the water-cooled market a lot of great parts are for sale. I do need to use a translator app to figure out the different languages. You really can score some quality parts! I looked at your thread and you really are making some progress my friend! I'm 28 pages in
Thank you for the inspiration and kindness! |
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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Cleaned out the boot area. Lots of leaves and one dead rat... Some rust and bondo "fixes"
This is the bondo pulled from the nose:
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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Gas tank was complete rusted out:
View without tank:
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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Pretty sure upon inspection of beam, it will need to be replaced. Very rusty...
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GI Joe
Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2005
Posts: 2012
Location: Athens, TN
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| Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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Much respect for you for tackling this Thing.... That sucker is very much Gone.....
Of course anything can be fixed, with proper time, , tools, effort, skills, or cash!
Very interested to watch the progress on this tetanus project!!
_________________
'74 Thing, "Our Thing"....
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...p;start=60
'71 Beetle RPU
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8080337#8080337
www.NLEOMF.com
Respect, Honor, Remember |
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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Quick shot of the motor:
The cabinets in the picture mean a lot to me. The reason is my grandpa built these cabinets back in 1959 and have been in every house on my side of the family. Honored my Mom gave them to me for my garage. |
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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Some of the other stickers that held up as well as the oem badge:
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Green_Lantern
Samba Member
Joined: June 16, 2009
Posts: 83
Location: Seminole, FL
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| Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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Best thing today was when I cleaned out the boot, under 3 feet of just leaves were the oem vinyl windows. Very happy about that!!!
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GI Joe
Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2005
Posts: 2012
Location: Athens, TN
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HUGO bOSS
Samba Member
Joined: April 27, 2008
Posts: 2602
Location: Madeira Island - Portugal
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Well... you have rust on that body in every place... Itīs time to look for some replace parts...