Thing hunting tips?

[chazz79]

Well my boy broke the news to momma that he wants his own vw! We go to shows all the time and that's where he fell in love with things. It started a couple years ago at the Columbus, oh covvc show when some owners let him sit in one, I guess it was over with from there.Every show afterwards it's been "let's get to the things!". I'm not a Thing guy, we're not in thing country...they are one of the most expensive acvw's to build. I didn't break out the negativity, those were the thoughts running through my head. Who am I to rain on sonny's parade? I'm happy he wants to take something on.

He's turning ten in a couple weeks but after helping on my bus since he was four he knows what kind of time these things can take. He had a chart showing how much $ a year he could toss at it if he kept mowing lawns and getting A's...I don't think I was ever that organized as a kid.

I've been looking in the classifieds here and on Craigslist but I'm not sure if there's any other places I should check.

Most of what we're finding is already done. There's a burned one within reach of me but it's 3600.00 that doesn't seem too realistic to me. A bus in this condition is 500 bucks.

Feel free to evaluate- http://muncie.craigslist.org/cto/4532277817.html
_________________
One day as a lion, or a lifetime as lamb

The green monster in bits and peices: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=332556&highlight=green+monster

[Deckard]

3600 for a burnt car? Did it belong to Elvis or something? Nuts...
Your best bet s craigslist. Try using Onecraigs.com, which will give you posts al over the country or by a set distance from your home. Try using multiple seach words like VW, Veedub, volkswagen and volkswagon, plus Thing, 181 and Safari. In Tennessee I have seen them listed as Volkswagon Thingy so be aware that there's not a set name like Ford Taurus.

I would also check ebay but most cars are overpriced to compensate for their usurious fees.

Be patient, and the right car will come along

[cecil]

I think the Craigs list car asking price is about $3000 too high. I can't even think of anything funny to say about it. The good news is: you and your son have a few years to shop.
_________________
I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or talented....I forgot where I was going with this
I have this wierd desease called "must tear everything up and put it back together when there's nothing wrong with it...Itus."

[chazz79]

That's good to hear so far. I was a little worried if that was what a project thing goes for in my neck of the woods. To me, that one is ten grand from being done.

That was one of the lower priced projects. Decent ones were @7000-15000 but I'm not buying something for me to drive now. That would suck the fun out of it. I think he wants a monster truck baja type thing so it's best if we start with a crappy (non restorer grade machine)
_________________
One day as a lion, or a lifetime as lamb

The green monster in bits and peices: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=332556&highlight=green+monster

[Riffster]

I'm in Pittsburgh, so I can relate to the poor availability of Things in this part of the country. Shortly after I decided I wanted one, there was an ad in the paper (this is how long ago it was) for one that the owner had died, leaving the car mid-resto, with the engine was out. It was probably gone before I even began thinking about whether I wanted it.

I seem to recall scouring a variety of sites for several years, finding one or two cars that I drove several hours to look at before settling on the car I eventually did get.

My moral is: keep looking, and be ready to jump on the first one that comes reasonably close to what you're looking for.

-Larry

[Joe 20]

I think I'd run away from the burned one. Who knows what kind of stresses were put on the metal in the fire, aside from all the plastic, etc. needing replaced. Keep looking, they're out there...even in Ohio. You've got plenty of time to look, he's only 10.
There was a nice show in Columbiana Co. on SR7 today. 3 0r 4 Things when we were there. It continues tomorrow if it's close to you. It was listed on the Samba events page. About 1/2 the size of the covvc show.

[[email protected]]

Riffster, I can relate, a few years ago we were prepared to drive to Texas to look at a Thing, out of the blue, a completely restored Thing showed up on The Samba, 2 miles from our house in Greensburg,Pa. More than we wanted to spend at the time, but we did it anyway. Few and far between in western Pa.

[[email protected]]

Riffster, I can relate, a few years ago we were prepared to drive to Texas to look at a Thing, out of the blue, a completely restored Thing showed up on The Samba, 2 miles from our house in Greensburg,Pa. More than we wanted to spend at the time, but we did it anyway. Few and far between in western Pa.

[Banker]

chazz79
You know the show for Columbus (Pataskala) is just under a month away. Make sure you stop out and see what is available. Last year I think there was 2 of them for sale. I am usually there with my Thing, but this year I am moving my daughter to University of Findlay that day.
_________________
Brian

07 Charger Sublime
03 Goldwing
74 Thing

[strelnik]

[chazz79]

Banker, you might have been one of the folks that started this mess We go every year and I'll have my bus there if i get it done in time. We'll be shopping and the right one will jump out at us eventually. I'm not looking to drag home a clunker. The last project was a mechanical and body nightmare. It really had nothing going for it. I'd like the next one to have at least one of those categories be ok.
_________________
One day as a lion, or a lifetime as lamb

The green monster in bits and peices: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=332556&highlight=green+monster

[GodJockey]

I feel like my school of thought goes along with [email protected] and trelnik here. Next time I buy an old VW or maybe any older car, I'm going to look out west for it. Even with shipping you're most likely ahead of the game.

[strelnik]