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Mon Mar 26, 2012 4:04 pm

After searching and looking at cars for 6 months I bought this 73 in 2009. It was running but not very well. Took it to my local shop, full tune up. oil change, new fuel lines, gas tank flush, adjust brakes, replace a few lights and viola! I've been driving it for over 2 years. Now it's time to tear it apart and make it better? Newer? Different? I'll post as I go along. Here are a few pics from when I first got it. I did not get to keep the license plate, and yes that is a stretch of RTE 66 through N. Arizona.

Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:16 pm

Nice 73! What are those brackets on the rear fenders?

Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:30 pm

Bumper brackets

Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:17 am

After getting it in my tiny shop I started to take it apart and didn't find to many bad surprises. The front has been hit and had a huge amount of Bondo on it but I ground most of it away and primered over it.

Drivers front fender

From the top

Passenger side a little better

The 6 1/2 bolts from the driver fender and 7 1/2 from the pass.

Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:02 am

Pbotsonis wrote: Bumper brackets

Thanks. Mine didn´t have them.

Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:09 am

Nice ride, once it's finished is going to look great. I own a 1977 Thing, it looked very nice, but it was in pretty bad shape with lots of bondo. Now it's at the bodyshop and it's getting a lot of new sheet metal parts. Thanks for sharing yor 181. Greeting from Cordoba, Veracruz - Mexico

Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:43 pm

Getting it more apart. Rust holes in the rear rockers and battery tray but other than that seems to be solid. removed all the body to chassis bolts and didn't break one!

Drivers rear

Passenger rear

Battery tray

Where PO had a hood ornament

Lower windsheild frame looks nice and solid

Upper frame ends both look good

It seems to be going quickly right now but I can see progress slowing on the horizon. On another note does anyone know the approx. weight of the body minus almost everything ( doors, hood, WS frame, Rear deck lid)? Can 4 able bodied men pick it up?

Tue Mar 27, 2012 6:27 pm

Great progress there!! It sure is Solid!! I don't know the weight, but myself and 3 friends have pulled a Ghia coupe body off the pan. I imagine a Thing body is close, if not below that in weght(esp. without doors, windscreen, etc...)

Can't wait to see how you take this one!!

Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:48 pm

4 people can pick it up but we use a bar mounted between the door post bolted to the 2 bolt holes on both side and a engine crane to pick the body up it is a perfect center to pick the body up

Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:40 pm

Just some more pics of taking things apart. Got the heater out without too much trouble. Got mad at the elbow going from the heater to the dash and broke it. Also once the gas tank was out figured out why the heater didn't work.

No fuel line or filter from tank to heater fuel pump

I have seen quite a few Things with these holes cut in the inside rocker to put speakers

I poked and proded the pan pretty hard and it feels solid except around the battery. If the rust hole is just limited to the portion under the battery should I just replace that small section or go to a 1/4 or 1/2 pan? Easier? Harder? Suggestions?[/img]

Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:27 am

Did alittle more work. Got the dash taken out. Iam gently taking the wiring harnesses apart and out. Trying to photo as much of this as possible. I'm not sure if I want to go back in with the original wires or just go with a whole new setup from Painless or Watsons or ? I am open to suggestions.

All apart and looks solid

Is this a grounding point?

Looks all original to me

Mon Apr 02, 2012 11:50 am

Nice work. Hope everything goes back together without much trouble. PO hacked in speakers to my rockers as well. Suprising, they work pretty nice.

Your electrical harness looks to be in pretty good shape. I'd use it as long as it's all there.

I am presently "upgrading" my electrical system. Reworked a left dash panel to include gauges and installed it on the right side. Now I have an accessory fuse panel for fog lights, winshield washer pump, radios, amps and whatever else I want. Check out photos in my gallery.

Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:34 pm

When we have a harness out I put it in my sand blast cabinet and blast all the ends to get the crud gone.

Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:52 pm

Besides breaking almost all of the plastic connections this is my main problem with the harness

When I bought the Thing this portion of the main harness right next to the battery was damaged and most of the wires were worn thru. I seperated them and coated them with liquid wire repair goo. Then covered the whole mess with another coat. It has worked but I thought if I replace this section why not all the wiring.

I also removed the rear deck lid seal and found a little rot.

Not too bad, just on the lip but probably should repair it.

Fri May 11, 2012 12:49 pm

Got some more work done. Body separated from the pan, cv's removed, tranny removed. Coming along slowly but surely.

My brace for lifting the body

Simple but effective

Up in the air and I can spin it 360 for more room were I need to be

I'm no Master VW mechanic but I don't think that cv is supposed to be an oil bath cv

All the joints look about like this, old, crusty, dry

Pulled the trans and the mounts split in half and one fell out

The other one stayed with the trans

Fri May 11, 2012 2:42 pm

I have a couple questions about my transaxle also

I'm pretty sure this is the original trans

I can't seem to get this nut off. A socket won't fit, there's no room for a wrench, any suggestions?

What is this little hole for? It was just plugged with dirt/oil mix.

Thanks for any help.

Fri May 11, 2012 2:44 pm

wv181 wrote:
I'm no Master VW mechanic but I don't think that cv is supposed to be an oil bath cv The caps in the center of the drive flange (the black rubber bit in the middle) were probably leaking trans fluid into the CV. Been there, done that, caught it fairly early so it didn't ruin my CVs. If you're not planning on doing any other transmission work, drain it (it'll keep leaking fluid until you do), buy a new set of drive flange caps, pry those old caps out (it's OK to ruin them by stabbing a hole in them with a screwdriver), clean up the inside of the drive flange pretty well, smear the edges of the new seals with form-a-gasket or similar oil-proof sealer, then press/gently tap them into place. Make sure to let the sealer set before refilling the trans fluid.

If you ARE doing other work on your trans, well this'll be the first/last step ;) You'll want to pull the drive flanges completely off before sending it to a rebuilder - those flanges have a habit of magically turning into the smaller, cheaper bug version during a rebuild.

Fri May 11, 2012 3:48 pm

I plan on having the trans rebuilt. Any suggestions on reliable rebuilder in AZ or SoCal. Getting a new engine in Cal so .... 2 birds 1 stone.

Fri May 11, 2012 6:15 pm

wv181 wrote: I plan on having the trans rebuilt. Any suggestions on reliable rebuilder in AZ or SoCal. Getting a new engine in Cal so .... 2 birds 1 stone.
Wright Gear Box in Riverside Ca.
951-372-0404
"Rick Wright is the man"

Fri May 11, 2012 8:36 pm

moving your project right along.

looking good so far '

as far as wiring harness, I went with a Watson's Streeworks VW replacement. It is designed for Beetle. It worked out great. little pricey but piece of mind with all new wiring and modern fuseblock etc. I did swap out all switches as well.

keep posted pics. keeps us motivated in the hobby