Beetle to Thing/181 seat interchange years and models

[vwwestyman]

Found some Beetle front seat backs for sale.

What years can bolt to the Thing seat bases? Anything beyond the 71-72 seats?
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Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Yarkle]

No...BUT. sometimes you can just bolt the highbacks onto the lowback bottoms..im not sure which years do though
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Tilda the Mustard Tigress 1973 Squareback (o'''^'''o)

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=771024&highlight=

[vwwestyman]

[Yarkle]

Ok, found it..pre 1971 should fit (so i THINK any 1970 down with highbacks, but im not 100% sure it will work)

I remember goign down to Curts house and we were grousign abotu how only 2 years would fit, as he had already bought some 70 (?) ones (youll have to look at my previous post in this trhead that shows the different contours) and he had them both sitign side by side and i wa slike..YOu know, it looks liek you can just swap them.

Well, he tried, he did, and it worked.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...highlight=
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Tilda the Mustard Tigress 1973 Squareback (o'''^'''o)

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=771024&highlight=

[el_safari]

Hi
Only highback bug 1968 1969 with large headrest
and highback bug 1970 to 1972 with smaller headrest
bolt directely onto thing seat bottom
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La terre n'est qu'un seul pays

[vwwestyman]

[vwwestyman]

The seller sent me this pic of the seat backs. He is just selling Beetle seat backs, so I'm curious if they will fit the Thing seat base. Can any of you tell for sure from this pic?

Looks like to me they will. Seller isn't sure what year the seats came from.

_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Yarkle]

do you have a picture of the entire back? Like the , i dunno, front view?
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Tilda the Mustard Tigress 1973 Squareback (o'''^'''o)

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=771024&highlight=

[vwwestyman]

From the ad:

_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[el_safari]

Hi Dave
For me it is OK: highback bug 1970 to 1972 .
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La terre n'est qu'un seul pays

[BJT]

[vwwestyman]

Ha ha, I've had the seatbacks in my shed for a couple years now! Still need to actually decide if I want to use high or low seats for me Thing.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[volkybus]

Well here's my two cents.. High back seats are much safer if u get rear ended. I changed mine on all my cars after it happened to me. I got serious whiplash. In my 92 Subbie. A old guy rain into the back in the blinding Sunset and I'd be cripple if I didn't have highbacks
I put them on my 73 Bus and my 73 thing as well
.I used the original bottoms and the tops from a 68 up. It looks stock and I feel much safer. The bus was easier I only had to add the incerts in the top from a newer bus.. Both vehicles are prone to rearending. Both slow.. Believe being cool in a wheelchair when u can help it is not cool.
Good luck Bill in PR

[sportin-wood]

I've noticed that most of these posts are seat related, so here's my .02 cents:

I just picked up a '73 Thing project that sat for 10+ years in direct Texas weather without a top. The back seats are toast, and it has high back front seats.

Here's my question: Were high back seats an option for Things? I like the low back seat look better but wonder if it'll be worth looking for, being they're most likely hard to find, and expensive if I do find some...
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.
1966 Bug project
1973 Thing project
.
"Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman. He's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." --- Jeff Spicoli

[el_safari]

Hi
Lowback for all things/181s.
Just the passenger seat from the military version has a totaly reclinable back.
I was told that is was for accommodate a stretcher.
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La terre n'est qu'un seul pays

[Heiferman]

1971 and 1972 Beetle/Super Beetle are the ONLY stock VW seats which are a "Bolt in" interchange.

Period.