Thing Owners Roll Call!

[FatherDaughter73Super]

Just bought a 73 a week ago. I knew it had a good bit of rust esp rockers and the floorpans would need to be replaced. As I get it cleaned out it's a little intimidating considering I've never welded but not afraid to try/learn. If any of you have been through it and can offer any tis they'd be much appreciated.

Can anyone tell me what the hard line is that runs under the passenger side from front to rear? Mine is rusted through and I've just begun digging into it like I said so haven't yet discovered where either end leads.

Is there anywhere I can get a Thing-specific manual?

Thx

[Semper_Dad]

Congratulations on your acquisition. Good luck on the restoration.

Hardline on the passenger side is part of the fuel evaporation system. It connects the expansion tank in the frunk to the charcoal filter under the right rear wheel well.

You can find a downloadable “Shop Manual” for your 181 in the technical section within this website. It’s more of a compilation of other book but it does contain a good deal by of 181 specific information.
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Walküre Restoration Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=737492

[rhubarbray]

Suppose I should have started here first rather than start posting. In late August my wife aquired a yellow 74 Thing from my brother who owned it for 6 years. So keeping it in the family. My brother just drove it around his town in Northern Ontario and didn't really do much to it. I've slowly been going over it and realizing it needs a bit to get it back up to where it should be. Been having fun, learning a lot, spending my wife's money,
I'd always seen and heard of enthusiast groups for the old air cooled VWs but now that I've opened the door and walked in..........damn! This is whole 'nother world!!

[oldcarsguitars]

I have owned a few Things over the past 25 years and just brought home another one that is fortunately better than it looks!!
Lol

[RocklinDave]

Been away a while, (aka) kool1. Herbie the love bug guy. Just my ole Thing

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Herbie's Heroes Founder
http://www.herbiethelovebug.net/
Had one of the Largest Herbie Collection, this side of Disney, Maybe the world.
Now just a hotrodder

[KMHaus]

Hi ^-^
I'm a very new owner of a much love needing Thing. But seeing her in the garage every day makes my heart smile! I've hoped to own one for decades now, and teenage me would have fainted to see it happen!
I stumbled across this site looking for information on rebuilds and am thankful this resource exists! <3

[lqqkatjon]

how are things going with this? I see this is a year old!


I have been trying to do my thing bodywork for years, and it is very thin, hard to weld.

I have few words of advice as I am getting mine about done, and have put away the welder.

1st. get a rotissery and get the body off the pan.
It seems like alot of work, but you will be time ahead if you can do your welding at the angle you want, and not try to weld at bad angles.
I did not do this, but I should of... I had everything apart to get at things, and it was not much more to remove the body.

2nd. I found using a "locate flag"- the metal flags they mark utility with in the grass. work as a great extra filler rod for my mig welding on some of the smaller holes.

3rd - I also found that Por15 paste worked great for filling up some small pin holes.

[smokeydogvol]

Glad to finally be a Thing owner again. This is my 3rd one and hopefully this one will remain with me to the end of my life, or hers. lol

Knoxville, Tennessee

[olypopper]

Have had this 73 for a few years.....had it stored at my parents place in central Arkansas until this past April when I hauled it to Alaska. Have since pulled the engine and started a new engine build and have replaced the windshield and brakes. Will be replacing pans and doing a full re paint soon.......to something other than yellow.