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BroKingVdub Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2025 Posts: 6 Location: FL
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Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 4:48 am Post subject: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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Welp it's worse than it looks and worse than what I thought before I got it.
It is way far beyond my build skills. So the thought of a prius swap is out. I guess then the plan is to pull the motor and tranny and rear suspension and sell off the rest. SOO really, what is it worth. I want fair for all really. So the motor and the tranny will be used in the street rail shown on the bottom.
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germansupplyscott Samba Member

Joined: May 22, 2004 Posts: 7251 Location: toronto
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Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 7:58 am Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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Ya, you win for sure.
The best way to find comparable prices for parts is looking right here in the Classified section.
The front bumper looks good, for example, and should be fairly easy to sell. Soooo much weird rust and damage (fire damage?) that it looks like there won't be a ton of good parts to salvage but everything has some value. _________________ SL |
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CanStan Samba Member

Joined: October 16, 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Calgary, AB
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Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 8:07 am Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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If you were located within an hour of me, I'd be willing to pay up to $200. Any further than that, I couldn't justify the transport costs.
The bumpers look salvageable, but I don't see a whole lot more. Maybe brake drums and front beam? But that would all be a gamble if they are any good. There could be a few other odds and ends, but who knows?
I don't see a world in which restoring that car would make even a little bit of sense. You can get a decent Thing for a fraction of what it would cost to do that. They are fairly rare, but not overly popular or crazy valuable compared to other cars.
Then there would be the hassle and expense to get rid of the carcass once it's been stripped of usable parts.
Honestly, you might be better off stripping the few usable pieces yourself and listing them for sale here.
I don't mean to be a downer, but if you can find anyone who will offer you any amount of money to pick it up, I'd say take it. |
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wbailey2112 Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2015 Posts: 550 Location: Grove City, OH
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Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 11:23 am Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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At a glance the bumpers, wheels and front turn signals would be worth something. The front beam (assuming it is a Thing beam) would also be worth something if it is not a rusty mess like the body. The rest of it is rusty, burnt trash.
Not sure about the extent of the damage from the apparent engine fire but I would guess that the engine is toast (pun intended) and the transmission may have been exposed to the heat from the fire too.
Hopefully whoever you acquired this from paid you to take it and not the other way around. Good luck. _________________ '74 Thing
'83 Westfalia |
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sportin-wood Samba Member

Joined: September 12, 2010 Posts: 2253 Location: Texas
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Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:15 pm Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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Slammed with Air ride, narrowed beam, chrome Porsche Fuchs, and drive that that pig as-is!  _________________ Dave
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1966 Bug project
1973 Thing project
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"Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman. He's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." --- Jeff Spicoli |
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Olli from NJ Samba Member
Joined: May 10, 2007 Posts: 365 Location: Milton,DE
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Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:26 pm Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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If the fire didn't ruin it, the fan housing could be worth something. |
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BroKingVdub Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2025 Posts: 6 Location: FL
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Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2025 8:57 pm Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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The car was next to a structure that burned. The engine bay and such are ok. Yes the front beam is in good condition. It will for sure be someone local. There is NOOO way it could even be close to a rat rod as it sits. I lost 50lbs of weight driving home from loosing all my iron oxide out the trailer. |
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BroKingVdub Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2025 Posts: 6 Location: FL
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Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2025 6:51 am Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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germansupplyscott wrote: |
Ya, you win for sure.
The best way to find comparable prices for parts is looking right here in the Classified section.
The front bumper looks good, for example, and should be fairly easy to sell. Soooo much weird rust and damage (fire damage?) that it looks like there won't be a ton of good parts to salvage but everything has some value. |
The front beam is good from appearances. And the engine tranny and rear bits and title are good. And the rear bits and title are all I want. |
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yel-mel Samba Member
Joined: May 07, 2015 Posts: 446 Location: Tampa Florida
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Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2025 4:38 am Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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Remarkably the front and rear bumpers look very nice ! |
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14Eyes Samba Member

Joined: April 15, 2022 Posts: 69 Location: North of Raleigh, NC
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Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2025 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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A black and white filter with some old army clothes on your helpers and you have yourself a good WW2 photo with that one _________________ The Story of my 72 |
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madster Samba Member

Joined: November 01, 2006 Posts: 219 Location: Rio Grande Valley Texas
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:34 pm Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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sportin-wood wrote: |
Slammed with Air ride, narrowed beam, chrome Porsche Fuchs, and drive that that pig as-is!  |
YESSSSSSS _________________ 1966 BEETLE @ 1973 THING |
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BroKingVdub Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2025 Posts: 6 Location: FL
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Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 6:18 am Post subject: Re: I think I have the worst thing in the USA. PROVE ME WRONG. |
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SO I have decided. I will ratrod it out. Kind of. Try and picture the thing body shortened and cut to fit around my tunnel rail.
That is what I am thinking. |
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