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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:27 pm Post subject: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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The Thing discussion
I was browsing sites like Craigslist and offer up when I saw it. My wife once told me she's always liked the VW Things because they looked weird, so I told her "Hey there's this Thing for sale at a pretty good price". She said "No, we're not getting another car" she was talking about our 1971 bay window (currently getting some electrical done). After showing her pictures and looking at "comps" she started likijg the idea of owning a thing so she got to crunching some numbers and a week later, two visits to the previous owners house we brought the thing home and the wife named him Agent Orange.
The Thing story
From what the previous owner tells me an older couple used to travel with the thing attached behind their RV for a very long time they must have been either the original owners or close enough. 2 years ago someone crashed the side of it and off to the shop it goes. A year goes by and the owners decide they want it and sell it to the shop. The body shop owner finishes the job and starts driving it back and forth to work and puts it up for sale to fund a Volvo project of his.
The Thing pics
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking"
Last edited by bent_karma on Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:58 am; edited 2 times in total |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:34 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Link
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 877 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 7:01 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Cool, looks like a nice find. I'm jealous and I already have one! Do you have fix up plans or just going to enjoy it as is? Either way have fun!
I see your kids are already familiar with traveling by wagon. This should work well for them. |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 7:36 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Thank you. Yeah my girls love VWs, this is our first thing ever. I've never drove or touched one until now. They're so rugged and I love that. Definitely a head turner and you can see it in people's face they're trying to figure out what it is. Honestly do not know what to do first, maybe troubleshoot the heater and make the interior more comfortable. I would love to do a respray but that will be the last thing I do. For now I'll drive it as is, I live in CA so weather is good and being garaged. I noticed thing stuff is getting pretty pricey and rare. _________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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KAmes Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2014 Posts: 877 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Things are definitely fun to be seen in, everybody loves them. Yeah, Thing specific parts run higher than beetle parts, but it's comparable to many other makes of cars.
www.thethingshop.com for good quality new parts and www.thingparts.com for used parts.
The gas heaters are fabulous when you get them working. That's the best kind of project car, the kind you can drive while improving it. When I was a teenager a friend had an FJ40 land cruiser, I thought it was so cool, enough that I bought one years later. The Thing gives me that same purpose of utility feeling. |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 10:13 am Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Me and a few other VDubbers (Iron Cross VW Club) went on a little cruise around Christmas Tree Lane in Ceres, CA.
Link
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:39 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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So all the sudden my brake lights and fuse #9 keeps blowing up. Have you guys ran into these issues? Thank you.
Link
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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Ron Domeck Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2007 Posts: 1466 Location: louisville Ky
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:00 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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#9 should be a red 16 Amp fuse. |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 8:24 am Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Havent really needed with that #9 fuse. Doesn't seem to afdect any other components. Here are some pics the previous owner had. The thing was hit and previous owner inherited the thing after original owner sold it to him.
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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ALANSD Samba Member
Joined: April 16, 2015 Posts: 341 Location: Woodstock, GA
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 8:32 am Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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welcome to the wacky world of the thing. they are a lot of fun and I truly have enjoyed mine,it is the anthesis of a muscle car.I dont miss the big power . _________________ foirmer pro guitarist with 80s band Atlanta
had vws since 1968.buses.ghia,thing....love 'em |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 8:33 am Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2018 7:53 am Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Haven't really done anything lately on the thing other than driving it as much as I can to and from work getting groceries we may have missed.
Went to a mini car show down the street from me. Mostly American classics me and a few buds went.
Had to make her shiny for her first show. Lol.
My buddy's 67.
No awards we're won. Oh well we went to go take some pics.
Couldn't decide black or color
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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perello Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 829 Location: where social security comes for free
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Sweet!
Call me wierd but i have something with wounded things...the repair was awesome _________________ Aug '58 pressed bumper SO23
1974 German Thing
1978 Bug 1200 |
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vwwestyman Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004 Posts: 5688 Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Solomon Grundy Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2004 Posts: 747 Location: Silicon Valley
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:18 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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This weekend I decided I did not want to see the bare floor anymore so I got some of that roofing tape and a roll of black rubber floor mat used at gyms. Cost me about $25.00 at Home Depot.
What does this number represent? Chassis number?
Laying down the roofing tape, this stuff works pretty good I've used it in a all my VWs and also works as sound deadening if you wanna be cheap.
Put the rail covers on and what a difference that made, no more wobbly seats.
Next thing. Gonna do is try to get some seat covers. _________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 9:39 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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What are these for? Some parts that came with the purchase.
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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perello Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 829 Location: where social security comes for free
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 7:08 am Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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part of the steering wheel..they hold the horn pressing part to the wheel _________________ Aug '58 pressed bumper SO23
1974 German Thing
1978 Bug 1200 |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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My wife picked up some seat covers from Costco for $24.99. She installed them herself and the cool thing about it is that headrest is optional (velcro) they fit perfect and feels pretty good. Whatcha think?
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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bent_karma Samba Member
Joined: May 20, 2010 Posts: 291 Location: Modesto, CA.
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: Meet Agent Orange (new to us 1973 Thing) |
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Decided to paint the wheels today. I'm not too happy with the results so the wife also decided to paint the primered spots around the thing.
_________________ '71 VW Bay Window Deluxe Bus [Busness] sold
'73 VW Thing [Agent Orange]
'71 VW Squareback (first air cooled/vw ever) sold
'07 Mazda3 Hatchback GT [the Mazda]
'06 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S (gone at the moment) sold
'18 Subaru Forester 2.5i [Sue Bee]
"Water is for drinking" |
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