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chase850 Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2002 Posts: 22 Location: Gretna, Fl
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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 2:31 pm Post subject: Thing Birth certificate |
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I just got the birth certificate for my acapulco thing from the museum today. boy was I shocked! The certificate says that it was built in february 1974, Ivy Green in color with a black top and interior (completely knocked down).
My car, however, is blue and white with running boards, striped seats, no evidence of any other paint color at any time (and it has a lot of scratches) and the sticker on the door jamb says it was built in June 1974.
Did I get taken when I bought this car or has anyone heard of the museum having inaccurate or incomplete records, or in the alternative, were these CKD (completely knocked down) kits sent to Mexico where VW Mexico then converted them to Acapulco editions. very puzzling indeed. Greg T. |
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bucko Samba Member
Joined: December 09, 2004 Posts: 2617 Location: Coppell, Texas
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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2006 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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It is possible that the museum made a mistake, as "human" interface can cause this.
However, if it was built(?) partially in Germany and then sent to Mexico for final assembly, then perhaps this changed things.
I hope there are better experts on this subject though that can provide a more difinative answer to this. |
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suntour Samba Member
Joined: November 25, 2004 Posts: 443 Location: Woodinville, WA
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Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:03 am Post subject: |
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The sticker inside the door post tells me that mine way built in November of 73. However information I have read about Thing production tells me that mine would be built like a 74 with side muffs and fresh air heat. But my Thing had gas heat and side vents.
So do we have our Thing production information wrong or does the 11/73 on the sticker mean something other than production dates? _________________ Order of the Voodoo Spoon |
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Towel Rail Horizontally Opposed
Joined: April 15, 2005 Posts: 4622 Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 1:08 am Post subject: |
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The date on my car (5/74) jives approximately with the serial number on the door pillar and trunk tag, along with the number on the tunnel. By 1973, all of the metal-stamping was done in Mexico, so it should not be a CKD (unless yours is Indonesian?) |
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chase850 Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2002 Posts: 22 Location: Gretna, Fl
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Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 4:58 am Post subject: |
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on my birth certificate, it says the country of destination is Mexico. I'm at a complete loss about this. I've emailed the museum about it but don't really anticipate getting a response. |
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kubelmann Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2003 Posts: 3266
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Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 9:57 am Post subject: |
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Pedro Sardis is an expert on this issue. He used to frequent the various Thing forums. He worked in the VW factory in Pueba, MX on the Thing line. He owns the last Safari that was produced there. If he were to chime in he could explain this. |
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BHB Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2002 Posts: 48
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 3:48 pm Post subject: Were CKD Things ever converted to Acapulco models? |
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I have owned two 1974 Things which the VW Museum Stiftung described as being built and delivered to Mexico as "completely knocked down". Both cars were described as cream white color with black interior. Options 442 and 803 were listed, too. Both were Acapulco versions when I bought them.
BHB |
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Semper_Dad Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005 Posts: 3510 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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suntour wrote: |
So do we have our Thing production information wrong or does the 11/73 on the sticker mean something other than production dates? |
Production date of 11/73 would have been a 1974 model year. I believe model years changed in August or September. Appears your's is normal |
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howiesfamily Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2004 Posts: 858 Location: Panther City, Texas
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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Wannahave wrote: |
suntour wrote: |
So do we have our Thing production information wrong or does the 11/73 on the sticker mean something other than production dates? |
Production date of 11/73 would have been a 1974 model year. I believe model years changed in August or September. Appears your's is normal |
Mine has a production date of 11/73 with a 183 vin. It has all the 73 parts: gas heater, door mounted mirrors, fan shroud, exhaust, no ear muffs, '73 title. _________________ member of: Fort Worth Aircoolers Gang |
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Semper_Dad Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2005 Posts: 3510 Location: Indiana
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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howiesfamily wrote: |
Wannahave wrote: |
suntour wrote: |
So do we have our Thing production information wrong or does the 11/73 on the sticker mean something other than production dates? |
Production date of 11/73 would have been a 1974 model year. I believe model years changed in August or September. Appears your's is normal |
Mine has a production date of 11/73 with a 183 vin. It has all the 73 parts: gas heater, door mounted mirrors, fan shroud, exhaust, no ear muffs, '73 title. |
Blame the Mexicans |
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howiesfamily Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2004 Posts: 858 Location: Panther City, Texas
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:53 am Post subject: |
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Somebody has to do the jobs that American's won't do. _________________ member of: Fort Worth Aircoolers Gang |
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Ian Epperson Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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Mexico's not in America? Since when?
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thinghunter Samba Member
Joined: May 18, 2004 Posts: 403 Location: North Texas
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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Mine says it was creme white also with a production date of 4/73 and a destination country of Mexico while it is yellow and the date on the sticker is 5/73 and is a US spec car. I know it has the original engine but when I emailed the museum they said it wasn't. I also asked them if they could double check the information on the birth certificate and they emailed me back they double checked it but what they gave me was right. They seemed nice enough but I'm not sure whether they actually went back and double checked it or not. I was wondering if anyone has recently gotten one for a Thing that actually seemed to have the right info on it. |
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Doc*181 Samba Member
Joined: December 09, 2003 Posts: 479 Location: Belgium
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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thinghunter wrote: |
I was wondering if anyone has recently gotten one for a Thing that actually seemed to have the right info on it. |
Well... the museum stated that my 181 is a probably a VW Golf (Rabbit). _________________ Thing stuff:
http://vw181.skynetblogs.be/ |
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4118thing Samba Member
Joined: July 26, 2016 Posts: 120 Location: WNC
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2018 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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Semper_Dad wrote: |
howiesfamily wrote: |
Wannahave wrote: |
suntour wrote: |
So do we have our Thing production information wrong or does the 11/73 on the sticker mean something other than production dates? |
Production date of 11/73 would have been a 1974 model year. I believe model years changed in August or September. Appears your's is normal |
Mine has a production date of 11/73 with a 183 vin. It has all the 73 parts: gas heater, door mounted mirrors, fan shroud, exhaust, no ear muffs, '73 title. |
Blame the Mexicans |
I realize this is an old post, but I too have a 183 vin, but a build date of 10/74. Also has all 73 parts. Is it possible that VINs were issued in Germany and assembly sticker in Mexico. Or was Mexico on a calendar year production schedule? |
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Joe 20 Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2005 Posts: 655 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:45 pm Post subject: Re: Thing Birth certificate |
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I have a 12/73 sticker on a 183 vin. with all the 73 features. It is a 73 by title. Do you think they just kept making the 73 model until they ran out of 73 parts? |
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4118thing Samba Member
Joined: July 26, 2016 Posts: 120 Location: WNC
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 5:09 am Post subject: Re: Thing Birth certificate |
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Well, one way to find out...does anyone have a 74 with a late 73 build sticker? |
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Gene Kisner Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2012 Posts: 80 Location: Fairmont, West Virginia
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 5:50 pm Post subject: Re: Thing Birth certificate |
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My experience with the "Museum" is they suffer from extreme
IGNORANCE and APATHY.
They DON'T KNOW and THEY DON'T CARE !
It is just blind luck getting any information about THINGs that comes close to being accurate. |
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SilverThing Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004 Posts: 810 Location: Everett
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 3:08 pm Post subject: Re: Thing Birth certificate |
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I've been having a few conversations with people regarding the birth certificates for Things.
From my personal experience and what I have heard from others: US Things are listed as 'complete knock down' for the Mexican market, the build date doesn't match the door jam sticker, and the engine doesn't match their records. I haven't heard of color discrepancies before.
It is likely that the Thing was actually a knock down vehicle in one fashion or another. I'll give two justifications for this: 1) The press/stamping tooling for cars is very expensive and it is unlikely that VW would have duplicated the tooling for a lower production volume vehicle like the 181. The presses were originally in the Wolfsburg factory and then they supposedly moved to Puebla, Mexico in 1975/1976. What is not known is how much assembly happened in Germany before being shipped to Mexico. 2) The Chicken Tax. This is speculation on my part, but I would be willing to bet that the Thing was assembled in Mexico for sale in the US to avoid the 25% 'Chicken Tax' that is levied against German trucks and vans since 1963 (and still is). I imagine knock-down assembly in Mexico would have avoided that tax. The reason the Thing wasn't sold in the US in 1975 was it was reclassified as a passenger car instead of a light truck, which added more strict safety requirements (note that jeeps are considered light trucks).
Regarding the build dates that don't follow VW's normal August start date for model years (ie a 1973 model built in December of 1973). If the Thing was build as knock-down, then there probably was a production lag (Germany creates a kit, kit shipped from Germany to Mexico, kit assembled in Mexico into a vehicle, vehicle shipped to the US, goes through import process, etc...). It wouldn't surprise me if 1973's were still making their way through the production process when VW otherwise would have started calling them 1974's. Just speculation on my part, though. _________________ "I like how everyone likes talking about Zeke's Thing yet he's the only one that's ever seen it." - Katie
"I've seen pictures..." - Jeremy |
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dagimp Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2008 Posts: 282 Location: Philly
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Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 11:11 am Post subject: Re: Thing Birth certificate |
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My birth certificate was also listed as CKD... or whatever and yellow. The car is orange and was always like that. Total waste of money. Don't expect anything useful from the "Museum". _________________ Buck
1973 Orange VW Thing, "Otto". |
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