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Surprising the wife with a Thing
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Davii
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 9:48 pm    Post subject: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

I’ve always like the Thing, long story about youth and a girl, the best ones. The wife has also always loved them, mentioned many times how she’d love to have one “someday”. Well, I just retired from the Marines and a recent very bad health scare from the wife made me decide, damnit, it’s time to start doing these things we keep talking about.

Started looking around. Found a lot of rotted out garbage for too much money. A friend called me up,he found a Thing on a buddies property out in the woods. It’s been in a storage container out in the country for a few years. Story is the guy bought it for his wife at some VW thing in a Texas, drove it to cruising the coast, etc for a number of years. She had a rollover wreck in a different vehicle and decided she didn’t want to drive the Thing anymore due to the danger. So it got put in a storage container.

The guy’s property was awesome, like an episode of American Pickers. All sorts of great vintage cars, a service station replica, gas pumps everywhere, etc.

Got the car, towed it to a friends shop. Put some oil in the cylinders, turned it by hand. Good compression on all 4 cylinders. Guy said it ran when parked. It’s solid, nothing more than surface rust, still original paint.

All new brakes (to include disc on front), completely new fuel system, and all new ignition (electronic) and it should be ready to surprise her.

She has no idea. She’s going to love it!


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Deckard
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:44 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Looks great, and it has the expensive, hard to find VW Thing-only parts like rearview mirrors, gas heater, and top.

I believe both the upholstery and top are aftermarket. Do a search in the archives and download/print the documents relating to the Thing.

I also think that Lexus dealerships sell the giant red bow. which apparently is the only acceptable way to present a car to your wife
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 6:30 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Nice, get it good and clean and go through all of the fluids, do the brakes (including hoses), back the wheel bearings, go through the engine for a tune up, the electrical connections clean and check and clean the fuse block and the light and emergency switch contacts, and clean and flush the gas tank, and it you want to remove the decals get an eraser wheel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ySxkMJ4Hg
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 6:37 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Nice, get it good and clean and go through all of the fluids, do the brakes (including hoses), back the wheel bearings, go through the engine for a tune up, the electrical connections clean and check and clean the fuse block and the light and emergency switch contacts, and clean and flush the gas tank, and it you want to remove the decals get an eraser wheel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ySxkMJ4Hg
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Davii
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 2:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

74 Thing wrote:
Nice, get it good and clean and go through all of the fluids, do the brakes (including hoses), back the wheel bearings, go through the engine for a tune up, the electrical connections clean and check and clean the fuse block and the light and emergency switch contacts, and clean and flush the gas tank, and it you want to remove the decals get an eraser wheel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ySxkMJ4Hg


Exactly the plan. All new brakes to include lines, new fuel tank with filter and pump, and I cleaned the lines using carb cleaner and compressed air.

Question: is there no screen or "sock" in the gas tank? When I put the new one on it was just an elbow straight into the line.
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 6:49 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

There should be one, but it may have not been replaced and I have seen ones that are made out of some sort of metal eaten away over time.
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ente_kaefer
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 11:13 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Very nice vehicle ! Your time permitting, take a look at the rims on the vehicle, going by the hub caps, they appear to be from a 1967 VW Bug. The rims should be 15 inch, and from research that I have done appear to be the only stock, air cooled rims that have an offset and backspace that is close to the Thing 14 inch rim.
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Davii
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 4:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

ente_kaefer wrote:
Very nice vehicle ! Your time permitting, take a look at the rims on the vehicle, going by the hub caps, they appear to be from a 1967 VW Bug. The rims should be 15 inch, and from research that I have done appear to be the only stock, air cooled rims that have an offset and backspace that is close to the Thing 14 inch rim.


Great eye and you're awesome! I was trying to figure that out as the tires have a 15 stamped on them but no other identifying marks for size that I could find. I measured the wheels and they are 15s, but that was where my knowledge ended.

I was going to order empi wheels as I ordered the wide 5 ac industries kit for disc brakes, but I didn't when I realized those are 15s. So, is that all good? Are these good rims to have?

I'm trying to figure out what size tires as well. 190-70-15 seems to be the suggestion?
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 3:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

I have the wide 5 AC Industries kit on mine with generic replacement 15" beetle rims, fits really well. I'll bet the rims you have will be just fine, I would certainly try them first. These are 205/75/15 so 190/70/15 should fit easy and would look a little more stock.
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Davii
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 5:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

KAmes wrote:
I have the wide 5 AC Industries kit on mine with generic replacement 15" beetle rims, fits really well. I'll bet the rims you have will be just fine, I would certainly try them first. These are 205/75/15 so 190/70/15 should fit easy and would look a little more stock.
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Looks great! Thank you for the info.

I installed the front discs today, the wheels fit perfectly. I'll finish up the tears next weekend and then turn to on the rest of the ignition and fuel system. Should be ready in the next two or three weeks.
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 6:43 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

If you need wheels maybe take a look at these for the weight savings (not sure of the backspacing)-
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2076832
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KAmes
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 9:20 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Davii wrote:


Looks great! Thank you for the info.

I installed the front discs today, the wheels fit perfectly. I'll finish up the tears next weekend and then turn to on the rest of the ignition and fuel system. Should be ready in the next two or three weeks.


Cool! It looks like a great project. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
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Davii
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 8:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Looking to order the fuel pump, I need to know whether I have a generator or an alternator. How do I tell the difference?
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Post a photo of the engine compartment.
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RWK
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 4:20 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

"Should" be a generator if stock.
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Davii
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 8:53 pm    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

74 Thing wrote:
Post a photo of the engine compartment.


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Bashr52
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 4:54 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Davii wrote:
74 Thing wrote:
Post a photo of the engine compartment.


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Yup, that's a generator with what looks like a bugspray carb?
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Davii
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 2:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Bashr52 wrote:
Davii wrote:
74 Thing wrote:
Post a photo of the engine compartment.


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Yup, that's a generator with what looks like a bugspray carb?


That’s what the prior owner said, a bug spray. I am looking at ordering the stock carb from Jbugs as it’s cheaper than a rebuild kit plus the work.

Thoughts?
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Bashr52
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:43 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Davii wrote:
Bashr52 wrote:
Davii wrote:
74 Thing wrote:
Post a photo of the engine compartment.


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Yup, that's a generator with what looks like a bugspray carb?


That’s what the prior owner said, a bug spray. I am looking at ordering the stock carb from Jbugs as it’s cheaper than a rebuild kit plus the work.

Thoughts?


Kads, Ict's, baby dells, 36 Dells, or 40 IDF
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74 Thing
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2018 6:29 am    Post subject: Re: Surprising the wife with a Thing Reply with quote

Pull the engine and go though it or at least go through the fan shroud/tin and clean it up and get the missing tin and take a look at the clutch/throwout bearing and exhaust etc... and clean and replace what is needed. Probably a good time for new tune up parts as well

Dual carb kits usually come with air cleaners and will perform better and provide better gas mileage.

If you go back to stock you are missing the stock oil air bath cleaner and elbow as well as the stock distributor so that will add to your cost. A rebuilt Solex carb is better than the new Bocar carbs IMO. You can check out sites like thingparts.com to see if they have what you need.
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