The ultimate rebuild

[tycham]

OK. Here is the plan. I just got my first Thing and I am going to rebuild it. But I need everyones help on what to do. I want dependable and pretty close to original.

Frame off, sandblasting, PDR floor pan, probably original color. Rebuild engine, transmission, drive train, suspension. Original gauges or complete set. 1600 or 1700 cc.? Standard of Acapulco? Roll bar or none?. Steel rims or mags. Disc brakes ( front or front and rear)? New upholstery. Plastic or glass windows.

You get the idea so here is your chance. What would you do?

[Glenn]

Question....

How big is your wallet?
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[tycham]

Budget isn't part of it but lets say $15K not including paint and prep

[Hot Rod Harp]

Are you doing the work or farming it out?
_________________
74 Thing 1600DP
76 Westfalia 2.0L FI
69 Beetle 1500SP sold
88 Goldwing GL1500/6 sold


RinTinTin in Waldorf Astoria 1956

[TDCTDI]

Does it really need it?

Old cars are a lot more fun to drive than to work on & feed.


Post pics & let’s see how bad it really is.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[tycham]

I did not realize this was going to be so difficult. The Thing is in good shape and I just got back from a 300 mile ride. It is what I want to do. And I will be doing most of the work myself

[TDCTDI]

[kenj06]

While I agree with TDCTDI that they are more fun to drive than to work on, I'll take a shot at answering your questions.

I'm looking at this project as not a factory correct restoration but rather an improvement to the original without major modifications.
Standard - I know some people like the Acapulco but just not my taste
Cloth upholstery - the original is hot and sweaty, on warm sunny days with the top down it burns.
Roll bar - one that fits under the soft and hard top because why not, it looks cool.
Hardtop - I'll be using it early spring and late fall and to store over the winter.
Glass windows - mine came with the glass sliding Thing Shop windows and would never go to plastic
Bigger engine - But not too big where you need custom tins, exhaust and other mods to make it fit. I have a 1600 in mine and more power to get up to speed quicker would make me feel a little safer.
More gauges - since you are getting a bigger engine, may as well know what the cylinder head temp is, oil pressure, voltage... but I wouldn't want it looking like an aircraft cockpit with gauges all over, I'd have combined gauges that show several readings. Check the gallery, there are some nice combo gauges out there.
Disc brakes on the front - gives better stopping power for the bigger engine, is an easy job and another thing less to adjust. I've never felt the need to do the back.
Mags - 15" to fit the disc brakes on the front

This is what I would do with mine though not all at once. Driving it puts a smile on my face and while I enjoy working on it, my attention span would not last through an entire teardown. I need to break it down to smaller projects plus I don't spend the money all at once.
If I painted it, I would then need to do the body work, chrome, new top, new glass, new windshield and polish, clean and worry about stone chips. Now I get in and go where ever I want, get bugs smashed all over the front, put it away at night dirty and smile the whole time.
For me, life is too short to work on and look at it rather than using it.

Good luck with the project!

[Gene Kisner]

My first thought would be "SELL YOUR THING AND PURCHASE ONE THAT MEETS YOUR DESIRES"!
That way you will have an extra year or more to have fun instead of hunting parts and getting greasy. Financially you will come out far ahead.
My second suggestion is to attend the Kubel Treffen East in two weeks, July 16, 17, 18, at Flat Rock, North Carolina, just south of Asheville. There you will find lots of ideas if you still want to "restore" yours. You will find Things for sale, parts and accessories for sale, people to advise you, Tall Tails, and possibly several "Liars Contest". All in all, A GREAT BUNCH OF THING PEOPLE HAVING FUN!
Go the Domeck Brothers website and view photos of past KTE events.
www.kubeltreffen181.com

[CanStan]

Sounds like a big project, but if you have the means to do it, I say go for it. I would agree with others that you can likely buy a really nice Thing for less money than you'll spend doing this, but not everything about owning a classic car needs to make financial sense if you're simply enjoying the journey.

One thing to think about might be this:

[mondshine]

It is easy to become a millionaire restoring Things...

Just start off as a billionaire.

[CanStan]

[tycham]

kenj06 Thanks for the good list. One of my three (soon to be four) Things has a full set of gauges and I like it. As a pilot I always want to know what the heck is going on and gauges do that. Non vinyl seats are hot a fabric is cooler. I was thinking Sunshade cloth. I have one that is in pretty bad shape body wise and I might just make it perfect (out of view) and go with the 'look'. I had a Thing that was my ski machine and it always got my frozen a** there.

Right now I am looking at suspension and engine parts. I wish there was one place shopping but it seems that I need to go to different places for best pricing.

Ideas?