Just bought Crawford Thing #6

[Thing #6]

I just made a deal on Crawford Thing #6.

It's going to be a 600-mile round trip to go trailer it from California to my place in Nevada, and it's got a couple of problems (wheel bearings and no reverse) to check out.

I was looking for an older Jeep (lightweight, simple, dual-use), and the fact that this was registered and street legal made the difference for me.

Pickup will be in a week or two. Until then, I don't know everything that will need to be done, but it looks like fun.

[oprn]

Waiting for pictures...
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[Thing #6]

Haven't picked it up yet, but here's the glamour shot from the ad.

[clonebug]

Looks like an Empi Sportser to me. If it isn't then it's pretty close from my view.
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[oprn]

That's what I was thinking too.
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[Dale M.]

Thing...

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“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[didget69]

Crawford's Things predated the VW 181... The Thing was only a 'Thing' in name in the U.S. for 2 model years, '73-'74.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/offshoot.home.blog/2019/10/26/crawford-buggies/amp/

bnc
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I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door.

[didget69]

[Thing #6]

Do you have any info on this one having rolled?

If it DID roll, it continues a tradition -- I've never owned a VW-pan buggy that hadn't been rolled by at least one previous owner. One, I was at El Mirage, and helped the owner get it rolled back onto the wheels, and his wife said "If you give us a ride back to our camp, and tow this, you can drop us off and keep towing!"

[oprn]

Very interesting! It's a bit of a local curiosity then. One wonders how many similar stories are out there...
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[didget69]

[Thing #6]

Cool! Yes, I read that in the "family history," after my post. It gives me confidence in the roll bar. I had a friend who would INTENTIONALLY roll his buggy at least once per weekend (it had tubing instead of a body, so nothing was hurt, and a sealed battery). He'd find his spot, work his magic, and do the Barbecue Roll then keep driving. He married the girl who asked him to teach her how it was done!

If Thing 6 went all the way over and back to Stable One, they must have done a lot of work on sheet metal afterward.

Buggies based on the early Type I roll for the same combination of factors that caused early M151 MUTTS to roll.

First, you're dealing with a short-coupled suspension. This means that they turn SHARP.

Add to that the rear swing axle, which changes the tire camber based on spring compression.

The factory-fresh Type I, with all of that sheet steel, weighs enough that the rear suspension is compressed more than on a buggy built with standard springs. Thus, there is more of a tendency for the rear end to "float," especially at moderate and highway speeds.

With the M151, most rollovers took place at 45 MPH or faster, with only the driver aboard and insignificant cargo weight, during a moderate to sharp turn to the left. The right rear wheel, floating, allowed enough change to the camber that the tire sidewall would flex, causing loss of traction and stability. In other words, the right rear tire would "get under" and twist the suspension and unibody while it was deep into an outward-force condition.

The interim solution was to simply add weight to the rear of the MUTT, usually by putting in a box full of damp sand (which could be discarded when cargo or passengers would be carried in the back).

Placards were also stenciled onto the instrument panels, warning that "SUDDEN TURNS MEAN SUDDEN DEATH" (later softened to "Sudden Turns Cause Accidents").

In the longer term, the M151A2 had a redesigned rear suspension, which reduced camber variation.

Likewise, the buggies (especially those with shortened wheelbases, such as the EMPI and the Crawford Thing) can be made much safer by tossing 100 pounds of weight into the back, and of course by controlling speed and turns.

[BL3Manx]

I own Crawford Thing #23

This is how I found it in Modesto

This oe was in Arizona, then Durango and now I believe Florida

[BL3Manx]

Here's an earlier thread on them

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=729893

[oprn]

The other option to adding weight would be to convert them to IRS.
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[BL3Manx]

A shock limit strap is a more positive way to stop swing axle tuck under/jacking than more weight in the cargo bed which will raise the c.g. and can shift

[Thing #6]

[RCros]

Was there ever any follow-up pictures of this car?

[didget69]

[RCros]

Bummer thank you