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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 6:42 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles |
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A few "big perspective" pics. AND
Can you guess what our New Years Resolution is... To get this damn THING finished.
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GI Joe Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2005 Posts: 2012 Location: Athens, TN
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2015 11:20 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles |
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Not Stock? Mostly Stock...Only the tires, Engine, starter, and a period short throw shifter. No un-reversible changes planned. As far as the wheel color, you'll have to bring that up with Bob. I still have the original tires and tubes. Also, the best preserved, original seats, in the entire world. Yes, I went there. |
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madster Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2006 Posts: 180 Location: Rio Grande Valley Texas
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Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 3:20 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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[/URL] _________________ 1966 BEETLE @ 1973 THING |
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oldthingguy Samba Member
Joined: December 02, 2007 Posts: 146 Location: California
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Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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Looking good, can't wait to see the finished product. _________________ 73 914 2.0 - sold
63 single cab
73, 73 and 74 Thing - gone
64 notch - gone
60 23 window - gone
57 oval - gone
plus a few others I should have kept |
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madster Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2006 Posts: 180 Location: Rio Grande Valley Texas
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 7:07 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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_________________ 1966 BEETLE @ 1973 THING |
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pinballwiz Samba Member
Joined: September 26, 2009 Posts: 159 Location: Knoxville, TN
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Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:59 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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This thread has been awesome! I just picked up a 73 Thing and this thread will be very helpful during my low end restoration. Can't wait to see more. _________________ 61 Panel |
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mondshine Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2006 Posts: 2769 Location: The World's Motor Capital
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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I just hope I get to see that car in person this July in Tipp City! |
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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When we last left off, we had just completed reassemble on the steering column. But we had lost the steering wheel, and the parts that retain it.
Well, we found the steering wheel. In fact, we found two steering wheels. The original '73 wheel, and a '74 from a Thing I had scrapped years ago.
Turns out the wheels are different. The '73 has larger splines on the steering shaft vs the '74. It seems like there's a few other very subtle changes, unless its just me. The large black plastic housing that covers the back of the wheel assembles, seems to be just a little different. They were interchangeable, but the gaps & lines were just slightly off. Maybe someone else has had this experience? |
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 2:22 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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The rear cover of the steering wheel is held in place by 4 plastic pins that are molded into the cover when its manufactured.
These small plastic pins pass through the steel spokes on the steering wheel.
To hold the cover in place, 4 small retaining fasteners are pushed over the pins. They're not suppose to be reusable, but if you're very careful (and patient), they can be removed & reused.
Trouble is...the pins on the original '73 housing were broken, and '74 housing didn't feel like it fit correctly on the '73 wheel. The gaps were different. |
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77kafer Samba Member
Joined: April 08, 2008 Posts: 823 Location: New Windsor, NY
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 2:50 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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randybriscoe wrote: |
Turns out the wheels are different. The '73 has larger splines on the steering shaft vs the '74. It seems like there's a few other very subtle changes, unless its just me. The large black plastic housing that covers the back of the wheel assembles, seems to be just a little different. They were interchangeable, but the gaps & lines were just slightly off. Maybe someone else has had this experience? |
VW 181s, used two different steering columns and steering wheels. The "early type" mostly on 73's can be identified by the metal trim around the key switch area, the "late" version, found mostly 74's, has a plastic trim assembly in the same area. Not only is the trim different, but the steering wheel spline is different so most 73 steering wheels won't fit 74 steering columns and vice versa.
For 73 Thing the specs are
21 mm x 40 tooth spline
73 Momo adapter hub #0248
73 steering wheel nut 27 mm
For 74 Thing the specs are
17 mm shaft x 40 spline
74 Momo adapter hub #8010
74 steering wheel nut 24 mm _________________ Supposed to be 77käfer, but there are no umlauts on an american keyboard
Overheard on 27 June 07, one lady to another when they saw my Harli in a parking lot at West Point, "maybe he found it on the clearance aisle at the Volkswagen dealer" |
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Ron Domeck Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2007 Posts: 1466 Location: louisville Ky
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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Randy, will this car be at Kubel Treffen in Tipp City in July? |
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2016 7:14 am Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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I don't think we'll be finished in time for any show's this year. At this point, we can only put in a few hours a week on the car. Next year for sure. Can't believe I'm thinking in terms of over a year out, never use to be like that! |
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2016 7:32 am Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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Here's how the pins fit into the steel spokes. this is the rear half of the steering wheel cover.
Next the little metal fasteners are pressed onto the plastic pins. We removed the fasteners originally by using an eyeglass size, flat blade screwdriver, to bend a couple a of the retainer "flaps" up. Then we just pressed the flaps back into shape before re-installation. But, as I mentioned before, our plastic pins were broken somehow in the 30 years of storage. So we had to come up with a repair, or source a replacement. |
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:05 am Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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As I mentioned before... the little nubs that are molded on to the back side of the steering wheel cover had broken off.
This is what they are suppose to look like on a '73.
So it's off to the hardware store to look for small screws.
Here's what we came up with. We drilled and very gently taped holes into the four little mounting pads where the pins had been.
The screws were the same diameter as the pins they replace.
Here's one screw properly installed, replacing the pin & fastener.
Here's the wheel, back in the car. Now you can see all four screws holding the rear cover in place. |
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 10:03 am Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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IT's Fuel Tank Time
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frogman_94 Samba Member
Joined: March 10, 2006 Posts: 118
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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Looks nice. I didn't see the filter and pump for the heater. It's a lot easier to put them together when the tank is out. |
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bigbussur Samba Member
Joined: January 02, 2007 Posts: 122 Location: Santa Barbara CA
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Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 8:27 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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Great looking project. I think I would've used a Butyl tape rather than foam weatherstrip tape to have the fuel tank sit on. Just in case there happens to be any moisture that gets into that foam weatherstrip in the future and creates rust on your tank or frame. Good luck |
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 10:11 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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I was thinking about the wisdom of a foam pad / seal in relation to water. This is what The Thing Shop provided with the new tank. I can't remember what was under there originally. In the pics we have of that area, all you can see is a trace of adhesive. See pic, click for larger image. |
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randybriscoe Samba Member
Joined: December 26, 2007 Posts: 241 Location: chicago
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Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 10:55 pm Post subject: Re: Barn Find THING, Full Restoration, 27,000 Original Miles. |
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Looking inside the new fuel tank at the filter screen. |
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