73 or 74? Not so easy to tell

[vitaminc914]

I am looking at a 1974 Thing. Or so I thought. It has the fender flares and the title says 1974. However, it also has a gas heater.
Can anyone tell by the VIN if it was mis-titled or did they ever have gas heaters in 74's?
VIN is 1842220569
Any help is greatly appreciated.
_________________
Ray

1974 Porsche 914/2.0 (Owned since 1988)
1966 Bug Sedan
1978 Westy
1976 Westy (sold)
1975 Bug Convertible (sold)
1979 Bug Convertible (Epilogue) (sold)
1977 Bug Convertible (sold)
1973 Thing x2 (sold)
1974 Thing (Avocado Green) (sold)
1972 Porsche 914 V8 (sold)
1973 Porsche 914/1.7 (project) (sold)
1988 Porsche 911 Cabriolet (sold)
1985 Porsche 944 (sold)
1980 Porsche 928 (sold)

[74 Thing]

Some 74 Things has fresh air as well as the gas heater option.

I am sure the Domeck Bros will chime in and maybe provide some photos.

[Wildthings]

The third number in the VIN being a "4" tells you it is a '74 model.

[Joe 20]

Should be a sticker on the drivers side door jamb with the month and year it was built perforated into the sticker.

[wbailey2112]

Check the VIN plate under the hood and the VIN number stamped on the tunnel under the back seat for a definitive answer. If the 3rd number is a 3 then it's a '73. If the 3rd number is a 4 then it's a '74.

Other signs to look for...do the mirrors mount to the front doors ('73) or to the side of the front cowling ('74)? Mirrors get moved around so checking this will not give you a definitive answer.

Gas heaters were standard in '73 and optional in '74 but these also come and go as are the heater boxes on the exhaust (on '74 but not on '73).

Same goes for the rear vent covers (on '74 but not on '73). These also come and go since some people like them and others do not.

The door jam stickers also come and go with paint jobs. I have a repro sticker on mine that I had printed to correspond with the VIN plate under the hood. The original was apparently sacrificed when mine was repainted by a previous owner.
_________________
'74 Thing
'83 Westfalia

[citroen]

here are a few pictures

of a 74 with the o

ptions