Barn Find “Thing”: 1974 Volkswagen Type 181
Who remembers the VW Thing, a 4-door Jeep-like vehicle that was sold in the U.S. for only a couple of years? Inspired by similar military equipment and using existing VW parts and components, the VW Thing has developed something of a cult following in recent years. This example from 1973 has spent the last 25 years in a barn and is being sold out of an estate. We’re told it runs, though it has an ample share of rust but supposedly all the bits and pieces needed are available after-market. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this fun little vehicle is available here on eBay without reserve where the current bid is $5,300.
Like the VW Beetle, the Thing (technically a Type 181) has two-wheel-drive with an air-cooled engine in the back. Volkswagen built these “Jeeps” from 1968 to 1983, but the U.S. only got them in 1973 and 1974. VW pulled them off the market here because they could no longer meet U.S. safety standards. Besides the Beetle, other VW cars donated to the production of the Thing, including the Microbus and Karmann Ghia. These “things” are quite flexible in that the doors and top can come off and the windshield folded flat. Out of about 50,000 built in total, nearly 60% of them made it to the U.S. (just shy of 29,000 copies).
As the story goes, this ’73 Thing has been in the same family since new. It found its way into their barn back in the late 1990s and has just recently been brought out. After hosing it down, the seller (or his/her friend who listed the vehicle) managed to get it to start and run around the yard with fresh gas and a battery. The brakes are crappy, and we assume the tires are older than dirt.
Cosmetically, there is a fair amount of rust visible in the sheet metal. So, you could assume the situation isn’t a lot better where you can’t see. The interior is okay, but since these things were spartan when new anyway. The convertible top will need replacing, too. With NADA values topping out at $45,000 (per the seller), restoring this vehicle could be a worthwhile project, though the investment will not be small. It has a clear title and is ready to move to a new home as quickly as you can get there.
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Comments
The area around where the body bolts to the pan will tell you whether this one is worth buying. Pulling the body off is easy but if there is a lot of rust under there it is also going to be expensive. Hope it’s not too bad ’cause we’re probably running out of Things by now. I was lucky on mine as it stayed with an owner who didn’t expose it to bad weather or any other rust making things.
One owner Things are not easy to come by these days, but they have been coming out lately! This is the 2nd one owner car I’ve seen here and the 4th or 5th Thing and one ’78 Safari. The title on this story is incorrect as this is a ’73 Model. ’74 Things had “air boxes” to push air into the engine compartment and are mounted on each side from the top of the body below the top, starting from behind the back door and covering the area where the “gills” are on the ’73. This car has been upgraded to an Alternator instead of the original generator these cars came with and the original oil-bath breather is gone. Looks like they added a Showbar from TTS. Someone said that The Thing Shop has all the parts needed, but forgot to mention Thingparts.com who also has Restoration parts. He also has Military add-ons he gets from a connection in Germany who gets parts off of old Military M63s the Vehicle that was built from ’69-’72 and used by many European Countries, including Germany where they were born! Because this car lived its life in the Rustbelt of Ohio, she’s a little crispy in the engine compartment. This car would have to be seperated from the pan to do a reasonable rusteration imo…At a no-reserve it would be worth the price this one is at to get started. Looks like the original Smooth Vinyl is still in this car too. While values are going up, so are the parts prices. The top alone is $800, if you trade-in your frame, one ready to install is $1700-$1995. This car doesn’t have the correct front curtains, because they are missing the flap that opens, so it doesn’t fog up inside during rain. Those will set you back another $1100-$1997. If you go the glass route, which slide back or forward depending on position, that’s the $1997 price. All of the parts necessary for the bad brakes are easily attained from numerous sources, as they are used on other VW Models andare reasonably priced! These are fun cars to drive, just getting pricey to restore, but WHAT ISN’T?? Hope this one finds a good home. Glws
I remember seeing the commercials for these cars as a kid. Because of those commercials, I thought they were fitted with some sort of chameleon technology that allowed them to change color any time the driver wanted.