Vehicle Description
STK 2799 1973 Volkswagen Thing
The VW Type 181 was originally developed by Volkswagen for the West
German Army. It was based on a concept used by the German Army in
WWII and manufactured in Wolfsburg Germany. The Type 181 was a
4-door cabriolet with removable doors/top and lay-down windshield
that shared mechanicals with the Type 1 Beetle and the VW Microbus.
The chassis was based on the Karmann Ghia floorpan, 3 inches longer
than the Beetle and also produced in Wolfsburg. The Type 181 was
available to the civilian market from 1968 to 1983, but exports to
the US were limited to the 1973-74 model years. Total US sales
numbered approximately 25,000 units. Worldwide the Type 181 had a
multitude of brand names, but the US version was dubbed the
'Thing'. Our 1974 VW Thing appears to have lived an exciting life.
A partial restoration was completed in 2017 and digital photos of
the project are included with the car. An exterior respray of
Pumpkin Orange was applied as a single stage finish and is in
fairly good condition. (The rocker panels do have some minor spot
rust, but the chassis appears sturdy.) The interior features Jetta
cloth bucket seats, an Alpine AM/FM/CD system, competition-style
shifter, SunTach and rare fiberglass hardtop, w/surfboard, fitted
to the body. (Our Thing is not equipped with a soft-top.) This Type
181 is powered by a rebuilt 1.6L Volkswagen flat-four air-cooled
engine that is fitted with a '40 Series' Weber 2-barrel carb and
full exhaust header. It is backed by the Beetle 4-speed manual
transaxle that provides better highway gearing than the original
unit. Front suspension is a Beetle front beam with 2.5" drop
spindles and the rear suspension has been lowered. Brakes are
manual front disc/rear drum and Michelin radial tires are mounted
on period-correct 15" American Racing alloy wheels. This Thing is
your ultimate beach vehicle and holds a unique place in VW lore.
ALL VEHICLES SOLD "AS IS".