I’ve been watching you for several years, and the first thing I do on Sunday morning is turn on Mustie. I’m 76 now and hope to watch a few more years, but with stage 4 cancer in remission you never know. I hope you don’t lose this subscriber in the near future.
I will keep you in my prayers, hope you stay in remission. I have had several near death experiences since i was a kid, and now struggle with multiplying sclerosis that kicks me quite a bit, and i'm cobbled up from a work accident, had a parathyroid issue that did a lot of bone destruction until i had surgery to hopefully stop it from happening again. The struggle to live can be way to real, but just doing the best one can do everyday is all one can do. I'm in my early 50's, didn't think i would be disabled at this age, but that's life i guess. G-d bless you from a girl in michigan. I say girl, because my mind is still twenty lol.
I spent my adult life working in health care as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. I always made every effort to remain compassionate for my patients, because I knew someday it would be me. We’re making some progress fighting cancer, but we still have a long way to go. Parrticularly crippling diseases like MS, ALS, muscular dystrophy all need major breakthroughs to treat, and to cure. I hope we make those achievements in your life. Good bless you, and thanks about your concern for me.
IN 1968 working as a VW tech in Van Nuys CA I got to work on a real Kubelwagon. An engineer from Union Oil found it in the Libyan desert doing oil exploration. He paid 'baksheesh' to a local official and shipped it here on one of their supply ships. 1st gear was so low I had to shift to 2nd to get to my stall. He got it running, repainted it and had a friend paint the Africa Corp insignia on the doors. He then started renting it out to the studios for movies.
When I saw him pushing that Kubelwagen. I jokingly said oh look at that. Wh!te P0w3r. (As in him pushing a white German car.) . Gotta have a sense of humor.
I always loved driving my 61 VW in the rain. While going 60 MPH and watching my speedo go back to 0, I knew I had started hydroplaning and should slow down a bit. When the speedo jump back up to 50ish I knew I was all 4 wheels back on the pavement.
the intro was off the charts 😂 very original, lovely little (thing) no pun intended, Sundays will never be completed now without Mustie's video cause we've all gotten spoiled 😅.
I’m currently rebuilding my wife’s 74 Thing. The body is in amazing shape for a 50 yo car. Spun a bearing so ended up just getting a new Empi longblock from Jbugs. The electrical was a nightmare. Splices spliced into splices 😲. Someone used trailer wire and lamp cord on some of these “fixes”. I tore every piece of wire out and got a new complete harness from the The Thing Shop in AZ. Now to bring it all together. But what a fun car to drive! Everywhere we go it’s a conversation starter. People at traffic light taking pics. 😂. It’s hilarious! Keep up the great videos Darren! I absolutely love your content!
My father worked at a Volkswagen dealer for 15 years. They gave him a Thing to use as a service/parts car. He drove it home everyday. I loved that Thing. Sure brings back some good memories of us going surf fishing in it with the roof down and the doors removed. Thank you.
I've owned two. 73 and 74; fun but deadly. Both mine were orange. 74 had better heater, though the 73 had a gasoline heater. Put 4 eye bolts in the garage with compression straps. Pulled the top off easily. The Thing Shop has everything you need to keep them on the road. Found a hard top a guy had found in a junkyard; it was perfect. Good memories. Sold the 73 in Vermont to a collector in Boston. Both were very solid southern cars.
@@bmwloco not deadly, just a convertible. any classic convertible or Jeep is the same way. those windshield werent rated to hold up the weight of their cars.
These are great, just never run into anything . When I was a teenager, I saw one of these run into the back of a Cadillac. Both cars were moving, the Caddy about 25 and the Thing about 45. The front baggage compartment of the VW was collapsed to the windshield. The Caddy wasn't marked.
I had a 1973 Thing when I was in College. Took out the stock 1600 and put in an 1835, and later a 2180 engine. The 2180 was insane- It would pull wheelies about 6"-10" off the line when I raced it. Unfortunately, 2180's tend to self-destruct unless you are beating on them, so I ended up with the 1835 engine again. truly, that was more than enough power to do anything I needed. I wish I'd have kept it, as it would go anywhere, and it cornered like it as on rails. Keep this little gem- it will prove itself to be one of the funnest cars you have ever owned. I'd kill to have mine again!
@@steve2736 yhea. The body work looks to be in a good condition and the damage/rust/wear and tear to the structure underneath etc looks fairly surface and easy to get back to near mint condition. Those cars are worth a decent amount and obviously depending on what he paid for it, so it really wouldn't take much money wise to make it a really good example so I'd say it's definitely worth the time and cost, especially as he would get a interesting, fun, educational series of videos for his channel out of it. To me anyone with a channel like this one should definitely do series of videos on car/vehicle restoration as it can be made to pay on several levels, sponsors can be interested in supporting such things to get their products advertised with air time associated with good restorations etc, views, subscribers, as its definitely a topic people want to see, especially a small series of videos that focus on different areas and how to go about doing it right, then there's having the car at the end, either to sell or keep as a decent example of various classic cars, vans, etc you've worked on and fixed up and know you've done a good job on.
Awesome buy. My favorite vw fix so far. Never cared much for bugs. Or vans. This is COOL. 100% SOFT TOP. Ditch the hard top. The whole thing is meant for top down driving. Live free or die.
Of all the VW-related videos of yours that I've watched, this one was probably the cleanest, most problem-free one I can recall. Or at least the issues were relatively minor.
had a cousin had a genius mind like yours. He would use a plastic bag and tape it around the distributor and drive that thing to the carwash open the hood and go to town. Never got wet. Always kept running. Have a great day!
Great video as always! I have been helping a friend with her 1974 VW thing, she took ownership after her partner passed away suddenly. He drove a Thing from Maryland to California (and back?) when he was in his late teens, so this was his mid life crisis car. I can’t imagine driving that car to California at 50-55mph…
As it appears, it’s spent most of its life, in a coastal environment, salt air, I think it’s body work is in pretty good order. Back in the late seventies I built a Porsche powered beach buggy, wow what a beast that was.
Mustie is the perfect home for this. I would imagine the museum could have made more scrapping it than selling to him, but most curators are interested in preservation. They value and cherish preservation. Just seeing what he did with Krustie is evidence of his abilities.
They quit selling these in the states because they are rolling death traps...they couldn't meet 1975 crash safety standards. I watched a Beetle rear end a thing at 20 mph. It ripped the drivetrain out of it and put it in the passenger seat.
I would have loved to had a son. I have a grandson but his mom doesn't let him come around hardly anymore. Enjoy the videos. Keep up the good work. I have learned a lot from you. Thank you bro.
My first rememberance of a Thing was back in 1974. I was driving to California and playing the rabbit and hare scenario for most of one day. I would fly past it going up every hill and then it would fly past me going down the other side. It was pretty funny and we would just wave each time.
I like the watching vw videos because I have always wanted a bug as far as I can remember. I’m 55 now and Retired Military 70% Disabled Veteran and have giving up on owning a vw and now I enjoy the just watching videos of folks working to get them back on road or restore the bug. Thanks
Just realizing Mustie has heard 1,000 VW engines running or trying to run. His ears are engine experienced! I’m sure he knows what’s going on in the engine, just by the sound. Very valuable 😁
VW 181 'Kurierwagen' (formerly known als Kübelwagen) I had the pleasure to drive this car many times while being a conscript in Germany's armed forces (1984 - 1985). It was the military successor car of the DKW 'Munga' and did it's job in field maneuvers better than expected.
Dear norbertgabler. No, Sir, it did not! Simply because of the fact that it was not a 4wheeldrive car. The only thing it could do better than the DKW two stroke with the Thermosyphon radiator was the speed. It was/is a little bit faster. I know this exactly because my father was a Schirrmeister (Hauptfeldwebel) for 4 Kompanien in Germany/Rheinland Pfalz. Best regards, luck and health in particular.
@billtaggart3889 It didn't do that too (and that's a proven fact). Nevertheless a lot of hunters liked the VW 181. But not because of it's driving abilities but for the relatively big flat front hood. Perfect for transporting dead venison out of the woods. And I'm definitely not joking.
Wow. memories, memories. I was in the German Army from 80 to 82 and drove the 181 nearly 1,5 years as postal courier. I had the only one in the base with the chromed RV mirrors. They always wanted to replace them with olive colored, but I fought for the chromed ones and won til I left. The heating system in the military ones was total different. It had a gas powered air heater in the frunk. And you could choose: To freeze or got grilled feet. Funny times somehow. But this thing never let me down during the whole time
I think that we've all noticed that Darren is at his happiest when he's "wrenchin" with anything VW related. Compared with other less than road worthy projects I think he's got a winner here.😏👍🇬🇧
I was shouting at my screen when you went for the trans drain plug. You have to make sure the fill plug opens, before you crack the drain. I used to work on a couple of 1302/3S beetles and a 411E estate and I got caught out that way. The 411 had an automatic box and a final drive with separate lube systems. The fill seized on the final drive and nothing we could do would get it out. We ended up refilling it through the vent, because even though the customer was willing to pay for a scrapyard drive case, we couldn’t find one. The automatic was unique and there wasn’t one being broken anywhere. Manual ones were everywhere, at the time. I think that was 1983, or thereabouts. Those Bosch dizzy caps are very prone to tracking. Very fine conductive paths that form on the surface of the plastic, when you run the engine with water in the distributor. You might be able to see them, with good lighting and a magnifying glass, as a dark hairs breadth line, or you might simply have a mystery misfire that nothing else can cure, apart from a new cap. I’d never try to start a car with one of those, if I thought the dizzy might be damp. Your gearbox/final drive looks slightly different from the ones I used to work on, as does the engine sump, but I may be misremembering. It’s been over 30 years! How did that happen?
My dad owned one back in the 70’s. We drove it to Alaska and back. It collected giant rock chips in the front window and the heat was marginal, but pretty cool car.
Wow! Your heat was marginal! You lucky pup! No VW model had good heat. Especially in New England. There were accessories & even candles to address defrosting!
@@mariosaccoccio1688 my dad loved VW’s. We lived in Alaska from 78- and on, until he passed in 2008. But, we had gas fired heaters roaring into the cab on the passenger side of several of our bugs. And an ice scraper for the inside of the windows. Yeah, I’d say heat was marginal. Pretty much hated going anywhere in the winters in those…
Darren for my two bits worth that style of VW will never ever be junk no matter what the state its in. This is definately a jewel, whatever it cost you Darren you scored big again it's positively beautiful. I bet the parents like it to, a great buy Darren a great buy.
Well, that is a pretty good find and I think that just with a little bit more love it’ll be to your standards. I look forward to watching the videos on the last few repairs and getting your tires in place and see you out enjoying it sometime.
Honestly, I would fix the engine seal 100%. Yes, it's a bit of a pain in the a** To remove, but it's worth it.. And? Considering you don't know when the valves were last adjusted and whether it needs a valve job. It's good overall maintenance to just do the rear end. And get it done, however, on the paint I would recommend. Getting rid of the bubbles sanding it and repainting it with some rust oleum white to stop the rust spots 100% And I would recommend Recoating the floor With some truck bed liner. The reason why is amazing first? It gives you a waterproof bed inside the cab of the thing. The second thing is, it will take a s*** ton of abuse. And the nice thing is with the carpet.S it will look amazing.
That's literally the first hard top I've ever seen for a Thing,other than the one in the commericals or advertisements in the early 70s when I was kid.
Your love affair with all things VW is a bond that will never fade, man theyre awesome videos mate, seriously. what makes this even more awesome is i was born in 73 lol, i'll be 50 this year. i bet those spare pieces of carpet go under the bonnet (hood)
This brings back some memories as I had a 1974 model with soft top! Fantastic vehicle, fun to drive but the heat was non-existent, sounded like a sardine can and was a rust bucket. But, it was also unique and would go places off-road almost as good as a Jeep. I wish I still had it!
This is a nice find. The Thing is the only VW I really ever had an interest in, because to me it was simple, honest, basic and utilitarian. This 50 year-old car is in good general condition, especially for a US northeast car. Lucky for this car it's in the hands of the right guy to make it run properly again.
I was stationed in Spain and the only one I have seen a car like that until now was down in Malaga, a small resort town on the Mediterranean. I was trying to remember the time but it escapes me. Must have been close to 1969. I think it was a light blue color. The top was off and I remember it didn’t have any carpets either. It was a pleasure seeing the car again. Hope you keep it for parades and things. It may be the only chance people ever get to see that brand of a VW. Thank you.
Thats just kinda old vw's in general I've seen. They don't survive well at all. But they really weren't meant to - just a simple, cheap car to own. I doubt vw would have thought they'd still be collectable 50+ years later.
@@octane613 No, they should all be piles of iron oxide in a dust pan by now which is what makes this one that Mustie got ahold of so valuable. If it's put back into use and stored out of doors, I fear it will be fully decomposed by 2026.
I saw a VW documentary a while ago and the Germans during WWII put machine gun mounts on these for internal defense. Interesting history of this Thing.
The Thing was based on the WWII German light military vehicle known as the Kubelwagen. The Kubelwagen came in 3 forms, a 2wd version, a 4wd version and an amphibious vehicle known as a schiwmwagen. The Kubelwagen and all it's varients are based on the Type 1. This should be a piece of cake for Mustie1
@scottofford3061 Wow, a real kubelwagen would be a cool own. Only a schwimmwagen would be better. I did get to see a schwimmwagen at the Museum of Science in Boston once.
I believe what you’re calling “black mold” is actually mildew which is easily removed and tolerated by most people. Looks much no better with it cleaned up.👍😎
I love all of your videos. I have noticed the vw content has been a bit skimpy for a while now. I understand it can get old and you have to do what interests you to keep motivated but this was a great vw video and a welcome old format watching you tinker on it.
I have been watching your channel for over 4 years. I am quite young and have bought a 1970 beetle about 4 months ago. Let me tell you, your channel has motivated me to work on small engines, and 4 years later you are now motivating me to fix my beetle so it can be my first car. Thank You VERY much for all the advice you have given me through your videos over the last four years!
Going to say: I'd drive the hell outta it around town. It'd be a great grocery getter, errand runner. No muss no fuss hop in and go vehicle. Perfect for groceries or a trip to the beach. Toss all your gear in the back and let er rip.
I had a 1973 thing with a hardtop , it was my daily driver winter and summer. One of my favorite cars ever. At 110000 miles I had to replace side panels due to Vermont road salt, at 140000 miles the rust finally got to it again .The original engine was never out of this car!! 👍👍🎩
I love these, always felt like I was one inattentive driver away from death. I had a yellow 74 in the mid 90's and drove it everywhere. My buddy had an Acapulco edition, and I envied that Thing so much. I've had a lot of vw's, but the Thing is probably the one I miss most.
Back when I had a VW beetle, I used to replace the rubber fuel line annually and I never had a situation where there was a fire risk. The biggest drawback was the generator, it NEVER charged well. Later VW made a change and an alternator was fitted to the beetle engine, a huge improvement. Mustie one saw that VW and could not resist, and the VW could not resist the master.
Oh the memories! Were two of these in my family, both bought in '74. The green was wrecked in the early '80s, the yellow one still sits in my Brother's garage. He brings it out in the summer and cruises folks around with the top down. Lots of fun. That one is in wonderful condition.
Mr Mustie1 you sure live in a beautiful area! I really enjoy watching you go on the test rides, so many beautiful lawns & buildings! I also want to see you use the "buffler" LOL it's probably a thing to get rust off of mufflers!!! LOL
I’ve been watching you for several years, and the first thing I do on Sunday morning is turn on Mustie. I’m 76 now and hope to watch a few more years, but with stage 4 cancer in remission you never know. I hope you don’t lose this subscriber in the near future.
Wow, stage 4 and still kicking…I hope you beat that cancers ass!
You hang in there friend! Many blessing from over the Pond Brother 🙏🇬🇧✌
I will keep you in my prayers, hope you stay in remission. I have had several near death experiences since i was a kid, and now struggle with multiplying sclerosis that kicks me quite a bit, and i'm cobbled up from a work accident, had a parathyroid issue that did a lot of bone destruction until i had surgery to hopefully stop it from happening again. The struggle to live can be way to real, but just doing the best one can do everyday is all one can do. I'm in my early 50's, didn't think i would be disabled at this age, but that's life i guess. G-d bless you from a girl in michigan. I say girl, because my mind is still twenty lol.
I spent my adult life working in health care as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. I always made every effort to remain compassionate for my patients, because I knew someday it would be me. We’re making some progress fighting cancer, but we still have a long way to go. Parrticularly crippling diseases like MS, ALS, muscular dystrophy all need major breakthroughs to treat, and to cure. I hope we make those achievements in your life. Good bless you, and thanks about your concern for me.
@@died4us590 Hi there, i'm 65 so to me you are still a young girl lol, smile and have a happy day 😊👍
That is a Jewel beautiful job your friends did an awesome job
Mustie and a vintage VW, a match made in heaven
Don't forget about Jeff Lyn's special appearance! 🤣
It will be fun to see how this works out. I hope Mustie fixes it so we can see him driving around in the dirt like a silly bugger :-)
He did say E.L.O
They were made for one another his wife gunna be jealous
@@Popeyes66 That hair is a perfect match of Lynne's hair in the 70s.
IN 1968 working as a VW tech in Van Nuys CA I got to work on a real Kubelwagon. An engineer from Union Oil found it in the Libyan desert doing oil exploration. He paid 'baksheesh' to a local official and shipped it here on one of their supply ships. 1st gear was so low I had to shift to 2nd to get to my stall. He got it running, repainted it and had a friend paint the Africa Corp insignia on the doors. He then started renting it out to the studios for movies.
Hahaha! Best opening yet! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thought exactly the same. 😂
The start did make me chuckle
When I saw him pushing that Kubelwagen. I jokingly said oh look at that. Wh!te P0w3r. (As in him pushing a white German car.) . Gotta have a sense of humor.
2nd best part @1:17:06 those glasses are awesome 😂
And those shades, Perfect. 😂
Mustie is the best. I like how he explains how things work.
Me too !!!
Mustie and a VW engine, a match made in garage heaven.
I always loved driving my 61 VW in the rain. While going 60 MPH and watching my speedo go back to 0, I knew I had started hydroplaning and should slow down a bit. When the speedo jump back up to 50ish I knew I was all 4 wheels back on the pavement.
the intro was off the charts 😂 very original, lovely little (thing) no pun intended, Sundays will never be completed now without Mustie's video cause we've all gotten spoiled 😅.
I’m currently rebuilding my wife’s 74 Thing. The body is in amazing shape for a 50 yo car. Spun a bearing so ended up just getting a new Empi longblock from Jbugs. The electrical was a nightmare. Splices spliced into splices 😲. Someone used trailer wire and lamp cord on some of these “fixes”. I tore every piece of wire out and got a new complete harness from the The Thing Shop in AZ. Now to bring it all together.
But what a fun car to drive! Everywhere we go it’s a conversation starter. People at traffic light taking pics. 😂. It’s hilarious!
Keep up the great videos Darren! I absolutely love your content!
My father worked at a Volkswagen dealer for 15 years. They gave him a Thing to use as a service/parts car. He drove it home everyday. I loved that Thing. Sure brings back some good memories of us going surf fishing in it with the roof down and the doors removed. Thank you.
Surf fishing??
My Dad,worked 4 a vw dealer. And they let him take home a 1969 Camaro pace car, that was taken in on trade. Pearl White orange Stripes Convertible
Any time I see an older VW get some love it makes my day.
Treat it well.
I've owned two. 73 and 74; fun but deadly. Both mine were orange. 74 had better heater, though the 73 had a gasoline heater. Put 4 eye bolts in the garage with compression straps. Pulled the top off easily. The Thing Shop has everything you need to keep them on the road. Found a hard top a guy had found in a junkyard; it was perfect. Good memories. Sold the 73 in Vermont to a collector in Boston. Both were very solid southern cars.
Deadly?
@@robertheinkel6225 No roll bar, no crash protection at all. With 4,000 SUVs traveling, and playing with their phones...
@@robertheinkel6225😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😅😊😊
@@robertheinkel6225😊😊😊
@@bmwloco not deadly, just a convertible. any classic convertible or Jeep is the same way. those windshield werent rated to hold up the weight of their cars.
These are great, just never run into anything . When I was a teenager, I saw one of these run into the back of a Cadillac. Both cars were moving, the Caddy about 25 and the Thing about 45. The front baggage compartment of the VW was collapsed to the windshield. The Caddy wasn't marked.
I had a 1973 Thing when I was in College. Took out the stock 1600 and put in an 1835, and later a 2180 engine. The 2180 was insane- It would pull wheelies about 6"-10" off the line when I raced it. Unfortunately, 2180's tend to self-destruct unless you are beating on them, so I ended up with the 1835 engine again. truly, that was more than enough power to do anything I needed. I wish I'd have kept it, as it would go anywhere, and it cornered like it as on rails. Keep this little gem- it will prove itself to be one of the funnest cars you have ever owned. I'd kill to have mine again!
I'm loving the awesome sun glasses Mustie1, got some style going on 👍👍👍👍
I giggled most of the way through this episode, but the Test Drive, those Period Correct Sun Glasses really Tickled me 😂
I thought it was Sir Elton John driving it... lol.. I got a good laugh in, too.. Ol' Mustie.. as playful as ever..
Please do a full tear down restoration, please. This car definitely deserves the works.
@@steve2736 yhea. The body work looks to be in a good condition and the damage/rust/wear and tear to the structure underneath etc looks fairly surface and easy to get back to near mint condition. Those cars are worth a decent amount and obviously depending on what he paid for it, so it really wouldn't take much money wise to make it a really good example so I'd say it's definitely worth the time and cost, especially as he would get a interesting, fun, educational series of videos for his channel out of it.
To me anyone with a channel like this one should definitely do series of videos on car/vehicle restoration as it can be made to pay on several levels, sponsors can be interested in supporting such things to get their products advertised with air time associated with good restorations etc, views, subscribers, as its definitely a topic people want to see, especially a small series of videos that focus on different areas and how to go about doing it right, then there's having the car at the end, either to sell or keep as a decent example of various classic cars, vans, etc you've worked on and fixed up and know you've done a good job on.
Awesome buy. My favorite vw fix so far. Never cared much for bugs. Or vans. This is COOL. 100% SOFT TOP. Ditch the hard top. The whole thing is meant for top down driving. Live free or die.
I consider this worth restoring rather than a rustoration. Really unique, rare, and desirable to the right buyer.
I agree. We've seen musties restoration work, he can make some beautiful cars. This ol girl still has a TON of life.
It is only original once.
Looks repairable, great weekends project.
you know you are living right when you find the deals the rest of us dream about!
All those who turned their nose up to it are most likely kicking themselves now after this video
Great job, I use to love those back in the day. ❤️🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️
Of all the VW-related videos of yours that I've watched, this one was probably the cleanest, most problem-free one I can recall. Or at least the issues were relatively minor.
And it’s a “Thing”. Come on! It doesn’t get any better.
had a cousin had a genius mind like yours. He would use a plastic bag and tape it around the distributor and drive that thing to the carwash open the hood and go to town. Never got wet. Always kept running. Have a great day!
Now I finally understand what those so called "Starter and generator shims" are for that have been laying in my father's workshop for ages!
🤣🤣 ''i got a new car! let's go fix it!'' while pushing the thing. briliant intro!!
Great video as always! I have been helping a friend with her 1974 VW thing, she took ownership after her partner passed away suddenly. He drove a Thing from Maryland to California (and back?) when he was in his late teens, so this was his mid life crisis car. I can’t imagine driving that car to California at 50-55mph…
Out here in the California Desert there are rust free Things and Ghia's (mostly Orange for some reason?) everywhere Chooching away in the dust!
Thanks for these always enjoyable Sunday morning videos Mustie! Always glad to see another VW on the channel!
The red Karmann-Ghia job you did a few years back is what introduced me to your channel. This THING was like heaven to me! More VWs!!!!
I always thought they looked like an armored car when i was a kid. Reall cool car Mustie!
As it appears, it’s spent most of its life, in a coastal environment, salt air, I think it’s body work is in pretty good order. Back in the late seventies I built a Porsche powered beach buggy, wow what a beast that was.
Mustie is the perfect home for this. I would imagine the museum could have made more scrapping it than selling to him, but most curators are interested in preservation. They value and cherish preservation. Just seeing what he did with Krustie is evidence of his abilities.
It's worth over 10 grand before he worked on it. This would have never been scrapped
They quit selling these in the states because they are rolling death traps...they couldn't meet 1975 crash safety standards. I watched a Beetle rear end a thing at 20 mph. It ripped the drivetrain out of it and put it in the passenger seat.
@@netrioter Emissions wiped out all air cooled VW cars for US in the late 70's
I think this is my favorite video of yours. The Thing is a keeper.
That opening shot was comedy gold! 😂
I would have loved to had a son. I have a grandson but his mom doesn't let him come around hardly anymore. Enjoy the videos. Keep up the good work. I have learned a lot from you. Thank you bro.
My first rememberance of a Thing was back in 1974. I was driving to California and playing the rabbit and hare scenario for most of one day. I would fly past it going up every hill and then it would fly past me going down the other side. It was pretty funny and we would just wave each time.
Dream car for me….Thank you once again for brightening my day….Lizard King 🦎 👑 🎣
A few days ago I saw one of these in great shape at a car show. Never heard of it before that and now you're working on one. Awesome
Wild how bare these seem when you see them in person
@@Onewheelordeal An updated version of the German WWII Kübelwagen - Volkswagen Type 82
they're fairly rare, along with the notchback
I like the watching vw videos because I have always wanted a bug as far as I can remember. I’m 55 now and Retired Military 70% Disabled Veteran and have giving up on owning a vw and now I enjoy the just watching videos of folks working to get them back on road or restore the bug. Thanks
The Thing was a popular tourist rental in Hawaii back in the day.
👌I've wanted one ever since I was a kid. Congrats finding this one.
Only someone who lives up north would say that rust wasn’t too bad! 😂
Just realizing Mustie has heard 1,000 VW engines running or trying to run. His ears are engine experienced! I’m sure he knows what’s going on in the engine, just by the sound. Very valuable 😁
You are the master when it comes to hunting down antique VWs! You always find the best stuff!
Mustie, It looks good! She shines up well.
Don't get me wrong I love everything that Mustie uploads but I get super excited any time he posts anything VW related
Don't get you wrong with what?¿
So happy to see you working VW's again. I first "met" you working VW's!!!
VW 181 'Kurierwagen' (formerly known als Kübelwagen) I had the pleasure to drive this car many times while being a conscript in Germany's armed forces (1984 - 1985). It was the military successor car of the DKW 'Munga' and did it's job in field maneuvers better than expected.
DKW Munga was so good that vw +- copied it in the end of the 70s to make the type 183 iltis and was used for another couple of decades
Dear norbertgabler.
No, Sir, it did not! Simply because of the fact that it was not a 4wheeldrive car. The only thing it could do better than the DKW two stroke with the Thermosyphon radiator was the speed. It was/is a little bit faster. I know this exactly because my father was a Schirrmeister (Hauptfeldwebel) for 4 Kompanien in Germany/Rheinland Pfalz.
Best regards, luck and health in particular.
@billtaggart3889
It didn't do that too (and that's a proven fact). Nevertheless a lot of hunters liked the VW 181. But not because of it's driving abilities but for the relatively big flat front hood. Perfect for transporting dead venison out of the woods. And I'm definitely not joking.
Wow. memories, memories. I was in the German Army from 80 to 82 and drove the 181 nearly 1,5 years as postal courier. I had the only one in the base with the chromed RV mirrors. They always wanted to replace them with olive colored, but I fought for the chromed ones and won til I left. The heating system in the military ones was total different. It had a gas powered air heater in the frunk. And you could choose: To freeze or got grilled feet. Funny times somehow. But this thing never let me down during the whole time
Dear @@espenbjerke1905
👍👌👏 Exactly!
Best regards, luck and health in particular.
There once was a Thing from Nantucket.....
Great Job man !! Keeping another VW alive ! ✌
you had me at I bought a new car while pushing it 😁
Mustie1 the underside of that VW Thing needs a lot of love and you're the man that can give it!
I’d like to see a full restoration on this one!
Agreed, this one is worthy of a proper restoration
This is my absolute, number one on my list Dream Car! Thank you for finally bringing one in to wrench on!
I think that we've all noticed that Darren is at his happiest when he's "wrenchin" with anything VW related. Compared with other less than road worthy projects I think he's got a winner here.😏👍🇬🇧
I was shouting at my screen when you went for the trans drain plug. You have to make sure the fill plug opens, before you crack the drain.
I used to work on a couple of 1302/3S beetles and a 411E estate and I got caught out that way. The 411 had an automatic box and a final drive with separate lube systems. The fill seized on the final drive and nothing we could do would get it out. We ended up refilling it through the vent, because even though the customer was willing to pay for a scrapyard drive case, we couldn’t find one. The automatic was unique and there wasn’t one being broken anywhere. Manual ones were everywhere, at the time. I think that was 1983, or thereabouts.
Those Bosch dizzy caps are very prone to tracking.
Very fine conductive paths that form on the surface of the plastic, when you run the engine with water in the distributor. You might be able to see them, with good lighting and a magnifying glass, as a dark hairs breadth line, or you might simply have a mystery misfire that nothing else can cure, apart from a new cap.
I’d never try to start a car with one of those, if I thought the dizzy might be damp.
Your gearbox/final drive looks slightly different from the ones I used to work on, as does the engine sump, but I may be misremembering. It’s been over 30 years! How did that happen?
My dad owned one back in the 70’s. We drove it to Alaska and back. It collected giant rock chips in the front window and the heat was marginal, but pretty cool car.
Wow! Your heat was marginal!
You lucky pup!
No VW model had good heat. Especially in New England. There were accessories & even candles to address defrosting!
@@mariosaccoccio1688 my dad loved VW’s. We lived in Alaska from 78- and on, until he passed in 2008. But, we had gas fired heaters roaring into the cab on the passenger side of several of our bugs. And an ice scraper for the inside of the windows. Yeah, I’d say heat was marginal. Pretty much hated going anywhere in the winters in those…
Darren for my two bits worth that style of VW will never ever be junk no matter what the state its in. This is definately a jewel, whatever it cost you Darren you scored big again it's positively beautiful. I bet the parents like it to, a great buy Darren a great buy.
Well, that is a pretty good find and I think that just with a little bit more love it’ll be to your standards. I look forward to watching the videos on the last few repairs and getting your tires in place and see you out enjoying it sometime.
Great project.👍🏻👌🏻
Even with the few issues it has, that looks like a VERY solid Thing. Glad to see the VW fleet is growing!
Honestly, I would fix the engine seal 100%. Yes, it's a bit of a pain in the a** To remove, but it's worth it.. And?
Considering you don't know when the valves were last adjusted and whether it needs a valve job. It's good overall maintenance to just do the rear end. And get it done, however, on the paint I would recommend. Getting rid of the bubbles sanding it and repainting it with some rust oleum white to stop the rust spots 100% And I would recommend Recoating the floor With some truck bed liner. The reason why is amazing first? It gives you a waterproof bed inside the cab of the thing. The second thing is, it will take a s*** ton of abuse. And the nice thing is with the carpet.S it will look amazing.
That's literally the first hard top I've ever seen for a Thing,other than the one in the commericals or advertisements in the early 70s when I was kid.
Your love affair with all things VW is a bond that will never fade, man theyre awesome videos mate, seriously. what makes this even more awesome is i was born in 73 lol, i'll be 50 this year. i bet those spare pieces of carpet go under the bonnet (hood)
This brings back some memories as I had a 1974 model with soft top!
Fantastic vehicle, fun to drive but the heat was non-existent, sounded like a sardine can and was a rust bucket.
But, it was also unique and would go places off-road almost as good as a Jeep.
I wish I still had it!
Thanks for the shop time Mustie1! Cool VW!
Loved this video! Please do a follow up with the little fixes!
Brian, Thank you for your service!
The Germans had two versions of it during War Two. The best was the "Volkswagen Schwimmwagen" which floated and had a rear deployable propeller.
Actually they had more than two versions, there were many variations.
LOVE that opening, Mustie! 😆
I remember the first time me and my dad saw one of these probably late 70s, he was like what the heck is that thing? 🤣👍
The proper answer to that particular question is "Yes".
Listen! The intro to this video might be the greatest thing I ever saw on RUclips. You deserve an Oscar!
This is a nice find. The Thing is the only VW I really ever had an interest in, because to me it was simple, honest, basic and utilitarian. This 50 year-old car is in good general condition, especially for a US northeast car. Lucky for this car it's in the hands of the right guy to make it run properly again.
did you see the rust.. all over the most important part the unseen bottom..
I was stationed in Spain and the only one I have seen a car like that until now was down in Malaga, a small resort town on the Mediterranean. I was trying to remember the time but it escapes me. Must have been close to 1969. I think it was a light blue color. The top was off and I remember it didn’t have any carpets either. It was a pleasure seeing the car again. Hope you keep it for parades and things. It may be the only chance people ever get to see that brand of a VW. Thank you.
I grew up in Vermont. I remember these things being completely rusted out and junked by 1977.
Thats just kinda old vw's in general I've seen. They don't survive well at all. But they really weren't meant to - just a simple, cheap car to own. I doubt vw would have thought they'd still be collectable 50+ years later.
@@octane613 No, they should all be piles of iron oxide in a dust pan by now which is what makes this one that Mustie got ahold of so valuable. If it's put back into use and stored out of doors, I fear it will be fully decomposed by 2026.
THE BEST opening of any vid you've done...bravo!
I saw a VW documentary a while ago and the Germans during WWII put machine gun mounts on these for internal defense. Interesting history of this Thing.
No..that was a different vehicle. The Thing was never in a war. It served in the West German military. From 69-83
Brings back memories, my first car was a 74 VW Thing. Loved that car.
The Thing was based on the WWII German light military vehicle known as the Kubelwagen. The Kubelwagen came in 3 forms, a 2wd version, a 4wd version and an amphibious vehicle known as a schiwmwagen. The Kubelwagen and all it's varients are based on the Type 1. This should be a piece of cake for Mustie1
Didn't Mustie1 also work on an Amphicar?
@@TF856 I don't recall that. I remember a King Miget though.
@scottofford3061 Wow, a real kubelwagen would be a cool own. Only a schwimmwagen would be better. I did get to see a schwimmwagen at the Museum of Science in Boston once.
Years ago a friend had one it was S-L-O-W
@@durango8882 They weren't practical at all, but they did advertise that with the right tires they'd float.
Nice v.w.muasket can't wait to see praet two on it may God bless you and your family
that first 15 seconds made me laugh and deserved a thumbs up !
Wow that's a classic and unique looking car very nice never seen one like that before.
I believe what you’re calling “black mold” is actually mildew which is easily removed and tolerated by most people.
Looks much no better with it cleaned up.👍😎
Always good to see Brian. Now, I feel good about myself again.
You can’t drive with the windshield down. It’s ruining Brian’s hair!
😂
Makes me very happy to see another VW back on the road and especially one redone by Mustie. Thanks
I love all of your videos. I have noticed the vw content has been a bit skimpy for a while now. I understand it can get old and you have to do what interests you to keep motivated but this was a great vw video and a welcome old format watching you tinker on it.
I have been watching your channel for over 4 years. I am quite young and have bought a 1970 beetle about 4 months ago. Let me tell you, your channel has motivated me to work on small engines, and 4 years later you are now motivating me to fix my beetle so it can be my first car. Thank You VERY much for all the advice you have given me through your videos over the last four years!
Going to say: I'd drive the hell outta it around town. It'd be a great grocery getter, errand runner. No muss no fuss hop in and go vehicle. Perfect for groceries or a trip to the beach. Toss all your gear in the back and let er rip.
Thanks for making people better mechanics 🙂
I had a 1973 thing with a hardtop , it was my daily driver winter and summer. One of my favorite cars ever. At 110000 miles I had to replace side panels due to Vermont road salt, at 140000 miles the rust finally got to it again .The original engine was never out of this car!! 👍👍🎩
Can't believe you daily drove that for 140k
@@giggiddy 14 years, maybe?
Awesome as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along
I love these, always felt like I was one inattentive driver away from death. I had a yellow 74 in the mid 90's and drove it everywhere. My buddy had an Acapulco edition, and I envied that Thing so much. I've had a lot of vw's, but the Thing is probably the one I miss most.
I am jealous ! What a great find , ENJOY 👍🏻
Less than a minute in and already I'm a happier guy this morning! 😂
Back when I had a VW beetle, I used to replace the rubber fuel line annually and I never had a situation where there was a fire risk. The biggest drawback was the generator, it NEVER charged well. Later VW made a change and an alternator was fitted to the beetle engine, a huge improvement.
Mustie one saw that VW and could not resist, and the VW could not resist the master.
Oh the memories! Were two of these in my family, both bought in '74. The green was wrecked in the early '80s, the yellow one still sits in my Brother's garage. He brings it out in the summer and cruises folks around with the top down. Lots of fun. That one is in wonderful condition.
Great intro! Very nice find and useful process that you took us through.
Instead of that big hex key you can use an 11mm AF bolt with 2 nuts locked together then a normal socket.
Mr Mustie1 you sure live in a beautiful area! I really enjoy watching you go on the test rides, so many beautiful lawns & buildings!
I also want to see you use the "buffler" LOL it's probably a thing to get rust off of mufflers!!! LOL