The Volkswagen Thing Is Slow, Old, Unsafe... and Amazing
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- Опубликовано: 12 окт 2016
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It looks like the Jeep from hill climb racing
Yeah it does now I cannot unsee it
A true man of culture
👁👁🤣😭
Exactly
I mean, your not wrong
Wood floorboards are a military feature. It was original to the predecessor, the Kubelwagen. It let hot shell casings fall below a passenger's feet.
All someone with a VW "Thing" would need is somebody riding shotgun with an MP-40
Duck boards
Also you can use them to get unstuck in mud
That is death on tyres.
is it a chopped palette?
Wood and orange.
My god, it's the Home Depot of cars.
With its own nuts and bolts hardware section once they rattle loose.
This was also offered in blue...
Lowes of cars?
pretty sure an actual Home Depot could beat it in a drag race though.
lol
@@BrowncoatFairy not if I attach an electric drill to the rear axle! That would triple the power!
Here in Germany we say "Kübelwagen" or in dialect where I live "Kiablwagen"
Word by word translated to English it means "bucket car"
that english name just got the dealers a sale
@@crunchybro123 For sure 😅
Huh i thought the name Kübelwagen refers specifically to that specific model of military vehicles used by the Wehrmacht during wwii
@@hschan5976 The name Kübelwagen was for the car in general
And it was only sold to the Wehrmacht (at least officially)
@@priesermax Might want to get your "facts" straight.
In Latin America, it was sold under the name Safari. My father gave me one and it was very fun and reliable. No a/c, no radio but who cares when you are 14 years old and have a car? I drove everywhere with it and my friends loved it!
Awesome
That is Kool!
Pretty cool
Cool, from where are you?
Do you still have it?
Is this the Tesla cybertruck everyone is talking about
Yes
Straight out of blade runner
Yes
Well in my opinion the Tesla Cybertruck is cool because of it's retro futurism, and it's performance. Meanwhile that Volkswagen is just...some.....THING.
*knee slap* BAH!!-
I owned a Thing as my first car. It has more power than you are commenting on, i drove my Thing across country, 2500 miles, on freeways and off road. It did make it up to speed easily and i even got a speeding ticket for speeding on the freeway. The wood floor was put in probably by an old owner. You also did not mention that the doors come off. I put a roll bar, bought at the VW dealer, then moved one of the back seat belts and made it into a shoulder seat belt, before they were standard equipment in cars. It’s high off the ground for off roading. It was a Super Beatle chassis with a WWIi inspired body. If you watch the old sit-com Hogan’s Heroes, you can see a WWII staff car, in green once in awhile. The Thing came in 3 colors, white, orange and yellow. The windshield wiper motor on the one you shone must have been a replacement as mine was much smaller, it did not touch the hood. The heater was gas, as in gasoline, so if you were low on gas you went cold. It had two settings, lava and freezing. I lined my car with carpet to match the color, orange, which deadened the sound a bit. Also, the back seats folded down giving you quite a bit of storage, for traveling across country. Remember, this car was built in the 70’s, before there were safety features on any cars, pre-standard AC, pre-child seats. AKA the good old days, so lighten up on the comments. You could say the same things about a Corvette, Triumph, MG, or even a VW bug from that era, which were all very popular cars, way back when.
Model Ts weren't safe either. Cars have evolved.
hey , people still ride motorcycles...i'd rather have this myself!
The wood floor is standard. Have it in mine.
the wood floor is from the original version, the kübelwagen, which was in german military. Wood was to let bullet shells to fall under the driver’s (or passenger’s) feet.
@@crunchybro123 still served that same purpose in the US 😂
Imagine seeing a dude driving past you in an orange box yelling into his dashboard
yes
We call that "Florida"
Lol
"...the rollcage is my skull." Pissing myself laughing.
Where does our Doug say this. I've watch the full video didn't hear it
@@leebailey6181 I promise you it's at 8:10.
@@DodgeDartSongs 😂🤣😂🤣
Hill climb racing
420 likes
hehehe
421 likes
With the windshield down, some minimal eye-protection is advisable.
A mosquito in the eye at 40MPH would hurt like hell.
dicoll I ride without a helmet and I vouch for this
A fly hit me in the eye on a rollercoaster one time. Can confirm, it hurt.
of course that means you have to be able to drive 40MPH in the first place
tijmen131 it gets there eventually. 0-40 in 9.5 minutes 😂😂😂
This can do 40mph??
9:42 you scratched the paintwork
omg he did chip it off
Oh lord, the owner is probably not happy after this... Even if it is a rental.
That gave me anxiety
@Andy Raposo Rubio I don't mind my car being scratched, I just drive a 2005 New Beetle. It's the fact that he scratched a classic car that bothered me. Lol
@Andy Raposo Rubio oh haha that makes sense now
Drove one while in the army!
Doug forgotten one amazing feature.
The windshield washer is “powered” by the pressure in the spare tire.
Spare tire pressure provided window washing power for my '70 bug while in grad school. IIRC the washer water tank had two projections which fit snugly in the spare wheel's lug nut openings......................(sigh)
Some old Porches also used the spare tire for washer fluid dispensing (ex: 914)
My first car had a little rubber foot pump.
Are u kidding?!! Omg. Ha
this car is as simple as it gets. no computers, no electronics, no complex technology. I bet it will still be running fine in 30 years with basic maintenance
And worth a couple of milions
Psssst, my '74 had a simple computer diagnostic port in the engine compartment. :) Specific details on them are available on thesamba. com. But I agree with the spirit of your post, for I could rip that port out and the engine would run just fine.
I honestly don't get this borderline Amish aversion to technology some people have.
@@TerryTerius It's an engineering trade-off. This simpler tech is nowhere near as efficient or as powerful as an engine designed 70 years later. The trade is for simplicity of servicing, fewer "black-box" parts to cease functioning without a visible fault, and the ability to work with much greater tolerances of wear, etc. There's usually a nostalgia component as well. For practical purposes though, every weekday I commute 86 miles with a computer-controlled V8 with about 500hp. I never worry about it. If I were driving my 2-cylinder boxer with 29hp, I'd be listening and worrying slightly the whole way. So that's for weekends.
Terry Price Example: 1953 Farmall tractor - if anything goes wrong it could be repaired by the farmer onsite within several hours. 2019 John Deere tractor - requires a US Supreme Court ruling for the farmer to be able to plug in a diagnostics reader to the system.
Had one. Lots of fun. Real pop can of a car, light as a feather. You could drive real deep into rugged terrain. If you get stuck everyone piles out and lifts the car over the log or whatever. (Not joking!)
Here in Italy the Thing was called the "Pescaccia", because it was marketed as ideal for hobbies like fishing ("pesca") and hunting ("caccia")
No Doug Score because it might take the Mclaren's F1 spot on the list.
That is a '73. As a Thing owner, I can confirm that it is the most fun car to drive of all time.
Right, I have a 73. Mirrors were mounted on the door as compared to the 74, they were mounted on the body.
Kirt McKenna no lamborghini is idiot
...until someone hits you doing 10 mph.
captain blueballz you probably know nothing about cars . “Lamborghini is” thats what a girl would say
...And the Beetle comes in second! But they both feel like you're driving a steel bucket if the top's down lol
The main reason for the fold-down windscreen is a relic from the Things' military heritage. Just like the American Jeep, a windscreen that folds-down won't reflect sunlight and give away the position to the enemy.
It also allows for going under branches on forest trails.
You forgot the most important part, being able to shoot a rifle forward while sitting in the passenger side.
That has never occurred to me. Thanks.
I always wondered why they has such a feature!
Also, such war vehicles were made stackable for ease of shipping/transport.
I have owned a lot of vehicles, but the Thing was my absolute favorite car!
When I was a kid, Wonder Woman drove a yellow one of these on television. I thought that was odd, because in the previous season she was fighting the Nazis in WWII. It's a great general purpose military vehicle, though. It never freezes or boils over, it can go over rough terrain, and it can't go any faster than the marching troops.
9:42 Doug casually chips the paint
Nope the mark was there before he picked up the glass nice try tho you fuckin piece of shit
Jonathan Arent first of all calm down, second of all the first Mark is there but he makes a second one
Jonathan Arent 9:41 you can clearly see there’s no mark right under the rubber. 9:45 blatantly a new mark under the rubber.
Why are you guys so quick to try and shit on Doug? I don't get it
Jonathan Arent nobody is shitting on him, it’s just funny to see, if we’re watching his video we’re his fans
I've ridden in a Thing before. When i was about 13 my neighbors had one. They also raised fighting chickens.
Couple o badasses glad you survived to tell the story, make cocks fight and drive a tin can
A buddy had one too, we all used to pile into it on saturday nights...it was a riot.....
Only Queers drive one of these.
Tyson Tollstrup and what's wrong with that? this IS 2016......btw, if I'd rather someone think I'm queer if I was driving one than they think I'm an asshole because of what I post on youtube....
Tyson Tollstrup what color is yours?
You may mock the "Thing" as a wartime vehicle, but it's the direct descendent of the Volkswagen Kübelwagen in WW II. That too had a rear-engined flat 4, initially with a 985cc 23.5 hp engine and later a 1,131cc 25hp version. Those weighed just 750 kg as against the 910 kg of the Thing.
These were never meant to provide anything in the way of protection, but as a way of moving small units of soldiers and supplies over very rough ground which they did surprisingly well considering that they were only rear wheel drive (and in German tests beat many 4WD vehicles because the flat under-body allowed them to slide across muddy terrain). They were also very simple to fix in the field. They were also cheap to build using a lot less material and fuel than a Wileys Jeep. Given the shortages that the Germans suffered it was rather important.
The Type 181, as the army vehicles was called, was based on the floorpan of the VW Karman Ghia and is, of course, essentially just a variation on a VW Beetle's running gear. It was only ever meant to be an interim whilst a European consortium developed a "Euro Jeep" which, in the event, never appeared.
If you want to try a British version of this which is probably even more ridiculous, then try and find a Mini-Moke. That was based on Mini mechanicals with the intention of selling it for military use and eventually became another recreational vehicle. It's quite a lot lighter than the Thing and I imagine the 1,275 version is a bit nippier too. A US electric version was built in 2016 and a couple were even adapted to run on railways in Australia.
Lower geared for off road conditions, just remember this was designed to be in a similar class as the Original Jeep, how fast were they, 50 to 60 miles an hour. I know that a thing will do 70 Volkswagens will scream their guts out all day as well. Not as fast as a Beetle as they had different rear end ratios, but could climb a hill a hell of a lot better.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN PUT IN PREMIUM FUEL
91 RON AND 91 AKI are not the same. 91 RON is roughly 87 AKI which is regular for the US.
5556
@@williamnorman2591 556 is the caliber used by the M16
My grandmother’s neighbor had one when we were kids. She lived in northern Michigan. My cousins and I would pile in and drive around her farm looking for deer in her fields at night with a big flood light. It was awesome. Great memories! Thanks for helping me remember that!
I have one, its a 74 and I am considering "electrifying" it! Its the best "thing" I have! Love it...
I guess it wasn't bad enough for your tastes
One of my classmates at the engineering faculty electrified his. It came out pretty good, but I don't remember the specs. He used regular car batteries as a power source, but I guess deep cycle batteries would give better mileage.
I love how normal people rent a car to get around Doug probably goes in and says “uh yes I will be getting it on the road and giving it a Doug score”
He didn't give the score :(
The Thing is (see what i did there?) that you think that this is a car, but it's not. This is the military's answer to the question: "What's the cheapest thing we can make that's better than walking?" Technically it's a motorized backpack with wheels, that also happens to have some seats in it.
Exactly thats why its called the thing because they werent sure of what they had built.
DEBU SINHA that’s not true. „The Thing“ was a marketing name only for the US, like mentioned in this video. Its real name was VW 181, and we germans gave him the same name like its predecessor: „Kübelwagen“, which translates „Bucket Vehicle“.
kampfmeersau Both names would sound better than “Thing”.
But is a barebones Ford F150 or Jeep Grand Cherokee more expensive?
hahahahahahahaha
It’s modeled after the Kübelwagen. A German field car used by SS and Wehrmacht officers.
*"Kübelwagen" or "Kuebelwagen" the "ü" is important
It was also used by enlisted personnel in the Wehrmacht. It was the Nazi equivalent of the Jeep. Officers usually used Mercedes, just as American officers used Packards.
I knew it! The moment I saw it I imagined the Kubelwagen.
@@MrErdner : You had to be at least an Oberst (Colonel) to warrant a Mercedes staff car.
@@timonsolus wish you would have compared it to a Willy's on M151 the early CJ's instead of a 1980 or whatever series that's apples and oranges it was also designed on Military specs not for civilians just like to see Jake
That looks like a '73. The '74 had the boxy air intake in the rear.
You beat me to it! Not a 74.
Yesssssss! Heck that one might be mine I had in the mid 80s. I can attest to the fact that it was not exactly a chick magnet. 73 fo sho.
@@ScottyKirk1 not a chick magnet? Only as far as conventional chicks are concerned! You should see a film of Bridget Fonda, starring as a REAL COOL chick, who crossed America with her inspiration, a pensioner lady, who was a feminist role model!
Eh same thing
@@nygelmiller5293 Camilla. Got it... Reason for the chick magnet comment is I went to a high school with a bunch of rich kids driving BMW's and Mercedes. I did fine with the chicks in college tho. 👍👍😉
I bought a new 1973 thing. It had a dealer installed am/fm radio. For safety I added a padded roll cage. It was nice that the doors were light because you could lift them off and store them in the trunk.
Breaking news: all cars tend to have motor on one wiper and then the bar attached to other one...
he's the mechanical idiot who never realized that.
has he never seen a baja bug? this is a '70s factory built light off road use VW.
LOL! Poor Doug, just got owned.
Suzuki Sidekicks and Geo Trackers had the hood release on the passenger side in the glove box as well.
I think it's more the fact that all the mechanics are visible from the outside, which is a bit unusual.
Tim Ewa
...and it was intentionally made light so that the ground pressure is kept as small as possible. This thing is capable to cross over the soft muddy terrains where heavier vehicles would just sink. I like Doug's videos but apparently in this case he didn't do his homework.
Having owned two THINGS, you are nuts. I would drive from my home to Santa Barbara, CA to work, almost 60 miles one way.
Freeway speeds of 65 to 70. Not a day went by that I did not get a thumbs up or some one taking my picture. It was the most fun I have ever had. By the way I'm 71 years old.
Brent Gilmore why dose he hate on it for not having fancy stuff on it lol like it was made for war
Brent Gilmore i
Completely agree, Brent! I bought a 1973 Thing in 1979 while in college in LA...Yellow with a black interior. I had some minor dents. I filled them with Bondo, sanded, then took it to Earl Scheib on Olympic Blvd and had it repainted for $99. Pretty good job too!
I loved my Thing...it was the perfect California car. I treasured my Saturday rides from LA to Solvang to Santa Barbara. I loved cruising up the Ventura Highway going 65, 55, or whatever. The car was an absolute ball.
To make extra money for school, I would visit my parents in Boston, buy 3 VWs... Karmann Ghia convertibles, Beetle convertibles, and Things. I would drive one across country and have the other two shipped. One of my fondest memories was driving a Thing cross country in June.
One day I was driving my yellow Thing down Canon Drive in Beverly Hills when a woman in a 450SL waives me over. She said she loved the car and wanted to buy it. I said, "$5,000." She countered at $4,500 and the deal was struck. This was in 1982, when Jeeps were really becoming cool.
I live in Manhattan now where parking is expensive. My stable is down to one SAAB 9-5...quirky but a great car. If I ever moved outside the city, I would buy a Thing or a 1979 Beetle Convertible in a split-second.
Brent Gilmore I'm 19 and am a full blown Volkswagen enthusiast to the bone. The Thing is one of my dream cars next to a Microbus and a Vanagon Westfalia
Baphomet ppo
I’m at 1:15 and already considering taking 1 shot every time this guy says “thing”
Hi,
My wife and I visited a VW dealer in La Vegas…..The sales agent offered us a test ride…….the lot was next to an empty desert lot…..He took us through a good part of the lot……That was part of the demo to show us that it was indestructible. We didn’t buy it. Later, after buying our first our first home, we found ourselves needing to remove a bunch of rocks we dug up while preparing the lot for sod installation…..how to get rid of these rocks? I’ll tell you how…You load a wheelbarrow, place it at the rear of a VW bug, stand on the rear bumper, supporting the wheelbarrow handles, the have your wife drive the VW away from the development to a desert road. Once you reach a good desert spot empty the wheelbarrow……the return home for additional loads. We did this late at night so as to not be seen. We succeeded in removing all the rocks and planting a nice lawn
This is what Patty and Selma drive in the Simpsons 😂
Thank you!
And the Coroner in Hawaii Five-O drove
clicked on the video only to see if this comment is in it's place
ya
Woah
Really?
“The roll cage is my skull” ~ Doug Demuro
His legs are the "crush zone"
Sir Brellin “And then you would destroy it, using a rock”-Doug Demuro
The most heavy metal car thing you can say
Given his abysmally embarrassing performance here his skull isn't good for much else anyways...
@@-----REDACTED----- - I don't think he's trying real hard for the 6-member Deutscher Fan Klub for these cars.
2:10 Doug that's how most wipers work, its just not so obvious because the motor and the (slightly more complicated) linkage are hidden from view.
Along with the Kombi, I saw these often when I was traveling around Bandung back in the 00s. I think there's a tight enthusiast community for these old VWs.
I want this
..thing
15,000 bucks on Auto trader
RandyAndyShow no you don't trust me
I also want it to
4000-6000 here in mexico
Right, If I am not mistaking, this is actually a Kubelwagen sort of demilitarized. Which was designed for war, and it actually outperformed the Jeep in most aspects. No need to go into all details, you can check them on the internet. Of course it is hilarious as a civilian car in 2016, but it kicked ass at what it was actually designed to do. Aircooled simple engine, torsion bars for suspesnion, flat under body to go over mud and snow - just some of the features.
Well, it is not a Kübelwagen, but it is quite similar. The Kübelwagen was made during WWII, the "Thing", was designed after WWII, and named Kurierwagen, because they wanted to avoid the Nazi term Kübelwagen but still wanted to sound similar. But yes, it did a quite good job back then and was never ment as a civilian car.
so doug gets it wrong again . ya roots go to kubelwagen ww-2 german scout car . just like the bettle goes back to 1930's also .. call it what ever you want down the road ..but it is a kubelwagen , a bettle is a '' peoples car '' ..
bugmandmj
Well, this was not a civilian version version of the Kübelwagen, but this was a military vehicle after the second world war, and the Bundeswehr which ordered this vehicle doesn´t want to have anything to do with the Wehrmacht from the second world war, so it was important that this is a Kurierwagen and not a Kübelwagen. And later, after this was used as a military vehicle they transformed this Kurierwagen into a civilian version.
Please search for Kurierwagen if you don´t know about it, only because you never heard of the "kurierwagen" does not mean that this did not happen.
bugmandmj
Yes, because most people don´t know about the difference between the Kübelwagen and the Kurierwagen, they don´t even know that there is such a thing as the Kurierwagen, so they just say that it is a Kübelwagen.
Because the Kübelwagen is very well known because of the second world war... while the Kurierwagen... Patty and Selma used one in the Simpsons, it is famous for nothing... so people call it Kübelwagen, even if it is the wrong term, but just because they don´t know better and it does not make it right.
Roy Rodriguez yeah he's a fucking clown
As a teenager in San Antonio in the 70s, my dad worked in his dad’s auto shop, and a few Things made their way into the auto bay. My dad fell IN LOVE with the Thing as a teenager, I can remember him looking at ads for Things when I was five or six. Low and behold about twenty years later, my mom suddenly texted me to tell me that the dogs and I would have to fend for ourselves that day because her and my dad were on their way to Pennsylvania. I asked “Uh, why?” And she sent me a picture of a Thing ready to be towed to a new home. It was present from my mom to my dad for their anniversary. Everything in this video is ABSOLUTELY true, the Thing is ridiculously fun, I recommend renting a Thing just so you can drive one and see the absolute wonder on small kids’ faces when they pass by you in their parents’ minivan.
I bought a Volks wagon "Thing" in the 1980's. Loved this car! I was an avide surfeur and took it everywhere.
The doors come off too,
try driving it with no doors on and front screen down on a sunny day on a costal road... amazing
I'm from a generation that drove around in dune buggies and 1940s Willys jeeps. Nothing wrong with this "thing" here.
@@claudermiller defo not its a great car
@@dickie35 remember this song. It was played during the commercial. ruclips.net/video/aNrmR6M1KtI/видео.html
We were on holidays in the south of Spain in the 1980's and my dad hired one of these out for week. 4 of us, all our swimming and picnic gear, driving along twisty coastal roads to the beach. Massive fun with the top off, wind in your hair and all that :D
Ah, yes, the car you used to draw in pre-school is now a *thing*
underrated.
Literally
the thing
And it has been for few decades
Underrated.
I saw one of these at a gas station in Newport Beach one time and it had wicker seats.
Down South, in the US, there is an awesome character that lived for years in the Okefenokee Swamp in Southern Georgia/Northern Florida who would live with and study the local swamp life and habitat and learned the ways of the land and wrote songs about it. His name was Okefenokee Joe and he drove a Volkswagen Thing for years around the swamp. There are two documentaries on RUclips called 'Swampwise' and 'Joy Of Snakes' where you can see it in action
Did I miss the video where you admit defeat and gave up the brick mic?
It died
It broke!!! I am going to crush it with my S-Cargo in a future video.
Believe it or not he mentioned it in a comment on AutoTrader
you read autotrader? ^unsung hero
I thought you traded it for the S-Cargo!
9:41 You scrached the door with the window.
i thought i was the only one to notice that
There's one more scratch in addition to the one that was there previously.
Yes, he did!
andrew johnson I don't believe the clips are in chronological order. It wasn't there before the clip at 9:40 took place but was afterwards.
Theres no doubt that big chip was done right there. Sod lending him my pride and joy for his video. The guy simply isnt careful enough, giggling about the window while carelessly chipping the paint...
Hey, I know where Doug was driving around! He was on Laurel Ave at 7:36 over by the Benihana's in Golden Valley. I used to live 5 minutes from there.
Now a review of a Citroën Mehari! Citroën has such a large collection of weird cars that should be reviewed by doug.
I’m still waiting for his review of the SM (Serie Maserati). About one of the weirdest cars there is.
The Citroen SM is pretty normal compared to the Mehari. It would be interesting to see a Mehari being driven.
"The roll cage is my skull." 😂😂😂
The VW Thing is a classic beach vehicle, it was built for its day
exactly and Doug keeps complaining about the lack of safety features.
@@phililpb You have to compare vehicles against the era in which they were built
Richard Lorith These were cool for what they were used for ...exactly...isn’t the doors come off too?
@@chewie2055 I believe you could remove the doors, a friend had one when i lived in Florida great vehicle for Beach cruising and Summer
It’s a bitch vehicle lol
There's a Volkswagen Thing in the area I work at. I've seen it driving down the road a couple times and it makes me so happy whenever I see it
We are going to purchase this exact one today!!!! I’ve wanted one since I was five-years-old when I saw it on a cartoon! Wish us luck - looks like we’ll need it, but it’s sooo worth it! Ha! Thanks for the fun review!
🧡🖤🧡🖤
One of the most BEAUTIFUL cars ever ! :)
I agree
91 RON is not equivalent to Premium fuel.RON is how they rate fuel in Europe and other places. Here in the states we use AKI. 91 RON would be roughly the same as 87 AKI in the USA.
chris miller I had a friend who bought a grey market Mercedes. Everything was in German and he thought it required a mix of aviation fuel. It took forever to explain that American 90 octane was fine.
chris miller RON is gta 5 fuel
When I was a kid in 1970 my father's job was to repair television relay stations and that meant driving all the way up the mountains because those buildings and antennas were built at the mountaintops for better radiowave coverage. The federal body my father was working for adopted the VW 181 ("The thing") as their service car. Why? It was very reliable and easy to maintain (robust and simple Volkwagen engines), cheap, had - for a 2WD car - a very good traction in winter and was astonishingly well suited for rough terrain (for a non-4WD). I was also used a lot by Austria alpine forest rangers and hunters. The fathers of some of my school colleagues owned Mercedes and Jags. But when my father dropped my off one day all thought that it was pretty cool to ride in a VW 181. The success of the VW 181 in Austria changed dramatically between 1975 und 1979 when the Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer (best off-road car ever built) got cheaper and when the Mercedes-Puch G 4WD offroader cast its shadow already in 1977 (introduced in 1979). From that point onwards the VW 181 was virtually unsellable in Austria. By the way: the VW 181 was the very first car I drove when I was 12. My father did the pedals, clutch, brake, accelerator, and I was on the steering wheel and manual gear shift. And that was a big thing for me!
1:59. It's not asking for premium. It says 91 RON. Research Octane Number is advertised in Europe. In North America, we advertise the average of RON and Motor Octane Number. Regular North American gas is 91 RON, so regular fuel is fine. (This is merely labeling, since modern emissions standards worldwide regulate RON, MON, RVP and a ton of other metrics)
True Story: back in 1980 when I was an USAF Special Operations Aerial Gunner in the 16 Special Operations Squadron my Squadron Commander had one. One day I was working the desk and it started raining HARD. I saw the Commander had his top down in his parking space so I RAN to his office, knocked on the door and told him about his top being down in the rain. He yelled, Don't just stand there, go out and OPEN THE DOORS! He then laughed hard! Great LtCol with an outstanding sense of humor. I will never forget this! LOL.
I will re-tell this story, because it's great.
Please do because it is TRUE! Glad you liked it. Our Commander was a really great guy and leader!
Great! Thank you!!!
The door sills were about 6'' highActually I had to drill holes in the floor pan to let the rainwater drain out.
Unless it was under 40F I drove not with the top down, but completely off.
I had mine from 1972 to 1991 when I sold it for $3,500...what I paid new.
I put a BMW emblem in front as I worked as a BMW Service Manager at the time in Santa Cruz [under an alias]
I had one of the first VW typ 181 models in the US, yet unnamed.
When I got it home my wife asked "What's this...THING".
The only Thing" she ever got correct.
Mine had an Eberspacher fuel heater...the primary reason I purchased it.
In the 70s VW ran an advertising campaign showing a VW Beetle floating down a river. The ad's selling point was that Beetles were hermetically sealed, so they didn't leak. Maybe your Commander knew the ad campaign - and knew his "Thing" had similar treatment to the Beetles. I used to wonder what happens once you float off down the river, though. Sounds like you had a cool boss BTW - and a cool job!
Why bully a old vintage utilitarian vehicle with current standards?
for fun. is just like the tesla video.
Or the Jeep.
Why watch this channel, snowflake?
@@RedLP5000S You look like a hillbilly.
Seriously. He demolished this thing using modern criteria, yet it's over 40 years old
I drove a Thing through high school and for 5 yrs after. You forgot to mention the doors are removable as well. Also the bottom, on mine at least, has a protection plate. The original flooring was a rubber mat with holes because there are drainage holes in floor, but I like the wood floor idea. Going off-road with it was a blast. The suspension was nice, I was able to catch air on intersections with big dips. That was a bit hairy at times if you forgot your lap belt. But the weight of vehicle with a driver was fairly balanced so jumping, it would land on all wheels. EVERYONE wanted to drive with you. super roomy and pretty comfortable seats. Loud on freeway, but still could do 70mph+ given time. Scary in a gusty cross wind though. Light enough to be towed by anything. Simply a fantastic vehicle that I wish I never sold. Oh yeah and the heater....HA HA...direct output on your ankles, so in cold weather you hands would be freezing and ankles had blisters. Oh so many many fun stories and adventures with that car.
Because it was so light, the low-powered motor did pretty well, right?
@@wizzard5442 Well, it's hard to say now. At the time in the 80s there were few powerful 4 cylinder motors, Porsche and a few others. I don't think there was even a 2 liter available for common cars. We had a Subaru, the THING , VW bus and Dodge Van all from the 60s n 70s for 6 drivers in family. 55mph was freeway speed limit (very much ignored in SoCal). So for the time and my experience with cars, it was more than powerful enough. You also learned to keep your speed up even offroad to manage hills and soft spots. So fun, most cars are boring now.
The windows removal had me rolling 😂
There’s a few of these around my hometown and every time I see someone driving one they look like they’re having the time of their life. Seems like everyone has fun driving an old VW
Word
ScrewyGrapes and we do! These cars are groovy!!
They arefun to drive, And the fuel gauge and heaters always suck lol
When your car can’t even reach the speed limit on the sign
In a 30mph zone...
I once spaced out while a guy tried to pull in front of me in a volkswagon he struggled to make it I felt like an ass for not slowing down
That’s just sad
0 to 60 in 10 minutes...lol
Danny Roggemann and only when going downhill! 🤣
Are you sure that's a 74? I had a 74, and after I sold it, I missed it so much I started shopping around for another. And all the ones without the flares on the back seem to be 1973 models.
😩 _I really miss my _*_Thing!_* Mine was a '74 (with the flare in back, which I prefer). It was initially a pale sun bleached yellow, so I had it repainted a brilliant sunburst yellow. I had all the chrome points powder coated black as an accent. I invested in the same sort of glass windows from *The Thing Shop* in Arizona. Only the front windows would slide open. I also ordered a cover for the top when it's down.
I really regret selling it. At the time I was living in an apartment and could not have two cars. I simply had to give up the one that was less practical. I had to keep the one that was going to get me to work everyday. Of course, it's been 20 years since I sold it, I think about it all the time. I would always say that _it was the best antidepressant in the world._ I was always happiest when I drove that car.
Volkswagen needs to bring these back!
When VW would bring it back, it would have ABS, airbags, LC, Blablabla, 1,5 tons weight and would cost 40.000 dollars. 😢
Sorry, but I'd take the looks of a VW Thing over a Pontiac Aztek any day.
Me too!
all the meth heads will disagree with you on that one
that's because the Thing has pinache, the astek just looks like a Nike Hiking boot.....
michael C I think you just insulted Nike....
Dragon Don lol didn't I though? hahahha
always felt that was a square Beetle
Also this is designed after the Kubelwagen from WW2
microbusss Kuel
microbusss Kübelwagen..
microbusss It is a square beetle
Oh right! That’s what it reminded me off. This reminds me of the Schwimwagen hahah.
no, it is designed mostly after the 1960s VW Beetle, using parts of VW Bus and VW Karmann Ghia as well.
Things were cool...Back in the '70's they were hard to come by. I had a neighbor who had a yellow "Thing" and everyone thought it was just the coolest thing :)
Couple "things" I want to point out here. Where the top catches the wind like a sail when he's driving, he didn't fold it down correctly. There are two straps that should be holding it down. Also, the wood floorboards were not original, Things came with thick rubber floor mats. The Thing's predecessor, the Kubelwagen from the 40s, had the slats. Aftermarket shops started reproducing them for The Thing in the 80s. And as for the light doors, they're intended to be light and removable, similar to a Wrangler. Impact protection is provided by the rocker panels, and those corrugations are there for additional structural rigidity. They're not up to modern side impact standards, but Jeeps had canvas doors in '74! As for Jeeps, I drive a '17 Wrangler and am constantly reminded of little touches my old '74 Thing had that the Jeep doesn't. The Thing's top is much easier to put up and down, the doors have governors that Jeep didn't come up with until 2018, and '74 Thing mirrors don't come off with the doors. Even now with a Jeep, when I take off the doors, I lose my mirrors. It doesn't stop there. When the top is down, Thing sun visors go all the way up as well as down to keep the sun out of your eyes. The windshield folds down super easy on The Thing, and the rear view mirror twists around so it still works with the windshield down! So much thought went into The Thing, it's amazing. I love my Jeep, but there are so many examples of little details the Germans thought of decades ago that Jeep still hasn't quite gotten right. Finally, watching this video you get the impression that The Thing wasn't well made. This was an extremely high-quality, overengineered machine designed and built to military spec, and solid as a rock (unless you let the rust get to it, which is a problem with any 60s-70s steel). It's a shame this guy didn't have someone show him the features and benefits of The Thing so he couldn't fully appreciate it for what it is.
My thing looks as good now than it did when new. Like you say these are solid vehicles. Great cars
IKt's virtually a Kubelwagon if you paint it grey you can invade Poland with it.
Lol
They were AWD though weren't they
No the kubelwagen was rwd
That was my first thought when looking at the thumbnail of this video. Would explain the level of technology built into this thing. Well it's tried and tested tech to be sure - if nothing else.
Gabriel Cooper Hey, what about the Schwim Wagen? They actually Schwam!!
I always saw these as "beach" cars
JSindustry you mean leave it on the beach and forget it ever existed ?
Me too! Like the Citroën Méhari
Maybe in normandy...
Obat darah tinggi dan kolesterol
@@abdifatah6924 obat? Maksud kau ubat?
The Volkswagen Thing was originally the Kubelwagen, the "Jeep" of the German army during WW2. They kept it after the war since it was every bit as great as the Jeep itself for the very same reasons except it didn't have 4-wheel drive. The lockers on the hubs, however, allowed the soldaten to power through all the same crud the Jeeps got into.
The removable wood flooring is a holdover from the Kubelwagen. However, the Thing has quite a few differences from it's predecessor.
And it was in Surf Ninjas.
It’s a Vw 181, it derived from the WW2 Kübelwagen. Also known as the trekker and safari in other countries
I drove one for 12 years. that one you show is a 73. 74's had a cover over the rear intake vents. 73's had a gas fired cabin heater, 74's had standard VW exhaust manifold heaters. you didn't show how the doors come off. None came stock with wood floor boards, someone added those. also, they sold new in 73-74 for $2900. very solid little utility vehicle. the only point you make that seems correct is they are unsafe in a wreck, so avoid one if possible. I miss mine, there is nothing as simple to repair, cheap to buy, and as fun on a country dirt road.
You're exactly right. I have an orange 73 Thing. To be fair, he may have been told by the rental place it was a 74. It's too bad he didnt talk about the heater or arc suspension.
You know waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much about these vehicles.
Boyd Brown fuck your life
The car does not require premium gasoline, the 91 rating is a european standard, it is called RON as shown on the lable in the video. This european rating is equivalent to 87 octane used in America. This mistake has appeared in more than one of DeMuros videos. So filler up your Thing with Regular Gasoline.
91 RON is such a low octane rating, you can't even get it here. 95 RON is the lowest available. This goes for at least most of Europe.
@ 92 is available in Russia.
just ask trump!
I remember fuel called Special 91 when I was a kid, I think it was even leaded but idk. As said before, the lowest availible is 95 now.
@ with E10 becoming more and more popular / available this is not true anymore.
My auto shop teacher in 1980 had one of these. Same color. Looked like it was fun in a crude, minimalist way. I could see myself driving one.
I had a restored 74 and used it as a daily driver for years. I eventually sold it to someone who made me a great offer and instantly regretted it. I plan on getting another one soon.
The thing is actually a VW 181 and it has its roots in WW2.
Yes, with the Type 82 ;)
I think it was a civilian version of the Kübelwagen perhaps.
In other words, exactly the same as the original Kübelwagen.
similar, not exact
Exactly, and the Kubelwagen was essentially the German Jeep. Rather than loading it up with 4WD, they went the other route making it as light as possible and putting most of the weight above the 2 drive wheels for traction. Probably got twice the fuel mileage as the Jeep did (crucial during the War) and had way more room, especially in the back. This design proved so good off road that it was used as the basis for dune buggies.
@6:27 "the acceleration is minimal, to be charitable, although the it does make so much noise" so it's a Honda ?
TRIGGERED
You idiot
Rekt
this or the new nsx?
1. Buy 1994 Honda for $500.
2. Install 5" exhaust
3. ?????
4. Horny Women
5. Profit?
Ive got one and I love it 💕 it’s a very cool classic car
This is the first old car I've seen that is in 100% perfect condition and looks like you just got it
I used a heavily modded '74 as a daily driver for several years. The previous owner had installed a lift kit, roll cage, bucket seats, dual carbs, external oil cooler, etc., for runs through the Mojave. I had many interesting conversations with strangers. My favorites:
Hip Hop Kid: "Hey yo, is this really called a Thing?"
Me: "Yup."
Kid: "Yeah, cuz my dad said, 'hey yo, look, it's a Thing!' And I was like, nah, man, it ain't called that, fer real?"
Drunk: "Hey man, dyoo wanna sell this car?"
Me: "How much do you have on you right now?"
Drunk: "I'm gonna buy this car. They need these in Hawaii."
Me: "That's a long way to drive."
Drunk: "Hey will you buy me a beer man?"
+Michael Platt got any pictures of it?
Running a thing in the Mojave.
Even with a roll cage and stuff, it would be absolutely horrifying
r/thathappened
Singapore Pearl wrong website idiot
All wiper motors on all cars are singular and used linkage for the 2nd wiper.
Obviously the one you rented one in bad shape.
The dual port 1600 engine had 56 hp, not 46, and got 33 mpg.
They never came with wooden floors.
They had thick rubber mats to absorb sound.
They accelerated very well, and I always drove mine on the highway at 75 mph.
They don't need a roll bar because the chassis pan construction and opposed engine made the weight so low that it was virtually impossible to flip.
That is the same reason why it does not need side intrusion beams.
The pan is far stronger side protection than any vehicle made.
It was one of the safest cars made because it has a huge shock absorbing crumple zone in the trunk.
People have done 60 mph head on collisions in these things, and walked away.
And yes, they came with seat belts, like all VWs, since 1966.
What was the most interesting, that you missed entirely, is that this was the 1971 thing, because it had no heat exchanges, and instead only had a small gasoline furnace in the trunk.
You obviously know very little about cars and are not a mechanic.
The Thing was a very nice car.
It ran very well off road, and weighs about a third that of a Jeep.
I slid off the highway once after hitting a big snow drift, and we picked up each end, one at a time, and walked it back on the road.
That is extremely practical and useful.
I hope to god he doesn't review a Karman Ghia
Your life sounds amazing, Mr. Augustin :|
@Robert Adams Round tail lights make me agree with you. Bugs had them starting in72
Kirk cited most of the inaccuracies. Also, while the rear doors don't lock with a key, they lock from the inside.
@Robert Adams I agree this was a '73. I had a '74 with the noted differences.
I used to have one of these, loved it!
It was very popular in the mid - late eighties here in Germany.
It's basically a VW Beetle with a VW Bully transmission, easy to fix and pretty reliable.
They have been sold as VW 181 for the consumer market.
But the "Bundeswehr" German Army Version was more popular, because most of these versions used "stronger" parts, like the transmission, the air intake was also different, blinkers etc...
Memory lane... ♥️😁
(the rear mirror on the windshield is removable, just turn it left or right and it pops off 👍🏻)
I love my Thing . Parts are pretty expensive but it's ahead turner .
Thanks Doug. The car doesn't need premium gas. The "91 RON" is the European octane rating equal to 87 octane USA. USA averages two gasoline octane ratings, RON and MON (Motor Octane). Europe only uses RON. Why the warning? The "Thing" was sold in countries where even 87 octane fuel might be hard to come by.
I was about to post this haha, RON 91 = 87 AKI in the US.
roz
In the UK petrol is now a minimum of 95 octane so this thing would have no problem here.
Was kind of shocked that a car guy made that error.
Good old times, where a Volkswagen was made for lifetime.
mostly because your lifetime was over as soon as you hit anything.
The VW was one of the safest cars on the road because of the over designed pan chassis and the extremely light engine and transmission that did not require a additional differential. It held up very well in accidents, and the empty trunk absorbed all the impact.
That is true not only for Volkswagen, but also for most other German cars of that time. Built to last. Well.. if you managed to properly protect it against corrosion that is. Another car famous for durability were the old Volvo models. They were called "Swedish Tank" for a reason.
and maintained the electrical on the VWs, but yeah generally, they lasted a long time. in the 90s early 00s they have been bad but outside of that they do fine.
No joke, the old Beetles refused to die like in the Woody Allen movie SLEEPER (google it.)
I had one, yellow and I loved it. You could take the doors off and let the windshield down. No need for AC. I usually got nice comments from people about it. It was so versatile as well. I could move my apt using it as the back seats folded down. The battery was under the back seat. Weird place, I had a strong battery installed and it started after two weeks not plugged in during a 30 below freeze for two weeks in Calgary when I came back from being out with the military.
It was something to enjoy.
One of the funniest doug videos ever. Period.
i want one even more than i have my whole life. it's frickin glorious
you can get them down here in Mexico for like 200 USD haha
Ditto.I saw one back when this was new,and I've wanted one since.
From a former owner don't. It's unique cuteness wears off in no time. Other than to flip for a profit I wouldn't take another if someone gave it to me.
i got one!!!
You are the COOLEST PERSON!
One of my best friends in highschool had a lemon yellow Thing, and it was the coolest car to ride around in. We got laughed at by our classmates, but had so much fun in that car. I think they were actually jealous.
...and it runs and runs and runs since the 70´s for civilians.. so my respect for an oldtimer ;)
One of your best videos! My father bought one of these to do up and flip. I borrowed it once. It broke down. We had to push it home! Oh, and he painted it the same color as this one, what are the odds?
91 RON (Research Octane Number) is equivalent to about 87 "octane". So it is telling you to put in Regular.
You'd laugh at it in battle right up until they start firing the MG42 mounted on it, still kinda comical though
duftmand then again, if you survive the MG, you can simply throw a grenade in there
Lmao 😂😂😂
they didnt use mg42s on it they used the mg34....
Or What? You can't survive the mg42
I think you're all confusing the thing with the Kubelwagen.
I restored a 74 and loved it! It was my daily driver in San Diego. This car is special and only a Thing owner understands.
The best part of this video...its old! And NO cars&bids ads! B4 the sell out!