I own a 74 which I love. Just finished a body on restoration. All new paint, rubber, electrical wiring, and upholstery. I'd put mine at grade -1 and value it at around 22k. My rear seat backs do fold down flat and the speedometer and fuel gauge does work. Always gets attention at the car shows.
@@MotoManTV aloha can you please review the rogue Platinum with the VC turbo it's an amazing 1.5 3 cylinder engine 35 miles per gallon and 0 to 60 and 7.5 seconds
This was an outstanding video of one really unique VW. I really enjoy your on location special videos. This is one of the prettiest drives in the country just outside Chattanooga. Loved the music being back in the video. Reminded me of the old MotoMan videos from a few years ago. This was very nicely shot and both educational and entertaining all the way to the end. Congratulations on your major award and keep up the great work MM!
You can't imagine the attention you get driving a Thing. If I'd have known when I was a younger guy being single I would have bought one a lot earlier. If you drive it around town to run errands you have to give yourself extra time because you will have people coming up to you wanting to talk about it.
I have an original 73 thing and I have a C8 Vette. Guess which car gets more attention. I also have a 2 person motorcycle camping trailer I tow behind it. I will never sell my thing. My favorite reviewer driving my favorite car.
You have to manually adjust each of the four drum brakes in two spots. They do not self adjust, so you have to get all 8 adjusters right if you want it to go straight when you step on the brakes. It's advisable to downshift and use the transmission as you brake. There is a popular upgrade disc brake kit to update the front brakes.
When I was in college (1969-1972), there was an (I believe original German Army) one of these some guy drove to school regularly. At least one original vehicle has been sold on bringatrailer.
The seatbacks are articulated. If you push the top part down while pulling the bottom part up, they'll fold flat. Also, I'm sure that driver's seat would have adjusted with a little grease on the tracks.
I'm on my 5th 181. I'm in the UK and have owned an ex army, a US 74, an Italian version, a UK rhd version and currently a 1973 US Thing imported from Texas
It's still worth 300%-400% of its original price. In absolute dollars nothing astonishing, but still!! I'll take that on a recent collectable purchase in 25 to 40 years.
Hey, I was there! Saw you out of the corner of my eye on that Sunday, too! Only reason I didn't stop to say hi was because you were either talking with festival judges or you were with your lunch party, so I wanted to be polite and let you have that to yourself. Was wondering what had you back in the Smokies, didn't expect an episode to come out of it, though!
I think that spare tire placement will probably kill you in a front end collision so buy one and remove it for miles and smiles. No one is going to accuse you of being a show off putting around town in one of these.
Me gusta el carro un VW Safari Thing 1973; Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías Q.E.P.D; tenía uno así; además es un todoterreno; es un carro tipo camioneta; además es ahorrador de gasolina; cuando todo se estabilize en Venezuela mi país; voy a tener ése carro; porqué es un vehículo todoterreno; para caminos arenosos y barrialosos; también para trochas; porqué me encanta ese carro; un VW Safari Thing 1973; Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías Q.E.P.D; tenía uno así; saludos; y un feliz año nuevo.
@@MotoManTV Thanks for asking. I like your regular opening theme music, the "options game" jingle and the 70s-like outro theme. Very few RU-vidrs get theme music right as well as you do George. 😉👌 Hoovie had a great one, but he rarely features it nowadays. AutoTopNL conducted a survey once and dropped all their music due to lack of interest ( I voted to keep it). The Straight Pipe fellas vary their music, get it right almost always. Every once in a while, some amateur car reviewer plays something cool, but you're the only one who regularly uses themes I like. But I wasn't digging the rock music this time. Also, too much B-roll doesn't work with car reviews. Just driving, talking and the RU-vidr. 👍
I’ve missed the music that you used to put into your videos so I was pleasantly surprised to hear it back here. I personally think it works well during the transitions along with some of your B roll shots. Keep the music!
you drove beside a gas station showing $3.06 a gallon. Cry me a river 'red states' that is cheap! This works out with the exchange rate and conversion in $CDN to $1.10/L , I filled up here in Toronto today and it was $1.68/L
Why would you make a video about a car and not understand how all of it works? There's much more to the back seat alone that you don't understand. The owner of the car is lazy. All of it's deficiencies are easily fixed. It's no wonder Volkswagen isn't what it used to be. They can't even maintain something as simple as a Thing.
@@MotoManTV perhaps you missed it in my comment. I was totally busting on VW. It's their product and it's pulling to one side because the brakes aren't adjusted correctly. The car is poorly maintained. I'm a huge VW fan but not in the last couple decades or so. In the full scheme of things they really dropped off after the 80's in my opinion except for a few models/years that are great for road rally racing. I had one of the first "New Beetles" on Oahu back in 98. I was on the waiting list for months to get it as they were only sending a few at a time to the islands. Nobody wanted mine because it was a black turbo diesel. For the most part it was a nice car. It ran great but it had some electrical glitches and the window and lock switches broke frequently. Unfortunately, that was about the last cool thing that VW did. All I fool with now are the classic VW's. A 73 and 74 Thing and a 66 beetle.
