I picked this 1974 Volkswagen Thing after being Donated to a auto museum. they did not have a use for there display so it was put up for sale, guess who bought it? ME!. so let's see what we got ourselves into,
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’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.
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 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!
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’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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
The intro was EPIC! 🔧 i had a 1971 model 411. Watching this video brought back so many memories, curse words and PTSD from that damn car! LOL. Thanks Mustie1.
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…
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.
The opening was so good, I think you'll need to do it every week! Start with some trees on the other side of the road, say 'look what I've just got!' as you push it past and then get into a longer introduction to the vehicle. This season's Mustie1 format.
Or just skip the long intro and get right into it like he usually does. Some watch RU-vid because its not full of Hollywood filler and gets right to the content.
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.😏👍🇬🇧
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 😁
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!
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!
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.
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)
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.
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.
Seems like the right guy for the job, VW Things are getting quite collectable and worth good money here in the UK, even left hand drives still command a good price here. All the best.
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.
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 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 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.
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 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!
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.
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…
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.
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.
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 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.👍😎
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 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?
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.
I remember when Volkswagen had a contest to name the new “Kublevagan”. My dad sent in a suggestion to call it a “Thing”. I’m not sure if my dad’s suggestion was prompted VW to name it the “Thing” but they did!
Things that didn't happen for 200, Alex. You're conflating two stories, but nice try. I also asked a VW expert to make sure. . No record of VW doing this for the Thing. But if you're talking about the Tiguan, they did indeed hold such a naming contest for it. 😁
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!! 👍👍🎩
