This 1974 Volkswagen Thing is powered by a 1.6L air-cooled flat-four paired with a four-speed manual transaxle and was acquired by the seller in 2022. Subsequent work included reupholstering the interior, repainting the body tan, overhauling the drum brake system, installing a roll bar, and replacing the clutch cable, carburetor, battery, and black convertible soft top and frame. Additional details include 14″ steel wheels, duckboards, rubber floor mats, a fold-down windshield, removable doors, and fender-mounted turn signals. This Type 181 is now offered with the owner’s manual, a hard top, side curtains, parts receipts, and a clean California title in the seller’s name.
The body was refinished in tan under current ownership and is fitted with a replacement black soft top and frame, both of which were sourced from The Thing Shop of Chandler, Arizona, in 2022. Exterior details include a fold-down windshield, removable doors, fender-mounted turn signals, and dual exhaust outlets exiting through the rear bumper. Also included in the sale is a white fiberglass hardtop and side curtains with sliding front windows. A dent and cracked paint are present in the left rear door.
The steel 14″ wheels wear chrome VW-stamped hubcaps and are mounted with 185-series Michelin Reinforce MX4 tires. The drum brake system was overhauled in 2023 with replacement drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, master cylinder, metal lines, rubber hoses, fluid reservoir, hardware, adjusters, and miscellaneous related seals and gaskets. The shock absorbers were also replaced at that time.
The front bucket seats and folding rear seats have been retrimmed in black vinyl upholstery and are fitted with lap belts with Wolfsburg crest logos on the buckles. Perforated rubber floor mats are installed beneath duckboards, and additional interior elements include a passenger grab handle, a dashboard storage cubby, and a powder-coated roll bar.
The four-spoke steering wheel features a Wolfsburg crest center cap and frames a 100-mph speedometer with an inset fuel-level gauge. The five-digit mechanical odometer shows 63k miles, and the seller states the vehicle was towed behind an RV with the speedometer cable disconnected for most of its life. True mileage is unknown.
The 1.6L air-cooled flat-four is equipped with an EMPI downdraft carburetor and a Thing-specific skid plate, which is mounted to the bottom of the engine case. The carburetor and battery were replaced under current ownership.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transaxle, which was reportedly replaced under current ownership along with the clutch cable.