The Volkswagen Thing
The Volkswagen Thing, for American owners, is listed as being produced in 1973 and 1974. However the VW Thing, also referred to as Volkswagen Type 181 was manufactured from 1968 to 1983, primarily for the German military ! Many VW Thing parts are in common with the Volkswagen Beetle. The term "Volkswagen Thing" or "VW Thing" is really an American name applied only in the States. The German Volkswagen 'Thing' was referred to there as the "Kbelwagen."
Appeal of The VW Thing
As the Thing is a four door convertible and as importing The Thing into America was limited, and maybe mainly because it is such a unique looking car, it is considered a collector car. It is our duty to point out a few caveats for the VW Thing buyer or owner. First the Thing handles and brakes quite poorly. Safety features are about nil ! It is a major reason that the Volkswagen Thing came to a halt as an imported car. On the other hand Thing owners will never part with it. There is a love for the VW Thing that keeps its owners hopping to keep it going.
Parts for the VW Thing.
We have been in the classic VW parts business since 1974. We have specialized in upholstery, tops and in restoration parts including sheet metal, hardware, accessories and the like. As a long time active VW, and in particular VW Thing parts provider, we maintain a good supply line and display our Thing parts on this web site. To keep your Volkswagen Thing running and in good repair we offer Thing parts from brake bleeder valves to Thing floor pans ! We have thousands of cubic feet of warehouse storage holding Thing parts but, more important, a very veteran staff of sales people carrying out our more than forty year history of service to our customers.
Links to Thing Parts on this Page
We have listed, on this page, some of the Thing parts access links. You may not find here what you are looking for. So please go to the top of this page and select our VW Thing catalog. There you will find a complete listing of the parts we carry for your VW Thing.