1971 Volkswagen Thing

Safari Convertible

1600cc

Manual

1812657451

Clear

Gasoline

Rare 1971 VW Thing for Sale! Pre-73 VW ThingUp for sale is a 1971 Volkswagen Thing Safari. This is the rarest of the rare in the VS Thing world....especially to see in the US. VW only imported the Thing into the United States in 1973 and 1974. In years before that, a very limited number were produced in Mexico and Europe. This VW Thing Safari includes the original Bill of Sale paperwork from Mexico as well as the US Customs and Border Protection Entry Summary documents form the Department of Homeland and Security when the car was brought into the US in 2007.The Volkswagen Thing began life as the German Kubelsitwagen. This bucket seat vehicle was offered as a military-style off-roader or dune buggy. In Europe, it was referred to as the Kurierwagen or Type 181. In Mexico, where rural roads demanded tight suspension and handling, it was sold as the Safari. If you want a VW Thing that stands our even at a VW Thing rally....this one fits the bill.Somebody put some work into making this VW Thing comfortable. It was undergone what I refer to as an amateur restoration, or a "weekend driver" restoration. Powered by a 1600cc 4 cylinder engine that was rebuilt in 2012 and mated to a 4 speed manual transaxle with a SCAT shifter, this car is FUN to drive! We do not know the actual mileage but can with confidence there's less than 500 miles on the rebuilt engine, it has a new clutch and all 4 tires were replaced less than a month ago. This is the kind of car that would be great for piling the family into and cruising around the beach. It looks good and drives well for it's age. It is definitely not a show car nor is it 100% perfect....if it was, the price would be 2-3x what it is. Please set your expectations accordingly. There are obvious signs of prior rust repair, there are rust spots that were painted over, some that weren't. The floors were fixed with patches rather than replacing the entire sections, it's had a small transmission leak for years that we've been quoted as costing $300-$600 to repair ($300 last week from VW specialty shop), the color is not a factory color, there are windows but no top and the roof clips were removed. At some point in this Thing's life, someone modified the rear bumper taillights to match the 73-74 models. The work is solid but could have been done better if. Again, this is no fully restored show car, but if you're looking for a REALLY FUN and RARE cruiser that is ready to drive, this VW Thing will certainly fit the bill.If you're genuinely interested in this rare opportunity, let me know and I'll do the best I can to answer all of your questions - just text or call me at nine zero four - five three five - seven five five zero. This car should certainly hold it's value and probably even better than the '73-'74 models!