TheSamba.com :: View topic - What to look for when buying a Thing . . .

Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:53 pm

Greetings to all of you prospective Thing owners out there. Looking for a Thing? Need to know what to look for when you're beyond the tire kicking stage? You've come to the right place.

For those discerning individuals already lucky enough to own a Thing, please feel free to add your thoughts!

Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:14 pm

The deal killer for me is rust :shock: . Particulaly in the rocker areas. Bolt on pieces such as lids, doors, and fenders are easy enough to replace but anything on the main body will require expensive replacement (or donor) panels and welding skills. Only possible rust exception might be battery area. You can almost expect that.

Oh,....and watch out for Bondo. Some Things have literally been sculpted out of the stuff. Use a small magnet to detect the stuff. I found the magnetic catch on my camera case to work really well.

Wed Nov 16, 2011 10:34 am

Thanks for this wonderful and timely posting! Starting to look for a Thing for my 14-year-old son for his 15th birthday. We shall endeavor to rebuild it in anticipation of his 16th birthday.
-mwm

Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:05 pm

markmatthewsphd wrote: Thanks for this wonderful and timely posting! Starting to look for a Thing for my 14-year-old son for his 15th birthday. We shall endeavor to rebuild it in anticipation of his 16th birthday.
-mwm
I wish you were my Dad!

For a new driver, I might consider high back seats (see this sticky), disk brakes, maybe a roll bar with shoulder belts, and a mild motor. The old adage Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment more than anywhere else applies to new drivers. :wink:

Welcome to the forum!

Mon May 07, 2012 10:45 pm

Clues that may lead to a larger rust problem:

No top or windows. These aren't great at keeping out the elements, but they're a heck of a lot better than nothing.

Flexing windshield, glass and gasket falling into the frame. These are signs the lower frame has rusted out - a complex part that isn't easy to fab and is fairly expensive to replace.

Missing body seal caps at the top of the door posts, above the front door hinges and near where the top hinge pins reside. Water doesn't drain from these voids and rust follows.

Missing body seal caps in the wheel wells - one in each. These cover a round opening into the rockers and without them, the wheels can easily splash water into the rockers.

Missing one-way valves at the base of the rockers or the holes are sealed with non-valved caps. The rockers are designed for a bit of water to flow through them. There are a series of dimples in the base of the door frame to allow water to flow in.

(top-right little hole in this photo)

Then there are three holes at the base of the rocker with one-way flap valves in them. If you run your hand along the bottom edge of the rocker, you'll note there are three bumps, each is a small drain hole - verify that you can gently peel open the rear of the cap with a finger nail.

(you can see one of those bumps here on the new lighter-grey panel, middle-left, and the round hole that should be capped in the rear wheel well.)

If these holes are plugged, water splashing around the door or into the door will collect in the rocker and rust will follow.

Sun Jul 29, 2012 3:55 pm

And another rust trap is in the front quarter panels...

Normaly you seen them like this:

But under the paint sometimes is just like this:

Should be like this:

With two different metal parts... not just one...

Sat Nov 15, 2014 7:10 pm

Captain Spalding wrote: Greetings to all of you prospective Thing owners out there. Looking for a Thing? Need to know what to look for when you're beyond the tire kicking stage? You've come to the right place.

For those discerning individuals already lucky enough to own a Thing, please feel free to add your thoughts!

Nicely done!

Sun Nov 16, 2014 11:59 am

Thanks!

Thu Nov 26, 2015 10:52 am

Thanks for this great thread! I've wanted a type 181 for decades and am now in a town where we can use it.