Left For Dead: Barn Find Volkswagen Thing Gets Fully Detailed
Someone drove a Volkswagen Thing into a barn 50 years ago, parking the German contraption. Little did they realize at the time it would sit for half a century before getting pulled out and detailed by some YouTubers.Despite being dirty, this Thing is wonderfully well preserved. With about 6,800 miles on it, there's no wonder the VW doesn't look too shabby. According to the owner, it could possibly have been the first one imported into the US.
Under all the barn dust is a beautiful example of the VW Thing. But the worst part of the classic German vehicle by far were the wheels, which had quite a bit of surface rust. You perhaps have owned a car with wheels that looked similar and just accepted their corroded state.
But the guys at WD Detailing take pride in their ability to clean up cars and make them look fantastic. They use their own wheel cleaner and it does a great job of removing most of the grime and some corrosion sitting on the metal. But you'll notice the rust is still present to a degree.
The rest of the classic Volkswagen cleans up nicely, including the engine compartment in the rear.
Also known as the Type 181, the Thing was created by Volkswagen as a cheap and different open-air adventure vehicle. You can remove the roof and doors, plus fold down the windshield, similar to a Jeep, getting a fully open air driving experience. Just don't expect to do any serious off-roading in one.
With the same platform as the Beetle, only widened and a few things rearranged, the Thing was a super yet fun way to get around. But the classic rides haven't become serious collector items, fetching rather modest amounts on the market these days.
Image via WD Detailing/YouTube
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