If you want to have the coolest ride in town, then you need to check out the DESERT RAT! This one of a kind custom 1974 VW THING has it all, from incredible patina all the way to a new, fully powder coated custom pan with fresh mechanicals and powertrain! Starting with a solid VW THING, this project was started to create something that looked like a Kubelwagen that was dug out from the deserts of Africa after being abandoned in WWII, yet with all the reliability and upgrades to make it daily-driver capable. The body, believe it or not, is in really good, solid shape, and you can take a 4 inch square felt-covered refrigerator magnet and stick it anywhere on the car. The patina was carefully planned and executed, and the body, both inside and out, is amazing solid. It was lightly worked over with chains, sticks, and other assorted tools of destruction while in the process of getting the patina, to give it that appropriate aged look that has every single head turning when you drive by. Then, the whole thing was expertly dabbed with a mix of acid and water, carefully sanded and airbrushed, and after 4 weeks was artfully aged as though Mother Nature had done it herself. The patina is INCREDIBLE, and looks so awesome on the car that people just keep wanting to touch it and take pictures of it. It truly does have a finish that something would get after being left in the SAHARA for 50 years, hence the nickname DESERT RAT! I got a little ahead of myself though, because before anything was done to the body, it was pulled completely from the chassis and the entire pan was completely blasted, cleaned, restored, and then powder coated to a like-new finish. During that time, a disc brake set up was installed with drop spindles, new lines, and all new shocks to maintain a quality ride while still getting it down to the ground. The engine was pulled out, completely disassembled, and put back together as close to stock as possible to make sure it was reliable, efficient, and easy to maintain down the road. Same with the 4-speed transmission, which also received new clutches, axles, and linkage in the rebuilding phase. Everything was put back together, and the driving results are GREAT! It starts, idles, and runs like a good VW should, has plenty of power to cruise the highway at 60mph, stays cool and doesn’t smoke, and weeps the typical few drips like they all do to let everyone know they were here. I tried to take some undersides shots of the pan but I could not fit it on my lift because my lift arms are too high, so I did not wipe the dirt off of it. It is clean, and if you pressure washed it and wiped it off, it would look as new as the pans do in the interior shots with the wood floor mats removed. Stopping is spot on, and I have driven it to a handful of shows and cruise nights within 50 miles of me and back with no issues and no funny stuff. It is a great cruiser for in town and rural roads, but if you want to do 80 on the freeway you will need a different gearing, as it is happiest at 60. There are no known issues to me with the car, and I have it in our stable for about 3 months just cruising it around and taking it to shows and stuff to make sure it was ready for a new owner. Headlights work, parking lamps work, tail lamps work, and the brake lights work. The cool looking side spot lamp has wiring but it is not connected. The safety light mounted to the back of the car with the JERRY CAN holder is not hooked up either, but is a pretty rare and cool find. The Jerry can itself is cool looking, but I have not tried to store any liquids in it. The front mounted tow bar is fully functional, and I have towed it about a mile with my truck just to make sure it worked, and it does. Windshield folds down and latches up like it should, and the car is a blast to drive in either position! I threw on some old googles and rolled it down the road with the windshield down and got all kind of funny looks! The top is exceptionally clean and solid, with no seam pulls, holes, rips or issues. It latches correctly, and even comes with both the covers to install on the framework when the top is down. Original side curtains are included but will need completely restored, and a set of matching black canvas side curtains are included new in the box, but do not have the frames. An Optima battery sits in the factory spot, and keeps things charged up and working. Heater was not installed and is non-functional, but I am sure you could hook something or other up if you desired to drive it on cold winter days. Seats are solid and comfortable, and have light wear and patina to make them fit in with the rest of the car. All of the doors open and close like they should, and inside of the doors are solid and true. Wood floor mats are solid and in very good condition, and have protected the freshly powder coated floor pans from any issues. Dash is weathered on purpose, and the factory radio was left intact but is not functional at this time, and I have no idea why. Pedals are all functional and the roller gas pedal is easy to use in close quarters. The fender mounted mirrors are super cool military looking things and are actually really easy to see out of once you get them adjusted. The winch is for show, although I am sure you could probably hook it up and get it to work if you wanted to. Vintage front plate comes with it. Chrome wheels with vintage VW black caps are in very good condition, and have purposefully been treated to a light patina in spots to make them belong on the car. Tires are in very good condition, and have an estimated 75% of the useable tread left on them. They are size 165-R15 on the rear, and 135-R15 up front. The way the car is lowered, there is no weird camber or anything, so wear is even and tracking is clean on the road. Engine bay is clean and neat, and was mildly treated to the patina look for continuity. Same with the finish under the hood up front. Fuel tank and lines are new, as is the vent and fill neck. It is all solid underneath, and the rubber seal is in great shape just the one on the back engine cover. The car is a blast to drive, and will command ALL the attention at any car show or cruise night you take it to. | 
