2 Door Safari

wildthings · Post by **wildthings** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 10:52 pm

I recently saw a 2 dr Safari (Thing) in Mexico. Does anybody know much about these cars? How many were made, what years, were any ever imported into the states? Where they set up the same as other safaris?

suntour · Post by **suntour** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:25 pm

I am pretty sure that was just a custom job. I have never heard of anything but 4 door versions (factory made). In fact as far as I know they never really changed anything about the Thing body for all the years they made it. (Ok, beside the muffs on U.S. 74? and the change from Bus rear light to Bug light on 73? and up U.S. models.) Does anyone know if anything body wise changed over the years? Am I totally screwed up on this?

wildthings · Post by **wildthings** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 12:06 am

I doubt that the 2 dr was a custom job. The front doors were about 6 inches longer than the ones on a 4 dr, and of course the back ones were totally missing. This would have been quite the accomplishment for a rural peasant to pull off. Of course there might be some metal crafting genius living out in the wilds of Chiapas.

suntour · Post by **suntour** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:20 pm

Huh..??.. Go figure. Who knows what the people at VW did. well I have never heard of one. Sure its not a country buggy?

JayInMI · Post by **JayInMI** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:18 am

I remember the guy from the Trim Shop (who was a big Thing fan) had a two door, but I don't remember if it was a custom job or not.

Jay

Kubelmann · Post by **Kubelmann** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:14 pm

There are a bunch of two door Things around and even a few two door pick up truck Things. Last year at the Baja 500 two Things even raced, one class 12 and one regular class 5. Neither has a stock body and both were made in the rural wilds of Mexico. While I am fairly sure that no two door Things ever rolled off the VW line in any country, There is a guy who know this answer for sure. His name is Pedro Sardis and he owns the last Safari to roll off the line in Pueba. He knows this because he worked there. When we post stuff like this he often replies with his expertise. We must be careful when stating facts about the Thing since it came to the US in 73/74 only but was built, shipped and sold new worldwide from 69 - 81(the end date of production is unclear due to the fact that Things were built from parts and pieces for a few years after the main line shut down (especially for Things headed for Indonesia) K-mann