KentT
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2005
- Messages
- 2,928
- Location
- Sevierville, TN
- Tractor
- 1993 Power Trac 1430 w/Kubota diesel engine
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( </font><font color="blue" class="small">( Isn't that what the "Thing" was based on back in the '70s?
A far cry from our current military scooter, the Hummer eh?
)</font>
Yes Rob,
And wernt they all bright orange ??? or is my memory bad ?
)</font>
Orange certainly seems to be the most common color, but the Things were available in a variety of colors -- I've seen red, yellow, black, lime green and white ones...
The Things actually were in production in Mexico and Brazil for many years, but were only imported to the US for a few years. The first ones imported had the VW bus (Transporter or Kombi) swing-axle rear end with reduction boxes (same as "drop axles and final drives" on tractors). This gave them something like a 5.38:1 gear ratios. Later models used the IRS rear suspension and were geared much higher. The earlier versions with reduction boxes were actually pretty serious off-road vehicles, even if only two wheel drive.
VW dune buggies, Baja bugs and full-bodied Beetles -- all two-wheel drive -- still compete quite well in off-road races such as the Baja run...
A far cry from our current military scooter, the Hummer eh?
)</font>
Yes Rob,
And wernt they all bright orange ??? or is my memory bad ?
)</font>
Orange certainly seems to be the most common color, but the Things were available in a variety of colors -- I've seen red, yellow, black, lime green and white ones...
The Things actually were in production in Mexico and Brazil for many years, but were only imported to the US for a few years. The first ones imported had the VW bus (Transporter or Kombi) swing-axle rear end with reduction boxes (same as "drop axles and final drives" on tractors). This gave them something like a 5.38:1 gear ratios. Later models used the IRS rear suspension and were geared much higher. The earlier versions with reduction boxes were actually pretty serious off-road vehicles, even if only two wheel drive.
VW dune buggies, Baja bugs and full-bodied Beetles -- all two-wheel drive -- still compete quite well in off-road races such as the Baja run...
