Klassik Rader Custom Classic Vintage Retro Wheel Rims

VOLKSWAGEN THING, SAFARI, TREKKER 1973-1974

WHEEL FITMENT NOTE:


Depending on what part of the world your Volkswagen Thing was originally made, there were a two different bolt patterns that were used depending on the time and location of manufacturing.  The most common bolt pattern for the Volkswagen Thing model is the wide 5x205 bolt pattern.  Some versions of the Volkswagen Thing were modeled as the Safari in Mexico & South America, and the Trekker in the UK.  The model shown above on this page is the more rare VW Trekker from the UK which, the majority of these were made with a 4x130 bolt patterrn. 


We have included the Trekker 4x130 wheel fitments below the common Thing & Safari 5x205 wheel fitments on this guide. 


If you have any quesitons at all please feel free to email us at sales@hd-inc.com

SHop Klassik Rader Wheels for the Volkswagen VW Beetle in 5x205 Bolt Pattern

THING & SAFARI WHEEL & HUB SPECS

• Bolt Pattern:  5x205

• Offset Range:  +20mm to -32mm

• Center Bore:  161mm

• Lug Type:  Bolt

• Lug Thread Pitch:  12mm x 1.5mm ( 17mm L )


THING & SAFARI TIRE SIZE OPTIONS

15 Inch Wheel

• Stock Height:  165/80-R15

• Lowered:  195/50-R15

• Lowered Staggered  F/  195/50-R15  R/  205/60-R15


17 Inch Wheel

• Stock Height:  205/50-R17

• Lowered:  205/40-R17

• Lowered Staggered:  F/  205/40-R17   R/ 225/50-R17

SHop Klassik Rader Wheels for the Volkswagen VW Beetle in 5x205 Bolt Pattern

TREKKER WHEEL & HUB SPECS

• Bolt Pattern:  4x130

• Offset Range:  +35mm to +40mm

• Center Bore:  80.9mm

• Lug Type:  Bolt

• Lug Thread Pitch:  14mm x 1.5mm ( 17mm L )


TREKKER TIRE SIZE OPTIONS

15 Inch Wheel

• Stock Height:  165/80-R15

• Lowered:  195/50-R15

• Lowered Staggered  F/  195/50-R15  R/  205/60-R15


17 Inch Wheel

• Stock Height:  205/50-R17

• Lowered:  205/40-R17

• Lowered Staggered:  F/  205/40-R17   R/ 225/50-R17

AVAILABLE 5x205 WHEEL MODELS ( THING & SAFARI )

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FALCON

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FALCON

Shop the Klassik Rader Rally South African Rostyle Sprint Star Magnum 500 Replica style Wheels

RALLY

AVAILABLE WHEEL MODELS for/ 5x130 HUB CONVERSION

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944

SHop the KLassik Rader Model 944 ATS Cookie Cutter Porsche Replica Style Rims

944

Klassik Rader 944 "Cookie Cutter" Style Porsche Replica Wheel Rims in Chrome Plated 17x7.0 5x130

944

KR3 ( Coming Soon )

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LUG BOLT KITS FOR ( 5x205 PATTERN ) THING & SAFARI VEHICLES

Shop VW & Porsche Short Thread Lug Bolts with Tapered Seat in Chrome

SHORT THREAD LUG BOLTS

60 DEGREE TAPERED SEAT

Shop VW & Porsche Short Thread Lug Bolts with Tapered Seat in Black

SHORT THREAD LUG BOLTS

60 DEGREE TAPERED SEAT

Shop VW & Porsche Short Thread Lug Bolts with Radius Ball Seat in Chrome

SHORT THREAD LUG BOLTS

RADIUS / BALL SEAT

Shop VW & Porsche Short Thread Lug Bolts with Radius Ball Seat in Black

SHORT THREAD LUG BOLTS

RADIUS / BALL SEAT

LUG BOLT KITS FOR ( 4x130 PATTERN ) UK TREKKER VEHICLES

Shop VW & Porsche Short Thread Lug Bolts with Tapered Seat in Chrome

SHORT THREAD LUG BOLTS

60 DEGREE TAPERED SEAT

Shop VW & Porsche Short Thread Lug Bolts with Tapered Seat in Black

SHORT THREAD LUG BOLTS

60 DEGREE TAPERED SEAT

Shop VW & Porsche Short Thread Lug Bolts with Radius Ball Seat in Chrome

SHORT THREAD LUG BOLTS

RADIUS / BALL SEAT

Shop VW & Porsche Short Thread Lug Bolts with Radius Ball Seat in Black

SHORT THREAD LUG BOLTS

RADIUS / BALL SEAT

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VOLKSWAGEN ( TYPE 181 ) THING, SAFARI, TREKKER

The Volkswagen Type 181 is a two-wheel drive, four-door, convertible, manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen from 1968 to 1983. Originally developed for the West German Army, the Type 181 also entered the civilian market as the Kurierwagen (“courier car”) in West Germany, the Trekker (RHD Type 182) in the United Kingdom, the Thing in the United States (1973–74), the Safari in Mexico and South America, and Pescaccia in Italy. Civilian sales ended after model year 1980.


Manufactured in Wolfsburg, West Germany (1968–74), Hannover, West Germany (1974–83), Puebla, Mexico (1970–80), and Jakarta, Indonesia (1973–80), the Type 181 shared its mechanicals with Volkswagen's Type 1 (Beetle) and the pre-1968 Volkswagen Microbus, its floor pan with the Type 1 Karmann Ghia, and its concept with the company's Kübelwagen, which had been used by the German military during World War II.


All four doors were removable and interchangeable, the windshield folded flat, and the convertible roof could be removed for al fresco driving. The spartan interior featured vinyl covered bucket seats, painted sheet metal, drain holes and perforated rubber mats. A fiberglass hardtop and trunk-mounted auxiliary heater were offered as individual options.


During the 1960s, several European governments began cooperating on development of a vehicle known as the Europa Jeep, a lightweight, amphibious four-wheel drive vehicle that could be mass-produced for use by various national military and government groups. Development of the vehicle proved time-consuming, however, and the West German government was in need of a limited number of light, inexpensive, durable transport vehicles that could fulfill their basic needs while the Europa Jeep was being developed and put into production.


Although Volkswagen had been approached during the 1950s about building such a vehicle, and had subsequently passed on the proposition, the then-current management of the company saw the project as having some amount of potential as a consumer vehicle; Mexican customers were asking for something that could handle rural roads better than the Type 1, which was a large seller in Mexico at the time, and the popularity of VW-based dune buggies within the U.S. made executives think that a durable, fun, off-road-capable vehicle would become attractive to many buyers. VW could keep cost to a minimum and thus maximize profitability by using existing parts.


Like the World War II era Type 82 Kübelwagen, the Type 181 used mechanical parts and a rear-engine platform, manual transmission and a flat-4 engine derived from that of the Type 1.


The floorpans came from the Type 1 Karmann Ghia, which had a wider floorpan than the Beetle. Rear swing axle suspension with reduction gearing from the discontinued split-screen Volkswagen Transporter was used until 1973, when it was replaced with double-jointed axles used by Porsche and IRS semi-trailing arm setup as used on the 1303 and US-spec Beetles.


Civilian sales began in mainland Europe and Mexico during 1971; in the U.S. in 1972; and briefly in Britain in 1975, where it failed to sell well and was dropped fairly quickly.


The model was dropped from the American lineup for 1975 as it failed to meet new, stricter US safety standards. The Type 181 was reclassified as a passenger vehicle, and thus subject to stricter safety standards. The Windshield Intrusion Rule of the 1975 DOT standard called for a greater distance between the front seat occupants and the front window glass.


The Europa Jeep was the result of a NATO plan to have a vehicle whereby each European NATO makers all combined to build a light-duty patrol vehicle.


The Volkswagen 181 was only supposed to a fill in until the time that the Europa Jeep was ready. From 1968 until 1979, over 50,000 Type 181s were delivered to the NATO forces. By 1979 the Europa Jeep project had fallen apart completely and was abandoned, and the West German government began supplementing its consumption of 181s with the new front-engined Type 183 Iltis.


Despite the West German government's switch to the Type 183, European and Mexican sales of the civilian 181 continued through 1980, and several organizations, including NATO, continued to purchase military-spec Type 181 units through 1983, finding their reliability and low purchase and maintenance costs attractive.