TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1959 Mango Westfalia SO-23

Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:38 pm

I've owned my '67 21 window for ~18 years. The longest I've ever owned a vehicle. Never thought I'd have an affair, until I met the SO-23 that Kent pulled out of hibernation a few blocks from our homes in Gainesville, FL. He and I made a mutually beneficial trade, and now I have a new project!
Here's his original "find" thread

Here's Kent, saying goodbye:

I rebuilt the carb and fixed the idle shutoff so the '71 dp that's currently in it is running smoothly. Next step is to start taking it down to original paint so it's ready for Bulli next year :-)

June 30, 1959
544 ="Kundendienstwerkstatt"--"service room", a special place for conversions done by Volkswagen itself."
374= 6 popouts
F23= SO-23 + Cold Box, Enders Stove
139= Sealed Beam Headlights
156= Larger oil bath air filter (less likely), or possibly passenger mirror?
168= 88A/h battery
181= Chrome Hubcaps
UT= Tourist Delivery
231= Kombi cargo doors right, LHD
SK 693 = Seagull Gray over Mango Green

Chassis 486562

Bastard engine: 3420145

Supposedly the bastard was running fine when removed, but it will take some work to get it going again.

I feel like Judas betraying my '67, but I've always wanted an early camper, and it's going to be fun getting this one back in order.

Sun Dec 15, 2013 6:11 pm

Jack, that is awesome.

:popcorn:

Sun Dec 15, 2013 10:41 pm

zuggbug wrote: Jack, that is awesome.

:popcorn:

Nice trade, hard to say who got the better deal, sounds like you both did well.

Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:15 am

COOL - time for everyone to sit back and enjoy the finger busting (stripping!)

:D

Mon Dec 16, 2013 4:40 am

zuggbug wrote: Jack, that is awesome.

:popcorn:

burwin wrote: COOL - time for everyone to sit back and enjoy the finger busting (stripping!)

:D

Thanks Paul and burwin. Yes, it's gonna be a slog getting all that paint off. It's not a latex job, so I expect it to be slooooow and tedious. The mango/grey that is already uncovered still has its gloss, though, so that will keep me motivated :D

Mon Dec 16, 2013 4:44 am

Braukuche wrote:
Nice trade, hard to say who got the better deal, sounds like you both did well.

Kent and I came to the same conclusion. Both of us feel bad about it, so it must be fair, LOL.

Mon Dec 16, 2013 6:49 am

Wow nice Westy, and Mango under the re-paint. I see the ? mark by the 544 M-Code, I read in a thread just the other day that it may be for a heater. Does it have a heater or look like it may have?? Cant find the thread right now.

Mon Dec 16, 2013 7:14 am

Big Bill wrote: Wow nice Westy, and Mango under the re-paint. I see the ? mark by the 544 M-Code, I read in a thread just the other day that it may be for a heater. Does it have a heater or look like it may have?? Cant find the thread right now.

Interesting, yes, it would be nice to know what 544 was. It doesn't currently have a heater, and I see no evidence (unknown brackets, attachment points, ducts) that it had one. This is my first bullet bus, though, so I could be missing a clue.

Mon Dec 16, 2013 7:24 am

Just did a search for "m-code 544" and according to Everett:

"544 means they did something special to it in the factory workshop."

Couple of threads speculating on 544:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=92158
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=251926

According to Kommercial from the thread above: "544 = KW 544 and KW means "Kundendienstwerkstatt"--"service room", a special place for conversions done by Volkswagen itself."

Hmm, not sure what that "special" thing would be in this case....maybe it's the mythical 1000th Westy, LOL. Don't tell Kent! :wink:

Mon Dec 16, 2013 7:35 am

Thanks Jack, I love tryng to de-code M-codes. :oops:

Mon Dec 16, 2013 7:42 am

M156 is likely not the larger oil bath air cleaner. Could possibly be the passenger side mirror (?). VW re-cycled codes, but if you search M156 there's info out there. It is a very common code to see on Westfalias.
Congrats BTW! Looks like you guys both scored!

Mon Dec 16, 2013 7:52 am

Thanks vwboop.

I got the 156 code from here on so23westfalia.com

Of course it doesn't look like that site has been updated in a while, so maybe there is better info now. My bus does have the passenger mirror....will dig some more :-)

Mon Dec 16, 2013 8:10 am

I've always had a love affair with that bus. Looking forward to its resurrection.

Mon Dec 16, 2013 8:17 am

I remember reading the original thread for this bus, what a find. Congrats on the trade! Being a Westy guy I think you got the better deal but if your both happy that's what matters.

Mon Dec 16, 2013 8:23 am

Great grab, love the bus!

Tue Dec 17, 2013 5:16 am

scvw wrote: I've always had a love affair with that bus. Looking forward to its resurrection.

That's right, you had a little fling (fixing the engine lid hinge for Kent) :D

Thanks all.
Today my task is to start testing various stripping techniques...

Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:01 am

jjjjack wrote: scvw wrote: I've always had a love affair with that bus. Looking forward to its resurrection.

That's right, you had a little fling (fixing the engine lid hinge for Kent) :D

Thanks all.
Today my task is to start testing various stripping techniques...

from what i hear it all starts with the Pole, and it goes downhilll from there

Tue Dec 17, 2013 2:20 pm

mandraks wrote: jjjjack wrote: scvw wrote: I've always had a love affair with that bus. Looking forward to its resurrection.

That's right, you had a little fling (fixing the engine lid hinge for Kent) :D

Thanks all.
Today my task is to start testing various stripping techniques...

from what i hear it all starts with the Pole, and it goes downhilll from there

That's where I went wrong in my stripping...the overspray came off real well, but nobody was throwing dollar bills at me while I was doing it #-o ...

Tue Dec 17, 2013 3:48 pm

I remember reading about him finding that bus also. Great bus! I will be watching your progress :popcorn:

Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:34 pm

Jack, I have stripped one bus and am stripping paint on a second, each bus has required different strippers.

You are smart In trying different things, best of luck,

This is the progress on the bus I am working on now. 6 layers of paint.