TheSamba.com :: View topic - My new bus, 66 SO42, walk through, pop top :)))))

Mon Jul 27, 2020 10:34 am

I have been searching for a while, finally made a deal.
Picked up my 1966 SO42 pop top, walk through, this weekend.
Have been cruising, researching, and doing odds and ends on it the last couple of days. Decoded the M plate as well..... all good times.

Looking for a child cot if anyone has one hanging around their garage

Mon Jul 27, 2020 10:59 am

Nice. My favorite SO42 color. Here's a couple original one's for sale:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2360636
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2378526

Or a pretty nice reproduction:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2281588

Mon Jul 27, 2020 11:10 am

Tough decision, the reproduction looks so good and and is inclusive of all the goodies, but original is always a plus.

Any idea of the weight capacity of the repop and original?

Will mostly be used for storage but would be good to know the capacity for if I have a kid sleep up there

Mon Jul 27, 2020 11:33 am

I would get the reproduction if you were going to actually use it. Think its up to 40lbs.

Mon Jul 27, 2020 3:12 pm

Miskeroo- I hope you don't mind me rifling your gallery, but your mirror heads... Where did you find them? I have painted harps ready for round heads on my DC, but those square units are very neat.

Mon Jul 27, 2020 3:34 pm

hitest- those mirrors and arms have been on the bus since new. They were a VW accessory. They are aluminum, I think. At first I was going to swap them out for round ones but I really like them now. They are part of the history of it.
I have seen other busses with them, but have yet to see the double (harp) arm with these mirrors, combo
This bus was was part of the European delivery program. Picked up at the factory by a Canadian militarily soldier that was serving, and eventually brought back to Canada.

Mon Jul 27, 2020 3:36 pm

Ps, the mirrors are very stable with no vibration. I am not sure if it is the mirrors, arms, or the fact that the combo is so tight from being together so long. Either way they are great on the hwy

Mon Jul 27, 2020 4:23 pm

Miskeroo wrote: I have been searching for a while, finally made a deal.
Picked up my 1966 SO42 pop top, walk through, this weekend.
Have been cruising, researching, and doing odds and ends on it the last couple of days. Decoded the M plate as well..... all good times.

Looking for a child cot if anyone has one hanging around their garage

Gorgeous bus there. I’ve got a 65 subhatch Westy in the same color, not as shiny though.

Mon Jul 27, 2020 4:59 pm

AS350driver—- thank you :)
I checked out your bus in your album. They are almost twins

Mon Jul 27, 2020 5:08 pm

Got home from work and into the garage.
Replaced my pop top rubber pulls.
These are repops from Wolfsburg West, and seem to be a great replacement.

There are a few screws that are a little loose and won’t tighten up, that hold the rubber pull mount to the ceiling. Anyone come across a good fix for that? Just looks like they are screwed into very thin plywood. Also, the pins that slide between the rubbers and metal mount.... they have a tiny hole in them. What was originally in the hole? A cotter pin to secure the main pin?

Mon Jul 27, 2020 8:51 pm

Congrats on the new bus! Looks like a real gem!

Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:21 am

Caution on those "used" childs cots. I can't quite tell from the photos in those ads, but at least one of them (the second ad?) might be a Bay window cot and the ends of the poles are shaped differently between Split and Bay cots. Also the forwardmost cot pole on a Split is shorter in length than the Bay version (which are both about the same length). Therefore the canvas material is also narrower to the front than at the rear, not a perfect rectangle like the Bay window parts. I'd research those "used ads" and ask for better photos.

Jacks reproduction (Jack-Fatboy: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2281588 ) might be the better deal, as his stuff is usually spot-on in terms of correct details and quality. And you get everything in a package, even the storage canvas boot.

Bill Bowman

p.s. Jack is a very nice guy too, and he isn't fat...

Tue Jul 28, 2020 9:28 am

Thanx Wild, I’m lovin it so far

Thanx for the tips Bill, I emailed Jack with some questions about it. Might be the way to go

Tue Jul 28, 2020 10:47 am

The screws that hold the pulls to the ceiling go through the fiberglass top-there should be nuts on the outside.

Tue Jul 28, 2020 11:32 am

crofty wrote: The screws that hold the pulls to the ceiling go through the fiberglass top-there should be nuts on the outside.

That’s great news, thank you.
I will snug those up when I get home

Tue Jul 28, 2020 11:38 am

The previous owner sent the sapphire lll 6v radio out for a refurbishment, but didn’t hook it up. I hooked it up and it works great.
I have two am talk show stations to listen to. That might get old quick, but it sure makes me happy that all of my equipment works nd it looks fantastic too.
My bus has the red tip antenna too, kinda neat.

Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:37 pm

Beautiful bus!!!

Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:12 pm

Miskeroo wrote: The previous owner sent the sapphire lll 6v radio out for a refurbishment, but didn’t hook it up. I hooked it up and it works great.
I have two am talk show stations to listen to. That might get old quick, but it sure makes me happy that all of my equipment works nd it looks fantastic too.
My bus has the red tip antenna too, kinda neat.

The radio bezel goes behind the dash, not in front fyi. I know because i have the same one and did the same thing.

Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:02 pm

Ha, I was wondering why it looked so good. I like it way better with the chrome bezel in front. It ties it together with the buttons.
:P :P :P

I appreciate the info though. Now at least I know it’s backwards

Wed Jul 29, 2020 11:16 am

Thanks for the mirror update Miskeroo- now my hunt begins :)