New Owner of a SO42, first bus!

[timjames722]

First time posting here, thinking about purchasing a 65 so42. Does anyone have advice on replacing the birch on the side doors? A diagram or pictures would be great! Thanks!!

[cru62]

The OG wood is Limba. It is basically unobtainable. If you decide to use Birch try to use European Birch. Not something from HD. For some reason it is better than North American Birch. The grain of the EU Birch is tighter and looks more like Limba.

Door panels are the easiest of all the panels in Camper. They are just rectangles. Make a cardboard pattern and you're done!
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"My biggest worry is that when I die, my wife will sell all my parts for what I told her I paid for them"-Jon

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

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[timjames722]

Hey thanks man! I was unaware of that, throught it was birch. Thanks for letting me know.

[sled]

that is actually not true, so42's had birch paneling.
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drive your split.

[cru62]

Sled, you are correct. I was thinking SO-23. They had Limba.
My advice still applies to EU vs NA Birch, though. I sourced some through a local real Lumber Store. I took in one of the Cargo door panels and the NA stuff wasn’t even close. They had a pallet of EU birch which was perfect. The plus is that EU panels are about the same size as SO-42 roof panels, unlike NA panels which are smaller.
_________________
"My biggest worry is that when I die, my wife will sell all my parts for what I told her I paid for them"-Jon

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[timjames722]

Do you guys know the approximate thickness of the panels?

[will t]

See if you can find 3mm Baltic birch. Don't quote me on the 3mm but it is in mm and approximately 1/8". Paxton Hardwoods in Denver sells it and that's where I have bought it. Ask whatever place near you that sells wood to woodworkers and fine home-builders.

[timjames722]

Cool thanks I’m familiar with Baltic birch. If I do end up getting it I’ll post pics!

[Clara]

SO-42s used birch, not limba.
Post pics before. IMO if the existing panels are original, and not terribly thrashed, I would leave them.
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[timjames722]

Thanks, good advice. Will do.

[BulliBill]

Welcome "timjames722" to our Westy world! First off I hope you find and buy a good old Westfalia SO-42 Campmobile with solid bones!

Great advice above on finding the good Baltic Birch at a better lumber supplier, not at the "big box" warehouses. You want the thin stuff with the beautiful clean grain! If you are handy with saws, sanders and power tools and can stain wood you'll be able to handle your own interior panel restoration. Replace the old sub floor too. There are plenty of build threads in here to show and advise. Clara (above) does incredible work! Check out her ads for interior items.

I just had my interior completely restored to original on my '67 Campmobile. There are a few folks across the USA that I would trust to do this and since I was already bringing my Camper out West on a long fall vacation to attend the 2019 Jerome Jamboree event in my Splitty and visit with friends in Phoenix, I chose a Camper interior service out there called Modern Relix. The day after the event ended, into their shop my "tin-top" Camper went. On day one we gutted the interior and correctly cut a hole and using a cool jig we bent a lip just like the folks at Westfalia did into the roof and installed a SO-42 pop-top roof section that I had previously shipped out to them to restore and install when I brought the Camper out West. On day 2 thru 4 with everything inside removed, we carefully installed a new subfloor and new original-look linoleum, then replaced all of my ceiling and wall panels with fresh new Baltic Birch and then installed all of the interior and new curtains into my now "pop-top" Campmobile. I'm so happy I did this with them! Then my wife and I hopped back in and continued our driving/camping tour of the Southwest and eventually cruised back to Missouri.

If you are mildly handy with tools and are patient you can do a very nice job in your own garage. Read up on all the discussion threads about flooring, panels, curtains, pop-tops, etc. and you'll have a good idea on how to pull off your own transformation! Welcome to the wonderful world of SO-42's...

Bill
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I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[timjames722]

[matthew henricks]

FWIW to get European Birch plywood look for specialty hardwood suppliers. Also if it is true European it will come in 5' x 5' sheets and not 4' x 8' and thickness will be metric. Many times the separator or protection wood for the thicker plywood in shipping is 3mm and they toss it out.

Good luck.
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1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[timjames722]

Bringing home the bus in the next few days, will post pics!

[timjames722]

[timjames722]

[von_hansel]

Tim- Very nice original honest bus. For being from the East Coast, it is fairly dry.

Looking forward to seeing what you do with it and how the wood comes out.

[BarryL]

Wowie that looks really original.

[timjames722]

First night indoors

[velvetgreen]

Cool bus- wonder how they got bus front door pockets to fit in a 65' bus?