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Old 03-20-2014, 10:44 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
My Baby

Hello everyone, I am new to posting on this form. But I have been reading a lot of the posts and wanted to share with all of you "My Baby". She is a 1960 Chevy/Wayne school bus. As I am on a pension I not only live in her, I also use her as my daily driver. She has a 283 engine with a 4 speed and 2 speed rear end. She can hike up her skirts and run about 70mph. Bur she is best in the mountains. Her MPG is somewhere around 5 to 6. Inside I have a 14ft by 7ft area that is from the back of the driver seat. The man who owned her before me made a motorhome out of her, But he put the dining area on the diver side which I feel is unsafe as well as being hard to talk with people while traveling. It is my plan to rebuild her to what I believe I need to live comfortable. Now some may think I have a closed mind, but I will entertain any and all ideas. So please feel free to say anything you may want. Once again allow me so say HI to every one. By the way I am known as "the old man" or "travelingman"
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Old 03-20-2014, 11:58 AM   #2
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Location: Montana
Posts: 1,626
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All-American R/E
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Re: My Baby

NICE!!! Be nice to score a big block cheap and stick it in there.
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Old 03-20-2014, 12:29 PM   #3
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Location: Cuyahoga Falls Ohio
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Year: 1997
Coachwork: Startrans
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Engine: 5.4 litre
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Re: My Baby

I love the body lines on that bus...Its sexy...
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Old 03-20-2014, 04:42 PM   #4
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Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Re: My Baby

Howdy & Welcome to the Madness! --- What a great looking old Chevy, one of my favorite body styles. And even if you "re-do" the interior, it sounds like you are already way ahead of the game conversion wise. Would be nice to get more MPG's but without going to a diesel, I can't imagine any other gas burner doing a whole lot better.

Do it YOUR way but please...keep the pix a'comin'!
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Old 03-21-2014, 06:11 AM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Year: 1996
Coachwork: MertoTrans
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Engine: 460 Ford
Rated Cap: 4
Re: My Baby

I love it! Should be a great project bus.
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Old 03-21-2014, 09:16 AM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
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Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Good morning everyone. Please allow me to thank-you all for your reply's. Today the wind is calm and the sun is shinning, so I get to finish putting up my over-head. Let me explain - I have to cut the insulation out side and if the wind is blowing I can't hold it and cut it at the same time. If you-all don't mind I will post these two pictures and then get to work. Bye for now "the old man"
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Old 03-23-2014, 10:48 AM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Good morning everyone. It is a good sunny day and I need to finish the overhead in the front half of the bus. With the sun shining like this it will not take very long for my batteries to charge enough to use the power tools. So I have set up my shop and will get the wood cut as soon as I post these two pictures. the old man
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Old 03-25-2014, 12:45 AM   #8
Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Western Tennessee
Posts: 102
Year: 1985
Coachwork: Wayne Chaperone
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 350
Re: My Baby

We had a 1964 Ford Skoolie and we loved it. Wish I still had it, was one of the most dependable and fun vehicles we ever had!
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Old 03-25-2014, 09:52 AM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Good-morning everyone. Spent yesterday working on the overhead and framing the cabinet over the kitchen. This morning I took out the vanity in front of the bathroom so I can extend the wall. Then I will be able to build the kitchen cabinet. This living in while building is not very easy. The sun is shinning and my batteries are charged so I will get to work. The old man
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Old 03-25-2014, 11:06 AM   #10
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Hi - I got the heater pulled and now I think I need a tad bit of help. When the person converted this bus he did not install a hot water heater. What I was thinking is to install a tank-less where the heater was. Question? what do they need in venting and which one is best for a small bus. Also anyone who has one, could you tell me what you think about them. Thank-you.
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Old 03-26-2014, 08:46 AM   #11
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Location: Hillsboro Oregon
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Re: My Baby

Sorry I cant help on hot water heater as I will be watching for the replies myself.

But what great looking bus. Not many of those left.
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Old 03-26-2014, 11:33 AM   #12
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Location: So Cal
Posts: 3,227
Year: 1935
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 317 ci/tid / Isuzu
Re: My Baby

I used an Ecotemp 5L which I mounted to the rear wall. It vents through the old rear 1/4 window opening and gets its combustion air from under the bus via a metal enclosure. The exhaust is very hot so you'll want to be sure it is both high enough so people don't get burned and that there isn't anything inflammable above it.



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Old 03-26-2014, 04:38 PM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Hi everyone. Today it has been very windy so I have been unable to do any work on the bus. It has been a day of watching TV sitting by the fire. The stove I use is home made and it use very little wood to keep the bus warm. Maybe tomorrow the wind will die down to the point I can work outside. The old man



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Old 03-29-2014, 12:41 PM   #14
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Hello everyone - Today I am very unhappy with myself. For today I set fire to My Baby. I was installing some backing wood and screwed right into a hot wire. Smoke started to come out of the wall and when I got to the door smoke was coming out of the switch panel. I was lucky in that I had my wire cutters in my back pocket. In the engine compartment which was all smoke I could see the hot wire which I cut. All this happen about two hours ago. So I can now tell what happen. The man who first built this conversion wired from the hot lead feeding the coach. This hot lead went through a circuit breaker. The contacts in the circuit breaker melted close and the rest is history. I will now replace the circuit breaker with a 20 amp circuit breaker and a 20 amp inline spade fuse. It is my hope that between the two at least one will work. I guess that is all for now as I got to do some rewiring before I can go into town for the new parts I need. The old man
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Old 03-29-2014, 09:39 PM   #15
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Year: 1946
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Rated Cap: 15
Re: My Baby

Ouch! --- But glad to hear the damage was minimal. I have seen more than a few stix & staples rigs a total loss due to minor electrical issues. I'll take iron over twigs any day.

Best of luck and hope the "recovery" is quick & cheap.
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Old 03-29-2014, 10:03 PM   #16
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Re: My Baby

In my experience, circuit breakers are slow. The purpose of mis-handled screwdrivers is to melt their tips off so as to prevent a circuit breaker from tripping. Ask me how I know . . . . .

Fuses are good, and perhaps except for the slow-blow variety they disconnect a short circuit right now. But having an assortment of the right sized spares on hand can be a chore. And you can go through a bunch of them while tracking down a short circuit when the location of the short is unknown.

The exception is with printed circuit boards. Get a short in one of those, and often a copper strip can burn off of a board faster than a fast-blow fuse can blow.
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Old 03-31-2014, 12:56 PM   #17
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Hi everyone - Today I found where the harness is damaged. The harness I am speaking about is for the coach only. There is a squeeze point where it goes through a square tube on the driver side exiting above the driver window. All the wires are melted together. So I have cut out a 12" area and thought I would splice them with squeeze splices. But after I thought about it for a time I think I should solder them in a copper tube type of splice. That way they will carry the current the same as the wire. The only thing is I don't have the tube. Will spent this after noon walking to town and buying the tube at NAPA. With any luck the Baby should be up and running tomorrow. Bye for now the old man
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Old 04-02-2014, 02:10 PM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Hello everyone. Was a cloudy morning and the batteries are low. Did cut wood enough wood to last for a few days. This afternoon I found that the rivets on the roof are lose enough to leak. So now I will need to snow coat after I prime the top. I sure am looking for the sunny days of spring so I can do the building without worrying about the weather. Hope everyone is healthy and happy. the old man
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Old 04-02-2014, 08:45 PM   #19
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Re: My Baby

Glad to here your alive and breathing still. Hope all is well.

Nat
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Old 04-03-2014, 10:01 AM   #20
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 41
Year: 1960
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 283 cid
Re: My Baby

Hi everyone - Nat it is hard to get anything done when the weather does this.


But with any luck the sun will come out and tomorrow will be bright and sunny. Any way I will be inside hugging the stove. Bye for now the old man
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