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Old 10-13-2013, 09:25 AM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: South/North Dakota
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Year: 1989
Chassis: Ward
Engine: 6.6L Brazilian Ford
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Project Transformation

Subject: 1989 Ford F700 6.6L Brazilian Ford with Allison auto 278,000 miles. Good warm oil pressure at an idle. Runs coolish it seems. 22.5 wheels; runs out good down the road and steers nice.

I label this thread as a transformation as it could be slow and may go down many roads before completion.

I finally got the bus to my location Oct. 11. The guy was using it for storage so I gave him a couple weeks to move his stuff and the shelves into another trailer.
Going after it was a hoot. My Sister's (Anita) husband died 3 weeks ago. She has been rattling around her house trying to figure out who she is and what she should do with the rest of her life(she's 51). I was on the phone with her; just listening. Finally I asked her what she was doing this Friday. She said she had no idea. I asked her if the wanted to go on a little road trip. She jumped on it.
So when she comes to get me she has another one of my sisters with her. So here we are three siblings in their mid lives; one sister with a recently dead husband and the other with a recently empty nest. All of us in our mid-life going after a pink bus 120 miles away in a rain storm! We had a blast. My younger sister was snapping pictures that, I'm sure, ended up on facebook for all my relatives to see (i,m not a facebooker; my sister insists I should be. . . OBVIOUSLY so I can see the pics!).

So the bus doesn't start and the guy isn't home from work yet. I tell my sisters I'll just nap in the bus til the guy gets home. Reluctantly they take off for home. I rattle around in the bus for a while then brave the rain to see if there is a battery in the bus. I open the compartment door and the battery is there but disconnected. I reconnect the terminals, jump in the bus, turn the key and it's running. OK, I've already got the title in my pocket from my initial visit; so we're good to go.

The trip back was a wet one. We received three inches of rain that day. everything on the bus worked from the blinkers to the wipers and radio . The bus travels down the road good at about 58 mph. Good enough for me; I travel the back roads of America anyway. I actually got her up to 68 on the flat though. topping hills at about 48-52mph. A little slow; I may have to bump the pump a bit.

First day of work on the old girl. Rubber and floor molding out. Plywood half out.
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Old 10-13-2013, 09:57 AM   #2
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Re: Project Transformation

Let me ask you what was your RPM's at 58 mph?
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Old 10-13-2013, 07:47 PM   #3
Skoolie
 
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Re: Project Transformation

Interestingly enough this bus has no tachometer.

Here is a picture after the first coat of Rustoleum galvinized chainlink fence paint on the galvinized floor. The results of about a day and a half's work.

Lotsa holes to fill now; after the second coat is on and dried.
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Old 10-13-2013, 08:15 PM   #4
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Re: Project Transformation

Now that is a transformation. Good job.
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Old 10-13-2013, 11:59 PM   #5
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Re: Project Transformation

Ah yes, nothing like a freshly painted floor!
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Old 10-14-2013, 12:15 PM   #6
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Re: Project Transformation

Sounds like an awesome road trip!!
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Old 10-27-2013, 10:24 AM   #7
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
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Re: Project Transformation

I don't get but every other weekend to work on this bus. As some of you know I work away from home and go home every other weekend. I have the bus where I work soooo. . . .
Yesterday went slow but because of it; today should go quicker. By the end of today I hope to have all side windows out, sheeted with 1/4" ply, have ply painted and some rough end wall work done inside. I had a little time last evening and was able to get all plywood cut to size; all I have to do is screw it in place.

I know some here may not approve of the use of plywood to cover the windows. I'm building this bus up to save money and for no other reason. It will not be fancy; but warm and comfortable.

Rent here in the oil field is 1500.00 per month for a room. When I'm through with this bus I will feel confident that, if I want, I can drive it to the scrap yard and take what I can get and walk away knowing I beat the system! I can park this in the company yard and plug it in for nothing.

I've learned a lot here, from all of you, and I appreciate it immensely.

Just a couple pics of yesterdays progress.
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Old 10-27-2013, 10:56 PM   #8
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Year: 1946
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Re: Project Transformation

Lookin' Good --- Build what YOU need. That's the only real formula here. Go for it.
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Old 10-28-2013, 02:37 AM   #9
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Re: Project Transformation

Rock on man. I like the term "Knowing I beat the system".

Nat
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Old 10-28-2013, 07:34 AM   #10
Skoolie
 
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Year: 1989
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Re: Project Transformation

Here are a couple from the other side I got done on sunday. I started to build a wall behind the drivers seat too but took the pics so late they didn't turn out right because of the late lighting. You can kinda get the idea from the pic of the studs but it is of poor quality. Just phone pics guys; nothing fancy.
I'm using 3" material for framing on the walls. It seems to work if you cut the pieces along the ceiling about 1' long and curve one end with a saw a bit where it faces the contour of the ceiling; I'll do this with every stud. There will be gaps between the plate along the ceiling but after the sheeting goes up, with a tight fit, I should be able to calk or trim to suit. What you are looking at in the pic of the studs is the door way. It will be offset to the side of the steps to allow for more room for something useful along the interior wall behind the drivers seat. The door will be short; but it should be workable with the landing between the bus step and the door. The landing will be roughly 3'. The forward wall is at the location where the ply ends next to the front side window. The side windows were left for extra visual for the driver.
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Old 11-16-2013, 07:58 PM   #11
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Re: Project Transformation

Got another weekend to work on the bus. Finished framing the end wall behind the driver. there will be a bus side window mounted behind the driver for extra light and for communications from the cabin to the cab if needed. I'll have to post one picat a time because of bandwidth issues.
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Old 11-16-2013, 08:02 PM   #12
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
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Year: 1989
Chassis: Ward
Engine: 6.6L Brazilian Ford
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Re: Project Transformation

outside pic of installed window. I only bought one but will now buy another to put in the other side; I like the way it went in and it fits good.
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Old 11-16-2013, 08:05 PM   #13
Skoolie
 
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Year: 1989
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Re: Project Transformation

hereis a pic of the inside wall with the window in. I had to take these pics early before the sun went down. I actually got the whole side studded in and some of the insulation up but it wasto dark in the bus to get pics.
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Old 11-16-2013, 10:06 PM   #14
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Re: Project Transformation

Looks like the "transformation" be goin' good. Keep up the good work and you'll have a toasty cabin on wheels in no time. Keep up the pix as well.
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Old 11-18-2013, 09:40 PM   #15
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Re: Project Transformation

Work continued on Sunday with some stud work, wiring and insulating. Not much to report other than: That evening I drove the bus 75 miles to a business that will spray 4" of foam underneath the floor.
The pics. aren't to good; I took them with a lousy phone and a couple were taken after dark under bad lighting but you can get the idea.
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Old 11-19-2013, 03:02 PM   #16
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Year: 1973
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Chevy C60
Engine: Chevy 350, custom rebuild
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Re: Project Transformation

Looking good! The extra insulation should help, especially up in the Dakotas!

Sucks you only get a rare chance to work on it. I get home from work and will work for about 4 hours on mine, and then I'm off on fridays and the weekends so I try to work on it all that time too, but something always seems to come up!

I'm curious as to why you put the window in between the cabin and driver? is it because you are going to basically enclose and seal off the back from the driver area? Less to heat and cool? and less work, because you don't have to work around the drivers seat etc?
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Old 11-19-2013, 03:24 PM   #17
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Re: Project Transformation

In winter when heating a motorhome or bus or what have you the single pane windows and anything really; that is exposed to wild gyrations in temperature will develop a great deal of freezing and thawing. This wreaks havoc on wiring over a period of time. So yes, I am building a cabin "inside" the bus. The cab will be separate and also in the rear there will be a "breeze way" for storage. The back breeze way I did for two reasons:
1) to cut down on the misery trying to insulate & sheet around corners.
2) I needed a separate storage area for tools, a generator and what not.
The window in between the cab and cabin is for light purposes and communications between the cab & cabin only.

I will get to work on the bus again this weekend as I am staying until the holiday then go home for 5 days.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ferroequinologist
Looking good! The extra insulation should help, especially up in the Dakota's

I'm curious as to why you put the window in between the cabin and driver? is it because you are going to basically enclose and seal off the back from the driver area? Less to heat and cool? and less work, because you don't have to work around the drivers seat etc?
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Old 11-19-2013, 04:28 PM   #18
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Re: Project Transformation

Thats how I always planned on doing mine, closing off the rear completly from the driving area, I've got an 1988 Crown Pusher so my thinking is no engine noise no pots & pans rattling noise while driving,place to take off shoes before going into cabin area.
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Old 11-19-2013, 05:41 PM   #19
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Re: Project Transformation

This is what's great about this site,you can build how you invision using it
.
.
We hate cold more and more, so heading south is our "plan" for the future...nowi just fire up a 1500w heater seal off bedroom or front and wear coveralls and insulated boots to work inside (maybe 4 hrs at a time)...it helps to keep my nose from freezy up snot ...no real need to heat the bus up to toasty.

Now worst comes to worst, life or death? I can stick a small wood stove inside (in out building) and metal flue out window to survive if we lost power for several weeks plus or lost everything that is not paid off

Ours is built light,cheap and with the know, that mud,sand etc and heavy traffic makes a mess (the rubber floor cleans up great)

We fed and had 30+people come into bus,get food and head out (10 or so at a time would be eating standing or sitting inside )

I love what your doing! Drive on!
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Old 11-19-2013, 06:09 PM   #20
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Re: Project Transformation

I have bus envy
I Love those Crowns

Quote:
Originally Posted by allwthrrider
Thats how I always planned on doing mine, closing off the rear completly from the driving area, I've got an 1988 Crown Pusher . . .
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