1998 5.9 BlueBird Flat Nosed Conversion - Page 2

browncrown · 07-05-2012, 08:16 PM

Glad you made it home...now the fun begins on the conversion and a lifetime of memories

Tango · 07-05-2012, 10:44 PM

Big Bird be lookin good. --- now the fun begins...just stock up on grinding wheels!

aweber · 07-07-2012, 03:38 PM

a $14 heat gun later and the sticker's are gone:

Other than some beer inspired sticker placement that has been since removed

Seat tops out:

bansil · 07-07-2012, 05:00 PM

...this has such a pre-Wenzel Pirate ring to it.....

so the heat gun actually worked on the "pyramystical"(new word

)stickers?those are the only ones still on my bus....after a few beers I just got pissed with razor knife and said....fawkit

and moved on

aweber · 07-07-2012, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bansil

so the heat gun actually worked on the "pyramystical"(new word

)stickers?

Yup, got them malleable enough that they came off in strips rather than just crumbling...

browncrown · 07-07-2012, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bansil

....after a few beers I just got pissed with razor knife and said....fawkit and moved on

Can't tell you how many times I've done that

That's why I have so many areas in the bus I am working on

aweber · 07-08-2012, 01:54 PM

Seats out:

Rear heater and coolant lines also out:

Stop sign and bar that goes out on bumper off:

aweber · 07-22-2012, 09:21 AM

Back from the Garage, Saftied and E-Tested

aweber · 07-22-2012, 05:45 PM

Started ripping out the floor - kids cleaning out the heads of the screws so I can get them out with the drill.

crazycal · 07-22-2012, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aweber

Started ripping out the floor - kids cleaning out the heads of the screws so I can get them out with the drill.

SHOES!

bus-bro · 07-22-2012, 09:06 PM

You know, I had pryed up the plywood, swept up the debris, pounded out all the left over nail shanks, prepped then primered the floor. The next day was warm so I put on a pair of shorts. Crawling around on the floor, doing import bus stuff, my right knee cap found a nail shank. There was a big rip in the old epidermis. The bus gods once again extracted their sacrifice. Blood--my blood, again.

Gotta love this hobby.

chev49 · 07-23-2012, 10:13 AM

Bloody good story...

proconsul100 · 07-23-2012, 10:46 AM

i have experienced this as well

aweber · 07-24-2012, 06:32 PM

Got 8' of the floor ripped out to the metal today.

It was rubber, then plywood, then more rubber before I got to the metal.

Water was apparently coming in the hole in the floor for the fuel filler neck and creating mold in the back, but good news is there is no rust. The floor looks like it is galvanized or something.

So, what do you think would be the best way to lay the new floor? I'm thinking of sealing all the bolt/screw holes with automotive seam sealer, then a coat of TremClad, then plywood, then laminate underlay (the thick stuff you use over concrete in the basement - It has a built in vapor barrier), then laminate flooring.

lapeer20m · 07-24-2012, 07:43 PM

it looks like a fun project!

It'll pull your trailer with the buggy on it and you will barely know it's there.

Air or hydro brakes?

aweber · 07-25-2012, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lapeer20m

it looks like a fun project!

It'll pull your trailer with the buggy on it and you will barely know it's there.

Air or hydro brakes?

Hydro Boost - With an electric assist - I know air is supposed to be the cat's ass but I wanted other people to be able to drive it without their air license.

aweber · 08-12-2012, 06:55 PM

So, After two weeks of not working on the bus due to a bad back.... From working on the bus..... I went back at it again this weekend and the floor is all ripped up now.

Next will be to wash it, paint it and seal all the holes in preparation for the new floor.

aweber · 08-22-2012, 12:32 PM

Cleaned up the Rust/Old Silicone with a grinder and wire wheel. Painted the rust with a rust converter and a fresh coat of white tremclad.

Ready to seal all the bolt holes from the seats next! Almost done the boring stuff :beer:

aweber · 09-12-2012, 10:40 AM

Filled in all the holes in the floor with white outdoor silicone today:

Some stuff to make my life easier:

Aluminum tape for putting over the silicone once it dries
A Princess Auto Rivet Gun!
Additive for the paint that is going to go on the roof - reflects the heat, etc:

http://insuladd.com/

Got enough to mix with 5 Gallons of paint.

aweber · 09-12-2012, 10:42 AM

It seems the bus has been named. On another board, people where making fun the the NASA thing on the paint additive, which got me thinking of Space, which turned into Star Wars, Which turned into Robot Chicken Spoof:

So something like this to replace the current BlueBird and Stripe along the top of the bus will be done:

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