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Old 09-28-2017, 05:20 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 17
2002 International 88 Ultimate Party Bus Project

Hey guys I'm Chris here in Minneapolis and I've been a long time lurker, shorter time poster. I'm on my 4th " Party Bus" (by the legal term), with the first one being a 94 MetroTrans Shuttle Bus, second being a 1997 Gillig City Bus, the 3rd a replacement Shuttle, a 2000 ElDorado....





And finally a flat nose skoolie!



https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net...a7&oe=5A3C3585





I got it from an auction site from 2 hours up north for a STEAL and couldn't pass it up. She's got about 12000 hours on the engine, sounds and runs good (had one of my diesel friends confirm it!). I've got lots of items on the backlog:
  • Paint over the school bus orange
  • Remove the seats
  • Install a 3/4 bath, complete with shower & clean/dark water tanks
  • Some kind of hideaway sink / stove top + min- fridge
  • Seating for 50 people

I've got a pretty good army of friends and colleagues from 5 years of party bus operations so I'm hoping to use this thread to not only chronicle this journey, but if anyone has questions I'm happy to answer them as well

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Old 09-29-2017, 01:48 PM   #2
Traveling
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,573
Year: 2003
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9L Cummins
Rated Cap: '00
Welcome !

Quite the harem of buses you have going.

Do you have any pictures of the converted buses? Would love to see what you did with the interior.
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Old 09-22-2018, 07:23 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty View Post
Quite the harem of buses you have going.

Do you have any pictures of the converted buses? Would love to see what you did with the interior.
I fell off the radar here but I've been full speed ahead on working to convert this schoolie and have been working to remove the seats with an impact wrench and using some Rustoleum DTM to cover the wonderful orange color



Here are a few interior photos from the others I've build. I constructed the benches from hand

This one is from the city bus


Here is the small 21 passenger ElDorado shuttle
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Old 09-22-2018, 09:13 PM   #4
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Philadelpiha Pennsylvania
Posts: 397
Year: 2007
Coachwork: IC
Chassis: FE Bus
Engine: DT-466 7.6L Turbo Diesel
Rated Cap: 77
Great looking bus. How did you paint the outside? That’s my second project
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Old 09-25-2018, 10:49 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by CMORGANSKOOL View Post
Great looking bus. How did you paint the outside? That’s my second project
For both sides and the back only took 1 can of $26 Rustoleum Commercial Direct to Metal in a Smoked Grey, 2 coats doing the trick. Just picked up a second can to do the small spots and front with a paintbrush, plus will need to hop on top to roll the roof.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ole...-100201855-_-N
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:04 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 17
For removal of the seats I tried to use an air impact wrench (https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...nch-62891.html) but because the screw were so rusted I ended up having to break out the angle grinder and a pack of wheels (https://www.harborfreight.com/pack-o...scs-66394.html) to get the almost 40 seats pulled out.
Next up, getting them out to recycling, ripping out the floor to install some vinyl flooring, and framing out the benches to install the seats.
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:10 PM   #7
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Philadelpiha Pennsylvania
Posts: 397
Year: 2007
Coachwork: IC
Chassis: FE Bus
Engine: DT-466 7.6L Turbo Diesel
Rated Cap: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by thetootall View Post
For both sides and the back only took 1 can of $26 Rustoleum Commercial Direct to Metal in a Smoked Grey, 2 coats doing the trick. Just picked up a second can to do the small spots and front with a paintbrush, plus will need to hop on top to roll the roof.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ole...-100201855-_-N
Thanks for the tip. Home Depot says the product is not available within 100 miles of my zip code. Lol. I had a similar problem looking for Kils complete oil based primer. I will order some.
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Old 10-18-2018, 06:24 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 17
After getting all of the seats and flooring up, I did a check of the subfloor and decided that it would be best to add some additional support to this almost 20 year old bus so I wouldnt have to deal with it again in a few years. Well worth the extra money for the 1/8" 4'x8' sheets but I did have to break out the metal drillbit to predrill the screw holes due to the metal subfloor under the wood subfloor.



I also picked up some really nice vinyl flooring from the local hardware chain (Menards). Ended up being 88" wide wall to wall between the heater piping and the side, and an extra few inches towards the back where there was no heater. Total was around $200



Once the flooring was done, I was able to recycle the wood from my city bus project to build the new benches, at a more managing size with extra aisle clearance. Once these were in, per DOT i had to use some hefty screws drilled thru the subfloor to hold them down



Next time, I'll post of photos of the benches and the seat back as I get closer to prime time
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