Canadian Skoolie Project - Page 2

jkindt · 02-12-2010, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timbuk

i like the black cplate is is aluminum or painted steel?

Which ever I can find cheaper. I was leaning towards aluminum because it is easier to work with.

Seeria · 02-13-2010, 06:59 AM

My daughter has one of those barbie skoolies. Tis my painting inspiration!

Now that grid steel done in pink would Rock!

jkindt · 02-14-2010, 06:35 PM

Here's a little bit better idea of what the floorplan will look like. I did not include any overhead storage in the drawings because I haven't really decided where to put them yet.

dburt · 02-14-2010, 06:58 PM

I sure like your ability to show the floor plan in 3D! I am seriously computer challenged, still stuck in the pencil and paper days so I do admire someone that can use those computer assisted drawing programs to show an idea as clearly as your programs does!

jkindt · 02-15-2010, 01:33 AM

Okay, so I got bored and added the overhead storage to my design. I also added a few doors on the storage units, starting in the back. It is still not totally completed, but it gives me a really good idea what it will be like inside.

Seeria · 02-15-2010, 07:32 AM

Oh I hate you now.

Seeing those made me fireup SketchUP so now all my day is wasted playing with 3D layouts instead of finishing building projects that are supposed to be ready to put into the bus once I pick it up. Bad man!

jkindt · 02-16-2010, 08:10 PM

Well...it is finally home! I picked up the bus today and drove it home. It was a little different than I am used to at first with the older industrial type transmission and super-low gearing, but once I got the hang of a true manual transmission it was easy enough to drive. Just had to learn that you absolutely cannot skip gears when going up or down, and that it starts out in second gear really easy on a level ground. Unfortunately, the speedometer does not work. The previous owner said that the needle started to bounce around instead of just moving steadily for a while, then just quit working all together. Any ideas what the problem may be and how to fix the speedo? It has to work, because I am not a good judge of speed on a vehicle I am not familiar with, especially coming from an Acura Integra to a school bus!

jkindt · 02-16-2010, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smitty

Spedo cable

Kinda what I was thinking, probably started binding causing the instability, then snapped and well, no more speedo. Is it possible to change just the flexible shaft inside, or do I need to get a complete new cable? Should I be able to get parts through Ford for this, or would I need to go to a truck parts dealer for the parts?

jkindt · 02-16-2010, 10:12 PM

So I pulled the speedo cable off of the back of the speedometer and pulled the cable out. It is completely intact. As a test I put the end of the cable into the speedometer and turned it by hand. The needle moves, so the gauge itself should be okay. When I put the cable back into the housing to the transmission it turned freely until the last inch so I would think that the cable is engaging the gear in the transmission. The only other thing that I can think of is that the speedometer cable was not pressed into the gauge itself far enough to engage. The retaining clip is broken and it seemed to come out with little effort. It just pulled off. I pushed it into the gauge as best I could, I just need to test drive it tomorrow to see if it works now.

Seeria · 02-18-2010, 01:28 PM

No clue what it could be but our oldie mercury GM had similar systems and eventually one after another thing died. Spedometer, tripmeter, odometer, then the right blinker stopped working.

Never did have it looked at to figure the problem. Electrical?

timbuk · 02-18-2010, 10:48 PM

damn thing problably froze solid out there in the prairies.Drive the bus and hold the cable and see if it moves,keep your eyes on the road though,the snowbank is there

if it moves it works.Usually after my cars are parked for thewinter one or 2 of the cables get tight and noisy,sometimes the odometer is the culprit.Either way the answer is LUBE

jkindt · 02-18-2010, 10:57 PM

Yeah, I think I will pull the cable again and run it through some grease. I got a few tubes of marine grease for my jet skis that I could use. Its good stuff and wont thicken up in the cold temps.

jkindt · 03-06-2010, 02:08 AM

Time to update. I have been fixing a few scratches in the body, a piece of broken fiberglass on one fender, removing the blinky lights, and prepping for a great paint job. After filling a ton of holes that the previous owner had drilled in the body to attach a screen over the windows, I have decided it would look a lot nicer with all of the rub rails removed. I also think I may have come up with a paint job that I really like. Check this out and let me know what you think...

Sojakai · 03-06-2010, 03:55 AM

Caution, silly ideas... You have been warned!!!

I have two ideas, first... It looks like its missing a Nike symbol.

Second, Can you put a flame on the brown line so it looks like a burning fuse? Maybe paint it going to your propane tanks, paint those to look like kegs... ^.^

jkindt · 03-06-2010, 11:04 AM

That's funny. The flames would be interesting.

What is the silly ideas? Removing the rub rails? The body panels have one set of integrated rub rails where the colored stripe is, the ones I would remove are directly above and below the stripe, and along the bottom. I want to extend the body even with the bottom of the door to allow for more underbody storage. It would lower the body about 7" and leave about 12" of ground clearance, which is okay because that is all I get with the way the exhaust and the propane tank is mounted. I would likely do this with aluminum treadplate. I may take the bottom rub rails and flip them to the inside of the body and reattach them at the bottom of the extension though, depends what I do for underbody storage boxes. Most definately will reattach the bottom rub rail on the inside of the body where my big propane tank is on the starboard side. Don't want that getting crunched! The other rub rail is directly below the windows, and I haven't decided if I am removing that one or not, I may leave it and use it as a transition between the black around the windows and the white of the body.

Mulelover · 03-06-2010, 11:19 AM

I really like the paint. Is it on there or is it a picture of what it will look like.

jkindt · 03-06-2010, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulelover

I really like the paint. Is it on there or is it a picture of what it will look like.

It is a digitally enhanced version of what it would look like. Right now it is mostly yellow still with a bunch of spots where I have done minor body work and screw hole filling.

jkindt · 03-15-2010, 11:17 PM

Not too much to update on my bus. We have been sanding the paint for what seems like weeks getting ready for primer....then we get to sand again! Damn rub rails...if it wasn't for those silly things, I would have been done sanding over a week ago. I am also not looking forward to sanding the roof, but since I am less picky about the roof I think I will use a coarser sandpaper on a DA sander. Word of advice for anyone sanding rub rails by hand...get some cheap gloves of some type. My finger tips have been worn down and now are cracked and bleeding now and then from pushing that sandpaper into the grooves. Gloves have been a great help....but too late to save my fingers! Maybe tomorrow I will just take the hood off and prep and prime it just so that I can see some progress. And have pics to post.

jkindt · 03-16-2010, 08:41 PM

I can't believe how much work it is just to get the bus ready for paint! I decided to remove the refridgerator today so that I can get to the window behind it in order to skin it in properly. The previous owner just screwed plywood over it on the inside and left it at that. Didn't even paint it. Got the fridge out, took off the plywood, and realized that the bunk bed frame covers the window frame by about 1/2". That means that the bunk beds need to come out too! That's okay because I need to get to the windows behind the bunks in order to change them out too. Next I noticed the countertop covers the corner of the window by about 3/4". The counter needs to come out as well to get that window out! What a lot of work just to remove ONE window! I will try to get some pics. On the bright side, pardon the pun, I got the back door windows tinted today. Used a metallic premium heat reflective 5% tint. Absolutely cannot see inside, yet easily see out. I love the tinted windows, I can leave the curtains open and no one can see me inside.

jkindt · 03-16-2010, 09:36 PM

Here we go...got some pics!

Two windows tinted, looks great, just need to tint about a hundred more!

Here you can see the side sanded and ready for primer. You can also see two of the windows have been removed and had their frames painted black. This will help 'hide' the utilitarian style of the schoolbus windows once they are tinted.

One side welded in and filled. Just need to sand it smooth and do the other side. Oh yeah, and I still have to do the rear lights as well.

Also notice I removed the front 'bug-eye' mirrors and large round bus signal lights and filled the holes. Also did some repair work on the front corner.

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