Journey Begins - 1988 Crown Conversion

[gmarvel]

NEW MIRRORS INSTALLED

The old mirrors were really in bad shape. I scored two polished stainless steel heated Western Style mirrors (they are bigger than normal). I got them for $26 each. I also got convex mirrors for all sides to eliminate blind spots. The wire you see bundled up is next on the list to get done. This will go inside the bus and get wired with switches on the dash for the heated mirrors.

Driver Side Mirror


Passenger Side Mirror

[gmarvel]

REMODELED FRONT DOOR FINISHED

The front door is finished. We took the old skin of the door off, added an additional 3.5 inches of framing on the side, cut new skin for the door, cut holes out for the windows, and put a deadbolt lock on the door. We also painted it. You will note the black area on the top of the door swooping down to match the black area around the windshield. There was a crack in one of the door windows so we had the glass replaced and new rubber put around the windows in the door. This door eliminates the big slab of rubber that Crown doors have at the end. As I said in an earlier post, it allowed rain, heat, cold, road noise, critters and spiders in the bus. It also was not very good in terms of security.

Inside View of New Door


Outside View of New Door

[gmarvel]

Rear Reflectors Installed

Our great old find on 4" rear reflectors were reconditioned and then put on the bus. We originally wanted to have them chromed. However, the experts told me that it would not work. So, we had the bezels around them painted black. I think they look sharp!!

[gmarvel]

Exterior is Now Almost Complete

Below are pictures of the bus out in the sun in all its glory. We have been asked what we spent on the bus paint job. I added it all up. Between the prep, sanding, getting rid of dings, scratches, and old holes from long gone two-way radio antennas, etc., the priming, two coats of paint and two clear coats, the total came to $7,200. That is more than we paid for the bus. However, it looks awesome and will stay this way for a long time. We decided to have professionals do the work. This bus is going to be used in my business with my 167 school district clients. I wanted to make a positive impression. I know of another Crown that had $16,000 worth of paint and body work, so I feel like I got a great deal.

The khaki/gold and black colors look great together. The windows are going to be covered with 3M Limo Black tinting that will cut 99.97% of the UV rays and 60%+ of the heat that comes through the windows. I expect that job done within the next few weeks.

The focus is now going to shift more to the interior. Note the interior shot with the electrical wires running everywhere!!

Let me know what you think!!

Close Up of the Alcoa Polished Rims with the New Tires and the New Rubber Trim Around the Wheel Wheels



Driver Side View


Passenger Side View


Front View


Rear View


Spaghetti Wires Oh My!!!

[wmkbailey]

Man that is a beautiful bus, I wish I could have waited and gotten a Crown.

#bigtimebusenvy

[gmarvel]

Yes, it is beautiful!! I admit to really liking Crowns. They were the best school bus ever built. They were built with quality in mind (there were a few hiccups over the years, but generally minor) and built to last for decades. You can spot a Crown a mile away. Nothing else like it on the road. I drove it yesterday to start the interior headliner work (padded faux leather) and I got stares and waves. When I stopped to get some diesel in an industrial area with lots of trucks, I had several truck drivers come over to see the bus and admire the engine and paint job. The sound of the engine was incredible going down the road. I always loved the sound of a Detroit.

[Stu & Filo. T]

looking good, now that you can drive it legally bring that bad whama jama up to VV

[Tango]

Simply outstanding work! --- And I totally agree...nothing else on the road looks like a Crown. Beautiful job, keep up the good work on this classic.

[eyedeal.ink]

Fantastic job! Such a beautiful rig and all the attention to detail, I can only imagine what the finished interior is gonna look like now that you've raised the bar so high. Keep it up guys!

[gmarvel]

Thank you for the kind words. We really are trying to show the love we have for Crown Coaches. We hope the interior plans we have laid out will work. You can measure and measure and measure and find you are off by just a little when you add it all up and then have to make adjustments to the designs. That is why we have gone through at least 20 different plan changes for the interior.

The bus is currently getting its headliner covered in padding and faux leather. After that the spray insulation that I talked about in an earlier post will be put on the floor. Then the real fun begins. The new air ride driver's chair and navigator's chair have been ordered as have the two sofas and the dinette. The sofas and dinette can all turn into beds. I am waiting delivery of the new macerating toilet. I just got a box full of our new 12 volt LED interior dome lights (they call them mushroom lights since the frosted lenses look like shallow mushroom caps). Once the padded headliner is finished we can install the lights in the ceiling. These are flush mount lights and very shallow so they don't take up ceiling height. I found 20 of them on Ebay for $150. That was a killer deal.

Just like the exterior work, I will continue to show progress on the interior. Stay tuned!!!

[serpent]

Beautiful work!

[browncrown]

She's looking so beautiful!!!

[gmarvel]

Hi Mr. Brown Crown,

Your conversion of the Brown Crown is the gold standard with Crowns. It is a high bar you have set. Hopefully we can meet the challenge.

[PDBreske]

That is such a beautiful bus. I'm really happy when I see people like you are taking the time to properly restore such a classic. This is going to be a traveling showpiece and I can't wait to see it finished.

[M1031]

My compliments! It's an AWESOME restoration!

Being in Texas and having been in the government surplus business for 15 years, my only concern is spare parts. That's why I'm looking at either the AmTrans or the MVP. I adore the MVP I drive for Katy ISD. In a couple of years when she is surplused I'm getting her. I know I have easy access to spare parts around here. That aside, she's a BEAUTY!!!

[gmarvel]

Hi PDBreske,

Thank you for your kind comments. Crowns are classics and to do it justice you really have to do it right. It is more expensive, but the quality and final product are worth it. Plus, I will be using it to show off our transportation software, so I want the WOW factor. Your bookmobile conversion is also going to be great. Crowns have a great deal of headroom for a school bus, but nothing like your conversion. Over seven feet is wonderful!!!

[gmarvel]

Thanks M1031 for your comments. Crowns were made to last. One of the beautiful things about Crowns is that many of their components came from the heavy trucking industry. So, parts are fairly easy to come by. The exceptions are the various quarter panels (back and rear), and the doors in the back trunk area. Those were custom. That is why I got a complete set of quarter panels, rear doors and emergency exit doors from school districts and put them in my "bus" shed at the bottom of the hill on my property. If I ever need them I have them.

[PDBreske]

Originally Posted by gmarvel

Hi PDBreske,

Thank you for your kind comments. Crowns are classics and to do it justice you really have to do it right. It is more expensive, but the quality and final product are worth it. Plus, I will be using it to show off our transportation software, so I want the WOW factor. Your bookmobile conversion is also going to be great. Crowns have a great deal of headroom for a school bus, but nothing like your conversion. Over seven feet is wonderful!!!

Indeed, I was very lucky to find my vehicle when I did.

[gmarvel]

Radio/Navigation Unit for Bus

The exterior of the bus is for the most part completed. We are now concentrating on the interior. I have been looking for some time on an AV unit for the bus and decided on the Kenwood Excelon DNN991. This unit will go near the driver's seat (I am still debating where). It has an incredible array of features, including 7" touchscreen, double din head unit, AM/FM/HD Radio, XM/Sirius satellite radio, DVD/CD, Garmin Navigation, Bluetooth, iPhone/Android Smartphone connectivity, Pandora Radio, Bluetooth connection to cell phones for hands free calling and dialing or dialing from the touchscreen, hands fee microphone for the radio's telephone connection, back up camera connection (already installed the backup camera), and connects to a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot for connection to the Internet, etc.







As I explained on a different post, placement of the radio is not an easy decision. It is awkward in the Crown stock radio slot. The opening in the front of the dash area is certainly large enough for this double din unit. However, it is too far down to make an easy reach from the driver's chair. I am thinking of putting in a custom enclosure on the dash to the immediate right of the instrument panel. I have not decided yet. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[gmarvel]

INTERIOR HEADLINER UPHOLSTERY STARTED
After months of going back and forth with different ideas for the headliner we made a decision. For those that have been following this forum, we took the metal headliner out, used closed cell spray foam insulation in the ceiling cavity, and then put the metal headliner back up. We opted for a thin but very firm closed cell foam that was glued to the headliner and then sanded to get rid of any imperfections that might show the underlying headliner seams. We then put a very light colored faux leather covering over the foam. For the vast majority of the length of the bus the upholstery is one single piece from the very center of the roof's crown to the sides of the headliner above the windows. The center of the roof crown will have a 4" wood strip covered in the same faux leather that runs down the center of the bus and this is where the mushroom cap style LED dome lights will be placed. The foam underlayment and upholstery eats up about 1/4 inch of our headroom. That was our biggest concern and we think this solution solves that problem.

We are having a guy do the headliner who restores old cars and does most of the custom and special order upholstery work on a contract basis for Gillig Bus Company. We did not want the headliner cut up with large seams every few feet. So running the upholstery from the front to the back creates an almost seamless run for the whole length of the bus. That cannot be done in the very front or the very back due to the "twinkie" nature of the bus shape. We also opted to upholster the bulkhead above the front windshield.

Pictures were taken today. The upholstery job should be finished early next week. By the way, the San Francisco Bay Area is in the middle of a heat wave. Hayward, where the bus is having the upholstery done was over 100 degrees when I visited today. The interior of the bus was relatively cool. So, the insulation does seem to be helping. The upholstery can be cleaned with a good quality leather/vinyl cleaner and/or a damp rag.

Back of the Bus




View From the Back Towards the Front of the Bus


Front of the Bus


Close Up of the Area Above the Driver's Seat