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02-21-2012, 08:24 PM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: B5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Hello all, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Scott and I'm down south in Houston. I've been lurking on this site and others for a couple of years now but this is my first post.
I got the Skoolie bug back in the early 90's when I had some friends that worked in the bus barn for the local school district. They were telling me a story about the district auctioning off busses and that the mechanic there bought one for $600 that he had personally installed a new transmission in the year before. My friends and I came up with the idea of buying one and converting it and turning it into a party bus. That never got further than the talk and dream stage.
I've never let go of that idea since. After a friend bough a mid-sized conventional last year and did a stint as a full timer, the bug dug a little deaper in my brain. I started doing serious research and frequenting the bus sites all of the internet. I also started easing my wife into the idea at the same time. Since the beginning of the year I've been watching local auctions, ebay, craigslist, etc, but I hadn't found anything that really jumped out at me.
Earlier this month I completed the goal of paying off all of my debt and as a reward/gift to myself I decided that I was going to get my bus and start the conversion. I spent the last few days visiting different busses and I found the one yesterday. I made a deal with the seller that I am happy with and today after securing storage space and insurance I made the plunge!
Details:
1996 Bluebird tc2000 flat nose
5.9 cummins
13 window
35'
AT545 transmission
142,000 miles
air brakes
73.5" center isle ceiling height. (I'm 6'7 and I have to duck, but not much)
The bus came from a somewhat local school district and as far as I can tell is very clean. The engine fires right up, the transmission shifts fine, the tread on the tires looks 80%, and there is almost no rust at all. I was amazed when I climbed under it that I didn't see a spec of rust anywhere. There are a couple of spots on the body with some very light surface rust, but that's it. The inside is the cleanest of any of the busses I have ever looked at. All of the lights inside and out even work.
I got her home around 3:00 today and didn't get much done on the tear down. I removed the stop sign, started scraping the lettering from the front, cleaned some gunk off of the windshield, and removed the two seats that were blocking the drivers side emergency exit. I decided I needed to get it down to the storage unit before dark so I could try parking it for the first time during the day.
The plan is to make it into a camper/rv for my family of 4, and to turn the back into a toy hauler for my 4 wheelers. I haven't decided if I'm going to turn the entire back into a fold down ramp, or add another door next to the rear door to make it wide enough to get the 4 wheelers inside.
I'm really happy to now be an official member of the Skoolie community. The information that everyone posts is incredible and I've already gotten a ton of ideas to borrow.
And I assume these conflicting feelings of "This is awesome! I have a bus in my driveway!", and "Holy crap, I just bought a bus!" are normal?
Here's a picture of my bus as it sat on the lot.
And this is it in my driveway.
Edited to fix the image links.
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02-22-2012, 06:31 PM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,511
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Welcome, Scott!
Your pictures don't work, but the rest sounds good. To make sure pictures and links work, click on the Preview button before you hit Submit. Whatever you see in Preview is exactly what we will all see.
Be aware that the rear of the bus (the floor) is much higher off the ground than toy hauler trailers. So the ramp will be very steep -- unless you invent a very long ramp.
Carry on!
__________________
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02-23-2012, 08:11 AM
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#3
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: B5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Thanks Elliot, I edited the post and fixed the image links. I'm not sure how I messed that up.
I became painfully aware of the height of the bus as I was climbing in and out of the rear door the other day. My bad knee was complaining about it pretty loudly. I see a lot of measuring, drawing, measuring some more, and staring at it with a beer in my hand in my future.
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02-23-2012, 10:35 AM
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#4
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 14
Year: 1987
Coachwork: ward
Chassis: international
Engine: 9.0
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Looks like the same bus we just drove 400 miles home. Have fun!
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02-23-2012, 02:05 PM
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#5
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Skoolie
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Wood Dale
Posts: 189
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Ford
Chassis: Carpenter
Engine: 7.8 New Holland
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Welcome and congrats! looking forward to seeing you ''Visions'' haha
Mikey
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02-23-2012, 02:24 PM
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#6
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: from: Prescott, AZ currently: Denver, CO
Posts: 469
Year: 1992
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: All American RE
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Good lookin' bus!
Welcome to the asylum. Don't mind the rubber walls. Enjoy your stay.
__________________
Ryan
Bluebird All American RE: Great White Buffalo (gone but not forgotten)
Our build thread: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10065
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02-23-2012, 03:18 PM
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#7
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Bus Nut
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 784
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Genesis
Engine: Detroit
Rated Cap: 14
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Oh yeah! That feeling is very familiar!!! You'll get over it
As others said... Welcome to the asylum!
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02-23-2012, 03:27 PM
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#8
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ellijay ga
Posts: 560
Year: 94
Coachwork: b/b
Chassis: tc2000
Engine: 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
use Easy off over clearner to remover the bus lettlering,let stand on lettlering for 20mins and peel off. and wash it good....it worked on mine
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02-23-2012, 05:16 PM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Welcome Scott! --- Good to hear there's another Houstonian who suffers from...er, enjoys the same afflictions as the rest of the nutballs here. Love them Birds, had a 40' All-American myself a few years back. Built like tanks. I raised the roof on mine by 19", so there was no headroom issue, just lots of storage. Course my current project is a tad smaller, but since I'm about a foot shorter than you, I plan on leaving this one as is. Extras will just have to fit underneath, on the "back porch", or stay home.
Don't hesitate to ask questions here. There are folks on this forum that have been doing crazy things with old buses for many years and can provide a wealth of experience. Once again...welcome!
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02-24-2012, 03:56 PM
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#10
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Almost There
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Burton,Ohio
Posts: 77
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: Genesis
Engine: Cornbinder 466
Rated Cap: 71
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Now you too know what it feels like to look up in that big mirror, smile and think, yup I went ahead and did it. Then drop it in gear and drive away, enjoy it, your going to need to have that moment to go back to.
Tracy
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02-24-2012, 07:29 PM
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#11
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: from: Prescott, AZ currently: Denver, CO
Posts: 469
Year: 1992
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: All American RE
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newfiedogs
Now you too know what it feels like to look up in that big mirror, smile and think, yup I went ahead and did it. Then drop it in gear and drive away, enjoy it, your going to need to have that moment to go back to.
Tracy
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Well said!
__________________
Ryan
Bluebird All American RE: Great White Buffalo (gone but not forgotten)
Our build thread: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10065
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02-25-2012, 04:16 PM
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#12
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: B5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
My buddy Marc came out today and helped me with the seats. We removed about 3/4 of them in about 2 hours. So far every bolt and nut is coming out without much of a fight! Here are a couple of crappy cell phone pics of today's progress.
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02-25-2012, 05:14 PM
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#13
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Hollywood,CA
Posts: 222
Year: 1974
Coachwork: American eagle
Chassis: Silver Eagle
Engine: Screaming Jimmy 8v-71
Rated Cap: 46
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scott_farmer
My buddy Marc came out today and helped me with the seats. We removed about 3/4 of them in about 2 hours. So far every bolt and nut is coming out without much of a fight! Here are a couple of crappy cell phone pics of today's progress.
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In a tc2000 I had I bought the bus at auction in las vegas, drove it home by 3:00pm and had all the seats out by 8:00pm I gutted a whole RV and just layed it out into the bus the next day ..had running water and a full about conversion in 3 days of owning the bus. Lets just say i was very motivated to get it livable! I have the conversion here somewhere.
But the seats came right out . I found once unbolting them from the inner (where they bolt to that over hang) and just poulling the seats left to right and the bolts just snapped on the legs.
__________________
"Thunder Bird"
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02-25-2012, 05:17 PM
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#14
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Hollywood,CA
Posts: 222
Year: 1974
Coachwork: American eagle
Chassis: Silver Eagle
Engine: Screaming Jimmy 8v-71
Rated Cap: 46
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
here id the link...i have a few other porject on this post to
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6318&hilit=pace+arrow
__________________
"Thunder Bird"
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03-04-2012, 09:56 PM
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#15
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: B5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
We had a great weekend with the bus. My nephew came over and helped me remove the rest of the seats. They are now neatly piled up in the back. Now I just have to figure out what to do with them. I plan on keeping 4 to put back in for temporary dinette seating, and I'll keep some around for spare metal. I guess the rest will be sold for scrap. Is that much metal really worth much?
We also removed the rest of the stop sign mechanism and removed all of the stickers. There is still a lot of "sticky" left, but the goof-off wasn't really working and I was almost out anyway.
I think the best news is that she's 100% legal to drive now. I put on the new private bus plates, slapped up the registration sticker and took her to get inspected. $14.50 and 15 minutes later I had the inspection sticker on the windshield! I'm much more comfortable driving legal now.
My wife came up with the name of the bus this weekend. We think we are going to call her Wanda. My wife has an aunt in Kentucky that is her favorite aunt (mine too) named Wanda that spent most of her life driving a bus for their local school district. I'm not 100% convinced that this is "the" name, but it's currently at the top of the list.
Here are a couple of weekend pictures.
The kids were playing in the bus and laid out all of the cushions across the floor so they could have a wrestling mat and a bed.
We're legal!
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03-04-2012, 11:01 PM
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#16
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Oshkosh
Engine: Cummins 5.9 Liter Turbo
Rated Cap: 87
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scott_farmer
We had a great weekend with the bus. My nephew came over and helped me remove the rest of the seats. They are now neatly piled up in the back. Now I just have to figure out what to do with them. I plan on keeping 4 to put back in for temporary dinette seating, and I'll keep some around for spare metal. I guess the rest will be sold for scrap. Is that much metal really worth much?
We also removed the rest of the stop sign mechanism and removed all of the stickers. There is still a lot of "sticky" left, but the goof-off wasn't really working and I was almost out anyway.
I think the best news is that she's 100% legal to drive now. I put on the new private bus plates, slapped up the registration sticker and took her to get inspected. $14.50 and 15 minutes later I had the inspection sticker on the windshield! I'm much more comfortable driving legal now.
My wife came up with the name of the bus this weekend. We think we are going to call her Wanda. My wife has an aunt in Kentucky that is her favorite aunt (mine too) named Wanda that spent most of her life driving a bus for their local school district. I'm not 100% convinced that this is "the" name, but it's currently at the top of the list.
Here are a couple of weekend pictures.
The kids were playing in the bus and laid out all of the cushions across the floor so they could have a wrestling mat and a bed.
We're legal!
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What sort of place did you take it to to get it inspected? I'm not sure who does inspections on buses.
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03-04-2012, 11:13 PM
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#17
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: B5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
I took it to my local kwik lube. I called them and asked if they could do it before I left. They said no problem. They are on a corner so I was able to park on a side street. They came out and did the inspection right there. Texas does not do emission inspections on diesel engines so it was easy. They just checked that all of the lights worked and that the tires had enough tread. I see you are in Austin so you should have the same experience as me. I would just look around for any inspection place that has a large enough parking lot or access to a side street and then call them. Any licensed inspection place should be able to help you out.
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03-08-2012, 08:45 AM
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#18
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: B5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
Wanda is going into the shop today for a fluid service and overall checkup. New oil and filters, check and possible flush of transmission fluid, new coolant, check and possibly replace rear diff oil, etc. I'm also going to get a quote on fixing the tach. I want to adjust the governor and fuel plate, but without a tachometer I'm hesitant to go down that path. I would prefer to know the rpms as she drives now before I start tinkering.
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04-01-2012, 09:48 PM
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#19
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: B5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
We got a lot done on Wanda today. The rubber floor is out and all of the glue has been scrubbed off. 4 hours with a wire brush on the angle grinder. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to use my hands and arms tomorrow after all of that scrubbing.
I was hoping to get the floors cleaned with the pressure washer, but I ran out of daylight. Hopefully I'll get that done and the primer down next weekend. I'm really looking forward to the long weekend so I can knock some things off the list.
I also added a tiny tach today. I haven't been able to diagnose the issue with the stock tach so I thought I would give this a shot. http://www.tinytach.com/tinytach/diesel.php. I'm not sure how accurate it is yet. I'll have to do some digging into stock idle rpms and average rpms at different speeds. I'm pretty sure I have seen a post around here somewhere on that subject.
Now for the pics...
My nephew Joey helping get the rubber floor out.
Glue everywhere!
Looking better now.
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04-09-2012, 08:48 PM
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#20
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 25
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: B5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: New Skoolie - 1996 Bluebird.
The long weekend turned out to be very fruitful for the conversion. I got the last of the rubber around the front wheel wells removed and scrubbed, the last two seat back things that separate the driver and the passenger area removed, all of the panels removed over the wire runs, the ceiling panels removed, and locks installed in the side and read emergency exits.
I've seen people post on here how much they hate rivits so I had an idea of how bad it was going to be, but WOW. That sucked. Luckily I had a couple of friends over Saturday to help out with that task. If it was all left up to me I would have never finished. My arms, shoulders and neck were killing me after the first couple of panels. The trick of taking an angle grinder with a thin cutting wheel and cutting a slice down the middle of each rivit seemed to work the best for us. After that we just had to smack each one with a heavy duty chisel and a 2lb sledge and they would pop right off.
For the door locks I went with the garage door deadbolt locks as many others have done here. The only issue I found was that the side emergency exit is so thin that I almost couldn't use the lock. I ended up shimming the inside and outside enough that I got it to work, but it was tough going. The good news is I can completely lock up the bus now. The main door still only locks at the opening mechanisim so I can lock it from the inside, then go out one of the other doors. Granted, there's nothing in there to steal right now other than scap metal and my tachometer, but I fell better knowing some kids can't get in there and mess with anything.
Next weekend will be filled with work and taxes so I doubt I'll have much to report for a couple of weeks. Up next I plan on ripping out the side panels, priming everything and possibly starting to blank out a couple of windows.
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