I am in the process of converting a short bus to sell shaved ice out of.
The bus is a 2007 Chevy Express with a 6.0 gas motor. It was a para transit bus with only one bench seat and 4 wheelchair rails down each side and a wheelchair lift.
Removing all the wheelchair rails was a pain. I drilled out the majority of the bolts using 5/16" Cobalt drill bits. I had good luck using the Chinese made cobalt drill bits available on Ebay in packs of 5 for about $20. I went thru about 20 drill bits. The bolts that were above the wheel wells were put in from the bottom. I had to go to a tire shop to get them to remove the tires and grind the heads of the bolts off from the bottom.
Once the wheelchair rails were out, progress was a lot faster. I pulled up the rubber flooring and removed the 7643895 torx screws that held the plywood to the floor. These srews came out easily using my 18 volt Milwaukee drill. Once all the screws were removed, I started prying up the wood. This process was easy compared to removing the wheelchair rails.
I still need to get the wheelchair lift removed and the front cushioned half walls that are bolted thru the floor. Once these things are gone, I will be able to remove the rest of the floor.
Finally got the wood floor completely removed. I grinded off the surface rust in a few areas and sprayed a rust primer.
Once the primer dries, I have some aluminum tape to cover all of the holes. Once that task is completed, it will be time to start installing the new sub floor.
AC installed. Batteries and inverter are installed. All electrical wire are run to the breaker box. I will get someone to wire the breaker box, that is beyond my limited electrical knowledge. I have a Honda 3000 watt inverter generator that will sit in the middle of the cargo rack between the batteries.
Started to prep for paint. I found these abrasive wheels for a grinder that work great for removing the reflective decals that were all over the bus. I still have a lot of sanding to do before we start taping things off for painting.
Nice work so far! I have a 2003 with the exact same body. I'm fighting with the floor rails now, and am trying to hit them with penetrating oil and will follow with an impact with a hex bit. Did you try this or simply found out they were seized beyond hope? I'm hoping I don't need to drill out the 200+ bolts holding them in...
I have found that most rusty old nuts & bolts tend to want to stay where they are. So when the refuse to "loosen"...I just "tighten" them with a high torque driver till they snap off. My 18 volt Hammer Drill Driver will do most but my ancient, corded Milwaukee Hole Hog has sheared 1/2" bolts. Just hang on tight.
Course that often means needing someone to hold the other end in place to keep it from spinning.
Nice work so far! I have a 2003 with the exact same body. I'm fighting with the floor rails now, and am trying to hit them with penetrating oil and will follow with an impact with a hex bit. Did you try this or simply found out they were seized beyond hope? I'm hoping I don't need to drill out the 200+ bolts holding them in...
Sorry for the delay in responding. I drilled out all of the bolts. I probably went thru 20 or more cobalt drill bits. There are some good ones on Amazon for a decent price.