Smells Like Teen Spirit: Conversion of 1999 Thomas MVP

[Stu & Filo. T]

As far as covering floor holes, why couldn't you fill the holes with sealant then just cover the holes with speed tape, speed tape is metal tape we put on commercial aircraft that has metal damage and is rated up to 600 mph, then cover with your flooring, I have seen metal tape in hardware stores

[JakeC]

For the holes in the floor, I think i just cut up a bunch of sheet metal patches and siliconed them in place, after I had painted the floor and painted the patches seperately.

[ThePimentals]

Heck yea Montgomery. There is a lot more rust in Maryland than I thought. Under the floor I. Had a bunch of rust spots. Good buses though. Congrats.

[porkchopsandwiches]

Recent progress:

STILL removing adhesive from the letters / numbers / reflectors. Acetone evaporates too quickly.



Excuse the dirt / oil blow by smudges, but I bought a rivet gun (pneumatic, love it) and drilled out the old rivets in this engine door. Several were loose and they just seemed undersize for what they were doing and the vibrations they incur. So I drilled out / re-riveted the existing holes with 1/4" rivets and drilled extra holes in the middle where there were supports behind but the sheet metal wasn't riveted to it, causing rattles. Tested it out, drastically reduced rattling.



I initially started today removing lights and speakers and trim with the intentions of dropping at least a few ceiling panels to check out what nastiness lies within, but somehow or another I ended up removing the floor instead. So I did that. It was surprisingly easy, actually.









I'd say I got 75% of the rubber flooring out. I had to remove the base "trim" that holds it on, and the cover for the heater piping that runs along the drivers side, the length of the bus. Why, oh why, did this have to be run this way. One more thing for me to do, move this BS to under the bus.

The rubber sheet came up easy due to ALL THE RUST. The flooring left in the pictures is being held down by glue. The rest just pulled right up. So next step is remove the rest of the rubber, which I will do with chisels, air chisels, paint scrapers and hammers, and vacuum the floor, then wire brush, then vacuum again, then pour that rust dissolver stuff on it, then sweep it, then vacuum again, then put on a THICK coat of rustoleum rusty metal primer. Maybe 2 coats. Then some thick tough topcoat. I've got my work cut out for me.

[Diesel Dan]

Yuck. The floor restoration was the worst part of the job for me. But there's no way around it. I suggest you cover your driver seat, dash and electrical console with a drop cloth or something before you start sanding. That dust gets all over everything.

[bansil]

keep your chin up, real friends will show up, just takes time...

and it is fresh to hear that there is an issue with young people nowadays....from a young man...way to stand up and kick them in the nutz

your young, and have an entire country ahead of you to explore...drive on and enjoy the journey

[wmkbailey]

Yuck! I have this to look forward to when I remove my floor.

I used Goo Gone and steel wool in the heat to remove my adhesive. I started out in the shade until I relized that the sun;s heat helped.

[JakeC]

Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches

I initially started today removing lights and speakers and trim with the intentions of dropping at least a few ceiling panels to check out what nastiness lies within, but somehow or another I ended up removing the floor instead. So I did that. It was surprisingly easy, actually.

I read your whole post, but this part was awesome. I can relate!!! I go out to finish my cabinets, and next thing I know I'm under my bus trying to figure out how my gray tank in between the fram rails. I don't even know how it happens, it's a phenomenon.

Anywho, you're kicking ass. I love that you are out there breaking the stereotype. It sucks you don't have someone to help you, though. Most of my work has been by myself, but people are available IF I ask. My Dad has really enjoyed helping out here and there. Keep at it and I bet a few will start to show interest as they see it take shape. They just lack vision and need to see it start to take shape before they "get it".

If I have any advice, it would be to pace yourself. You don't want to hit it so hard that you burn yourself out, yet you don't want to then back off to the point that you don't see steady progress and start to lose interest. When I am working on something, and I start making stupid mistakes, it's time to call it a night. It's when I try to power through that I make worse mistakes which can takes hours to repair and just further promotes burnout. You eventually get into a rythym and figure your pace out, then things really start to move. This is going to sound horrifically cheesy, and I apologize, but this bus is going to teach you amazing things about life, perseverance, and how to be a shaker and a mover. You are going to be light years ahead of your friends, because you are figuring out how to APPLY knowledge. Enough of my rambling

[profbrady]

Great bus! Thanks for posting so many photos along the way too.. I'll be picking up a skoolie in just about two weeks here, so it's awesome to check out what I'm in store for - kind of sets the mind at ease.

No name yet... I clicked on this thread straight away based on the title. "Teen Spirit" would be an AMAZING NAME!!! Especially for you, dudeski. Cheers.

[porkchopsandwiches]

Originally Posted by JakeC

I read your whole post, but this part was awesome. I can relate!!! I go out to finish my cabinets, and next thing I know I'm under my bus trying to figure out how my gray tank in between the fram rails. I don't even know how it happens, it's a phenomenon.

Anywho, you're kicking ass. I love that you are out there breaking the stereotype. It sucks you don't have someone to help you, though. Most of my work has been by myself, but people are available IF I ask. My Dad has really enjoyed helping out here and there. Keep at it and I bet a few will start to show interest as they see it take shape. They just lack vision and need to see it start to take shape before they "get it".

If I have any advice, it would be to pace yourself. You don't want to hit it so hard that you burn yourself out, yet you don't want to then back off to the point that you don't see steady progress and start to lose interest. When I am working on something, and I start making stupid mistakes, it's time to call it a night. It's when I try to power through that I make worse mistakes which can takes hours to repair and just further promotes burnout. You eventually get into a rythym and figure your pace out, then things really start to move. This is going to sound horrifically cheesy, and I apologize, but this bus is going to teach you amazing things about life, perseverance, and how to be a shaker and a mover. You are going to be light years ahead of your friends, because you are figuring out how to APPLY knowledge. Enough of my rambling

Hah thanks. I have a couple of people who will help me if I ask. Few, if any, will jump up and volunteer though. I do have a tendency to dive headfirst into a project and work myself to the bone, but continue to do so the whole way through. I usually stop after I've made a few dumb mistakes. Though since I'm in the demolition phase now, the mistakes are usually injuries. I've restored a truck before, which included a full engine rebuild, transmission work, extensive bodywork and rust repair, custom building an entire exhaust, repainting and electrical work, and I know I am capable of seeing a project through to the end. I know a lot of "idea guys" who will start with a great idea and never finish it, I am not one of those.

Originally Posted by profbrady

Great bus! Thanks for posting so many photos along the way too.. I'll be picking up a skoolie in just about two weeks here, so it's awesome to check out what I'm in store for - kind of sets the mind at ease.

No name yet... I clicked on this thread straight away based on the title. "Teen Spirit" would be an AMAZING NAME!!! Especially for you, dudeski. Cheers.

"Teen spirit" is the name of a 90's female deodorant...the reason the Nirvana song is called that is because one of Kurt Cobain's female friends was jealous of the girl he was with, who wore "teen spirit" deodorant, and spraypainted on his bedroom wall "Kurt smells like teen spirit" and he liked that phrase, and named the ever-popular grunge song "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The more you know. So no, I won't name it that, haha. But thanks.

I want to get a vanity plate that says something like GETSKLD or KOOLBUS or something (MD has 7 digit plate max). But I'm not registering this for a whiiiiiiiiiiiiiile.

[inkblots84]

Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches

"Teen spirit" is the name of a 90's female deodorant...the reason the Nirvana song is called that is because one of Kurt Cobain's female friends was jealous of the girl he was with, who wore "teen spirit" deodorant, and spraypainted on his bedroom wall "Kurt smells like teen spirit" and he liked that phrase, and named the ever-popular grunge song "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The more you know. So no, I won't name it that, haha. But thanks.

I want to get a vanity plate that says something like GETSKLD or KOOLBUS or something (MD has 7 digit plate max). But I'm not registering this for a whiiiiiiiiiiiiiile.

A) You are awesome for knowing this.
B) You are doing a great job. Seriously. There are two of us working on our bus with the occasional helper, and I'm not a ton of help, and sometimes I'm just like "damn. We have so much to do...I'm going to bed." Lol

[profbrady]

Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches

"Teen spirit" is the name of a 90's female deodorant...the reason the Nirvana song is called that is because one of Kurt Cobain's female friends was jealous of the girl he was with, who wore "teen spirit" deodorant, and spraypainted on his bedroom wall "Kurt smells like teen spirit" and he liked that phrase, and named the ever-popular grunge song "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The more you know. So no, I won't name it that, haha. But thanks.

I want to get a vanity plate that says something like GETSKLD or KOOLBUS or something (MD has 7 digit plate max). But I'm not registering this for a whiiiiiiiiiiiiiile.

Haha, oh ya I remember that well. Nirvana was one of the first bands I ever saw play live. Helped to light the fire which is why I'm now buying a bus to tour in with the band! Six degrees of seperation, but I later ended up playing one of the snares used on Nevermind on an album I recorded at Sound City. Anyhow, true, it remains a deodorant. And they still make that junk!Though Nirvana would have put them out of business but it only got more popular!

I'm with everybody on the "take your time" advice. Ugh, wish I could follow it myself. As you mention, mistakes often equate injuries. Today, I nearly impaled myself on a piece of rebar, but that's a whole different story. Looking forward to seeing how the bus comes together!

[porkchopsandwiches]

I am trying not to work too hard on this. The constant, relentless rain for the last few days is helping me with that. I decided it would be a good idea to drop the ceiling panels while it was raining to pinpoint leaks in the roof.











That was about 1/3 of the screws I took out (1 quart gatorade bottle).



I was geekin' out over the pneumatic cylinder used to open / close the door, I thought that was cool. That assembly definitely needs some grease though!



End of yesterday, all the screws (thankfully not rivets). I only had to cut ONE screw. The rest came out fine. You can use either a big phillips bit or a robertson (square) bit on these screws. So when one wouldn't work, the other would.



Many, many stinkbugs were nesting here due to the hole in the ceiling (vent) that I am removing.



All the panels out...



Also got all the flooring out including the stairs. Only flooring left is under the drivers seat which I will take out soon.



Rear-to-front...



Front-to-rear.

Next project is to scrape up rust on the floor, and wire brush it, then paint with some rustoleum rusty metal primer, or rust converter if I can find it by the gallon. I found a couple of spots that I really should cut out and replace, high traffic areas where the metal is nearly rusted through. Surprisingly the stair area is fine but the aisle in the front of the bus is heavily rusted. I want to wait until this rain stops to do that though, so I am kind of deadlocked until then. I found a few leaks that should be easy to fix. Once I do those, and paint the roof with really thick insulative rubberized paint a few coats, that should seal everything up nicely. I have been considering painting the inside of the ceiling with the insulative paint too, is that a good idea?

I also need to remove the windows and scrape the old sealant off and re-seal them with some silicone. Several are loose and the sealant just doesn't look good. My uncle (whose place I am keeping it at) sells and installs classy shower doors for a living and therefore has cases upon cases of super strong industrial silicone laying around and said I can use however much I need (he may regret that). So that part shouldn't take too long IF I COULD GET SOME HELP FROM ANYONE.

Insulation-wise, I have been thinking about foam. The 2" of fiberglass I took out was pretty dirty in a few places but overall wasn't as bad as wmkbailey's. 2" of fiberglass has an R value of 6.7 whereas 2" of foam has an R value of about 10. Combine that with the reflective / insulating paint (on both sides?) and some Great Stuff to fill the gaps / odd corners and it should be pretty tight. I was thinking I could double up 1" foam board, rather than using 2" because the 1" would be easier to bend / shape. If I can get the wall panels off easily I will do the same, but I really don't want to have to cut them. Apparently they are wedged under the window sills pretty good.

[Newfiedogs]

You are so far in now I would pull the walls too. Your in the dirty stage of it all so why not you will not regret doing it.
Tracy

[Tango]

If you are talking about the ceramic bead type insulating paint...yes...it will definitely help. I'm doing my roof inside & out after seeing first hand the results on a tin roof during August here in Houston. Nothing but latex paint with the beads added made it almost cool to the touch. I was very impressed.

[ThePimentals]

Yea I bought my bus in July and you are 2 days work behind me. Keep it up! Looks exactly the same in pictures. It's almost like looking. Thru my phone.

[LuckyChow]

I will offer the suggestion that you consider urethane (polyurethane) sealant for your windows. Silicone is a great substance, but has poor adherence qualities. It's been my experience that it turns loose after a year or two on a bus window. Also, urethane will take paint over the top of it. My first choice for sealing bus or rv windows is Sikaflex 221.

[inkblots84]

POR15 can also leave a greasy residue that's hard to paint over. Try Ospho, i paid $43 for a gallon. I put it in an industrial/chemical sprayer to use on my truck and it goes a loooooooong way. It's like water but wear gloves n whatnot, caustic as hell.

Those are some nice seats! Your bus is really coming along

[ThePimentals]

Now I am seriously jealous. Do you demolish buses for a living? You are moving fast.

[wmkbailey]

Originally Posted by ThePimentals

Now I am seriously jealous. Do you demolish buses for a living? You are moving fast.

I'm hoping his enthusiasm rubs off on me. I need to get myself moving again, it has been too easy to let the weather slow me down.