The Great Conversion: Chemelon Color Changing Bus

Gyva · 02-19-2010, 09:43 AM

Hello this is the thread I'll be posting all my conversion pics for a 1982 Propane powered 366 chevy superior 7 window bus! I had originaly bought the bus years ago for $80!!! and it sat, and sat, and sat some more. I was to busy to mess with it and only got the seats removed. Then a family emergency arose and I had to sell it. My bus was gone... Years later, a month ago infact I ran into the feller who bought it and asked him if he was attached to it, he told me heck no and offered to sell it back to me. It had not moved an inch after I sold it to him and now I am the proud owner of my 1982 superior all over again, except this time, I've got time. I plan to raise the top 8-10 inches I have already purchased 6 nice T-slider HEHR windows and am a few pieces of sheet metal away from lifing the top. I will document the conversion in this thread so everyone here can follow along and add suggestions. I plan to make this a slick bus with nice paint and functional interior. I also plan to add solar panels to the top to charge an onboard battery bank and maybe a wind generator or two as well. Bus will feature a wet room bathroom, and queen sized bed. And the list goes on. Follow along fellow skoolies, lets see what we can build!

Mike.

*** I never did raise the top, I just cut lower to make room for the windows and I only used 3 of the 6 windows, the other side is for bathroom and kitchen cabinets

newbusser · 02-19-2010, 09:54 AM

Let me be the first to say welcome!!

you've found the best possible resource to share ideas and find solutions.

Gyva · 10-30-2010, 06:32 PM

Ok guys its been awhile but I got some pics! and some progress done here she is when I bought her.
windows out, bubble has been cut out already here
Heres the bubbled piece getting cut out to make room for the RV windows.

Gyva · 10-30-2010, 06:35 PM

Now I had a hole to fill on the ends so I welded in some sheet metal and grinded it smooth
Now goes up the sheetmetal
Now I have taken out the flashers and replaced with a sheetmetal patch, metal has been primered to protect against rain

Gyva · 10-30-2010, 06:41 PM

Now goes on the primer after many weeks of sanding, window holes have been cut now as well
Now my black base goes on, I used a chemelon color changing paint that has to go on a black base
heres the paint

Gyva · 10-30-2010, 06:44 PM

the color changing effect is pretty cool!!!
WIndows are in and clear coat is on, its one sweet mama!!!

now I am doing the inside.

Gyva · 10-30-2010, 07:49 PM

heres the color I painted the inside, its a silver metallic from eastwoods. Tunnel ram grey is the color.
Heres the dash guages with the tunnel ram grey on the dash and a darker smokey metallic for the trim pieces.

I''ll be posting more very soon, I already have the flat bar welded up on the inside so I can attach wall panels, I got 1/4 plate welded in with big bolts so I can make the back a split level for the queen bed to go in on top, have cabinets purchased, carpet purchased, just got to throw it all in. Stay tuned!!!!

Gyva · 10-30-2010, 09:37 PM

I bought 2 kits off of ebay for $370.00 each, the paint is from Kemfx and the kit included a gallon of clear, gallon of effect, and a gallon of black with all the hardeners and reducers then the primer was from eastwoods and was $89.00 for 2 sprayable gallons, it only took a gallon and a half to cover the bus with 3-4 coats. Sooo I guess thats about $829.00 total. I still have a half gallon to do my car dolly

The inside should go pretty quick I plan to set sail next spring.

*** Inside paint was $99.00

Diddly · 10-30-2010, 09:56 PM

Wow looks great, hard to believe it was shot outside.

love the style of that bus with the layback windshield.

browncrown · 10-31-2010, 05:07 PM

That is a beautiful paint job...wow!

Gyva · 10-31-2010, 11:04 PM

Thanks everyone! it took 2 weekends to paint the bus, fist weekend went on the primer and black, and the second went on the color and clear coat. The primer and black went on, on separate days, but the color and clear went on the same day. I sprayed non stop for 7 hours to get the color and clear on and my arm was dead! I used a $99.00 spray gun from eastwoods a devilbliss HVLP. And this is the first thing I have ever painted. The day after though my neighbor approached me and asked if I'd do his pick up a early 70's ford, and I said sure if he sanded it. We ordered the paint and I sprayed it after he got it all sanded down.... Now that I've done both worlds these car paint guys have no clue how easy they got it! lol... only took me about an hour and a half to go around his truck 4 times and it looks great too. I used Urethane Enamel (UE) on both my bus and his truck and the stuff sprays on nice.... I'm doing the wood framing on the inside now in my bus so more pics coming soon. Stay tuned!

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback, its nice to hear after all the sanding I did and ate, man that stuff is nasty...

Seeria · 11-02-2010, 11:07 AM

Seriously sweet paint job!

lornaschinske · 11-02-2010, 12:02 PM

What colour do you say it is on things like titles and such?

Gyva · 11-07-2010, 09:56 AM

ha ha good question, I guess I'll have to list them all on the title... Got some framing done yesterday, also cut the toe kicks off 8 feet of base cabinet as I had to build a box around the wheel wells that will raise them up so after the toe kicks came off and now were close to normal, still a few inches higher than normal though, but I dont want to change tire size and cut down the wheel wells

Curvy roof framing is going to be fun but I got an idea... more to come soon....

zman18 · 11-07-2010, 08:41 PM

Pulling up a chair for this one. Looks great keep up with the pics. Sweet paint canat wait to see what you do inside.

Hex · 11-16-2010, 02:03 PM

Awesome job! Can't wait to see the interior!

Gyva · 05-12-2011, 02:07 PM

Trying to upload finished interior pics and keep getting this message - Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached.

Let me know if I'm doing something wrong smitty if you come across this.

Gyva · 05-13-2011, 09:54 AM

Well all, sad days, I have run into some problems an am going to have to sell my conversion shortly after completing it. It was a fun project and I know there will be another one in my future at some point. For those of you that do wish to see my interior pics, you can see them here where I am selling the bus Noooo!!!!!! lol...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/WOW-Cham ... 2dd0#v4-37

You may also like: