The Millicent Chronicles; two foot roof raise, big tailgate

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I followed Elliot's example and I had the same rattling so, from the inside, I tack welded along the top in 4places in each window opening.

Here's to hoping that won't be needed with one row and spray foam. That might make welding difficult. Maybe I'll take it for a spin thru some Baltimore streets before foaming. Some of the potholes are near as big as the bus.

[o1marc]

I had concerns when hanging side skins also. I have them tucked up under the hat channel, but with out removing the rivets from the drip edge and running the metal up there to secure would be a major amount of extra work. There is nothing to secure the top of the new skin to the top of the bus. So my plan also was to tack weld down along the top of the skin and then seam seal it.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by o1marc

I had concerns when hanging side skins also. I have them tucked up under the hat channel, but with out removing the rivets from the drip edge and running the metal up there to secure would be a major amount of extra work. There is nothing to secure the top of the new skin to the top of the bus. So my plan also was to tack weld down along the top of the skin and then seam seal it.

To each their own but just NOPE!! And yes it was a lot more work taking that single row of rivets out. Not much easier putting them back as it turns out either. I'm not looking for nor an I getting a show room finish by any means but I'd be worried about the weld marring the outside. That and I trust rivets more than my welding.

[Elliot Naess]

Time to take the worn-out turn-signal switch by the horns.
But I cannot even get into the horn button to remove the steering wheel so I can work on the turn signal switch!

The fluting sure looks like it is meant for a hand to simply grip it and unscrew it. But there are more notches than I have fingers on one hand, so maybe not. Or I am not strong enough.

Who has done this job -- successfully?

(Photo is actually of Albatross, but same type steering wheel.)

[Elliot Naess]

And of course... soon as I overcame my Fear Of Scratching Anything, the horn button lifted right out of the fluted knob.

(Also, I asked a pro. )

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

And of course... soon as I overcame my Fear Of Scratching Anything, the horn button lifted right out of the fluted knob.

Good deal.

(Also, I asked a pro. )

I'm more interested in this. Who is this pro of yours?

[Elliot Naess]

Well, strange as it may seem... this culturally deprived community where I live... actually does have schools, and even buses, and a technician or two. But I am careful not to make a nuisance of myself to them.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Well, strange as it may seem... this culturally deprived community where I live... actually does have schools, and even buses, and a technician or two. But I am careful not to make a nuisance of myself to them.

Smartass!!


I'm not sure where the bus yards are here. I know of a couple of spots they get parked at but there's no garage there. Not sure how they would feel about answering questions either or wandering around in their yards. I don't know any even casually. I do have a skoolie maintenance forum bookmarked somewhere.

[a bus has no name]

Hey Elliot Naess, first of all, bravo on making that roof raise look easy, lol. I am essentially copying your method on a 97’ Thomas MVP RE. I’ve seen you mention the nulock nuts a few times, and had intended to grab those as well... but alas, I spaced and ended up with regular nuts. My question to you is, would locktite work anywhere near as well as lock-nuts? I will be using 3/8” grade 5 bolts. Two on top, two on bottom. Also, I’ll be welding to reinforce, along with some bracing where I have window deletions.

[Elliot Naess]

Thanks for the kind words!
Alas, I have precious little experience with loctite.
I do know there are many varieties of different strengths, so pay attention -- read ALL the info.
Best of luck!

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by a bus has no name

Hey Elliot Naess, first of all, bravo on making that roof raise look easy, lol. I am essentially copying your method on a 97’ Thomas MVP RE. I’ve seen you mention the nulock nuts a few times, and had intended to grab those as well... but alas, I spaced and ended up with regular nuts. My question to you is, would locktite work anywhere near as well as lock-nuts? I will be using 3/8” grade 5 bolts. Two on top, two on bottom. Also, I’ll be welding to reinforce, along with some bracing where I have window deletions.

LocTite makes basically 2 kinds of thread lockers, one that requires only hand tools to loosen, and one that requires heat and hand tools to loosen. The heat one would work best of the 2 for your application, but I think a locking nut may have better grip force. But you may not need the extra grip force for your application.

[Elliot Naess]

Millicent is at the moment parked at the curb.
When I walked outside this morning, I found a page torn from a magazine under the right-hand windshield wiper.

It was from the March 2020 issue of 10-4 Magazine and shows a well-preserved 1966 Peterbilt (with modern drivetrain), and the recent addition of a brass duck for a hood ornament – this because there was already a duck painted on each door, from a long-time previous owner whose name was Drake.

(There is no mention of the fact that a "drake" is a male duck, but the article is otherwise excellent.

https://www.tenfourmagazine.com/2020...lery/slideshow

Clearly, someone in my neighborhood noticed Millicent's official guard duck, her namesake Ms. Millicent Mallard. And of course, Ms. Mallard rides atop a genuine Peterbilt grille shell.

Please do not suggest I start polishing! LOL

[banman]

Very cool that the neighbors were thinking of you!

[Elliot Naess]

I do have some pretty OK neighbors!
But I worry how they will like me when I start driving my new car -- with Diesel engine almost as loud as Millicent!

Her name is Penelope.
She is a 1983 300SD.

I saw her on a vacant corner lot with a home-scribbled "for sale $500" sign in the windshield, right here in this tiny town, just before Shelter-In-Place became a thing. Drove her home for $400 the next day.

Then figured out why she was so cheap: She has not gone 264,000 miles as the odometer reads. She has gone 1,264,000 miles. At least!

Was no doubt a taxi or some such. The right-hand back seat is the most worn piece of the entire car. So what! $400, runs like a champ.
And I have friends with parts cars.

I want to travel out of town more, because I live in a cultural backwater. Now I have a car I can afford to do that with. At least 29 mpg on diesel -- or dirty dish-water.

[banman]

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

I do have some pretty OK neighbors!
But I worry how they will like me when I start driving my new car -- with Diesel engine almost as loud as Millicent!

Her name is Penelope.
She is a 1983 300SD.

I saw her on a vacant corner lot with a home-scribbled "for sale $500" sign in the windshield, right here in this tiny town, just before Shelter-In-Place became a thing. Drove her home for $400 the next day.

SNIP...

I want to travel out of town more, because I live in a cultural backwater. Now I have a car I can afford to do that with. At least 29 mpg on diesel -- or dirty dish-water.

That's a comphy and reliable ol' hwy cruiser right there!

[Elliot Naess]

At least, she used to be! LOL

I keep reading about these cars, and it turns out that Penelope is a "W126", which is MBZ's internal model number for this body/chassis design, built 1979 thru 1991. And the W126 is apparently considered the most durable of all MBZ chassis designs.

And this 5-cylinder diesel engine, called OM617, is considered the most durable engine – the "million mile engine".

So, I lucked out there.
That said... the owner was eager to unload Penelope for a reason.

Sitting there with the for-sale sign on her, Penelope's tail was practically on the ground.
Obviously, something was wrong with her rear suspension.
I figured she had a self-leveling suspension, either pneumatic or hydraulic, which could leak down while parked. And if the needed part(s) cost a fortune, I could always convert her to normal springs.
And the seller readily informed me something had broken in the right rear suspension, but she (an elderly lady) "was no mechanic".

Allegedly, I is one.

Turned out, Penelope has no hydraulics or pneumatics in her suspension. (Of this model, only the station wagons have the hydraulics.)
I now figure a mechanic had told her the car was beyond repair, or that repair would be uneconomically expensive. A death sentence.

And here it is:




This is the inside of the right-rear fender-well, behind the back seat. There are two sheet-steel stampings here, an inner and an outer, which together form the unibody structure.
The coil spring sits against a reinforced "cup" in the outer (bottom) steel. The damper (a.k.a. "shock") goes thru the center of the coil spring and attaches to a reinforced point in the inner steel.

Both "hard points" have torn away from the body structure. Sheer outright Million Mile Metal Fatigue.





I figure I will cut away a lot of the inner steel, so I can rebuild the bottom steel for the spring by working from above.
Then rebuild the inner steel with its damper mount.
And reinforce the Charles J. H. Dickens out of it all.

I can take measurements on the other side, which is only beginning to crack but not broken.

This is surely doable for almost no money, and then Penelope will be a bargain!

[Geeze]

Friend had a vw rabbit that did similar thing. But due to rust. He had several other parts cars and cut out that section from another car welded it back in. Car lived many more years till ti succumbed to the Pittsburgh winter road salt. Loved my diesel rabbit and its 45+ mpg

[banman]

You have the skilz for this, and it's totally doable.
I replaced the lower windshield frame on my saab 9000 with a rust free one I cut out at a junkyard overlapping the new one to the solid remnants of the old...

The nice thing about what you're about to fix is none of it will show -- doesn't need to be purty, just structural!

[adic27]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

My two cents... I think (and used) the threaded rod method.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/lefgbSdaH4CoTPir2
.
.
.
.
.
.

Hi, What is that silver bar that looks like square tubing with an arc, and where did you put it? Also, how did you go about dealing with the original arc where you cut the pillar at the curve?

Thanks
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mZ...w2160-h1620-no

[Elliot Naess]

Bus for sale. Any offer. Some assembly required.