The Story of Transcendence

[EastCoastCB]

no its just from the decade or two of water coming in through the crappy, broken roof hatches.
The tar and metal have a sandwich of rust between them. I'll post some pics in a little while. 60% of the underside of the roof is rusty. maybe more.

[MuddaEarth]

I see.....So the tar stuff must have held in moisture. Sounds like you have a good plan of treating it, just a bunch of overhead elbow grease ahead of you. You ought to be buff by the time you finish!!

[EastCoastCB]

Yeah. Even where there isn't rust its clear that there is some funkyness going on with the moisture.

[EastCoastCB]

I attached a couple pics of the rust and tar.

[EastCoastCB]

This is after taking the tar and crud and rust all down. Ospho then Rusty Metal primer.

[Tango]

One good thing about the "tar"?...it keeps most of the rust from falling off. Nice work.

[MuddaEarth]

Wow.....That is crazy. You're doing a great job of cleaning it up.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Ok looked mine over today, I have steel ribs with aluminum skin & didn't notice any rust, looks like the tar was used to hold insulation in place, looks like they put a good barrier in place also during construction because I didn't see corrosion between the dissimilar metals either

[EastCoastCB]

I wouldn't think there would be any corrosion issues on many Crowns.

[gmarvel]

Even though Crowns were sold primarily in the Pacific states, they were built to effectively deal with rusting conditions. Things like using a thick marine plywood floor bolted to the frame instead of a steel floor that would rust. Exterior skin that was made of aluminum instead of steel again helped eliminate the rust problems found in other buses. The corrosion that you do see in a Crown tends to be in the front area near the front passenger door and the front driver's window. This corrosion is caused by the dissimilar metals contacting each other (steel and aluminum). Eventually, the barrier between the metals would wear away and that is when you would get corrosion. Both of my Crowns have these little spots. Easy to fix, unlike so many buses with huge areas of rusting metal. Crowns were built to last 50 years in regular use.

[nat_ster]

Put a Crown into service in the rust belt and it will rust like any other bus.

This Crown chest thumping get's old.

I would rather have good old galvanized steel over aluminum mixed with steel.

I don't care for all that curved metal ether. It just makes a conversion harder, more costly, wastes material, ect. I like flat panel construction.

Crowns remind me of all these new houses with 5 fake overhangs on the front called "Curb Appeal". Senseless waste of material to try to polish a turd.

I don't even follow crown builds. Some of the owners remind me of provost owners.

Nat

[gmarvel]

Ouch, stab me in the heart!!! You are right that Crowns were not common in rust belt states. However, another California bus builder was Gillig. Most, but not all, of their buses were built using steel instead of the aluminum skins like Crowns. Also, like Crowns they were primarily West Coast distributors of their buses. I have been told by Gillig enthusiasts that old Gilligs are hard to find as so many of them rusted out. Don't know if that is true, but that is what I have heard from these Gillig experts.

Logic tells you that in rust belt environments, high quality aluminum is better than steel. Logically, thick and high quality marine grade plywood that does not rust and resists water penetration for floors is better than a steel floor that will rust. Crowns were also made with heavier grade steel beams and frames than other buses. In short, it was a better made bus. You paid for that better quality build as a Crown cost about 40% more than a Blue Bird or Thomas when they competed head to head. When I was a senior executive in a large school district I remember arguing with the Superintendent about having the District buy Crowns vs Blue Birds. All he saw was the initial upfront cost. As a business guy, I saw the useful life stats and the cost per active year of use, and it was Crown hands down. When you factored in the life expectancy of a Crown vs other buses, a Crown was actually cheaper over its lifetime by a substantial amount. Plus, they had a bumper to bumper 20 year guarantees, much better than any other bus ever made.

I absolutely agree with you that Crowns are a pain to convert. The giant twinkie appearance looks cool in an old retro kind of way (right out of the 40's). However, it makes conversions much more difficult.

I can't speak about your issues with Prevost owners. Never had any as friends. I believe that all of us have a right to be passionate about whatever bus we decide to convert. Blue Birds and Thomas buses, properly maintained, are great buses and make great conversions. Given the straighter lines of these buses, they also make a far easier conversion.

Any platform will work if its bones are good. I have seen too many posts where skoolies are having to spend massive amount of time fixing their rust issues. I will take the pain in the ass problems of rounded roofs and corners anytime over the problems of rust.

[EastCoastCB]

I'm starting to get addicted to the rust repair.
Sitting here in my bus listening to music and this torrential rain. Taking fifteen minute shifts with my angle grinder. It's pure glory. ��

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I'm starting to get addicted to the rust repair.
Sitting here in my bus listening to music and this torrential rain. Taking fifteen minute shifts with my angle grinder. It's pure glory. ��

It's a bonding moment comparable to a mothers labor pains.

I love it too.

Nat

[claydbal]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

It's a bonding moment comparable to a mothers labor pains.

I love it too.

Nat

beer eases those pains.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by claydbal

beer eases those pains.

It certainly does.

[MuddaEarth]

An update on my progress, or lack there of due to the weather.

Also.....How does everyone like the use of video vs. pictures on this thread?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGV5a4ja_KE

[somewhereinusa]

How does everyone like the use of video vs. pictures on this thread?

I don't like them and very seldom will click on a link for a video.
I live in an area that doesn't really have an option other than to use an air card for internet. Speed isn't to bad most of the time for anything except video. But, I do have a monthly limit that I tend to start getting near about the third week.

I know, I know, I'm probably only one of five people to be in that situation. I think I was only one of two truck drivers that didn't smoke. I also don't drink, smoke funny cigarettes or speak Spanish.

[nat_ster]

I like pics.

Video works too, but we still need pics.

Nat

[EastCoastCB]

Put my vote down for both.
I do like the videos though if only one.
Just better for how I learn

I'd greatly appreciate any documentation of roof raisage.
No real good videos of it on youtube that I've found.