The Busted Flush

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I've seen several other people try reusing their metal ceiling panels. Apparently it gets complicated. We're always ready for a success story.

I've always been of the philosophy that "If it came out, it's gotta go back in."

Sometimes you just need a bigger hammer.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I've seen several other people try reusing their metal ceiling panels. Apparently it gets complicated. We're always ready for a success story.

Metal interiors are very durable but very conductive too.

Mine will be re-purposed by selling them for scrap and investing the money in T&G or plywood

Pity, I have the perforated acoustic panels that were probably expensive.

[plfking]

Finished pulling all the interior skins on Friday.....everything clean as a whistle, with just a little bit of mold on the bottom edge of the insulation is a couple of wall sections.

Was fiddling with the emergency hatch, and ended up with a dash buzzer that wouldn't shut up. Luckily all the ignition interlocks didn't exist or had already been disabled by the school, so it was just a simple matter of finding the buzzer and cutting it out of the loop. Also trashed the strobe light and patched over.

Didn't mess with the rear door buzzer, as I want that left intact.

[plfking]

Nothing novel or earth-shattering here......just working on my bus.

Painted roof with Rustoleum Flat White......60 degrees with 20% humidity and 20 mph winds makes for some super-fast drying times....I think I could've put on 3 coats had I started earlier. Will still need at least one more coat....I'm not satisfied with the coverage.

Also disconnected one side of my hatch and used it for ingress/egress.....actually thinking about ditching the ladder-to-be on the outside and using a small one inside after I build my deck, as it's very easy to get through......would also keep strangers from crawling on top of my bus. I'm going to build a removable wooden hatch cover as soon as I can figure out how to secure it.

[Thomas1985]

Yeah you could have it attach flush to the ceiling on the inside and take it down when you're using it.

[plfking]

Got the second and third coats of Rustoleum Flat White on the roof.....I think I'll stop there. The patch is where I removed the strobe.

Moved the side turn signal forward about 2 inches in preparation for the new door we're cutting there this coming week. Also removed the turn signals from the front fenders......I just think it looks a lot cleaner without them.

[ben2go]

I'm sure you could convert the corner marker lights to signals. If the bulb in there is an 1156, it's as simple as replacing the socket with an 1157 and running the signal wire to the new socket. I've done the conversion on motorcycles and automobiles. It's usually fairly straight forward. Napa has the sockets. Later this year, I'll be looking for a bus similar to yours. I plan to do a lot of light conversions.

Here is an 1156 socket laid out in the assembled position. It has the black wire ground ring and the brown single filiment terminal in the black plastic ring. The spring keeps the ground ring seated against the socket and helps hold the terminal ring against the bulb and the bulb solid in the socket. The socket acts as a ground for the bulb.


Here is the 1157 Napa sockets I use.


I remove the plastic mount and ground. Your bus is new enough that it may be able to reuse the plastic mount and ground. If not, the 1156 socket will need to be converted to 1157 socket.


Install the ground ring and assemble the terminal ring with spring.




You may need to modify the 1156 mount to accept the new socket. You'll need to connect the turn signal wire to the new socket. It's not very difficult to do. Once I did one, the rest only take me a few minutes to do.

[Tango]

BTW...there are direct LED replacements for the good old 1156's.

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by Tango

BTW...there are direct LED replacements for the good old 1156's.

Yep and 1157 as well if you convert to them to use signals.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by ben2go

Yep and 1157 as well if you convert to them to use signals.

I've already installed the LEDs in the signals beside my headlights. I wasn't even thinking of converting the marker lights to signals, but the idea is intriguing. Thanks for posting that.

Might become item #183 on my "Still-To-Do" list.

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by plfking

I've already installed the LEDs in the signals beside my headlights. I wasn't even thinking of converting the marker lights to signals, but the idea is intriguing. Thanks for posting that.

Might become item #183 on my "Still-To-Do" list.

You're welcome.

[plfking]

This weekend dedicated to removing decals and sanding in preparation for paint. This adhesive is something else.....basically just pushing it around with the orbital until it accumulates into a big enough chunk to fall off. In other spots I have to sand down to bare metal to get it all.

Paint question.......I read in a few other threads that rolling on metal-flake paint makes for a shitty-looking paint job......does that go for high-gloss as well? Will high-gloss roll out to the same shiny-ness as spray, or does the nap on the roller dull it out? Still deciding on a color.....down to either a smoke-gray or a copper/bronze.

[jazty]

Nasty adhesive: wipe with diesel or kerosene. Come back in 5 minutes and wipe it off. Repeat if stubborn. Loads easier than abrasive techniques!

[plfking]

Originally Posted by jazty

Nasty adhesive: wipe with diesel or kerosene. Come back in 5 minutes and wipe it off. Repeat if stubborn. Loads easier than abrasive techniques!

I've got diesel and kerosene AND still plenty of adhesive to remove, so I'll try this tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip.

[2martins]

Originally Posted by plfking

I've got diesel and kerosene AND still plenty of adhesive to remove, so I'll try this tomorrow.

Thanks for the tip.

Someone else uses eraser wheels and says it works well.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by plfking

This weekend dedicated to removing decals and sanding in preparation for paint. This adhesive is something else.....basically just pushing it around with the orbital until it accumulates into a big enough chunk to fall off. In other spots I have to sand down to bare metal to get it all.

Paint question.......I read in a few other threads that rolling on metal-flake paint makes for a shitty-looking paint job......does that go for high-gloss as well? Will high-gloss roll out to the same shiny-ness as spray, or does the nap on the roller dull it out? Still deciding on a color.....down to either a smoke-gray or a copper/bronze.

No, on the shine. You can lay it on thick, wet sanded it smooth, then cut and buff to get a better shine. Marine paints are made to roll and tip. They come out fairly smooth and shiny.

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...+boat+painting

[Mr4btTahoe]

As far as paint goes... roll on gloss will still be shiney. It will have a texture depending on what kind of roller you use.

Thin it out a bit and it will self-level so to speak. Several light coats will work out much nicer then one thick coat if you are wanting a looks on par with a sprayed job.

It's all in the prep work.

[Tango]

Adding a little Penetrol and hardener makes a huge difference in the finish of oil based paint. Smoother, harder & glossier whether brushed, rolled or sprayed.

[plfking]

I did buy a half-pint of Rustoleum gloss black (black or white were all I've seen in stock anywhere) and did a sample with the roll and tip method.....really looks good, and that was without hardener or thinner. I'll definitely add those when I do the big job.

If I could find a half-pint of any color in metallic oil-base enamel, I'd roll and tip a sample of that also, but I can't find any anywhere around here. Any suggestions? You think an auto-body shop might sell me a few drops of their leftovers? I have found some online at good prices, but I'm not buying a gallon or two unless I can see for myself what it does first.

[jazty]

Really? All you could find were black and white Rustoleum? Have you tried Tractor Supply? Around here they have a huge selection of colours. It can also usually be found at any place that sells household paint, such as Ace Hardware. Sherwin-Williams also sells affordable oil based enamel. Might even be able to get it custom tinted.