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10-16-2013, 05:56 PM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Central Oregon
Posts: 18
Year: 1993
Coachwork: AA Blue Bird
Engine: Cummins 5.9 Allison 545 A
Rated Cap: 78
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"Gonzo"
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10-17-2013, 09:51 AM
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#2
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New Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 8
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Re: "Gonzo"
Nice bus and the scenery is awesome too.
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10-17-2013, 10:01 AM
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#3
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 44
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Ward Senator
Chassis: International 3900FC
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: "Gonzo"
Nice bus, looks like you'll have plenty of length for what you need! 2nd on the scenery, love the looks of those mtns in the background! Have fun tearing out the inside, thats what we are doing right now on our bus.
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10-18-2013, 09:14 AM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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Re: "Gonzo"
Welcome to the Money Pit! --- Great unit, love them Birds. The AA I had years ago was a sweetheart, even with the Detroit "Screamer" that pulled it. Raised the roof 19" and could haul almost as much as any 18 wheel rig. Good luck on the buildout and keep the pix coming.
And I'd forgotten just how much overhang there was behind the rear wheels. The Shorty I'm working on now is barely that long!
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10-18-2013, 12:44 PM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Re: "Gonzo"
This forum has a "short bus" section. I think now we need a "long bus" section!
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10-18-2013, 03:43 PM
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#6
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 10
Year: 1997
Coachwork: bluebird
Chassis: international
Engine: 7.3
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Re: "Gonzo"
Welcome to the Club! Nice pic of "The Sisters" Right? View my Bluebird if you like. Good luck, Frederick.
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10-18-2013, 06:50 PM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: "Gonzo"
Welcome, great looking bus.
Now just to clarify a few things. You bus is a TC2000, not a All American. The All American had 4 headlights, more chrome, wood dash, ect. Also you have a 5.9 Cummins, not a 6.9.
More info can be found here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Bird_All_American
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Bird_TC/2000
Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."
Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
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10-19-2013, 11:03 AM
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#8
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
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Re: "Gonzo"
Welcome...on the road seeing the world is always the best picture
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
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10-19-2013, 12:03 PM
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NUNYA
Posts: 4,236
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
Rated Cap: 23 500 gvw
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Re: "Gonzo"
Quote:
Originally Posted by nat_ster
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69 sounds better. 59 sounds like someone got short-changed.
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10-21-2013, 12:39 PM
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#10
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Central Oregon
Posts: 18
Year: 1993
Coachwork: AA Blue Bird
Engine: Cummins 5.9 Allison 545 A
Rated Cap: 78
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Re: "Gonzo"
ha yes nat the 6.9 is a fat finger mistake i sure did mean 5.9. as for the all american i was just repeating what the school district told me. thanks for the enlightenment. seeing as this bus' longest trip in the next year will be to the other side of my property i'm not worried about the stats. And yup the sisters on the right bachelor on the left you from around here frederick? Seats out now thanks to an impact wrench on top and a dirty hippie underneath.
next step heaters out and floor up. clueless on how to remove the heaters so ill be on here for a few hours brushing up on other people knowledge. any tips appreciated. also heaters up for grabs if anyone wants them.
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10-22-2013, 12:26 PM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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Re: "Gonzo"
Moving right along there! --- You might want to consider hanging on to one those Bird heaters. They work like gangbusters over the road and with a fan and a little ducting can keep a substantial area toasty. Relocated one in the 40' AA I had yeas ago and never regretted it.
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10-22-2013, 07:18 PM
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#12
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: "Gonzo"
If I was closer, I would gladly take any and all the heaters people want to give away. To buy a heater core that size is over $300. They work great with hot water heating systems in residential as well as in RV's, ect.
To remove them is easy. Close the shut off valve at the top backside of the engine. Remove the heaters and lines back to your transmission cooler/heater. It's the box that is behind your stairs, with the lower rad hose running through it. It also has transmission lines running in and out of it. This is where the heater line returns to. Close that valve too.
Most TC2000's have one large heater on the passenger side to the right of the stairs. This one you need to reconnect after your done as it also serves as the defrost for the windshield. You should also have a small heater under your drivers seat. Up to you if you keep it. The two in the back are the ones you want to remove.
The way I replumbed mine is as follows. From the top rear of the engine to the defrost core, from there back to the box under the stairs.
Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."
Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
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10-22-2013, 07:28 PM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: "Gonzo"
Are you going to have a hot water heater in your bus? If so, one of them big heaters can be used as a furnace. Simply plumb it into a loop with a radiant heating pump and a switch, thermostat or both. On demand heat when you need it.
Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."
Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
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10-25-2013, 05:04 PM
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#14
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Central Oregon
Posts: 18
Year: 1993
Coachwork: AA Blue Bird
Engine: Cummins 5.9 Allison 545 A
Rated Cap: 78
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Re: "Gonzo"
Small update took the heaters out by cutting the lines after the drivers heater under the bus and putting in a "u" joint to shorten the loop. kinda took a short cut there but it was cheap and easy. also have about a quarter of the floor up with no serious rust just what i think to be standard surface rust. also ill be optimistic and say I've got about 1/4 of the rivets on the inside drilled out. since i don't have much visible progress on the bus so i thought i'd post some pictures of my first conversion.
it's not a skoolie but i've spent more time in this van then my house for the last three years.
This is my dodge 2002 ext work van. and as i travel all across the northwest promoting my company's product (organic barrel aged balsamic vinegar's and gourmet olive oil blends) i decided to make a portable hotel room to lower my overhead.
like a few other of the more recent thread starters i'm only 21 and have been running this company since the day after high school ended. i made this with the requirements of having to haul about a ton of vinegar while fully insulated with room for clothes, food, a couch that folds into a bed, a portable toilet, sink for food handling, a cigarette light powered fridge, and a stove for under 250 bucks. this conversion was done on a nickel budget not even a dime ha. it's been about a year and a half a year since I've done any work on it so it's in need of an update especially where my counter top broke and caused the sink to fall through under the red stove. and its got some warping from my initial lack of experience when i started but i call it a work van so it doesn't have to be pretty.
Nat my water heater is a stove for no electricity and an on demand system that is leftover from a third project when plugged in. i will definitely keep the heaters if there is no interest just thought they might help someone more then they will help me.
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10-25-2013, 06:22 PM
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#15
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: "Gonzo"
I started out with a van too. A ford E350, my dog and I used it for camping. Got tired of not being able to stand up in it.
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11-16-2013, 05:08 PM
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#16
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Central Oregon
Posts: 18
Year: 1993
Coachwork: AA Blue Bird
Engine: Cummins 5.9 Allison 545 A
Rated Cap: 78
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Re: "Gonzo"
picture update.
all but 6-7 roof panels off now. drilled the easy rivets ground the hard ones in half then used a steel chisel and hammered them away. the floor was taken out with a flat bar and a long pry bar. worse part was the rubber over the wheel wells.
worse spot of rust is right in front of the rear emergency exit. otherwise a little where the seat bolts go through and the seams in the plywood floor.
next is a few more roof panels and then finally getting that floor looking purdy. my wire wheel isnt working very well to remove the rust any other recommended means? i plan to treat with oshpo after removing as much as i can. any reason i can't use the roof metal to seal up some windows?
and as for antifreeze it has fleetgaurd es optimax 60/40 in it but i cant find that anywhere near me. what can i use instead?
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11-16-2013, 06:44 PM
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#17
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: "Gonzo"
Quote:
Originally Posted by GetTheFunky1
my wire wheel isnt working very well to remove the rust any other recommended means? i plan to treat with oshpo after removing as much as i can. any reason i can't use the roof metal to seal up some windows?
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They make a wire wheel for your grinder. That is what I plan to use, a lot more power.
I was hoping to use my roof steal to cover my windows, but my roof steal is full of holes. If your isn't more power to you, a lot of people re-use it to cover windows.
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01-15-2014, 11:47 PM
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#18
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Central Oregon
Posts: 18
Year: 1993
Coachwork: AA Blue Bird
Engine: Cummins 5.9 Allison 545 A
Rated Cap: 78
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Re: "Gonzo"
moving along. slowly but moving.
windows out some floor stripped passenger side insulated with 2 inch foam.
as it sits today a few weeks of floor grinding later...
after burning up a grinder with a wire cone i found the flappy disks and a heavier duty grinder worked the best for removing the rust. more 2 inch foam in all sides and the center of the roof are insulated. acid washed the floor today tomorrow pick up my por 15 @ 117 a gallon light sanding and paint! also have shaved the top flashers front and back. started to try and remove spare wires but the main board/harness made me pull out too much hair. the tedious bits are apparently going to have to wait for a more patient day.
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01-16-2014, 08:11 AM
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#19
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: "Gonzo"
Your rust was likely pitted into the floor is why the wire wheels didn't work as well as the flap wheel. Unlike the wire wheel, the flap wheel is able to chew the high spots down.
Your floor looks great. Looking forward to more pics.
Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."
Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
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01-16-2014, 06:58 PM
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#20
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Central Oregon
Posts: 18
Year: 1993
Coachwork: AA Blue Bird
Engine: Cummins 5.9 Allison 545 A
Rated Cap: 78
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Re: "Gonzo"
after sanding the floor holding an orbital with my foot and getting the wheel wells prepped for paint i vacuumed and clean the floor and put down a layer of paint!
second coat tomorrow then ill mask a floor plan and start sheeting the window holes i don't want then refinishing the ones i will keep. hopefully i can do a whole side in a day to keep the most moisture out.
thanks nat the floor is work i dont enjoy so im just trying to get it over with especially since ill never see the work that im putting into it. once the wood work begins it will be more fulfilling for me.
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