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Old 05-17-2018, 10:29 AM   #1
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Removing Side Panel Question!



I could use some ideas removing the side panels. The panel is tack welded to the this flange lip which is rivited to the exterior of the bus.

Since there will be trim to hold the windows in, I am thinking about just cutting the lip off. I just don't want to have to take the trim on the outside of the bus off.

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Old 05-17-2018, 12:07 PM   #2
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I could use some ideas removing the side panels. The panel is tack welded to the this flange lip which is rivited to the exterior of the bus.

Since there will be trim to hold the windows in, I am thinking about just cutting the lip off. I just don't want to have to take the trim on the outside of the bus off.
Man I'm glad my thomas had screws. I just cut it a couple inches below the window line. Thats what most people do
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Old 05-17-2018, 06:30 PM   #3
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Yeah dude it was perplexing for sure. Some people have said to bend the panel and use the air chisel, some suggest the grinder, some suggested drill all the spot welds. I am still not positive what I am going to do but need to figure it out by tomorrow haha.
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Old 07-31-2018, 03:41 PM   #4
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Hey y’all,

Wondering how this turned out? I’m facing the same dilemma now. I have screws instead of rivets, on the ceiling and side panels, but the side panels are welded as you described just below the window. I’m figuring I’m gonna need to cut it below the lip, but am unsure if it’ll be a grinder or a drill... let me know what you used and how it turned out!
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Old 07-31-2018, 03:56 PM   #5
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Hey y’all,

Wondering how this turned out? I’m facing the same dilemma now. I have screws instead of rivets, on the ceiling and side panels, but the side panels are welded as you described just below the window. I’m figuring I’m gonna need to cut it below the lip, but am unsure if it’ll be a grinder or a drill... let me know what you used and how it turned out!
There are many jobs I've done myself that when I got through i told myself I would gladly have paid someone x number of dollars to that. I counted the holes to be drilled, 20 in each window, 28 windows, 560 holes. I instead bought a Genesis (had to be the bus model) metal shears. Takes about 2 minutes to zip off each side. Cost $46, but I'll use it more in this build and others.
https://www.amazon.com/Genesis-GES40.../dp/B01LZ7HCRC

I could have removed all the seats by myself for free, I gladly paid $190 to have the hired kid do all the work in the day sun.
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Old 07-31-2018, 03:57 PM   #6
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one of the only times i'm glad have rivets instead of screws..... I've seen people just cut them just below the window with a angle grinder and move on. If you choose to remove the windows to reseal or to remove completely i see that as an chance to clean up whats left.
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:05 PM   #7
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one of the only times i'm glad have rivets instead of screws..... I've seen people just cut them just below the window with a angle grinder and move on. If you choose to remove the windows to reseal or to remove completely i see that as an chance to clean up whats left.
Tell me again how rivets are easier to remove than a screw? You can't drive the mandrel out and then shear the head with an air chisel in 2 seconds.
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:25 PM   #8
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Tell me again how rivets are easier to remove than a screw? You can't drive the mandrel out and then shear the head with an air chisel in 2 seconds.
I am referring to i just had rivets and not screwed and welded on the side panels.
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:51 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by phonikaa View Post
Hey y’all,

Wondering how this turned out? I’m facing the same dilemma now. I have screws instead of rivets, on the ceiling and side panels, but the side panels are welded as you described just below the window. I’m figuring I’m gonna need to cut it below the lip, but am unsure if it’ll be a grinder or a drill... let me know what you used and how it turned out!
I just used an air hammer with a chisel bit and sheared that junk right off. Easy peasy.
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:52 PM   #10
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Tell me again how rivets are easier to remove than a screw? You can't drive the mandrel out and then shear the head with an air chisel in 2 seconds.
I can.

Sorta. You drive out all the mandrels first in one fell swoop, then you come back with the chisel.
I can do a whole bus in a couple hours now.
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:59 PM   #11
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I can.

Sorta. You drive out all the mandrels first in one fell swoop, then you come back with the chisel.
I can do a whole bus in a couple hours now.
No you can't, it take more than 2 seconds to change tools.Screws take half the time. Quit trying to rationalize what you have to deal with. Face it screws are just plain easier to remove, anyone who thinks differently has no common sense.
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:01 PM   #12
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No you can't, it take more than 2 seconds to change tools.Screws take half the time. Quit trying to rationalize what you have to deal with. Face it screws are just plain easier to remove, anyone who thinks differently has no common sense.
You only use one tool at a time. A pointy bit then a chisel bit. Takes me a few seconds to change them out.
Screws are usually easier. But rivets aren't a horrible scary thing like most folks on here seem to think. All three buses sitting at my "bus yard" right now are screwed together. But for the folks out there with rivets its not some un-doable feat to shear em all off in a couple hours.
No reason to start getting insulting, man. Its just fastener removal. Relax, man.
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:04 PM   #13
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You only use one tool at a time. A pointy bit then a chisel bit. Takes me a few seconds to change them out.
Screws are usually easier. But rivets aren't a horrible scary thing like most folks on here seem to think. All three buses sitting at my "bus yard" right now are screwed together. But for the folks out there with rivets its not some un-doable feat to shear em all off in a couple hours.
No reason to start getting insulting, man. Its just fastener removal. Relax, man.
You win.
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:05 PM   #14
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You win.
Nah, we BOTH do. Hhaha!!
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:51 PM   #15
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WTF happened to this post? i was referring to welded side panels and screws vs just rivets.
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:57 PM   #16
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WTF happened to this post? i was referring to welded side panels and screws vs just rivets.
The panels under the windows inside the bus, right?
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Old 07-31-2018, 08:19 PM   #17
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I can.

Sorta. You drive out all the mandrels first in one fell swoop, then you come back with the chisel.
I can do a whole bus in a couple hours now.
I can, and did, also.

Talk about lack of common sense.....what kind of moron would advocate punching one mandrel, then switching to a chisel to shear, then changing back to punch for the next rivet?
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Old 07-31-2018, 10:31 PM   #18
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I can, and did, also.

Talk about lack of common sense.....what kind of moron would advocate punching one mandrel, then switching to a chisel to shear, then changing back to punch for the next rivet?
I can remove a screw in the same time as it takes you to do one of the processes with your tools. Whether you do all the mandrels first, and then all the rivet heads with a chisel, you have spent time doing 2 processes. Common sense tells me one step is faster than two.
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Old 08-01-2018, 10:34 AM   #19
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Over the past couple of years I have stripped the interiors of both Thomas and Bluebird buses.

The Thomas had screws and I used my Makita impact driver.

The Bluebird had rivets and I used my air chisel as described in this thread. I punched out the mandrels on a row of rivets then followed with the modified chisel.

For ME the screws used in the Thomas proved to be quicker and easier to remove than the rivets in the Bluebird.

However, I had to cut the top of the wall panels in the Thomas to get them out. This was not necessary on the Bluebird. That offset the time/ease of removing the screws.


Just my $0.02
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Old 08-01-2018, 01:24 PM   #20
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Over the past couple of years I have stripped the interiors of both Thomas and Bluebird buses.

The Thomas had screws and I used my Makita impact driver.

The Bluebird had rivets and I used my air chisel as described in this thread. I punched out the mandrels on a row of rivets then followed with the modified chisel.

For ME the screws used in the Thomas proved to be quicker and easier to remove than the rivets in the Bluebird.

However, I had to cut the top of the wall panels in the Thomas to get them out. This was not necessary on the Bluebird. That offset the time/ease of removing the screws.


Just my $0.02

Bottom line is I wouldn't choose one bus over the other based on if its got screws or rivets. Either can be easily overcome with a few tools.
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