Skyliner Conversion 1995 Amtran

[bigskypc50]

Well it's a official now my project has a name and I thought I would start an official thread so those could follow along who care to.

The bus will be called "Skyliner" and it's a 1995 Amtran with a 123K miles DT466 and MT643 trans.

[bigskypc50]

Progress so far in the first month has been slow, it's been cold here. Anyway I removed the seats and fitted the black and gray water tanks in place, the black will sit on the driver side right below the toilet and the gray will sit on the pass side . I will build a small shelf in the over the top of the drain lines so I can use the rest of storage bays.


Next things I want to get done this month is to:

1: Remove the heaters
2. Take my Dest. signs and get vinyl letter to say "SKYLINER"
3. Frame and Insulate the floor

[Tango]

Welcome! --- Nice combo...keep the pix coming.

[Njsurf73]

I am searching for my bus now, what is the inside roof height stock? I have seen a few of these busses and would consider them.

[cowlitzcoach]

Nice bus! It has a lot of very nice and desirable options.

First off, I see that it has the 12" window option. The standard across the board at the time your bus was built was 9" window openings. So getting a bus with the higher headroom the vintage of our bus is pretty amazing.

Next you have the deepest frame mounted side luggage compartments that were available at the time your bus was built. I didn't see if you had any compartments behind the rear axle but the ones you have between the axles are about as big as they get.

Since it has high headroom and luggage compartments I would guess it went out on a lot of trips. Which would suggest to me that you have a high HP engine with highway gears.

Again, nice bus!

Good luck and happy trails to you!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by bigskypc50

Well it's a official now my project has a name and I thought I would start an official thread so those could follow along who care to.

The bus will be called "Skyliner" and it's a 1995 Amtran with a 123K miles DT466 and MT643 trans.

Man, what a GREAT BUS!
I've got a 92' and I love it.

[bigskypc50]

Thanks for all the feedback, to awnser some questions the stock head room is 6 ft 6" cowlitz, Thanks for the info, I don't see many school bus built like this one, if fact I have never seen a 2nd one. The two photos above of the tanks are the bays are behind the rear wheels. The bus also does not have a rear door rather a luggage bay. The engine is 210HP and flat out peddle to the floor on level gound she will do 70.

Small progress the rear door luggage bay now holds the 46 gallon water tank and two 30 gallon propane tanks. Also back there will be the electric panel. Got the heaters looped and turned off and one heater removed what a mess. The orther three will follow soon. I just looped them around this pump that was behind the drivers seat. Got a bit of the cold flu that set me back.

[EastCoastCB]

Yeah, that's a REAL field trip bus.
IMO- these AmTrans are the cream of the crop as far as regular, available school buses go. Isn't the air ride amazing?

MOAR pics are needed!

[Scott Marcano]

very nice Bus, gotta follow.

[bigskypc50]

Greetings everyone, bit slow on progress weather and a sickness along with a full time job slow things down a lot.

Got the heaters out and did a lot of shopping for the bus most of the major things have been bought and just waiting to go in.

Word of advise take out your heater first before you mop the floor and buy a bunch stuff and store it in the bus.

I am going to start on the framing for the floor today and do a good clean up. My boss at my job happens to be a retired contractor so he is going to come over tomorrow friday and give me a free day with his help advise and labor.

I will post back with more pics. Shortly

[bigskypc50]

Hello everyone sorry for the lack of updates not a whole lot of progress got the floor about half way framed then the weather toke a turn for the cold so progress has been slow the last week, no signs of it letting up for a about a week.

Just one photo this time.

[bigskypc50]

Anyone following along? Anyway progress has been small and slow, framing is done for the floor insulation and sub flooring is going down all at once. Framing for wheel wells and walls will start shortly.

[Njsurf73]

Originally Posted by bigskypc50

Anyone following along? Anyway progress has been small and slow, framing is done for the floor insulation and sub flooring is going down all at once. Framing for wheel wells and walls will start shortly.

I am following!
I don't always respond, but I always admire. Looking good,

[Robin97396]

bigskypc50

I just looked and you've got 779 reads. There's nothing wrong with that.

[browncrown]

Flooring an insulation looks great!

[Robin97396]

Look at that. 890 reads by 2:00 pm on 17 March.

Over one hundred people have clicked on your thread since yesterday.

Still think nobody's watching your build?

[bigskypc50]

Greetings everyone, had a family illness that set everything back two months. Did no work on the bus at all (Expect for installing a car cd player). Everything is all well again and I am now back at work on the bus, let the madness go on

The subfloor is now done and I am starting on the framing of the walls. todays plan is add the insulation and T&G pine then slide everything in place and start planning the final layout, I will be running wires and pipes under the seat bolt rail and every four feet cut one of the pine planks short so I can fish wires in that channel I am making.

[cowlitzcoach]

I might be late in saying this but do NOT cover up any of the access panels in the floor.

The access panels are there in order to reach stuff under that bus that can't be reached from down below. Things like fuel tank senders.

You will be regretting the access panels if you ever have to drop stuff to reach stuff because you no longer have an access panel.

[bigskypc50]

Greetings Everyone!

Been making some progress on the bus build! This really is a fun project I love building stuff, I got all of the side T&G pine up and insulated, did the rough in's for the toilet and shower, and started framing my interior walls. I ran out of 2x2's and this being memorial day weekend the lumber yard is closed. Over the next week. I plan on framing the rest of the walls and then running electrical and plumbing.

Cowlitz, yes good advice I do have an access port for my fuel tank sending unit.

[EastCoastCB]

Nice, but is that upright connected to the emergency hatch trim?
That dark line on the ceiling seam just over the shower looks like moisture, are you sure that hatch don't leak?