Floor boards of the bus

[bapos]

Hey guys question for the masses.

I have a 83 gmc ward 66 passenger. Its kind of in pause for conversion as I have started a new job and the hours are very long. I was starting up the bus the other day and it dawned on me that it looks like where you enter the stairwell/ drivers area is wood decking and the rest of the bus floor is metal plate?

Is this a common thing? Its not a huge issue but I would like to get rid of the decking as it wont last forever (or not as long as metal plate.) I am well versed at metal fabrication (I drive in demolition derby in the warm months of the year) so I have all the welding and cutting tools like a plasma cutter and mig welder.

Just wondering if this is a common thing and am I doing the right thing by wanting to get the wood out of there. If I do I will really do all I can quieten it down as the gas 366 buzzes at times and any way we can make it less noisey inside Im all for.

Bapos

[browncrown]

It may be Marine Grade plywood. Give it a check. The whole floor of Crown was plywood and mine is 36 years old and holding up good as new.

[bus-bro]

Plywood on steel is trouble for both the plywood & steel, if that's what it is: rip it out. The plywood floor on a Crown is a different kind of animal, as is the Crown itself.

[chev49]

the plywood should at least be checked. My last bus had plywood floor and i had to replace several sections...

[bapos]

The floor is in good shape currently. Ill post up a pic of it so people can see what Im talking about. I just want to make sure its all in order before we lay the flooring.

[bapos]

Finally got to taking a few pics....

Here are some of the floor I was talking about.

This is the stairwell view




Here is the over head view




I cant see that decking going to where what some people would call the dog house (engine access area from the interior.) I know its noisey as hell when it runs as well as hot. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[bapos]

Thought I would give this a bump and see if others can see if this is a common thing in other buses to have this type of lay out. I am just curious if the plywood goes all the way to the firewall. I would love to replace it (if it is plywood) with steel and put some sound dampening in it as well as some type of ceramic material to reject engine heat away from the interior.