When to give it up?

[hmcastle55]

I am using this specific 'topic' title for a reason. We all know that Boo-Boo just got here. Mark and I purchased the bus before going to look at it, and only by God's good graces did we make it home w/o any major issues. However there are some flaws with Boo-Boo and we're going to be getting into that very quickly here in the next week or so. I will post some pics here in the next few days so you guys can give us some sound advice. Boo-Boo is from 1963 and we have some serious leaks, ALOT of rust and actually another issue with the engine being in the back you can imagine what the back bedroom is like (funny actually for about a minute and a half). I am more concerned with the shell..how much rotten metal can you handle? can the leaks be addressed? there's a cute lil emergency door on the driver's side, half way down approximately that is so completely rotten the owner's brother actually welded back on..but i can SEE outside and water is getting in. this is also part of the heat retaining problem. Windows..many of them rotten frames. I cannot see that a little hand grinder is going to help us at all..except for taking what really is left of her 'bones' so to speak. We have a few major leaks in the floor. by the door of course, and right in the middle of the isle which would be considered the living rm area near the front. Like I said, I'll post some pics of the worst areas as soon as I can. BUT, i'm wondering really if after we get the floor up if Boo-Boo just might be TOO rotten to put the money into in the end. Hard not to get attached right away..but we might be better off scrapping her and parting her out into another bus?!?
I know it's hard to even consider something like this...but i want to be realistic. Mark's a little bit more hopeful than i'm being..but he realizes that might be truth in the end. What do you guys think, just on general info?
Oh and just for effect..two huge metal doors house the engine in the back.. they are rotten too and will need repair or someone to rebuild new ones for us. that's just for added effect lol

[Ob1]

Is the drivetrain good? If so,you might consider looking into what other busses/years would use the same drivetrain, and look for a better body with a blown drive.

Let's see some pix!

[hmcastle55]

some pics of the rust areas.
Okay, so there is two of the windows: the windows themselves are in great shape, it's the frame around them i'm concerned about. One pic is of the emergency door on the side. Not sure you can see it properly, but those were quickie pics from this morning.. I'll get a little more 'up close' as soon as i get a chance. thanks guys!

[Russell]

The man is right, don't love nothing that don't love you back. Forty six years old ,they got too many buses around to invest your hard work and money in that. I have a 86 and if not for the shape its in the cutting torch would have ate it up. Rust never sleeps. Go shopping. Love god or go to hell ! Russell

[hmcastle55]

yep..the 'hive' ( i like that term for you guys...err..us guys/girls) Anyway, so..i ripped up some of the living/kitchen floor while Mark was at work yesterday. Sneakygirl...just trying to prove my point. This poor man has got his hands full with me..I virtually pushed for 3 months to get the '63..and now i'm trying to talk him into selling it already. So..the stairs, rotten through..and wet to the 'living' room..however once i get underneath the plywood that's there we'll have a better picture.. and i will add pics as we 'discover'. Smitty, my thoughts exactly on the rust 'high' up around the windows.. that's what worries me the most. Rust.. much like cancer..even if you cut it out, it can still be all throughout. did that rhyme? LMAO.. ok, enough for now. Today Mark is HOME..and we begin really looking. I promised him that i wouldn't 'push' anything until he could see for himself. thanks for the advice guys!

[ezbme]

Take the time to lay underneath the bus & go over every inch if possible with a screwdriver poking at rust spots to see if the screwdriver goes thru the rusty metal... This is an easy way to sum up the chassis & floors & do the same inside walls if possible... Once you start you may realize that you have some trouble on your hands! If you like the older buses there are so many out there that are available & ready to convert! Here is an example that just came up for sale on skoolie:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4853

I know nothing about this bus besides what the owner posted, just looks like a nice clean 60's bus with classic lines...
Good luck & yes, post more photos of what you find!

Jonathan

[Redbear]

As for height wise, Mark is 6'3" almost 4" and he can't stand up inside our bus without hitting his head. That's the most annoying feature for him personally. We just went to look at another bus (maybe the future 'daughter of Boo Boo')-look for my other post about that.. And the minute we stepped inside we could tell it was wider than our '63 and much taller. Mark was standing upright inside the bus without even being close to hitting his head..so maybe as much as a foot or more taller than ours? We're thinking of doing the switch on just that alone..

Hello? Listen to yourself.

[hmcastle55]

HAH.."Hellooo..listen to yourself!" My favorite line thus far.. I LOVE you guys..(and i'm not drinking yet either). Here's the update on the rust issue. Screwdriver in hand..i went around the bus and poked and prodded up and down. Mark lovingly ripped out the ENTIRE kitchen area to find a whole or is that hole?! lot of wet rotted plywood and yes, Men you said it RUST!! We're still not sure exactly where we're at. That's why i've been so quiet the last week or so. We've also been sitting for two weeks..and now it won't start. Loose connections I think (hope). The other Boo Boo bus is a wash because it went through hurricane Wilma and was under 5ft of water..so that's out. I'm kinda thinking Mark's being a little stubborn and not wanting to give it up quite yet. We haven't put anything into it so far except that cash out for that OHHH so charming vacation..we're hanging in. It seems like there's double walls in here or something because the screwdriver goes through what appears to be the wall but then stops dead when I hit the outside skin... I'll up more pictures before the weekend is out so you can see. Surprisingly enough, the underneath looks really good and no rot in the chassis.

[josetann]

It's been my experience that you should throw in the towel the first time you have to ask yourself that question. Once you do finally give up, that turns out to the the worst possible time. At least for me, by the time I give up I've already sunk money into something, fixed most of the actual problems, and the last "major" problem turns out to be something really small (I sold one car for peanuts and gave another away and the only thing wrong was a head gasket, doh!). Of course, had I kept trying...that last tiny problem would have been something huge instead.

[ezbme]

Haven't heard from you in a while... whats the status on your bus???