Chassis to chassis, rust to rust. A short (bus) story...

[DawgBüs]

Well, here it is in all its short bus glory, the DawgBüs! This thread will be here to document the process of my conversion, from the beginning, of my 1982 Ford E-350 4x4 cutaway mini bus and hopefully I'll be able to help others with a similar project or even just receive some helpful criticisms from all you guys. Here we go!

Yesterday I spent the first half of the day collecting and purchasing tools. I have access to a full CNC machine shop (current profession is CNC programmer) and a LOT of other hand tools between friends and family. However, it seems that with summer fast approaching everyone is busy with their own projects. So, a trip into town was required.

Once I got back I spent the second half of the day chopping, grinding, hammering and wrenching my way through 20 years of Alaskan dog sled tour grossness. I'm serious, 90% of the bus is waterproof thanks to dog fur. It was in EVERYTHING!! Every little gap, hole, crack... Everywhere. And the smell?! Blehhhh....

After getting the kennels out the sun was setting fast. I swept the floor, took some pics and started planning tomorrow's agenda.

Today I awoke feeling far older than I really am. I guess the kennel removal really kicked my ass. I was SO sore! It took me a while to get out of bed but once I did, I went straight to work. I rerouted the plumbing (heater hose) to eliminate the rear two mini heaters. Then, I started on the sub floor...

I expected rust. A lot of rust actually. I was quite amazed when i started pulling the floor though. A closer look at the large patches of rust were actually shims or spacers that rotted away, leaving behind the original floor, in school bus yellow, and amazingly IN TACT!! I'm so stoked! That's going to save me so much work and time!

Anyway, I'll cut this off for now. Have a good day all!

[DawgBüs]

Here's some more pictures from progress today. Definitely not all of them but it covers the majority of it. When I have more time I can most definitely add more. Looking forward to seeing what you guys think and hearing your stories/advice!

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by DawgBüs

Here's some more pictures from progress today. Definitely not all of them but it covers the majority of it. When I have more time I can most definitely add more. Looking forward to seeing what you guys think and hearing your stories/advice!

when I saw the kennels at the back of the bus without an air tight partition blocking them off from the rest of the bus, I was going to mention how hard it was going to be to get rid of the smell, then thought to myself, why spoil his fun he'll find out soon enough on his own - lol

[DawgBüs]

Haha! Man, it's STRONG. I've lived with dogs all my life. I live with two currently, neither mine, but I'm used to the smell of dog. This smell though... I need to find one of those after-fire Febreeze bombs!

For 10-15 years the previous owner took various packs of dogs out into the elements for hours at a time, then loaded them into this cramped little bus, soaking wet... and it shows (or smells, rather).

On a side note, I might have to patent the "dog-fur gaskets" for a little extra income. They're amazingly water tight.

[DawgBüs]

Hey to anyone seeing this: Whatever happened to user "Bansil" and his bus, "Tortuga?" I followed his thread from beginning to end, and just as he's wrapping up a deck on the rear of his bus *poof* never comes back (as far as I can tell). Seemed like a good guy, I'd like to talk to him.

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by DawgBüs

Haha! Man, it's STRONG. I've lived with dogs all my life. I live with two currently, neither mine, but I'm used to the smell of dog. This smell though... I need to find one of those after-fire Febreeze bombs!

For 10-15 years the previous owner took various packs of dogs out into the elements for hours at a time, then loaded them into this cramped little bus, soaking wet... and it shows (or smells, rather).

On a side note, I might have to patent the "dog-fur gaskets" for a little extra income. They're amazingly water tight.

they were looking for hair and fur to clean up oil spills a while ago - guess it works well

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by DawgBüs

Hey to anyone seeing this: Whatever happened to user "Bansil" and his bus, "Tortuga?" I followed his thread from beginning to end, and just as he's wrapping up a deck on the rear of his bus *poof* never comes back (as far as I can tell). Seemed like a good guy, I'd like to talk to him.

type Bansil into search at the top of the page - a bunch of stuff comes up

[DawgBüs]

Ya I found all his old stuff, even looked through his profile to find his most recent stuff, but he seemingly dropped off at some point. He had a really cool build going too. Pretty sure he's even still listed as a mod but his last post was years ago.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by DawgBüs

Hey to anyone seeing this: Whatever happened to user "Bansil" and his bus, "Tortuga?" I followed his thread from beginning to end, and just as he's wrapping up a deck on the rear of his bus *poof* never comes back (as far as I can tell). Seemed like a good guy, I'd like to talk to him.

I talk to him via phone/text occasionally.He's had a lot going on and can't access the site due to losing his password and the login changing. He's been trying to get back on but life gets in the way sometimes.

[DawgBüs]

Well, it's been a busy, BUSY week! The weather has been spotty at best. So any time I'm at home and see sunshine through the window, I sprint for the bus.

Last week I had a good chunk of the interior pulled free but the remaining pieces were quite the battle. It is 100% gutted now (minus three small sheet metal pieces above the dash which I intend to leave). Having four helpers - gf, three daughters - really helped today, especially.

Today was full of surprises though! Both good and bad. The good? I found a sweet little hidden "storage area" under the floor.

Apparently, when Ford sent Collins the E350 body, it was just that, a standard Econoline body. I did not know this until today. I thought for sure Ford worked with Collins to create a special, school bus/private transportation type body without the features of Econoline models available to the public.

So this special "hidden storage" space is actually the step well for the sliding door offered on standard models. It's just perfect for my build because it's already boxed in. All I need to do is build a cabinet or other box top for it and cut an access door from the outside. Maybe add some vents for a tankless water heater? A tool box? I'm not sure how to incorporate it just yet but I will.

The bad discovery of the day? Those "shim/spacers" that I found 90% destroyed by corrosion... I got to looking (as I began hitting a bead of weld holding said material down) and realised... "crap. This is structural, isn't it? Why would this one piece be welded to the floor...?" And then it hit me. Those rotted "spacers" tie the body components together. CRAP!!

When Collins converted the van they also lengthened both the body and the frame. The body was stretched by cutting it in half, near the rear quarter, then a piece that matched the body contours was spliced in. In order to support this three piece body, they welded two 12" x 12' sections of 1/4" thick steel to the floor.

Now I sit with pen and paper deciding my options... Simply add two new pieces next to the old? Cut out the old and replace? If not replacing, how can I treat the floor beneath? If replacing, how can I keep the three pieces taught while welding in fresh? Jack's? Ratchet straps? Decisions...

It was dark when we wrapped up tonight. The pictures I have from earlier are a bit lacking but, it gives you an idea of the progress thus far. I also picked up flooring material, OSB *shriek emoji! Bring it on subflooring-type debaters!* and while I was working on grinding out the 400 broken bolts, I put the girls to work on applying sealant to the bottom surfaces of the 4x8 sheets.

*Side note* Engine/trans will be coming out tomorrow. Goes to engine/trans builders Monday. Ever pulled a v8 out of a snub nose? I haven't! Looks like hell. Not looking forward to it. Id rather pull the body and roll the chassis out. There's a lift at my work for such a task but I can't leave a dead vehicle there for 6-8wks while the engine is being redone.

[DawgBüs]

Stupid rotating pictures...

The two pics before the very last one show my new little storage pocket. Hammer for scale, no bananas handy. The rest I snapped randomly throughout the last few days.

I know I'll catch a lot of flak for the OSB but between the sealant, the bed liner I'm using prior to sub flooring, the insulation and then the main flooring materials, I'm not terribly frightened by moisture ruining the floors. I was having a terrible time finding marine plywood, which was my initial choice, anywhere in town. When I did find some, it was in terrible condition and I couldn't get the price down. Even the ply options were looking pretty haggard.

On tomorrow's agenda: engine & trans removal, wire wheel and rust treatment is being done by the ladies. And to top it all off, lower ball joint replacement on both sides of a 2004 Chevy Cavalier (assuming there's time).

Too much to do, always!

[Native]

Originally Posted by DawgBüs

Well, it's been a busy, BUSY week! The weather has been spotty at best. So any time I'm at home and see sunshine through the window, I sprint for the bus.

Gosh, I know the feeling! When I am out and about and the day turns nice, I feel like I am neglecting my bus!

[DawgBüs]

Hi errybuddy!! Due to it being so late (rather, early) and it being a work day in less than five hours, I just wanted to say:

IT'S OUT!!

[DawgBüs]

Off to the engine builder she goes! Now I get to pressure wash this mess, remove transmission, patch holes and prep for bed liner application on firewall and wheel wells (might do some suspension work while these two major components are out) and discuss some of the modifications with builders.

Any motorheads out there with recommendations for reliable power upgrades? I am going to talk to my transmission guy but I am trying to find an overdrive mechanism to compensate for my 4.56:1 gear ratio so I can cruise a little smoother. Ive read that original OD transmissions were junk while the new stuff has implemented things much better. If it comes down to it I can re-gear but, there's so much money and time already tied into this mess, I'm looking at alternatives.

Is there a stand-alone computer setup out there for older machines like this so I could run a newer OD trans? I ve seen the mechanical conversion kits but they run around $3.5k+!! Any input would be greatly appreciated! Have a great day, everyone!

[Native]

Congratulations man! That is a huge step!

[DawgBüs]

WELL.... It's been a minute, I know. I'm still plugging along though, I promise! The weather here has been terrible. I work on the bus in the driveway 99% of the time. At least until my engine is done. Speaking of which, i need to call him tomorrow to check in...

Here's what i have done though; I've followed some advice from another thread and got my hands on a pressure washer sandblasting attachment and it... is... AWESOME!! Some heavier grit sand or even just a more powerful pressure washer would really turn up the heat but for my purposes, it's working great! It can strip the surface rust and original paint with slow and steady passes. Still need to hit the rear. Mostly stuck to the engine compartment on the first go around.


( oh crap, I didn't remember to take my "after" pics! I'll do it this afternoon).

Tires. Oh, so beautiful. Kumho A/T 51's in a slightly over-factory size, 285/75R16 (approx. 33" tall). My suspension is old and saggy and due for an update - which I'll cover in the coming weeks. The tires look TOO tall when in reality, my suspension drooping has eaten up my travel. Some extra HD RV springs, sway bar and 5k bags are in the works to solve that. For now I'm already digging the looks of the new rubber and steelies though. Chose steel over alum because it's possible to make repairs on trail, if necessary.




Today I spent nearly four hours playing in my favorite place ever, the junkyard! Turns out there was not any vans with extended tops, which I need for the base of my pop-top. However, just last month they did sell one and it had a frame underneath which the buyer decided not to take. So I just might be able to use it.



That's why I've been stuck for two weeks now. Without a permanent roof solution in place, I can't install my floors. Without the floors, I obviously can't build my walls and interior.

They also had busses though, big ones. Not to mention a cool little trailer that someone made by chopping a bus in half. They also had an RV and it has windows! Tons of them. Made a deal with the yard owner. $30 a window. I'm stoked! Pulling those next week along with a MaxxAir fan that appears to be in perfect condition.






(Instant chains switch, chains that hang under buses that folks keep asking about in other threads).


(Just some neat cars I saw in their collection. A Ford Centurion, a 50's Chevy, and a hatchback Eagle which I've always wanted).




Lastly, we pulled the previous owners vinyl decals and then today my friendly FedEx delivery guy dropped off something I've been waiting for... A tankless water heater! It's a bit bigger than I expected but, finding a "portable" tankless that's rated for use above 2,000ft elevation that doesn't cost a kidney and your first born isn't easy.




I had to get creative to test it but it got the job done. The little tank couldn't supply quite enough gas but once I stole the tank from our bbq it got crazy hot. Hot water, on demand. Glorious.



If anyone needs windows like the one pictured, for cheap, and is willing to either pick up in Montana or has a cheap shipping method, let me know. I'll grab as many of the remaining windows as you like. I only need 3 or four of the 13 that this RV has!

[musigenesis]

My grandmother had a '56 Chevy with that exact color scheme. She got too fat for the lap belt to fit her, so she cut it and extended it by sewing on a folded-up pair of her old nylon stockings. She only drove it half a block once a week, so by the time she died and willed it to my brother, it only had 50,000 miles on it. I learned to drive in this car.

My brother had a fight with his now ex-wife, after which she went out to their garage and took a framing hammer to the car. I don't generally support the death penalty but I'm willing to consider exceptions.

[HazMatt]

Too bad the car wasn't, "Christine"!