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Old 12-02-2020, 10:24 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 53
Year: 1959
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: F-500
Hello everyone!

Just joined this lovely forum , looking forward to sharing experiences and gaining knowledge . Im about 4 months into refurbishing my bus. She's a 1959 ford f-500 Superior 4 window . She's been with me or my dad for the last 32 years , she worked hard and always brought us joy. She was my dad's service truck for 15 years, doing mobile truck and rv repair. She's been sitting on my damp oregon property for the last 15, and it was time for a fixin' up. The straight 223 never was much for hills, but it was dependable. The rest of the drivetrain was in poor shape, so it was decided the best option would be to get a diner truck with the motor and tranny I wanted and swap everything except the body. An ambitious project, but one I hope will serve me well for many years. A 1998 chevy 3500 was purchased with a vortec 350, 5 speed manual and 4 wheel drive.
To date I have most of the outside of bus sanded down to metal, very little rust on this old girl, what is rusty has plenty of good steel left. Windows are out and being repaired. Inside is almost stripped down. Doner vehicle has framework done, new tires, axle swap with disk brakes added. Still need to go thru motor but she sounds great. Need clutch and a few other things.
Once I get the body on the new frame the real fun will start! Adding back porch and roof deck too!
It's going to be a journey , hope some of you enjoy the ride and thank you for this forum

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Old 12-02-2020, 10:32 PM   #2
Traveling
 
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Cool idea to swap body to the donor's chassis. That would give you modern disc brakes, etc. There's another 50s Ford owner on here, I think a Wayne. Hopefully you wind up collaborating. Good luck!
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Old 12-02-2020, 10:38 PM   #3
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Central Alabama
Posts: 541
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC/2000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12-valve
Rated Cap: 1
Should be interesting. Post some pictures!
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Old 12-03-2020, 12:01 AM   #4
Bus Crazy
 
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Location: Whidbey Island, WA.
Posts: 1,109
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 3208 na boat anchor
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Pictures
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Old 12-03-2020, 01:03 AM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 53
Year: 1959
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: F-500
As soon as my phone will allow me to, I definitely will !
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Old 12-03-2020, 06:51 AM   #6
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
I'm curious, which vehicle's VIN ends up being the one for your completed conversion? I assume it would be the VIN from the donor chassis?
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Old 12-03-2020, 06:57 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
I'm curious, which vehicle's VIN ends up being the one for your completed conversion? I assume it would be the VIN from the donor chassis?
Nope. Body VIN.
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Old 12-03-2020, 01:35 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 53
Year: 1959
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: F-500
Some pics , 1959 ford f-500 Superior
Attached Thumbnails
0821201753_HDR.jpg   1203201122a.jpg   1203201122.jpg   1203201124_HDR.jpg   1203201124a_HDR.jpg  

1203201123.jpg   1203201123b.jpg   1203201123a.jpg  
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Old 12-03-2020, 01:44 PM   #9
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Bus looks OK on its side like that, but if you turned it completely over you could restore it as a boat.

Just kidding, convert your pics to PNG format and it will fix the picture rotation issues (there are other ways too, but they take longer to type).
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Old 12-03-2020, 01:54 PM   #10
Traveling
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
Bus looks OK on its side like that, but if you turned it completely over you could restore it as a boat.
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Old 12-03-2020, 02:06 PM   #11
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: topeka kansas
Posts: 1,769
Year: 1954
Coachwork: wayne
Chassis: old f500- new 2005 f-450
Engine: cummins 12 valve
Rated Cap: 20? five rows of 4?
54 ford/wayne chassis swap

There is a fellow here that put their bus onto a Peterbuilt frame last year... I think they are in the kansas city area.

I have a 54 ford/wayne that is on 2010 f450 chassis. With cummins 5.9 12 valve for motive power.

One thing about the one tone chassis and the B500 chassis is frame width. and the other is flat straigh frame rails..

34" is the standard for truck frames... when you get to bigger stuff the frames are dead straight C channel

I had to make "spacers" because the place where the pickup cab sat "dipped down". about 3 1/2 inches.

bus bodies were intended to CLAMP on to bus frames, they are not usually bolted to the frame like the bed of a pickup bolts to the frame.

The superiors used lots of zinc coated steel for rust protection... try to not sand off the zinc.... They seem to last very well with no rust....

My chassis had a longer wheel base than the bus did, so I had to shorten my chassis....

mine is still in progress..

william
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Old 12-03-2020, 02:10 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by magnakansas View Post
There is a fellow here that put their bus onto a Peterbuilt frame last year... I think they are in the kansas city area.
Dave / Kenny 86 Ford 07 Kenworth is the thread you're thinking about, I believe.
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Old 12-03-2020, 03:05 PM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 53
Year: 1959
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: F-500
Sorry about the sideways pics....im a techno-tard
Yes the frame had to be shortened by 4 inch, lowered in the back and steel added in the middle to keep it flat. Width is perfect
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Old 12-03-2020, 03:45 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilbitfurthur View Post
Sorry about the sideways pics....im a techno-tard
Yes the frame had to be shortened by 4 inch, lowered in the back and steel added in the middle to keep it flat. Width is perfect
With the exception of some Macks, possibly Brockways (one and the same back in the day), 34" rail to rail is standard spacing for truck frame rails, even 1/2 ton pickups.
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Old 12-03-2020, 05:00 PM   #15
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 53
Year: 1959
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: F-500
Old frame is 34 wide, donor frame is 34 also....
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Old 12-03-2020, 06:31 PM   #16
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
Nice work!
Looks like a fun project, from my house!

Keep up the progress pics, and good luck finishing it...
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Old 12-03-2020, 06:45 PM   #17
Bus Nut
 
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Year: 1999
What an ambitious project, will be sweeeet when you are done!
Definitely post your progress.
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Old 12-12-2020, 08:22 PM   #18
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: NE Oregon
Posts: 148
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Just saw the thread. Thanks for posting and the pics. Should be awesome.
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Old 12-12-2020, 10:05 PM   #19
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Brazoria County, Texas
Posts: 819
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 32 Passenger
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilbitfurthur View Post
Sorry about the sideways pics....im a techno-tard
Yes the frame had to be shortened by 4 inch, lowered in the back and steel added in the middle to keep it flat. Width is perfect
I just turn my phone sideways when I take my pictures and they come out right. Musigenesi knows what he is talking about with the tech stuff here.
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Old 12-13-2020, 12:25 AM   #20
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 53
Year: 1959
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: F-500
Took me 4 hours to get the grill off, pos ! Motor back in, clutch rebuilt , disk brakes almost installed....slowly but surely it's coming together ....another month or two of getting the body on the new frame then we'll be cooking with gas !!
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