Bluebird Window Question.
Does anyone know the actual dimensions of a Bluebird bus window? I know they use 28" and 35" windows but I dont know the other 2 dimensions. I have 18 windows total, 16 at 28" and 2 at 35". I think they are 24" tall, but I haven't removed one to get a precise measurement. And they appear to be 1" or 1.25" thick, but I am not sure and don't want to remove one just yet. I am living in my bus while converting it, so I don't really want to start pulling windows until I am ready to replace them.
Here is my plan:
Lowe's sells 20 guage steel sheets in various sizes. The local autobody teacher at the community college uses them to make patch panels for rust repairs on old cars (back when they were made of steel and not plastic) so I know with propper prep work they can be primered and painted and look good after.
I want to take a 36x24 sheet, and mark the center point. Measure 14" from each side, and make 90 degree bends making a "U" shape with 4" 'legs' and 28" 'bottom'. In between the legs I would cut a piece of rigid insulation to make the same thickness as the Bluebird window, and put another 90 degree bend on each 'leg' making a box shape.
Then I would sand, clean and primer both sides of the steel to prevent rusting, and use an appropriate adhesive to glue the insulation in place. Next, copy the locations of the 3 screws that hold the window in place and drill holes in the panel to match those in the windows. This would allow me to remove the trim securing the windows in place, remove the window and all old caulking from the window frame and secure my replacement insulated panels using fresh caulk, the existing holes for screws to hold the panels while the caulk dries, and the existing trim to help hold everything nice and tight.
When I go to repaint the bus, I could use the same paint and spray the entire bus to my chosen color scheme.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Why it would work, or more importantly why it would NOT work.
All of the blank out panels I have seen have been applied from the outside and involved drilling out lots of rivets, drilling exactly matching pilot holes and a pnuematic rivet gun to put the outside skin back together again. It looks good on busses without the rain rails over each window, but I dont like the way it looks on busses with the rain guards like my bus has. Not to mention I do not want to give any spaces where water might enter in between layers of steel and start rusting feom the inside out, or causing my insulation to mold.
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