My Project

[Brownie44]

New to the board. Thought I would show off my build I'm having done. 1958 international A150 on a 1998 Ford E 350 6.8 Chassis.

 

[ewo1]

New to the board. Thought I would show off my build I'm having done. 1958 international A150 on a 1998 Ford E 350 6.8 Chassis.

Wow, now that's a project.

More pics please !!!

How hard was the frame swap?

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

are you able to keep the original hood and fenders?
might need to look at suspension that old school body is going to add up the weight quick.
looking good.

 

[Brownie44]

Wow, now that's a project.

More pics please !!!

How hard was the frame swap?

Here is a few more pics. The frame was shortened 4” Looks like it’s going to fit like a glove! You can see in the second pic where the chassis cut was made. The last pic shows the firewall being filled in.

 

[Brownie44]

are you able to keep the original hood and fenders?
might need to look at suspension that old school body is going to add up the weight quick.
looking good.

Yes, hood and fenders are going to be used. The E350 suspension will handle the weight fine.

 

[ewo1]

Here is a few more pics. The frame was shortened 4” Looks like it’s going to fit like a glove! You can see in the second pic where the chassis cut was made. The last pic shows the firewall being filled in.

Kickass work indeed!

Are you gonna be able to delete the inside engine cover, or make it smaller?

 

[nikitis]

So let me get this straight...

You are putting the old bus frame on a modern E350 Chassis?

Was the old chassis pretty far gone?

 

[UFO pilot]

Luv it! I am sitting in my 2000 F250 as I type this with the same drivetrain as your setup and I can honestly say the Ford V10 is a darn good motor.

I just have 1 suggestion on the 4R100 transmission, have a shop go thru it and install the TransGo update kit, they did have a few issues before Ford got it sorted by MY 2007. Otherwise I got 267K on almost all OG parts under the hood. They are not maintenance free but they are not wallet emptiers like the diesels either.

 

[Brownie44]

So let me get this straight...

You are putting the old bus frame on a modern E350 Chassis?

Was the old chassis pretty far gone?

Old bus body on E350 chassis. The old chassis was in excellent condition like the bus.....

 

[Brownie44]

Luv it! I am sitting in my 2000 F250 as I type this with the same drivetrain as your setup and I can honestly say the Ford V10 is a darn good motor.

I just have 1 suggestion on the 4R100 transmission, have a shop go thru it and install the TransGo update kit, they did have a few issues before Ford got it sorted by MY 2007. Otherwise I got 267K on almost all OG parts under the hood. They are not maintenance free but they are not wallet emptiers like the diesels either.

I agree with your assessment of the V10. This one has only 100,000 kms or roughly 62,000 miles. I will indeed do the tranny upgrade, thanks for the advise!

 

[cadillackid]

awesome bus!! love this.


ditch the crappy 4R100 altogether, hate those POS. allison swap it!

 

[Brownie44]

awesome bus!! love this.


ditch the crappy 4R100 altogether, hate those POS. allison swap it!

Or maybe I run the 4R100 and If it breaks replace it with the Allison?

 

[cadillackid]

Or maybe I run the 4R100 and If it breaks replace it with the Allison?

that works too!.. I just had too many issues wit hthe 4R and the E4AOD.. we had them in our HVAC vans in the 90s / early 00's.. the engines were awesome.. never broke.. but those transmissions.. a different story.. lockup issues seem to be our biggest failure which would then make the trans hot and burn it up..

 

[Brownie44]

that works too!.. I just had too many issues wit hthe 4R and the E4AOD.. we had them in our HVAC vans in the 90s / early 00's.. the engines were awesome.. never broke.. but those transmissions.. a different story.. lockup issues seem to be our biggest failure which would then make the trans hot and burn it up..

Hoping a Transgo or B&M kit will help alleviate some issues?

 

[Brownie44]

Alright folks....here is the long version of the build. This will bring us up to date. Hope you like it.

 

[Danjo-SKO]

Familliar?

Is this the same bus? This guy was at the Oregon Country Fair this year. Wish I had mor photos

 

[DeMac]

Mmm

Is this the same bus? This guy was at the Oregon Country Fair this year. Wish I had mor photos

------------
Dang. (spoken w/ southern draw)
I wish you had more photos of that Superior, too.

Ford

Easier to compare from another angle.

International

 

[nikitis]

Same as the 90's buses, Ford and International had different front ends but identical Thomas bodies in the rear.

 

[Brownie44]

Wife and I are still working on a name for the bus as I see it’s kinda required �� Dash and column in position. Pedals are going in too.

 

[nikitis]

Needs a new dash. That 90's Ford Aerostar style dash is possibly one of the worst dashes you could of used for a replacement. I don't know the story behind it if it came with it or if you put it in, but in my opinion has got to go.

I mean no offense. But I've personally always hated those rounded dashes like that and think you should rip it out. Doesn't fit at all with your awesome looking bus (I'm jealous of your bus model) and your bus IS awesome looking (Minus the dash). If you need it for functionality, rip up the dash casing, build a nice wooden dash around the components. A stained woodgrained dash would look pretty sweet in this style bus. Maybe that's the plan and I'm jumping the gun, but just giving my 2 cents for the bus's sake lol. It's like putting in a 90's aerostar dash into a 57 Chevy, it just doesn't work.

I've always hated the 90's Ford rounded car everything era, it was terrible visually. The rounded mustang (Yuck), rounded box vans (Aerostars), rounded Taurus, and almost none of those cars have made it into the 2020's thank God due to their shitty designs, and no one has cared to keep them running. The people have spoken and let those cars die, and then here is your dash. They were built terribly. Ford really came back in sales when they reverted back to block style bodies. Seeing one of those 90's dashes come into such an awesome bus project has pierced my soul. And again, maybe I'm coming off as rude here, I mean no disrespect, but I gotta speak up for the bus, it's calling me for help.