1935 Chevy school bus

[ol trunt]

Hello all, I am pleased to have been admitted as a member of the Nomadicista forum. As time goes on I'd like to share my progress with a short school bus conversion I have been working on over the last couple of years. I look forward to your suggestions and criticisms as I continue the build. I'll post all the particulars on the bus over the weekend and I've attached a couple of pics for now. Thanks

Bus on new chassis.[vb/]

First trial of pop top roof. [b/]

[stuartcnz]

Welcome to the forums! I look forward to seeing more of your projects.

[somewhereinusa]

Hey trunt, welcome.

[splummer]

hi ol trunt, welcome to the forum, intersting bus, how about some more pics ,lots and some information, i like it , where are you from , thanks steve

[Dusty]

Oh yeah, thats cool ........ need lotsa pics

[GoodClue]

Nice ... appears to be a 30's model bus body? And info on the chassis/engine ... great project ... like all the others, more pics, info please. SoCal people come up with neat projects, must be the ... air ...

[ol trunt]

Hello All. Thanks for the welcome. As to just what the bus is---well that is a long story. The short version is that it is registered as a 1935 Chevy motor home--which it is ----sort of. I found the bus on ebay listed as a 1946 Ford school bus with a chevy 327/400AT combination. I bought the thing and had it shipped from near Salt Lake city to my home town of Oxnard. Ca. Here is where it starts to get complicated. I have been fixing up and showing Chevies all my life and I had my heart set on converting a Chevy school bus into a motor home ( I drive a Ford Crown Vic at work and love it so it isn't that I don't like Fords). To that end I bought a 1935 Chevy 1 1/2 ton cab and chassis and had it shipped from Reno Nevada. I sold the Chevy motor and trans to a guy at work and the Ford frame and front end to a guy who is restoring an old Ford tow truck. Next I set the Superior brand school bus body on the 1 1/2 ton chevy frame and did all the registration stuff--instant 1935 Chevy motor home.

Well, the '35 Chevy while running and so forth certaintly wasn't going to make a very fun motor home to drive what with its mechanical brakes and all so I bought a damaged '05 Chevy W3500 COE with a 4 cyl turbo charged engine and 4 spt AT/lock up converter (read this as Isuzu NPR).

I tend to blather on and take too many pictiures so I'll try to just hit the highlights of the remaining progress. I installed the bus body on the W3500, built a VW like pop top down the center of the bus (so I can stand up), cut a hole in the rear floor to allow me to drop in a combo bathroom and shower (required a permanent pop out on the roof above so I can stand up) and built a slide out drawer to house a Yamaha 3000 watt genny. I am presently working an a pneumatic entry door and I hope to build a slide out to accomodate a queen size bed.

I keep adding stuff so while the project was slated to take 2 years I still seem to have 2 years to go

I'm sort of a Comador 64 type of guy so while I'd like to change the heading of this thread to "1935 Chevy school bus" I have no idea how to do that --could someone tell me how? Thanks



'36 Ford front end an chassis being delivered to buyer. [b/]

1935 Chevy 1 1/2 ton arriving from reno. [b/]

'05 Chevy W3500 parts truck after I repaired damage (sold cab).

[stuartcnz]

I'm sort of a Comador 64 type of guy so while I'd like to change the heading of this thread to "1935 Chevy school bus" I have no idea how to do that --could someone tell me how? Thanks

Done.

[ol trunt]

THANKS!

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

Looks like a great rig, welcome to the clubhouse

[ol trunt]

Has anyone tried to use "Great Stuff" to insulate their rig? I'd like to use it between the outter and inner layers of the roof of my bus but I'm not sure it would cure properly.

[rlaggren]

> Great Stuff

I used it on parts of a Ford van. I think it soaks up water. The sliding door seemed to get heavier each year. I haven't checked for sure but I think it's "open cell" foam and that will absorb water. I lunched the tranny and donated the vat before I got around to digging into that door again so I don't know for sure; but I've ruled out using that particular foam in vehicles - that door _was_ getting real heavy!

Rufus

[ol trunt]

Riaggren, Thanks for the reply. Did you have any trouble with Great Stuff swelling up the door panel? I have heard horror stories about a local boat owner who filled his keel with GS and then watched the thing try to tear itself open as the foam expanded--I guess he saved the day with a quick Skill saw cut across the deck. I did research the product at the mfg's web site and they claim it is closed cell. With that info on hand I talked the clerk at the local Home Depot into letting me cut a swatch of GS from a display. I then placed the sample in a bottle of warer,capped it and re opened it two weeks later. The GS stuff still floated in a pan of water and had absorbed no water as best I could tell--who knows. I like others have had poor luck at finding out what "R value" GS may have though it is hinted to have a value of R 7/inch but I can't seem to confirm that--any ideas?

[Stealth Camper]

Polyurethane closed cell typically runs about 6 to 7 R value per inch. Open cell is closer to 4. I think Great Stuff is closed cell.

[splummer]

never used it ,ive seen the damage foam can do once satuated with moisture