The vintage bus has now been at the new shop in TX for about two weeks. During that time, I’ve been out of town for ten days and the people who run the shop have been away for multiple days to go to a vintage car event. Even so, I’ve seen more progress made over that time span than in any two week span at the previous shop. Here’s just a hint of what’s been done:
Above: wiring harnesses from donor vehicle being sorted out.
Engine removed, engine mounts fabricated and then engine re-inserted, but not permanently attached yet (we’re waiting for missing parts to show up from the previous shop)
All basement bay systems removed including old tanks, water heater, water pump, wiring, etc.
Donor vehicle wiring harnesses sorted out. That’s when we found out that one is missing from the previous shop.
Engine and Tranny computers mounted near drivers seat.
Old fuel tank removed and measurements taken for new custom stainless steel tank. That should increase capacity from 100 to 138 gallons. We also plan on having custom fresh water and waste water tanks made from stainless.
Radiator removed and ready to be pressure tested. (Charlie claimed that it had been recored… but it looks like it had never been out of the bus before).
Discussed all sorts of things like engine cooling design, dashboard layout and various accessories that need to be installed (like leveling jacks).
Above: old tanks, plumbing and water heater removed.
While all that progress was being made. I’ve been feverishly doing research on the following:
- Choosing water and waste tank position, size and connections.
- Choosing 2nd alternator for house battery charging and to run air conditioning while underway.
- Deciding on position of diesel-fired heater, shore cord reel, water hose reel, generator and many more systems.
- Choosing a leveling jack system.
- Deciding how much roof space can be devoted to low profile semi-flexible solar (answer: a lot more than I thought).
Above: old 100 gal. fuel tank removed. Will be replaced with 138 gal. tank
I’m mainly trying to make decisions fast enough that I don’t cause any delays on the project since it seems to be progressing rapidly now. We don’t have a finish guesstimate yet, but I’m very happy to see major progress.
