1959 GMC 2 ton bus - 4x4 swap

[thatbus]

Blasting and painting under there must have been a real workout

It was a bit brutal, though another guy did the blasting, and I did the painting. The real workout began when I got home and was frantically trying to wash epoxy out of my hair before it cured. Ended up having to get a haircut and wash the rest with acetone tonight... heh.
Long story short; wear a hat.

 

[thatbus]

Really looking great, keep up the good work.

Thank you. It's very motivating to see it all come together like this.

 

[thatbus]

Laid down the urethane topcoat today... Neat to see how far along it's come:

 

[Kriptonite]

That turned out really well, I'm surprised at how little rust was in the floorboards.
Persevere my friend

 

[bdkw1]

Did you wear a hat this time

 

[thatbus]

Did you wear a hat this time

lol - yes, started the day with a brown baseball cap, ended it with a black one

That turned out really well, I'm surprised at how little rust was in the floorboards.
Persevere my friend

Pretty incredible, right? Amazing what the dry Saskatchewan air and a lack of roadsalt can do for ya... I can confidently say that the 65-year-old underside of this thing was better than any of the hundred or so 7 to 8 year old Ontario buses I've seen at work. The only ones that beat it are California and New Mexico imports.

I'll likely protect the thing with Fluid Film or Cosmoline spray. Have heard good things about both. I hate rust, now more than ever since I've begun wrenching on buses... this thing will be preserved.

If anyone has glass marker/turn signal lights to sell, I'd love to have 'em. Not the modern plastic ones. Irate has helped me a lot with this build so it'd be cool for a piece of the bus to be from someone here. I've seen some 1950's trucks with what looked like cab lights on the fenders - maybe that's all they were - but the look suits this bus I think.

 

[Rocktonka]

Man, that really looks great...bottom side came out nice! The glass marker lights are getting hard to find...we had an old boneyard that wouldn't crush old cars/trucks and I was able to find enough parts to rebuild mine and add a couple more. That yard is gone now. LED bulbs in these really pop. I'll keep my eyes open for more.

 

[350TacoZilla]

So I ordered a set of the LED pumpkin style lights kinda like the ones you show here but clear with amber LED......well I didn't really read enough I suppose because they showed up and have to be atleast a foot long lol. Big rig stuff but I'm still thinking about using them because I like the shape so much. Hope all is going good on the bus.

lol - yes, started the day with a brown baseball cap, ended it with a black one

Pretty incredible, right? Amazing what the dry Saskatchewan air and a lack of roadsalt can do for ya... I can confidently say that the 65-year-old underside of this thing was better than any of the hundred or so 7 to 8 year old Ontario buses I've seen at work. The only ones that beat it are California and New Mexico imports.

I'll likely protect the thing with Fluid Film or Cosmoline spray. Have heard good things about both. I hate rust, now more than ever since I've begun wrenching on buses... this thing will be preserved.

If anyone has glass marker/turn signal lights to sell, I'd love to have 'em. Not the modern plastic ones. Irate has helped me a lot with this build so it'd be cool for a piece of the bus to be from someone here. I've seen some 1950's trucks with what looked like cab lights on the fenders - maybe that's all they were - but the look suits this bus I think.

 

[thatbus]

Man, that really looks great...bottom side came out nice! The glass marker lights are getting hard to find...we had an old boneyard that wouldn't crush old cars/trucks and I was able to find enough parts to rebuild mine and add a couple more. That yard is gone now. LED bulbs in these really pop. I'll keep my eyes open for more.

I remember seeing pics of this thing a while ago. Damn inspirational. Love what you did with it. The dimple dies on the hood are real nice touch.

So I ordered a set of the LED pumpkin style lights kinda like the ones you show here but clear with amber LED......well I didn't really read enough I suppose because they showed up and have to be atleast a foot long lol. Big rig stuff but I'm still thinking about using them because I like the shape so much. Hope all is going good on the bus.

If you ever decide to part with them keep me in mind ;) How do you find the quality of them?


--

Not much to show though I did get all the brakelines in the other day:

Lower spring plates made:

Not a great pic but also got the fuel tank up... of course it started ****in raining sideways while I was under there with it

 

[350TacoZilla]

So they are the plastic ones and I knew that going into it but that might be a deal breaker for you. Personally I like them and they don't feel like flimsy or anything but I'm not really sure how much of a hit the metal ones can really take either since they all use plastic lenses unless your talking way back with the glass lenses. Maybe a big rig junkyard trip in your future lol.

I like how you keep saying not much to show but keep getting ton of stuff knocked out man! It's that old 80\20 thing on time and effort to get it together.

 

[pinchegringo]

I like it,
Can remember the grind doing my bus and the huge list of work in front of me.
Keep on keepin on and you'll be done before you know it.

 

[Grendel]

Amazon.com

These are all metal, with a plastic lense. 1960's Peterbuilt knock offs, basically.

I have a set for my IH, I still have to mount.

 

[thatbus]

I like how you keep saying not much to show but keep getting ton of stuff knocked out man! It's that old 80\20 thing on time and effort to get it together.

I hear ya on the 80/20 rule here... it fits in a few ways I think. It's funny, I have been working on so many other buses at work that I've lost count. Banged out electrical for an ice cream truck, a skoolie short bus, some sort of bouncy castle/party bus, and fabbed up a couple swivel seat bases for a client. All the while trying to get my own bus done. Guess I'm doing a lot of work, just proportionally, never feels like its my own stuff I'm doing

On the other hand, I also get to play with old trucks... 1961 Viking - so pretty much identical to my bus - still got a 283 and SM420 except with a dumb bed and the new bodywork introduced after my 1959 year... Biggest difference is that this is a 15,000lb+ GVWR truck with independent torsion bar front suspension. It rides very nice...

But anyways...

Helluva lot of work tonight, and during the season's first blizzard, go figure lol... Everything fit perfectly, better than expected, really. Managed to get the pinion at 0.06° (+-0.05°) relative to the transmission.

 

[arse_sidewards]

On the other hand, I also get to play with old trucks... 1961 Viking - so pretty much identical to my bus - still got a 283 and SM420 except with a dumb bed and the new bodywork introduced after my 1959 year... Biggest difference is that this is a 15,000lb+ GVWR truck with independent torsion bar front suspension. It rides very nice...

I'm not a GM guy but I'd love to own one of those IFS MDTs with a big V6.

 

[350TacoZilla]

Yeah the torsion IFS rides nice but can be hard to get parts for. I love my 305V6 but again parts availability is getting scarce. I'd like to find a set of those fenders that aren't beat up too but I need to get my truck together and see if the wide ones fit better or the narrower ones.

 

[Chkn]

That creeper is putting in work

 

[thezentree]

OP makes me feel like a bitch for not wanting to work on my stuff in a 50 degree garage

 

[Firstram]

OP makes me feel like a bitch for not wanting to work on my stuff in a 50 degree garage

No ****, he makes me feel even older than I already do!

 

[thatbus]

OP makes me feel like a bitch for not wanting to work on my stuff in a 50 degree garage

Between this comment and the one about the creeper, y'all ****in crack me up... You forget about the cold when you're too busy swearing at bus parts in the dead of night.

That creeper has a broken/missing wheel, got it for $5 at the Princess Auto christmas sale last year... No clue how the previous owner managed that one when it suffered zero damage - somehow - after dragging 700+ lbs of axle across the frozen ground lol.

Too much snow recently to do anything useful at the bus, so working in a garage on the battery/electrical cabinet and switch panel. This will go to the left of the driverseat. I think I've shown pics of the box before, it's recessed in the floor.

Welding this thing up with little 1/16 7018 electrodes was goddamn Sisyphean... shoulda' just got a (working) MIG or TIG or something lol

Very happy with how it's turning out.

Pushbutton switches on the panel where my hand is, and Carling/Airpax breakers for the batteries, inverter, etc. on a vertical panel above my hand.

 

[thatbus]

I've seen salt truck turbos that looked less **** than this...

After some mild cleaning...

All in all the turbo has very little side to side play, zero end play, and spun nicely. Turbine side actually looked very good, though tons of caked on oil. I am not sure if the seals just got obliterated, or someone failed to install them, but there are two O-rings which should be there yet are just... missing.

I'm thinking I'll throw a new compressor wheel on and a bearing/seal kit, get a balance, and call it good? The alternative is a GT-series from a DT360. Fair bit larger inducer/exducer though. (The above T04E17 is 40 trim, 75mm major dia. 47mm minor dia.)

 

[arse_sidewards]

I've seen way worse work. I'm pretty sure I've posted the video here but I've got a buddy who uses an impact to break a marine turbo that looks worse than that loose at the start of every season. Going on like 3-4 years like that now.

 

[thatbus]

Got the brakelines all done. Clamped in place. Lines bled, etc. Had a brand new MC which turned out to be ****ing junk. No matter how much I'd bench bleed it, it wouldn't pass fluid. Pieces of rubber coming out instead... Old one from a GMC 4500 bus at work, works just fine though. Also got the stainless fuel lines for the engine and webasto in, as well as the water/fuel separator installed. Used flouroelastomer hose everywhere, no copper or brass in the fuel system, so this thing should be fine to run on straight WVO/bio, if I ever felt the need to do that...

No pics, too dark, but also got the steering column, power steering servo valve, etc. painted and permanently installed. Cleaned the valve, looks good:

Also did some random little things... wiring harness for lights:

...and replacement braces for the bodywork. These go inside the front wheel well area, and in the back along the side skirt. Old steel ones were rusted through. Made them out of stainless this time:

 

[350TacoZilla]

Nothing to add to this other than you do damn nice work man!

 

[Kriptonite]

Ditto on the nice work, good to see such craftsmanship and pride in your work.

 

[thatbus]

Nothing to add to this other than you do damn nice work man!

Ditto on the nice work, good to see such craftsmanship and pride in your work.

Thanks you both. I appreciate the nice words.

Was planning on putting on the rear tires tonight... Have hit a small snag, however. Four in total, actually...

I could hammer it in but I feel that'd look kinda ****ty and may crack the epoxy on the underside anyways. I'm thinking that a sawzall or jigsaw would be best? Go nice and slow and hopefully not create too much heat? Any other tips?

Really liking how this is turning out though.

 

[350TacoZilla]

HF sells the little air body saws pretty cheap or amazon. Wouldn't create much heat an you could almost follow along the outside edge of the existing trim then just do a similar style when you close it back up. That or trace it so you have the mark where you want it to go to then take trim off and go around with a small bending stick and fold the edge back in on itself with almost no cutting. How much extra room do you have in the inner fenderwells? Is it just the outside metal thats in way or are the tubs too small too?

 

[thatbus]

HF sells the little air body saws pretty cheap or amazon. Wouldn't create much heat an you could almost follow along the outside edge of the existing trim then just do a similar style when you close it back up. That or trace it so you have the mark where you want it to go to then take trim off and go around with a small bending stick and fold the edge back in on itself with almost no cutting. How much extra room do you have in the inner fenderwells? Is it just the outside metal thats in way or are the tubs too small too?

I'll be just across the border soon, helping a buddy get a Detroit running... so maybe I'll grab one at HF then.

The way they made these bus bodies; actual wheel wells are giagantic. My bus had 38"-ish tires back there, but the full-length chassis had larger 42" ones. Wheel wells were the same no matter the length of the bus, they just trimmed the side skirt to fit the tire size. There is plenty of room to play with, fortunately. Just wish I remembered to do this BEFORE the paint lol.

 

[thatbus]

Been a minute since I posted...

Wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round - she's on all four tires now.

Turbo rebuilt with a new compressor wheel, new bearings, and balanced. Made up some new lines for it too. New oil, filters, and coolant added... about ready to start the engine for the first time in a while.

Dash and some electrical coming along as well:

Sorry for the **** photo... trying to take a shot in one handing while holding the entire dash with the other...

Big 14.4kWh lithium battery that I built will go where the cardboard template is. LTO lithium starter battery below the Victron inverter.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

**** yeah

 

[V30crewcab]

interesting that gauge cluster says gmc, the smaller pickup ones had a different dash and speedo than the chevys.