Old Bus (Part Deaux)

[davido]

Well we spent last Saturday cleaning out the bus. Totally gutted it, prepping for the build-up. I had gained some confidence in finding a front windshield for it when I found out that they were used in multiple models from the mid-50s to the early-70s. :) Surely someone had glass for this thing. Well after over 100 emails, 50 websites, 30 phone calls, and a whole lot of stressing, it looks as though this project will have to be abandoned. Too bad really. It's a really cool body. I'm currently looking for something of the same vintage, but with a flat glass windshield (Superior, Carpenter, etc.) Please drop me a line if you know where one can be had.

Back to the old drawing board... :(

[AggieTJ2007]

nobody could make you custom glass?

[davido]

Can't find crap. Someone said they "thought" someone was selling one side for $3700. I found a couple of buses that have them, all cheap, none close. Even if I were to find one, what's the backup plan in case something happens to it. Can't exactly just call out Safelite.

The Lexan MAR10 is looking like a possibility though. Has a 10 year warranty against yellowing. Comes already tinted. Anyone know much about this stuff? What thickness to I want for the windshield, front, and rear windows?

[AggieTJ2007]

damn, 3700 that kinda blows the budet a little bit,

[AggieTJ2007]

did you try these people

www.cust***lass.com

[Graystroke]

there was a place in San Antonio that did blow molding in Lexan. I'm sure someone does it in H-town or the DFW area. There were some aggies that worked at the San Antonio one. We used them to make the canopy on the '97 Solar Car.
It would be a lot of work, but you could build the molds possibly from the old glass and cast it in plaster/ fiberglass. Maybe able to do it while they are still in the bus to lessen the risk of breaking them. I'll try and look at the other bus tomorrow. check your email and call me w/ more details.

[davido]

I haven't yet tried CG.com, but I'll drop them a line. Too late on the old ones. We "removed" them to get some air flow through the body while cleaning it out. Whew it was stinky inside! Let me know what you find out.

[davido]

hanks for all of the feedback guys. Well, I did get windshield identifiers from a guy with the same kind of bus in NM. I'm going to make some calls, but after talking with a few more people I think it's going to be cost prohibitive even if I find glass. The Lexan MAR10 is a good bet, but still $700+ and lots of time to get them in. So... I smell road trip!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4635333578

Just bought it, leaving tomorrow night.T Antonio's sister is in St. Louis, so we'll be staying with her Saturday night. Hopefully the trip goes smoothly. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to get it on the trailer, but I'm sure we'll figure something out.

[Doug Krebs]

Holy mother of god that is sweet!

You could chain my winch to the front of the trailer, but it needs 2 solenoids at the moment.

[J Cooper]

i saw a bus a couple days ago a couple streets down from the new house for sale... already had the fold out side with canopy and the side came out and turned into a bbq pit and a bunch of other stuff.. but the bus was like an 80s model... so nothing as cool as this thing would be when your done.

[agjohn02]

why didnt you just road trip back to austin to buy the one we saw just like that a mile from where you got the one you have, offered them $750, and come out ahead?

[redcagepatrol]

Well, let me know - I've got a trailer and a winch - and a snatch block. Good luck

[uglyota]

you gotta be kidding me...you're bringing the whole thing back and not just the glass and doors?
I must not understand your "budget"

[BMFScout]

If you need anything in the Mid-Missouri area for whatever reason let me know. I have connections...;)

[BMFScout]

http://cgi.ebay.com/1908-Newman-Bros-Chicago-Piano-12738_W0QQitemZ280000029770QQihZ018QQcategoryZ3797 5QQcmdZViewItem

See if he'll throw this in, would look cool in your house

[uglyota]

I will NOT be suckered into carrying that up to your gameroom :p

[AggieTJ2007]

sure you know you will be begging to carry it up the stairs

[davido]

why didnt you just road trip back to austin to buy the one we saw just like that a mile from where you got the one you have, offered them $750, and come out ahead?

That one was not complete and not a rounded rear bus. Not the same vintage. It was also a Ford. Bedies, this makes for much richer story telling.


you gotta be kidding me...you're bringing the whole thing back and not just the glass and doors?
I must not understand your "budget"

Because for another several hundred dollars, I have a whole bus. We still would have had to driven up there, cut out glass, then reinstall it into the one I have. Plus, I think the bodies are a little different, so probably only the windshiield would have worked, maybe the rear glass. It seems a little different though and if it is, that would totally bite if all I had was windows that didn't fit. Now I have all kinds of spare drivetrain parts.

This one had a 305 V6 in it. It ran before I had him take it out. He wanted another $400 for it. I'd rather just put that towards my 5.3 replacement. We're just rolling back into Texas. We should be home around 12 - 1 AM. Everything has been smooth sailing so far. We haven't even run out of fuel yet. :D But we did bring the cans and used one this morning before leaving St. Louis, JIK. We pushed it to get to Emilia's because we were tired as hell yesterday.

That's about it from here. If I can find the camera bag, I'll transfer and post some pics. We took pics in front of the Arch this morning.

[redcagepatrol]

cool - glad everything worked out for ya!

[agjohn02]

That one was not complete and not a rounded rear bus. Not the same vintage. It was also a Ford.


the one we stopped and looked wasnt exactly like this one?

[davido]

No, it was newer. I didn't realize it until I got up closer to it.

[Seth]

im gonna have to get a good update with pics on this soon - i saw old big trucks all weekend and wondered to myself if the glass would work everytime.

[agjohn02]

No, it was newer. I didn't realize it until I got up closer to it.


must not have been much older, 65 or 66, it had the same generation front end.

[eight]

I found one of these old busses in New Davy today. Same style front, rounded rear.

[davido]

Is that all of the info you have on it? What make/body/year?

[eight]

That's all I got driving by. I can stop in and look closer on my way back to college station thursday if you'd like. I think it has the rounded front. Its probably one my mom road to school in.

The one in Poth is much cooler though. But its also much older and I haven't got a good look at it. I think it would need a whole lot more money and time than you want to spend.

[davido]

Cool. Please take lots of pictures if you can.

[eight]

Too late, I'm allready in town.

[Graystroke]

The one in Poth is much cooler though. But its also much older and I haven't got a good look at it. I think it would need a whole lot more money and time than you want to spend.
So what does it need....just a new christmas tree air freshner?!

:flipoff2:

[davido]

For future reference, the answer is yes. If you're going to be drivig by a vehicle that you think I may be interested in, please take pictures. Thanks.