The Overhaul Begins

When I bought the bus, one of the major selling points was the lack of rust after almost 40 years in California. Well, after decades of rust-free living, we sent the bus down the road to Rustville in only 4 years. I think the final year was the worst.

My first project was the obvious stuff – starting with under the driver’s feet. This is where you should look when buying a bus.

I knew I had holes, but I still started with the ole’ screwdriver poke. If if goes through, you’ve got more work to do. It went through a few times. So, I had to start cutting big holes on day 1.

I know you can buy replacement metal for this entire section, but I went the 8 dollar route and just cut out the bad part and welded in new flat 20 gauge sheet.

This was my practice run. If it turned out ugly, nobody would know but me. And, the next person buying the bus. And, the internet.