Progress on the bus . . .

Ditto on Uncle Bob's observation on the trade slackers, jb. Sorry to hear, but the timing of the rain storm couldn't have been better for you, so much better than just after it was upholstered, and you were pulling soggy material out to dry.
So was it leaking at body seams, or gasketed joints? I recall that you did some extensive work early moving the entry door from right to left side, etc. And you mentioned Nigel saying it would be "....finished (waterproofed but not painted)...." Does this mean that he used something like a seam sealer on the outside that now has to be shot with color, all without messing up your signage? Just curious what you're having to deal with....

Sorry to hear your problems but Roger nailed it. Atleast it hasn't ruined your new upholstery.

Thanks for the encouraging words folks.
(Picks himself up, takes a deep breath, and starts all over again.)

And yeah; I'd rather find the leaks now than after its been newly upholstered.
And the remedial work can be touched up before the signwriting goes on.
The cliché 'every cloud has a silver lining' springs to mind.
(Although, half a century ago, when I was in the ATC [Air Training Corps,] we were told that clouds have rocks [hills] in them!)

Nigel's using a seam sealer on it, the main cause of the leaks is a seam that runs along the centre of the roof, the full length of the body. (The roof is essentially just two panels with the compound curves at each corner formed and attached separately.)
From this seam the water tracks to various internal ribs, and drips from them.
There are various other relatively minor issues with vertical seams on the side panels, one window, and the 'weather strip' above the windscreen.

We'll make it to the Nationals, finished or not . . . we'll be there!

The heat gun worked quite well on softening it, we've spent about fifty hours over the last week removing the stuff.
Not a pleasant job.
Half filled a 200 litre (40 gallon,) rubbish bag with the stuff.

Errol finished the squabs yesterday arvo, so this morning I took it back to Nigel Fraser in Opunake to get another leak we've found sealed.
The mirrors should be painted and ready to reinstall too.

I absolutely hate trying to reverse without them!
You've got to rely upon someone else to give you directions...and you're waiting for the bump.

It goes to the electrician (Richard Cardiff,) in Okato for the interior lighting to be got ready for the reinstallation of the ceiling, (although before that's done we've got to do the insulation) and after the electrician it goes to Merv Lucas to programme the computer properly.
While it's at Merv Lucas's the Sign Shop say they'll put the graphics on it.

Then it's back out to Waitara for Kurt Broker to reinstall the ceiling.

Somewhere in there I'm hoping Dave Kinberg will come to light with the seat belts.

So near...

Light at the end of the tunnel, jb, light at the end of the tunnel!!

Thanks Roger.

Got it back from the panel shop, drove it to the electrician at Okato, and found it was leaking oil.
Bugger!
It's coming from a power steering hose, but while I was looking for that, noted that a brake line was weeping slightly too.
Double bugger!
I don't have the correct fittings for the p/s, and if I go get them, inevitably they'll be the wrong ones, (Murphy's Law,) necessitating another trip to town, and more delays, for which we just don't have the time.
We've got about three weeks before our Nationals; which is where I would like to debut it.
So...a quick call to Pete Moller: "After its been to Merv Lucas can you check out these hydraulic problems?"
"Yep; no sweat!"
Sigh of relief.
"Thanks Pete!"

So fingers, toes, eyes and arms crossed we make it to the Nats!
'Cos there's still a lot more to do to it!

I mean....what else can go wrong?

Ye Old Billings Bus is bucking a lot of baggage, isn't it, Johnboy?!! Argh!!! If it wasn't so awesome I'm sure you'd be tempted to push it over a cliff by now......one day it will be magnificent.....even if sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck!!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

You definitely gotta get the bugs worked out so you can revisit that Route 66 tour in it!;);)

Dunno about that Randy!
It's bad enough for me to drive a left-hand-drive vehicles on left-hand-drive roads...but to drive a right-hand-drive vehicle on left-hand-drive roads...I shudder to think of the consequences!
:eek:

Took the bus through to Lucas's Tuesday.
Today's Thursday.
And they haven't touched it.

sigh

But on a happier note: the signwriting went on yesterday!
"Billings Ind Dist," on the top rubbing strip both sides, a larger numeral "4" between the top two rubbing strips, and the graphics exactly as suggested by Roger Spears, along with the opening bars of 'Baby Elephant Walk' as suggested by Mike. (34_40)

Thanks for your input people!
Much appreciated!

The seat belts are due to arrive some time today too, complete with anchor bolts.
BUT...seeing as how they've been sourced from the States, the thread will be sae, (unf in Pommy-speak,) whereas the captive nuts in the anchorage points are fine metric.
So I can see a visit to a wrecking yard coming up in the near future.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by johnboy

But on a happier note: the signwriting went on yesterday!
"Billings Ind Dist," on the top rubbing strip both sides, a larger numeral "4" between the top two rubbing strips, and the graphics exactly as suggested by Roger Spears, along with the opening bars of 'Baby Elephant Walk' as suggested by Mike. (34_40)

Thanks for your input people!
Much appreciated!.

---

You know of course that pictures will be required! Right??? :eek::LOL::LOL::LOL:

http://www.clubhotrod.com/attachment...-babyewalk.png

http://www.clubhotrod.com/attachment...y-elephant.jpg

The Baby Elephant
So named because the obfuscation and recalcitrance of NZTA
Ensured that this project took longer than an elephant to gestate!!!
With sincere thanks to the folks from Fair Go!!

Don't know if that's going to come up with the pictures or just the url.
I'll try it.

Johnboy, surely a good engineering hardware store in NP would have the fine metric bolts you may need for the seatbelts, M12 or 14 x 1.25 pitch is what you will require by the required length.

I still have the sheet music from when I posted it for you.. and I remember RSpears finding that happy elephant.. but............

I meant pics of the BUS.. with the graphics.. but you knew that I'm sure!:LOL::LOL::LOL:

These were taken just the other day at our NSRA New Zealand (Taranaki) Nationals by a mate of mine.
The first one shows the 'Baby Elephant' as proposed by Roger Spears. (Thanks Roger!)
It sure drew a lot of laughs and comments by those of my friends 'in the know' regarding the circumstances and the troubles we've had with NZTA!

Attachment 62691

Next we've got the opening bars to The Baby Elephant Walk, courtesy of 34_40. Thanks Mike!
That too raised a few chuckles.

Attachment 62694

Then a frontal shot, showing the lines of the completed (almost) exterior, and the sign writing along the side, replicating it as it was when it was at work in Billings Oklahoma in the early fifties.

Attachment 62693

Last one shows the interior, namely the driving area.
(The interior is yet to be finished, the dashboard will not look like that in a few month's time, and there will be carpet and other comforts.

Attachment 62692

I've saved doing this for my 1,000th post...I wanted it to be a little bit 'special', seeing as I'm not as prolific a poster as many on here.

So there ya have it...my 1,000th post...and the bus in all its glory!

Has the journey through this build been worth it?
I don't know yet; ask me in twelve month's time when we've had some quality time in it.

Would I do it again?

If it were to involve all the same hassles the answer would be an emphatic NO!

I wouldn't live long enough to see the result!

The bus looks great, jb. Looking forward to seeing the inside tricked out to match the outside. I think you & Rosie are going to love tramping around with the bus.

JB, I'm just sitting here smiling..

The pictures brought it out of me. And that's a great way to mark your 1000th post! That bus is just so cool.. you cannot help but smile when you see it. Thanks for that.

That is just TOOOOO freaking neat!!!!!!!!!!!


.

So good to see the Bus almost to the finish line Johnboy. Have you emailed a photo of the back to the people of Faigo as I'm sure they would get a giggle out of your message. Oh, I learnt two new words now due to that as I had to get the dictionary out and look up a couple of those words. And congratulations for being so polite as I'm sure you could of been tempted to use stronger language. Please update us with interior photo's when complete too as I will be keen to see the finished article.

Johnboy, congrats on getting it this far and surpassing hurdles that got in the way! It sure looks great and I'm sure you guys will enjoy going to shows in it!

looks good johnboy - I like the paintjob and sign-writing.
hope you and rosie get to clock up lots of kilometres in it!

Many thanks for the kind wishes folks; you lot are aware of the frustrations that we've had to put up with from petty bureaucrats etc., so good vibes coming from you mean one helluva lot to me.
They are truly appreciated.

I can only reiterate; many, many, thanks!

Another hiccough along the way; but a minor one this time.

We'd taken the bus back to Kurt Broker (Brokers Panel and Paint,) to rebuild the compound curves in the rear corners of the ceiling, and to roll some new panels for the ceiling itself.

That's all good; no problems there.

We also charged him with painting these new panels to match the panel that has all the graffiti signatures done by the (then) kids who rode this bus back in the fifties.

Went and saw it last Monday before the panels were installed, and noted that the new panels did not match the graffitied one, but thought the difference was too subtle to be a problem.

Went and saw it again today with the ceiling now installed.

Well it's not subtle, and it is a problem.
Well it is to me...I know I would lie there at night looking at it and thinking: "That's wrong.
That's wrong.
That's wrong.
That's wrong.
That's wrong."

It would drive me crazy! (Well crazier than I am already...)

That's going to have to be redone.

sigh

bugger
you could turn to drink!!!!!!


.

Can you boarder it with pin stripping or something, make a feature out of it or is it that different it will drive you crazier?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kiwidreamer

Can you boarder it with pin stripping or something, make a feature out of it or is it that different it will drive you crazier?

---

It's very different.
And I know my eyes would be drawn to it all the time.

Kurt Broker did a very good job on the exterior; I'm pleased with it.
But this...no.

Its got to be changed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by johnboy

It's very different.
And I know my eyes would be drawn to it all the time.

Kurt Broker did a very good job on the exterior; I'm pleased with it.
But this...no.

Its got to be changed.

---

I looked at the panels after paint, but before being installed and I agree that the shade of cream selected is much different from the vinyl overlaid panel with all of the graffiti that was to be the "master". In hindsight it's like they simply took color chips and found what they felt was the closest match instead of doing a custom color match to the master. With today's technology matching paint by spectrophotometer has become a science vs the art it was in times past. Watching one of the newer auto reality shows some time back their paint guy mixed up almost 100 tints trying to match existing white paint on a custom ride. It can be done.

Good luck getting it fixed, jb! Sorry you're having to deal with another rock in the road.....

Went and saw the bus again today, sixteen days after telling Kurt that the job was not up to scratch.

"We'll get on to it early next week."

It went to him initially on the 28th October.
It's now the 27th November.

I've got other things I wish to get on with on the thing!

I'm gonna build me a bar in the back of my bus and drive myself to drink.
(Although realistically it's no use trying to drown my problems; they've proven to be too good at swimming!)

sigh

With paint tint it either matches or it doesn't, and getting to the "That's it!" point can take a lot of attempts and "That's close..." doesn't count for anything. In hindsight it likely would have been better to have rejected the color match before they installed the panels, when we first visited them that Monday morning the 17th. I expect that he's a bit bitter about having to take it all apart again, assuming they got it all assembled....

Yep.
Totally agree.

But in the relative gloom inside the building on an overcast day it didn't look (to my eyes anyway,) to be too bad.
But when I saw it outside on a beautiful clear day the difference was glaringly obvious, and reflected badly upon whoever did the matching.
It's definitely not a job that could be called 'good quality'; and I'm refusing to accept it.

It still has to go to Village Autos to finish having the tv dish and solar panels installed, its also got to go back to Merv Lucas to have the engine computer 'set' properly, as we only did what was necessary to get it mobile for its debut at the Nationals, and these people have still got 'tidy-up' jobs to do.
As well as that it has to go back to Richard Cardiff to get the lighting installed and the 240 volt (mains,) power system finalised...
So any procrastination by Broker creates ripples further out along the chain.
(Mixed metaphors there; but you get my drift...)
It's also due for its next Certificate of Fitness 5th December.
I also have to arrange for it to be checked for its Self Containment Certificate...but when?
It's impossible to organise a date for that when I don't know where it will be, or even if it will be mobile at any given point.
And there's a whole host of other relatively minor jobs that I'm wanting to do myself on it before we start using it.

Sheesh!

Rattle your dags man and get it done!
But get it done properly!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by johnboy

......Rattle your dags man and get it done!
But get it done properly!

---

.....and not to be overlooked by those in the northern hemisphere, you're heading into your active hot rodding/touring season down south, and here it is sitting in various shops instead of carrying you hither & yon, having fun with the beast and enjoying your spring/summer. You're rightfully frustrated, again....

Sorry to hear of the issues. Maybe you should get it from there and get other stuff done to it since it is just sitting there not getting touched and then take it back when he or they aren't "too busy" to get to it? Either way, I wish you the best of luck with it. Paint jail always seems to be a viscous issue. Unless you're Don. :LOL:

Unbelievable!

Got a phone call from Kurt Broker yesterday.

He had been trying to colour-match the panel that has the graffiti (now vinyl laminated,) on it, and gave the entire panel a wipe with a rag soaked in thinners.

The laminate, and the graffitied signatures, melted.

Irreparable.

The original panels are (thank God!) tucked away, albeit a bit battered, buckled, and bent.

It was that graffiti that enabled us to find the origin of the bus, and to me, is a very important part of its history.

BUGGER!


Be warned people: stay away from me!
I've been cursed by voodoo, or a jinx, or a hex of some description!
There's obviously someone out there doesn't like me!

Sheesh!

Hopefully the shop that made the vinyl over lay has your file saved, can print off a new over lay, and it will be a matter of stripping off the old and installing new, just like what was there. A thought - how about having Kurt strip off the vinyl, paint that panel to match the others since he already has the paint, then lay the new clear vinyl over that matched color and be done? Just trying to make some lemonade from the lemons here....

Sorry to hear that Johnboy. Roger's idea sounds like a really good option.

JB, of course it's your project and you can toss me off the bus at any point.. (pun intended!)

But if the signatures and graffiti are that special then they should be made to stand out, someone else suggested that the panel color difference be left alone to call attention to that spot and make it as special as it should be..

Like I said, just my 2 cents.. ol' buddy ol' pal... sorry to hear of all this trouble and hope it passes easily.

Earlier this week She went through the accounts and found the invoice with the name of the outfit in Thames that did it for us.

He may still have the graphics on his computer.
A pretty long shot though.

'Advanced Digital Design'.

No contact details but.
So I found them, and rang him.
He still has it on his pooter.
There is a God!

He said he's flat out in the run-up to Christmas, but should be able to print it off sometime next week, leave it to dry for a few days, and then get it down to us.

He also said: "Tell your dumb-ass painter that solvents and plastics don't mix!"
I think he's worked that out.

So what could have had the potential to turn into a major fiasco has been defused.

Although I'm still annoyed off about it.

What was he thinking?

Thursday Broker's office lady rang to say the bus would be ready to pick up later in the arvo...all ready to go.
So yesterday we picked the bus up from Broker, he's re-photographed the old panels, painted the ceiling, and reinstalled the graffitied names.
At no extra charge.
And the colours are 'right'.

Then took it for a CoF at VTNZ.
The New Plymouth staff have never seen it before and were very interested.
"It's a Ford; why is it registered as a Chev ute?"
Because that's what the chassis is, and NZTA insisted that that's what it must be registered as.

"Why is it registered as a Goods Service Vehicle when it's obviously a motor-home?"
Because when it was registered initially it didn't have motor-home type accoutrements in it.

"Well why didn't just you throw a mattress with a few blankets and a portable barbeque in the back?"
Because NZTA got septic and bureaucratic at me and told me that that was insufficient to show the intention of the final incarnation.
'What has been seen cannot be unseen,' I was told.

"Do you want to change it to a motor-home now?"
HELL YES!
Can you do it?
"Yep; but it will cost you $7:20."
My wallet was out before he changed his mind.

So a few minutes of paper work, $7:20 across the counter, and it's now registered as a motor-home.
And it's now at Village Auto getting the final touches done to the tv and solar panels.

Monday it goes to be measured for blinds, then to Merv Lucas for finishing off the mechanical electrics.

Then out to Okato to Richard Cardiff to finish off the interior lighting.

This project has been just sooo long in the pipeline that it's sorta hard to comprehend that we may actually be approaching the finale.

It's legal, it's painted, it's watertight, there's only a few tweaks to make to electrics, Self-Containment Certification (SCC,) shouldn't pose too many problems...and it'll be time to cruise!

Unbelievable!!!

YAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John, project length is a relative thing I believe. Now that my roadster is in the home stretch as well I began to realize it's taken me around 15 years to get here. If I begin to get maudlin about that I just think of how quickly Severson gets his done............:LOL:

WAHOOOOOOOO!! Great news on all fronts! Glad that everything worked out with the graffiti panel, that the panels now match, and mostly that you found someone with some sanity at the VTNZ. Have you got your first TikiTour planned, or are you worn out from TikiTours for this season :rolleyes::LOL::LOL:

Congratulations on getting very near the Finish Line! Oh, and I still say that you're crazy if you don't call the folks at Fair Go and let them know the status. I'd about guarantee that they'll be out with a camera crew to give their listeners a follow-up and some closure, and I KNOW they'll love the sign on the back of the bus!!

I'm glad to hear the ceiling issues are taken care of. Wow, that sounded too easy to get it registered as a motor home. That's good though. Good luck with the rest of it, you're so close!

Christmas coming early, congrats on the progress.

I'm with Roger on this one too, please let Fairgo people know for a follow up. I know that they have finished for the year but I'm sure they are still working behind the camera's sorting new stories for early next year. Congratulations on getting the Bus this far and I hope everything else just falls into place and you and " Her indoors " can get away for a holiday break in it soon.