That's a fair comment. So my plan is I want to actually get the whole body shell dipped to make sure that I am uncovering all the rust etc. The problem is that is not going to be possible for a couple of months, so I am cutting what I definitely know is rotten at the moment and just making an inital assessment looking at parts availability and loosely plan what might needed, rather than chopping off a load of metal I don't need to. I reasoned it's no bad thing to have some of the defintiely rotten stuff replaced already so thats also nicely primed in the dipping tank.
That beam looks toast. Inner torsion tube is pretty crusty. In the Nederlands you have kieft en klok for bus parts, new and used. Paruzzi also got an extensive parts catalog, I like they clearly states when parts are A or B quality.
Some more progress over easter and today. I wanted to make some dollies to roll the chassis about, but ones suitably sturdy enough to get it like that on to a trailer so I can drag it off to be dipped at some point. Behold my creation! Might seem bit of an odd design having all the castors in line but then you can tilt the bus while dragging it onto a trailer etc. To support it along that axis I welded extra braces that mount offset to the chassis. Could be overkill but better that way than the other.... And now I can roll it into the corner of the garage when I have to work on other crap vehicles I own!
As for the rust investigations ...by popular demand I attacked the front end a little more with the wire wheel to uncover the edges where I can see the floor and steps had been plated. I think they must get an award for minimum number of tack welds to hold a plate on The plate on the step is a real mystery as far as I can tell the step itself is fine - it will all come off closer investigation at a later point. For now I am waiting on hertigate parts to deliver my windreeen panel as I want to get that welded having offered up the new front panel, then I can remove the rest of the deformation panel once it has served its purpose as a datum. Still no sign of my panel though after a couple of weeks I've now removed everything of the bus I think, final part was the heater tubes and gear shift rod. Heater tubes are a bit "gone". They look like they are just tack welded into the chassis? What do people use to cover them up to replace the original insulation? Or don't they bother
I recently found a used diverter thing. Rusty crusty...very serviceable...more than I could ask for...AND it even came with with its own pair of insulating panties. I doubt they did much more than hold water and cause rust. No one stays warm wearing only panties. BTW, those tubes don’t look bad. My tubes were bags of rust (inside the insulation) There is more than enough to weld to. Are you trying to make it original or functional?
