| Picture 1 - shows the “before”
bus. Doesn’t look too bad, right? We realize the grille & rear door are
missing as well as incorrect wheels & axles. The decals were painted
over, but all these items can be replaced with correct original style
reproduction parts. |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 2 – the bus has been
taken apart & we begin to see some problems. |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 3 – here are the parts
after sandblasting. The poorly applied bodyfiller has been knocked out by
the sandblasting & we now see evidence of extreme pitting caused by years
of rust & neglect. |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 4 – a rust inhibitor is
applied & eats away additional weak areas. The parts now look as though
they have been shot with a shotgun. |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 5 – first step in repair
process – after several coats of primer, pieces of new metal are cut to
size & bonded to the inside of the bus cabin to fill all rust holes.
Edges are tapered to accept first round of heavy bodyfiller. Window
openings begin to take their original shape via dremel tool attachments &
hand filing. |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 6 – heavy bodyfiller is
applied & hand sanded to cover new metal patches. |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 7 - lighter coats of
bodyfiller have been applied & sanded to a smooth finish |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 8 – Once the inside was
completed & all holes were filled & windows re-shaped, work begins on the
exterior. This picture shows first round of bodyfiller prior to sanding. |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 9 – shows exterior after
2nd round of filler sanded off. |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 10 – chassis after 1st
round of filler applied & sanded smooth |
 |
| |
|
| Picture 11 – underside of cab
after 1st round of filler applied & sanded smooth |
 |
| Picture 12 – here’s the finished
product! New grille, wheels, tires, decals & rear door. 4 different
colors, all correct for this piece. |
 |
| |
|
|
Proper restorations are very
labor intensive & require a good working knowledge of the piece coupled
with continued hands on work in order to achieve a finished product that
closely reassembles a factory produced item of the period. If you’re
considering a piece to purchase & the seller says “just a little paint &
it’s as good as new”, run!
Again, this one was
a-typical, but I’ve tried to show what can be done to save even a basket
case from the landfill.
|
