| Author |
Message |
Gary LaBombard (Garylee)
Registered Member
Username: Garylee
Post Number: 87
Registered: 3-2004
Posted From: 64.12.116.138
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 27, 2006 - 12:00 am: | |
Hello Everyone,
I can tell by the counter information that I receive weekly what viewers of my web site look at the most. I have decided to re-arrange my web site hopefully to make it easier to find what you look at the most and also that I will be adding more information intended toward "Newbies" in photo form and will always post the location of any new information I post to make it easier to find as well.
NOTE: There is no new photo's posted as of this thread today, this is just a notice that my website has been changed and I hope I have made it easier for you to surf my information.
I have put all the Bus Nut Rally's at the begining of my web site and all bus rally information will have the album name starting with a letter, ('A", "B" etc. ) If there is additional Albums pertaining to a particular rally such as the Timmonsville, SC rally I will Post the letter with a number, ("D1", "D2", etc.) I will also have a date in the heading so you know you are looking at photo's of the same rally and the same time period taken. Boy I hope I don't have you confused here.
Now, all my bus repairs, (MY Eagle, "The Rustless Money Pit") will continue using only a Album Number and name such as (#1-Album S&S etc. ). Then any additional information in other subjects will be in separate albums such as (#1, #2, #3 etc.) with their names of the repair area also in the heading. Not everyone wants to look at these and to minimize wasting your viewing time this area will be for newbies to take their time to look at one album at a time when they wish. I plan to start adding much more from my CD on this website for anyone needing information to reclaim the life of their bus if it is needed, (Like Mine Was).
I appreciate constructive feed back so that I may further help all I can with "FREE" information for them to consider in their bus conversion projects. Please feel free to email me for additonal information if I have any that will assist you.
Again I want to emphasize that (I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL CONVERTER), any and all work I have done has been my own choosing and I am not stating that my way is the way you should have to fix your bus, this information is only intended to be a guide to find problem areas and how I fixed my bus problem areas in my personal bus. I am not responsible for any personal injuries or damage to any propertiy caused by the reader using my web site information. This information is only intended to be a (GUIDE) to assist in making safe decisions which any converter should consult a ("Professional Bus Converter") before attempting.
My web site once again is:
http://community.webshots.com/user/converter101
I will start posting additional information very soon, I will (Always) post the exact locaton of any new photo posts.
Thank You,
Gary LaBombard
(Message edited by Garylee on October 27, 2006) |
Michael Sheldon (Msheldon)
Registered Member
Username: Msheldon
Post Number: 15
Registered: 10-2006
Posted From: 68.230.115.166
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 27, 2006 - 12:59 am: | |
I am truly impressed by the quality of work you did in repairing the chassis of your bus. It looks outstanding.
But good heavens man! Wouldn't it have been easier to build a new bus frame from scratch?  From the looks of it, there's not a whole lot you didn't replace and/or do extensive repair work. |
Gary LaBombard (Garylee)
Registered Member
Username: Garylee
Post Number: 88
Registered: 3-2004
Posted From: 64.12.116.138
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 27, 2006 - 8:46 am: | |
You'r correct in your assumption Michael, so, so many times I wish I had started from scratch but a quick history as to where I am at and why and what I am doing about it.
(1) "Newbie / wannabee", bought with his heart, loved the Eagle look, "Just had to have one".
(2) No experience in inspection of bus, no one available to assist in keeping me straight on my inspection.
(3) At the time I of purchase I had no idea there was a internet "Busnut" organization such as this bb'd, so I had no information what to look for and not overlook, again (Inspection Procedure).
(4) The initial investment was when buses were selling very high in price, (Nearly 5 years ago now),I could not afford the loss of investmemt to scrap out bus.
(5) Being a previous welder through the years what rust I did observe I just knew I could fix it!! Without proper inspection I did not find all that you see I did on my web site until after I pressure washed it underneath and used a sharp probe to find that the "Entire" undercarriage was rotted and needed replacing. "Note" I replaced nearly 90% of undercarriage and the other 10% I left, well, that was rotted in areas I could live with up to about 50% of that!!! Another thing, just day before yesterday, now I have been working on my bus 4 years now, she has been under a bus port completely out of the weather and I found one last tube I had not replaced with water still in it!!! 4 years, no moisture from rain etc. and the water still in a tube. The location of the tube was in the center of the bus framing near the baggage compartment vertical bulkhead.
(6) I had thoughts of giving up at the begining many, many times but as I started documenting what I found on my personal bus I just knew I could put this information to an advantage to help anyone else smart enough as you are now to research what I found, where I found it, how I fixed it and hopefully with the CD I also made with all my information about my repairs that I could assist anyone else wishing to buy a used bus and give them a guide on how to inspect it from my experience I have gained in the past 4 years now. I don't know of anyone, buying a used bus years ago before the opportunity to research as you are now doing that did not find things wrong with their buses when they got them home and started their conversion. There was (rusted framing, bad old wiring that is chaffing all over the lot, dangling wires all over, rusted out air tanks and air fittings and air lines all chaffed, Windows leaking inside all over the place causing more internal frame damage, fuel tanks about 2 inches deep in sludge from 30 years of running and running and running, worn out bushings in the "A" arms of the front steering, lack of grease at all grease fittings causing worn out mechinacal parts all over the bus, air filter to the engine so neglected the engine was starving for fresh air, ($$ too much for filter??), This list goes on and on Michael about what I did not know and am sure many more before me also did not know but have since found. You guys all have the advantage to learn now and if you don't take this information and use it properly, then shame on you, I personally have hung all my laundry out for everyone to see about my bus purchase. Who else would name their bus, ("Rustless Money Pit")?? Not many!!
My intention now is to complet my bus, one that will last many decades after I am gone, I am 61 now, how many more years do I have. Complete our bus for us to enjoy as many years as we can, travel an meet more new friends and many other newbies' I feel I have helped in their purchase and repairs.
A lot of bad at first was involved in my personal feelings over this deal to begin with but man a lot of great things have happened since and the people that know of my bus, my project, and meeting us has been more rewarding than ever.
I am sure once this "Rustless Money Pit" is roadworthy and we finally hit the road for real in her that the attention she will receive from those busnuts following my progress on my repair website will be the largest reward in my life just knowing I may have prevented hundreds of newbies of making the same mistakes I did.
Now that I know how to do all this and did not at first, I am still going to improve things I started 4 years ago in the front of the bus as the experience has made me wiser and you can bet with my "Spare" undercarriage, this ole girl will still stand proud many years from now with the best of them.
I will never critize anyone for doing such as I have done, (Buying With Your Heart), I will always try to encourage them to fix their bus no matter what condition it is in and make it safe and roadworthy again. I am still very impulsive in my purchases, natural I guess, but in the circumstance of my bus, with my wife's support I knew I could fix it better than when she was born and as you can see, I am. Anyone can, they just have to look at my bus condition and see if they are up to this kind of work physically and mentally and financially ($$$$).
I am doing all my best, that I can to assist others in their decisions and have been thanked many, many times and as I said the rewards for having a bad situation 4 years ago have been rewarded many time to me personally and the price of this experience, ("Priceless")!! NOW!!
As you might expect, another long, long post. Sorry. This is my reasons now for not buying metal and building my own bus from the ground up, I could do that now but won't.
I hope to see you on the road Michael, next year is a proposed target date to starte my DD-318.
Gary |
H3-40 (Ace)
Registered Member
Username: Ace
Post Number: 322
Registered: 10-2004
Posted From: 75.200.70.168
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 27, 2006 - 1:25 pm: | |
"(2) No experience in inspection of bus, no one available to assist in keeping me straight on my inspection."
SHOULD HAVE CALLED SAM JOHNSON.... HE KNOWS IT ALL! |
Michael Sheldon (Msheldon)
Registered Member
Username: Msheldon
Post Number: 16
Registered: 10-2006
Posted From: 68.230.115.166
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 27, 2006 - 3:27 pm: | |
Well, I certainly did learn a lot about bus undercarriages from your photos. But mostly what I learned was that I'd better look very carefully before I buy.
I *don't* have the impressive metalworking skills that you have, and I don't have a place I can put a bus on blocks and work on it for extended periods of time. I'd end up contracting it out, which would cost $$$$$
But I gotta say, your bus probably has the best looking frame out there now. |
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