| Author | Message | ||
| JackW
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Here's a link.http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jackwentworth/album?.dir=4c1a&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=h ttp%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos | ||
| JackW
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And here's the pretty picshttp://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jackwentworth/album?.dir=a9ff&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=h ttp%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos | ||
| Cliff (Floridacracker)
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Jack, I am glad you put in the second set of pictures. My stomach was a turning on the first set. Nice Job! You should be very proud of all that you have accomplished. Cliff 75 4905 | ||
| Pat Bartlett (Muddog16)
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Jack excellant job, makes me want go back out and work some more........ | ||
| JackW
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Guess I should clarify, the pretty pics are of the coach when I bought it, the rust pics are the way it is (for now). Will keep posting progress pics as I go. | ||
| Cliff (Floridacracker)
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Jack, Wow, I would never have guessed and I am sure that you were surprized to find all that behind such a nice interior/exterior. I am in the process of building my 4905 and I feel a certain sense of comfort, as you will too, that it will look as good behind the skin as in front when we are done. Keep up the good work. Cliff | ||
| Jim (Jim_in_california)
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Oh Jesus. Aren't MCIs *stainless* under there? Not this one apparantly! Yikes. Good GOD. | ||
| rustless in calf Rating: N/A |
wow !!! how long ago did you buy this. and what made you start to undo it. seemed to look go in the last set of photo. did you know it was like that under the skin. | ||
| DrDave Rating: N/A |
Almost looks like it would have been cheaper to buy a couple of truckloads of steel and build one from scratch. Labor alone.. Whew!!! Brave Man.... Good Luck... DrDave... | ||
| Craig (Ceieio)
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Jack - I am so sorry that happend to you. I talked to that guy in Virginia City about this bus. He sounded stand up and I would like to think he didn't know, but it is hard to believe he could build the bus and not know it. I couldn't get my schedule together to go look at it, and I am glad now. Wouldn't you be better off buying another shell and putting the stuff from this one into it? There are some decent 8's and 9's out there for decent coin. I would think you could put your parts and that new 6V92 into a new shell, part out the powertrain in from the "new" shell, and be some money ahead. No matter what, good luck on the project and I hope you can still enjoy this whacky hobby of ours. Craig - MC7 | ||
| Craig (Ceieio)
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Jack - check this out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mci-bus-nuts/message/11568 Not trying to set your course for you, just trying to pitch in some ideas. Craig - MC7 | ||
| Lin
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Would there be anyway to really tell if a conversion one was interested in had these kind of issues? | ||
| Jim (Jim_in_california)
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Damned good question, that. I would imagine that underneath near the "edges" of the chassis there must have been SOME warning? Unless that was deliberately masked over with aluminum skin or something... | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Isn't MCI made by some company in Belgium that exported Trailways buses? Like TD says: "Turn 'em up-side down and they all look the same.." | ||
| Jim (Jim_in_california)
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Wait...oh man, what do the MOTOR MOUNTS look like?  | ||
| Pat Bartlett (Muddog16)
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Oh good grief, i thought those were the after pics(the pretty ones), Nightmares do happen in real life, When i was looking around and researching buses, there was a company in PA, (no names but you all know who!) I saw where they were primering the baggage compartments, they never did show how they prepped the area being painted, I decided right there and then that rust could be a major problem when buying an already converted bus, I bought my bus expecting rust(I wasn't disappointed)but there wasn't as much as i thought, rear wheel wells were the worse area, then around the dash, i had a machine shop fabricate what i needed, then i installed them, i document everything i do on my bus, when it comes time to let it go, i can always show the before and after. | ||
| Sojourner (Jjimage)
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Good grief was my impression 5 years ago on my Sojourner MCI-8 1974. However learned right after this, it normal for cold climate buses with sheet-front turn cold condensation with high humidity interior warm air. Also moisture seeping down from behind condensate windshield as well gasket’s leaks. Practically all of MCI, Prevost and Eagle have this moisture problem. You can remedy the problem by hot-spray-foam to sealed & insulate behind surface during temperature difference. It was insulating w/fiber glass but saturate with moisture that never dry out. The above easy to repair as compare the more serious concern is 2pc welded mild steel sheet-metal of tall & narrow tubing that connect to front of front main vertical mild steel chassis (where upper & lower control suspension’s arms connected) to behind front bumper. Very common rust problem, perhaps from salted highway. This framing with spare wheel w/tire is to cushioning impact in front collision. About where is stainless steel in MCI, 1) Lower half (under floor down-ward) including belt-line, all around the 4-sides. 2) Upper half is mild-steel all around the 4-sides. 3) Except complete right door’s jamb, middle windshield post and 2 wipers motor’s outer mounting plus 1 cover’s outer mounting frame in-between. 4) Both main suspension chassis is mild-steel. 5) Bottom bridge frame of engine’s rail is SS. 6) In between front & rear chassis lower half side baggage opening are SS. 7) All wheel-opening inter framing are SS. 8) Baggage’s floors are ribbed aluminum. 9) All frame flooring is mild-steel. 10) Passenger seat’s mounting floor rails are SS. 11) Main tunnel between front & rear chassis are mild-steel sheet metal channels with removable covers. 12) Entrance door is all SS. 13) Rear engine & blower’s opening frame except top is SS. 14) All lower half skins and blower’s cover is SS. 15) All baggage door’s frame is aluminum. 16) Dash board is mild-steel sheet metal. 17) All roof framing is mild-steel. 18) Roof skin is aluminum. 19) Side wall skin is aluminum. 20) Front & rear roof cap is fiber-glass. 21) Front windshields frame is fiber-glass. 22) Both “D” side window frames is fiber-glass. Bottom line is it can be repair with new common shape steel tubing instead of “H” or “S” steel frame. Reason for “H’ & “S” frame from factory is able to use “Rivet Bucking” (solid rivet) format. However front end riveting can be “Pull thru” type in SS. Because of replacement tubing framing, “Pull thru” rivet is practical. But you can still use solid rivet if larger assess hole is drilled to insert bucking bar to set & mushroom rivet. Still stronger than "H" & "S" frame and easier to find. FWIW Sojourn for Christ, Jerry PS….have drawing of 2 pieces described in second paragraph. E-Mail without X’s. | ||
| JackW
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Replies to all here... Cliff: I wasn't too surprised, although a little disappointed. This is a typical problem with these busses. Yes, it will be nice to know the framing is correct when I'm done. Jim in Cali.: The MC8's where (obviously) mild steel. They changed this to stainless with the MC9, which is why that front clip is sitting in my drive. I'll be cutting out from above the dash, to below the floor. Rustless in Calf: I purchased the bus in Oct. '04. Plan was to remodel the front to accept a LCD screen, and finish the driver's area. Wasn't until I took the interior panels off that I found how bad it was. Dr Dave: These things happen with 30 year old vehicles. Thank you. Craig: Yep, Dave's a good guy, although I'm not certain what he knew either. If I bought another shell, who's to say it wouldn't need as much, or more work? Lin: The short answer is not without considerable dismantling. Unfortunatley, there is no way to check this out without removing interior, or exterior panels. Pat: Good point on the documentation. I will be taking alot of pics. Unfortunatley, the seller didn't have pics of the unfinished shell, so my plan is to go through the rest of the coach in time. Jerry: Thank you for your detailed post. I tried sending an email, but it bounced. I am interested in your drawings. | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
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My MC8 was a rust-bucket, too. It spent its whole life in the Midwest, eating road salt and having window condensation drip into its frame. I traded it for an un-sellable half-done Fishbowl conversion. It would have been easier to just set fire to a big stack of cash. Sorry about your discoveries, Jack. And good luck with the re-build. I'm sure that Gumpy's site should be a good primer for you on what lies ahead. Southern/ Western bus shells are worth their weight in gold, methinks. BB | ||
| JackW
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Thanks Brian, Although I'm sure there are coaches out there that have less rusting, some of these problems are prevailent in all coaches of this age. The key here is price paid. I think I did alright in that regard, and expected some problems, although still a bit disappointed. It all started when I decided to remodel the front driver's area, and wanted to put a flat screen front and center. Started raining down here and realised there were leaks in the cap. So, started pulling out interior, and you see the result. Should be working on the interior, but have to rebuild the frame first. This little project to date has cost me ~38k, and I expect another ~5k to get it together the way I want. I had the opportunity to meet Craig, and have browsed his site extensivley. | ||
| DrDave Rating: N/A |
I have a New Jersey MC9 , Need I say more? I am afraid to start looking under the skin, I did have to re-weld around the door frame and yes I found stainless tubing there. My bus apparently took a corner hit at about the passenger side mirror. It was reskinned over the broken welds. I had to rebuild a Flyer rear roof section once where the A/C condenser was located. Not fun either rust is a migratory animal then add some sea-air and salt to make it nice and crusty. I just didn't want to say that I had been there and done that. I have the mental and physical scars to prove it. I guess I am getting tired of having to rebuild everything I touch or is that paranoia???.... Jack, May the Force be with you... Craig, I always enjoy your posts.. | ||
| Ray Lala (Rayshound)
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My MCI-8 had the exact looking front. It wasn't hard to determine as the front stainless skin the rivets were all loose. I learned that MCI changed this problem on the MCI-9. I ordered each curve part and 1 1/4" box tubing for the entire front for the mci-9. It came From MCI with part #'s and bar codes. It made a nice job no more rust. Ray |