1960 GM

[steelbuttplate]

I think I would look pretty sharp cruising around in the Dodge.

That would make a very fine hunting car....does the heater work?

[awalker1829]

I think I would look pretty sharp cruising around in the Dodge.

That would make a very fine hunting car....does the heater work?

I don’t know. Not my car and not much need for heaters here. Wonder if the owner remembers that the car is still at the museum.

As for the GM, it will get the first trip to the paint booth this week or next. I’m out of town this weekend-otherwise I’d be working on it. Next project will probably be Tucson Rapid Transit Company No. 217-our 1953 GM and the first transit bus in Tucson to feature air conditioning. The air conditioning unit was added in the late 1950s. It is also a complete vehicle with original interior-needs a lot of mechanical and body work.

[polymerase2]

That looks like fun

[awalker1829]

You bet. Thing that makes it even more fun is that one of the old Tucson Rapid Transit drivers is our resident caretaker at the shop. His mind is still sharp and his hands stable. He makes museum quality scale bus models as a side business.

He’s got a lot of knowledge and stories about driving the old coaches. Ask a question and then shut up and listen. We really ought to sit him down and do an oral history.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Yes you should, we are losing our history every day as the older men pass on and take it with them.

[awalker1829]

Update as of 2/19-Bus has been having final body prep and goes to the paint shop Saturday for the cream colored paint to be applied. The following Saturday will be for body work and masking in preparation for painting the green. That will involve masking the lettering.

Engine was started and the carburetor adjusted. The generator was reconnected and tested as well-it had been disconnected when the engine was repaired and incorrectly reconnected. Bus MUST be finished by 3/15 as it is needed for a trip that evening.

[ffuries]

Update as of 2/19-Bus has been having final body prep and goes to the paint shop Saturday for the cream colored paint to be applied. The following Saturday will be for body work and masking in preparation for painting the green. That will involve masking the lettering.

Engine was started and the carburetor adjusted. The generator was reconnected and tested as well-it had been disconnected when the engine was repaired and incorrectly reconnected. Bus MUST be finished by 3/15 as it is needed for a trip that evening.

Ooh, I look forward to the pictures!

[millman]

[awalker1829]

Today was several hours of work. Spent three hours doing final prep work for painting and about four hours in the paint booth. The one in our shop isn’t big enough for a vehicle, so we made arrangements with the body shop down the street to use their outdoors paint shed. They do everything from cars to commercial vehicles.


Gene and Mark painting the wheels.


Front end painted.


Literally about half done.

Next week will be spent doing last minute body work on the lower body, painting parts that are off the coach (fender mounts, tow eyes, mirror frames) and preparing the stencils for the lettering. We paint the lettering rather than using vinyl transfers. The lettering on the bottom is the Arizona Corporation Commission Permit Number. Buses were required to have it painted on in addition to carrying an ACC permit plate in addition to the state commercial vehicle license plate. The ACC plate is the one thing we don’t have and don’t expect to find.

[awalker1829]

Bus is being prepared for final painting this weekend. Stencils for the lettering should be applied by Friday. Didn’t get to the range this weekend as we worked both days.



Sunday evening was spent retrieving Warren Bisbee No. 8 from the 4th Avenue Street Fair. It was on display all three days. The volunteer in charge of the display reported that the previous night, someone got into the bus and stole $20 from a donation jar and some merchandise that had been stored in the bus. Unlike most vehicles, transit bus doors have no locking provisions. Why they left money or merchandise in the bus is beyond me, considering that they could have put it in the car barn office across the street. We did find switches on the dashboard tampered with and that the battery was dead. Apparently the volunteers that drove the bus up to the event forgot to open the battery switch. We brought up tools in case the ignition coil was damaged, but a fresh battery got the bus running.

We do take the bus to various events including car shows and always draw attention. It stands out from the other vehicles on display and is almost always the only vehicle that visitors can touch or get in. As long as you don’t touch the switches on the dash, you’re all right. Of course, the volunteers staffing the display should have ascertained that the battery switch is open at the start of the day.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Sounds like the local crackheads paid you a visit, sanitize everything on the bus, who knows what diseases they were carrying. Too bad, that class of people ruin the quality of life for everyone. Looking good with the paint so far.

[awalker1829]

That could well be. At least they didn’t burn up the ignition coil. On the 8, you pull the ignition switch out and press the starter button to turn the engine over. The battery had drained to the point that it was literally DEAD. Driver forgot to do a post trip inspection and missed opening the battery switch.

Whenever I operate a coach, I do a full pre and post trip inspection. First thing is go in the cab and verify that all electrical switches are in the OFF position, transmission is in neutral and the parking brake is set. Then you do the walk around inspection. When you get to the engine compartment, you check belts and hoses and close the battery switch. If the coach has starting controls in the engine compartment, you may start the engine at that time. One time I nearly got run over by the No. 8 when it was being started from the engine compartment. The idiot I was working with didn’t bother to verify that the transmission was out of gear and the parking brake was set. The parking brake WASN’T set and the transmission WASN’T out of gear or in neutral-it was in REVERSE.

[awalker1829]

Well, we didn’t get to paint today due to the amount of work it ended up taking us to do the final preparation work. The stencil maker didn’t follow the instructions that were given regarding the spacing of the letters. That meant we had to apply each letter individually. That added a lot of time to the process.



Applying stencils on the driver’s side.



Stencils partially applied on the passenger’s side. Applying the stencils takes a great deal of care as they have str adhesive on the back. Holes had to be cut where rivets were encountered to get the stencils to be applied flat. The paper above the stencils is a full scale tracing of the lettering from the letterboard of a sister bus. The font style, size and spacing was replicated and the tracing used to verify everything before each stencil was applied.



Preparation work completed-all stencils and masking applied, paint for each letter scuffed and cleaned with chemical solution. The bus will be painted Monday morning and we will start reinstalling parts Tuesday. This part of the painting is very detail intensive. It took a lot of time to do, but the result should be very good. You have to have a lot of patience to do this type of work.

[Junk Yard Dog]

You need a steady hand to deal with stencils, stripes, and so on. Looks like the job is coming along well. This is the sort of thing I love to avoid, body and paint man I am not. The mechanicals are no problem, I basically live in the 1920's anyway so figuring that stuff out isn't any big deal, and I have the tools, sometimes the actual 1920's vintage tools, Guy saw a new tool I got in from eBay in the shop the other day and was stumped as to what it was. Guessed everything, couldn't figure it, told him it was a spring leaf spreader that clamps on the spring and you screw it down to spread the leaf open so you can grease between the leaf's. He had no clue what the hell I was talking about.

[awalker1829]

Leaf springs had a lot of applications on trains and early motor vehicles. Tools are always welcome at my place too. I was reading through a book I have on railroad building architecture that was published in the 1890s and it has chapters on several different classes of buildings-stations, freight houses, ice houses, etc. One type of structure addressed was the lubricant mixing plant. Shows just how self sufficient many railroads were-they made their own oils and greases to suit their specific needs.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Watches also, a railroad timepiece is a work of art on the inside and utilitarian on the outside. I bought an entire collection of watches with high grade RR spec movements some years back, all were in fairly well worn nickel cases as was typical for watches that got a lot of use. The movements were in great shape, they had regulations regarding the maintenance of watches as well as what grade of movement could be used. The watch seller thought beat up case meant junk watches, huge mistake on his part.

The spring leaf spreader I have is for the thin springs on early Ford cars as I have both a 1925 Model T and a 1930 Model A. I also picked up a tire bead breaker tool, then found one in the ruins of an old outbuilding we have on the property. Never fails, wait years and then spend $75 on something, and you find one for free days later.

[awalker1829]

Watch standards changed over time. Initial requirements were a minimum of 15 jewels, lever set and adjustment to three positions plus temperature. Later revisions increased the minimum number of jewels to 19 and 21 and the number of positions was eventually changed to nine. Watches were compared to the standard clock by the inspector weekly and variances noted. The watch inspector noted the variances on the employee’s card, which had to be carried at all times. Employees were prohibited from setting the time-only the watch inspector were permitted to do that.

Being an approved watch inspector was a big deal. When a governed employee hired out, they usually bought their watch through payroll deductions. The railroad paid for the watch outright and recouped the cost from the employee. They were sometimes paid a salary by the railroad or time service company.

[awalker1829]

Last bit of painting finished today. Masking will be removed tomorrow morning and some detail work done. Got some overspray in a couple of spots that will have to be cleaned up. Photo of the front was taken before the door was completely painted.

[ffuries]

Sweet, looking good, can't wait to see it with the tape/masking off. Awesome job thus far!

[awalker1829]

Thanks! Wednesday I get to start putting things back on. The front bumper will be a chore as it is a two piece bumper and the mount has several parts. The rear combination tail lights/brake lights/turn signals have a little spring that holds them in place in the bezel. Also have to put the mirrors back together and attach the reflectors. Also need to install the rubber edges on the doors.