Edward Nolan : The BUS Blog

(click pics to zoom)

Dog Days April 21, 2023

So I got to meet a unique dog who was clearly a cross between a chihuahua and a lion. This inspired me to share some pics of my dog. Small problem though, I don't own a dog...

The pic above is of a dog, named Ash, that belongs to my good friend Scott. He is a type of great dane (the dog, not Scott). I believe it's called an apaloosa. Apaloosas are the worlds fastest dogs. Ash is VERY quick for a dog - you should see him go.

And yes ... this post IS bus related. If you look carefully, you can see the bus in the background of the picture :)

A new chapter April 10, 2023

A major change is coming. Details will be posted here, eventually. For now, here's a (professional?) artist's rendition of what the bus will look like with a newly proposed paint scheme...

Extreme toolbox challenge: ambulance edition May 16, 2022

Got a great deal on a giant set of used aluminum toolboxes and a work-shed. Yeah, they just happen to be shaped like an ambulance. People are beginning to suspect that I'm collecting big-block engines. I swear, it's not on purpose, haha.

Frequently asked questions:

Does it run?
• Yes. It's a computer-free beast from 1980 with a Ford 460 carbureted big-block. It gets less than 8 MPG. It's almost as cool as the bus...

Can you legally drive that thing?
• Yes. It's titled as an antique Ford E-350 heavy duty van (40+ years old) -- it just happens to have an unusual past life.

Do the lights and sirens work?
• The lights do work (although I dont have any of the cool rotating lights or light-bars). All of the corner and side lights do light up and will flash on and off. The siren was removed long ago :(

WHY did you buy it?
• As mentioned above, it helps to think of it as a giant aluminum work-shed with a dozen giant toolboxes on the outside. Go into any big-box hardware-store and price out a 4 foot high tool chest. Trust me, I paid less for this RUNNING vehicle than those tool chests. When working on the bus (or demolishing the RV) ... you need to use a lot of tools. Having a convenient place to access and store those tools is a BIG Deal. Also, I can use it to pull trailers, busses, RVs or anything else that needs to be dragged around, on or off-road.

Are you going to turn the ambulance into a camper or tiny-home?
• Seriously? I've already got a 40-foot schoolbus that needs a TON of work. When I'm done with the ambulance, I'll probably sell it to somebody else and THEY can have a go with that :)

Mr. Nolan... Tear down this roof! November 24, 2021

Video (the real action starts at around 2:45)

Change of scenery October 15, 2021

Had some drama with a neighbor, or rather, HE created drama and dragged us into his delusions. The guy has cost me a lot of time and money. NOT my favorite person, to say the least. The word "absurd" doesnt even begin to cover it. Not gonna say much, except the people letting us use the property have been super patient and understanding. No good deed goes unpunished, yet they helped me find a different (and ultimately BETTER) place to work on the bus. Y'all know who you are :)

Take one down, pass it around... August 30, 2021

         
Inside has been gutted (except for the bathroom, thats coming up soon) and now I turn my attention to the outside... I pulled off the entire outside shell that used to enclose the bedroom. Now it's a rather odd looking pickup truck!

Restoration Station ... June 15, 2021

Nice and very large propane tank looked pretty bad, but it was all surface rust. Cleaned up really nice. The cost of this tank (if I were to purchase it new) pretty much justifies the entire purchase price of the salvage RV itself...

Here's a pic of the slideout which is now on the ground and in the process of being demolished. The debris pile you see at the bottom of the pic is the remanants of the bedroom.

Hey, look! A window! One of many that have been harvested. Time will tell how many are acutally usable...

Grazing land for the bus herd... April 28, 2021 (Updated May 6)

       
The only thing harder than getting the bus (and donor rv) is finding a decent place to park and work on both of them. Suuure, everybody tells you that it's cool and you can use their place. But once they see how BIG it is... Yeah, not so much.

So, I've got a place, now. The first 2 places didnt work out for various reasons. I found the current place by accident. Literally, by accident: the donor rv broke down in front of the property in question. At 9pm at night. Divine intervention? Luck? Fate? Karma? Whatever the explanation, I'm happy it worked out.

Glutton for punishment April 24, 2021

   
You'd think I'd learn... but no, I just had to go to that auction. And nobody else was bidding (much) on it... It screamed donor vehicle to me and it had all the appliances still in it...

• And a huge generator...
• And plenty of intact windows...
• And a giant propane tank...
• And 2 rooftop ac units, a roof ladder, window awnings, water tanks, heavy-duty hydraulic leveling-jacks, and tons of other useful stuff.

Update: Now that the dust has settled (literally):

• Full tank of propane
• 30+ gallons of gas (not sure if thats a blessing or curse)
• Tons of re-usable square-tubing and angle iron
• 7.4L Chevy 454 Big Block Vortec engine. Supposedly this thing sat, ignored for 5-10 years, but after you hear this thing fire up, you realize that SOMEBODY was taking care of it. Perfect idle. Fires up first time, every time. Hit the gas and it's perfectly smooth.
• Hinges, handles and other various cabinet hardware bits and pieces.

Return trip from Montana

So, it seems that NOBODY knows what I'm talking about when I talk about the chicken videos on Youtube. THIS video describes what the air-ride-seat on my bus feels like when the bus is bouncing around all over the place...

Pics From Previous Owner