When I comment on Bus recons, commercial vehicles.

[tuscarora dave]

This is the type of job I deal with from time to time. They are not normally this bad but the processes are normally the same. I'll have this bus through November 5th and in the end will post up a few after pictures with some process descriptions and types of machines/products used to get it looking as good as I can. I consider this type of job as extreme detailing/low budget restoration.

This is called working for the ability to survive the first few years of growing a business. When times get tough you can't just lay down, and you can't say no to the work that comes your way. You have to do what you have to do and you have to take the bad with the good. This client really has no budget for this type of service so they had to contact their network of support to come up with the money to pay my fee. We came to a certain dollar mark where I just wouldn't budge, not one penny less. Trust me when I say that this particular job will not in any way be a lucrative deal, but it has opened the door for future work through them that will be more lucrative and not near as cruddy.

I guess you could call this job a necessary evil or an audition of my skills for this steady client to come fully on board with booking my services.

Any comments or questions are welcome in this thread.

 

[Paul Mitchell]

Good luck Dave. Will you be doing the touch-up paint work as well as the detailing?

 

[wheelman302]

OMG!!! good luck!

 

[tuscarora dave]

Good luck Dave. Will you be doing the touch-up paint work as well as the detailing?

Thanks Paul. Yes I'll be doing the rust removal and some painting on this one.

OMG!!! good luck!

That's the type of reaction I expected to see in this thread. Thanks for the wishes of good luck. There's no time for clay bars and finishing polish on this one. So long as I keep efficiency and low budget at the forefront on this one all will be good in the end.

 

[Vegas Transplant]

I consider this type of job as extreme detailing/low budget restoration.


We came to a certain dollar mark where I just wouldn't budge, not one penny less. Trust me when I say that this particular job will not in any way be a lucrative deal, but it has opened the door for future work through them that will be more lucrative and not near as cruddy.

Dave, you are truly entreprenuerial in every aspect, a teacher, and one who is to be emulated.

Keep on grinding!

 

[rwright]

If there ever was a time that I wanted to spray IronX on wheels, this is it! I'm calling it now though, lots of Poorboy's World products will be used.

Best of luck Dave, can't wait to see your progress.

 

[RoadRageDetail]

I know by your posts, examples of your work, and your attitude that you know what you're doing and this will turn out to your advantage, but it doesn't stop me from being glad I'm not detailing this monstrosity.

Can't help but wonder, "is this the episode of Tuscarora Dave's where the cleaning abilities of a rocket launcher are tested?"

Good luck, buddy. I'll be watching this one closely.

 

[habeba86]

Looks like alot of work!! Will be fun to see it turn around!!

 

[tuscarora dave]

Dave, you are truly entreprenuerial in every aspect, a teacher, and one who is to be emulated.

Keep on grinding!

Thanks VT. It's tough when you're pretty much in this "Just being discovered" stage with most of your clientele. When detailing only brings in so much, (not nearly enough to cover all of one's financial needs) you just need to keep plugging away at finding something else to make ends meet. For me it is wheelchair lift service and repair. This bus is what got me in the door with this client but due to a tough time scheduling it I've already done a wheelchair lift recon for them.

If there ever was a time that I wanted to spray IronX on wheels, this is it! I'm calling it now though, lots of Poorboy's World products will be used.

Best of luck Dave, can't wait to see your progress.

Poorboy's Pro Polish is being used to clean the super thin and soft paint on this thing. That's pretty much all I keep on hand from Poorboy's anymore. I've come up with my own home brew acid wheel cleaner for jobs like this that costs me about $0.75 a gallon. It works faster than Iron-X and gets followed immediately by an alkaline cleaner to neutralize the acid residual.

I know by your posts, examples of your work, and your attitude that you know what you're doing and this will turn out to your advantage, but it doesn't stop me from being glad I'm not detailing this monstrosity.

Can't help but wonder, "is this the episode of Tuscarora Dave's where the cleaning abilities of a rocket launcher are tested?"

Good luck, buddy. I'll be watching this one closely.

Thanks man, I sanded all the oxidation off of the fiberglass roof cap today and rotary buffed then waxed the top side of the cap. Tomorrow the rest of the roof gets buffed clean and re caulked. I'm trying to get the entire roof finished up before this storm tracks in to us. Then I can back it in the shop and work on all the lower stuff during the hurricane.

 

[Vegas Transplant]

Trust me when I say that this particular job will not in any way be a lucrative deal, but it has opened the door for future work

This client really has no budget for this type of service so they had to contact their network of support to come up with the money to pay my fee

Any comments or questions are welcome in this thread

Q?

Would any of their support network be a non profit?

 

[Bates Detailing]

Yep seen a few of these - fun fun fun lol. These are the buses that get 60 man hours in them :/ Don't know if you do it or not Dave, but lower the wheel cahir lift and it will expose tons of unseen crud! Also, if you can offer to check their lights (clearance lights, tail, brake, reverse, caution, reds, and interiors) and fix any that are out - the assemblies are dirt cheap and good profit can be made by either replacing the bulbs and/or light assembly - a quick snip, splice, and screw on gig. Good luck on this bus man :dblthumb2:

 

[tuscarora dave]

Q?

Would any of their support network be a non profit?

I really couldn't answer that, I simply didn't ask. I guess they could be.

I just know that it took them about 2 months to get the funds and organize scheduling for another bus to run patients to their appointments while I have this bus. They were going to bring it to me a few weeks back and I had help scheduled to come then the deal fell through because the exhaust fell off of the bus at the last minute. This thing has been a challenge from the very beginning.

 

[Vegas Transplant]

Well, that cancels that thought process.

One thing's for sure, you my friend are not only capable, but shrewd. Looking forward to your next write up to this thread.

 

[tuscarora dave]

Yep seen a few of these - fun fun fun lol. These are the buses that get 60 man hours in them :/ Don't know if you do it or not Dave, but lower the wheel cahir lift and it will expose tons of unseen crud! Also, if you can offer to check their lights (clearance lights, tail, brake, reverse, caution, reds, and interiors) and fix any that are out - the assemblies are dirt cheap and good profit can be made by either replacing the bulbs and/or light assembly - a quick snip, splice, and screw on gig. Good luck on this bus man :dblthumb2:

Yeah, I can see 60 in this one easily. The wheelchair lift will be cleaned, looked over for problems and lubed while I have it so that crud will definitely be cleaned up too. I'll be making a list of other problems I find as I go. Thanks for Posting Anthony!!

 

[tuscarora dave]

Well, that cancels that thought process.

One thing's for sure, you my friend are not only capable, but shrewd. Looking forward to your next write up to this thread.

As far as being shrewd, I had a thread here somewhere....hold on, I'll find it...Oh here it is... http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...31667-developing-ability-see-into-future.html

 

[Flash Gordon]

That's an incredible project Dave. How many hours do you think it will take?

 

[tuscarora dave]

That's an incredible project Dave. How many hours do you think you it will take?

I'm really hoping not more than 50 hours but they add up quickly. I already paid out over 10 hours of outside help to get the thing cleaned and the paint polished. I'll be doing all the stuff that only experience can address. Thanks for posting Flash.

 

[tuscarora dave]

Actually, I forgot to mention...I have a syringe of Opti-Guard with my friend and helper Josh's name on it to stick with me on this job in the evenings after his day job this week. He got paid for 3 hours today and 5 for tomorrow. The rest of the week is him putting in time for the O-G and my guidance in prepping and coating his family's cars.

 

[Divine Details]

Just a mother couple of days at the office right? LOL

 

[JSMet]

Hey T.D. I work for 2 different bus companies and have been doing this type of work from time to time, although I mainly just drive them and train new bus operators. This is no easy work! But if it opens some doors for you in terms of future opportunities, then I'm happy for you. One thing for sure is these buses will always be out here on the road, and the work will always be available.