I need a referral for some one in Texas that can do a roof raise on MCI 102D3. Any help will be appreciated. Also would like to know of any place in Texas that will do conversuion work.
Since I got no reply I will open the search up. I need someone to do a roof raise on a MCI102D3. Please help.
All the small shops that did roof raises are gone now,there are few new start ups across the US. I don't know anything about those you may have to do it self I don't know of anyone in Texas now.
Are you still living in the speed trap in Texas I often wondered what happen to you since you drove the bus home from Vegas
Have you reached out to the coach conversion companies for recommendations? There are a few other threads with suggestions on finding conversions companies. While the conversion places may or may not do roof raises, they should be able to point you to the places that do. There is a company called Tejas Coach in Texas. I don't know much about what they do or how well they do it, but that might be a good starting point for you to call and ask for leads.
Don't be afraid to make lots of calls and ask lots of questions.
Whoever you choose, be sure to do your homework and talk to previous customers for references.
Richard
Luvrbus thanks for the reply. I am still in same place. Still a speed trap. Took the bus to one Texas Bus Round up and then developed health problems so all work on bus stopped. Now getting better still not at 100% but ready to get some work done. I will take bus to whoever will do the roof raise. Richard thanks for your reply. I have sent an email to Tejas coach but on their web site they indicate that they no longer do roof raises. I thought that it would not hurt to ask them anyway. Waiting for their reply. I have heard good things about them so I hope they will be helpful. If you hear of anyone please let me know.
I don't know whether the MCI102D3 specifically is more complicated than other buses, but generally-speaking doing a roof-raise isn't at all complex - as witnessed by the fact that very many first-time bus converters (including me) have done the job themselves. Perhaps you should just look for a local jobbing fabricator / welder rather than looking for a bus conversion specialist. There are plenty of blogs out there that show step-by-step what the job involves
Jeremy
Charlie at Tejas I doubt would do a roof raise he is never open anymore anyways and the old shop is falling down .
Gary at B&B did the only roof raise I personally saw done on a DL and it wasn't a easy task with the rear mounted radiator and charge air cooler,that was done for the guy in Canada that bought the bus from the same out fit you purchased yours from .Call Gary at B and B his shop is closed but he still has the same number
Thanks I will give Gary a call.
Scott did his own twice on an MCI twice. He'll comment when he sees this.
Too bad on timing as an MC9 with a raised roof just went to a crusher a couple months ago. It was perfectly fine, just targeted as a donor, so minus motor and tranny.
RWC is dealing with a 45 ft with a taper at the front someone needs to have some type experience raising the roof,skinning the area and fiberglass work to raise the roof on his bus IMO.Not a easy task my DL3 has a raised roof ,I don't believe Scott raised the roof on his C-3 he owns now
I thought the D3 had 6'10" of headroom already. You need more?
Quote from: TomC on October 12, 2017, 05:50:14 PM
I thought the D3 had 6'10" of headroom already. You need more?
The DL is only 6-10 at the front they are 6-6 at the rear
Hi rwc, you should try Gary Bennett from B&B, he told me he was going to accept a few jobs, maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones, lvmci...
Evolution said that they still do some. http://www.evolutioncustomcoach.com/ (http://www.evolutioncustomcoach.com/) They aren't very local to anywhere in Texas though.
I watched a show on TV the other night called Bus Nuts an there was a guy in Denver that does customizing on "SKOOLIES" as "tiny houses" and travels to do some of his work.
I know skoolies are a different animal, but could be an option.
Other than that I second the idea of getting Gary and Van to do it!
;D BK ;D
Quote from: B_K on October 13, 2017, 10:06:38 AM
I watched a show on TV the other night called Bus Nuts an there was a guy in Denver that does customizing on "SKOOLIES" as "tiny houses" and travels to do some of his work.
I know skoolies are a different animal, but could be an option.
Other than that I second the idea of getting Gary and Van to do it!
;D BK ;D
Van has a new gig now transporting entertainers buses all over the US not the entertainers just the buses
Thanks for all the replies but this will no longer be a problem for me. Due to health problems I am putting the 102D3 on Craigslist. I will probably lurk around just to have something interesting to do.
RWC,it comes that time as we age I feel sad for you but understand,paying people to do the work is cost prohibitive like the roof raise will cost + or- 10 grand.
Somebody will get a nice shell a west coast bus rust free with a series 60 but you will take a blood bath on the selling price from what you paid Northwest
Wish you the best
Can you post the link to your for sale ad? What engine do you have? As was mentioned I did indeed do a roof raise on my MCI 9... it was a 9 inch raise. I did not do the roof raise on my 102C3 the guy who owned it before me did that. As cliff said raising a roof is not that hard but On your particular coach there is a little bit more going on than there is on an MCI 9. Definitely doable but definitely more work. I have about 90 hours into my roof raise including all the prep time and then actual time raising the roof and re-skinning. And my roof raise wasn't the prettiest job I've seen. Some people are artists when it comes to roof raises.
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Scott I do not know howq to post link. The engine is 11 liter series 60 detroit. I am waiting for my SIL to help me post to craigs list and Ebay.
QuoteI have about 90 hours into my roof raise including all the prep time and then actual time raising the roof and re-skinning.
I looked over those 900 pics Scott. It seems if you add up the hours for everyone including friends and family, that roof raise must total more than 90 hours. Prepping the exterior surface through primer would be many hours alone.
So many projects and tasks we do here require experience, skill, facilities, and tools. The more of each, the more "easy" jobs get labeled. Personally, raising a roof seems highly daunting and very difficult, mostly due to lack of experience, skill, facilities, and tools. LOL
It is time consuming but actually cutting it free and raising it is not that hard if you have a few helper and the time as well as 6 old type jacks to do the lifting evenly.
There are 3 different types of roof raises, floor level,below window and above window the floor level is a bear to do
I did mine singlehanded and used lengths of threaded rod (one on each structural beam) rather than jacks to wind the roof up to the new level. Because the roof was always held captive by those threaded rods there was never really a point at which the roof was fully detached from the rest of the bus which meant that there was no need to rush things and no need to get stressed about the things that could go wrong when the roof was balanced in the air and not attached to anything
The sides of my bus are curved rather than being flat and vertical, but that wasn't really a problem because I put the raise above the windows and covered the gap with curved panels moulded out of fibreglass which effectively extended the roof skin down to the windows. The end result looks 'factory' I would say.
Making those side panels, and also the new fibreglass front and rear caps, were genuinely the only aspects of the job which took any skill or specialist knowledge I think - everything else was just very basic cutting and welding, just quite a lot of it
Jeremy
That would work also but at no time with the Older type bumper jacks is the roof and or side detached from each other. They are actually incorporated by welds and or large clamps and pieces of steel that are also welded to them. Then it is simply and evenly jack up. You add the new pieces that will be welded in and reinforced and then the jacks are cut loose. Gary Bennett of B&B Coach in LV was the first to have done them many years ago.
I always use the scaffold leveling jacks my self
Excellant tip there on the scaffold jacks thanks!
I had many times thought of the post/basement jacks but now with the tip a much longer or higher capacity is available. A Big thumbs up
It seems another big issue is working toward a solution for front and rear caps. If they fit they could use some tweaking. This is just from most articles i have read, and read from a very interested point of view. Now days it is a bigger issue because no or very few and quiet manufactures for the older model caps.
Have a good day
Floyd