More questions about the retro bus look.

[Mex-Busnut]

Dear Friends,

Thanks a million to each one of you who has posted their views and responses to my million questions!

I know not everybody likes them, but I am very much in love with the retro look of the trapezoidal (slanted) windows for this type of bus (meaning "as in OLD, not shoebox- looking"!). Plus the slanted windows go well, in my opinion with the slant of the back end of the bus.

And it turns out that there happens to be a bus junkyard within 40 miles of my home that has dozens of these very buses. So I am planning on getting a second roof hump. Please give me your honest opinions on how it looks. First picture is before (stock) look. Second is the modded look.

No steel, glass nor aluminum was endangered during the drawing of these pictures.

Thanks in advance!

[Mex-Busnut]

By the way, the part shaded in gray on the second PIX is currently stainless steel.

[Highway Yacht]

I sorta like the look of the extra hump... It is different..

[jordansinthesky]

agreed.  Looks awesome.  Go for it if it's functional!

[Jeremy]

I quite the second hump too - but sort of wonder what it's for given that even the low part of the roof at the front is raised considerably in the second photo - so even with the second hump you've still got all the hassles of making a one-off front cap (not easy to do without it looking horribly amateurish - I'm struggling with one at the moment).

It might be worth waiting until you get the bus and have removed all the interior panels before planning the roof-raise too carefully. You've got to work with the existing steel frame, and until you know exactly how it's constructed it's difficult to know how best to modify it. For instance, do the steel columns between the windows run vertically, or do they slope forward at the same angle as the windows? If they are on a slope then raising the roof by the traditional method (cutting and extending these columns) won't be easy. Just a thought

Jeremy

[Len Silva]

My only concern about raising the roof is the type of bus structure.  Raising is generally frowned upon on the GM buses because of the semi-monocoque type construction.  The skin and roof framing is a major part of the engine support.  I don't know if those issues are going to apply to this bus.

[Mex-Busnut]

Thanks again to all of you for your opinions!

The double hump was not originally my idea. A Mexican bus company (Peña) from the 1970's-1980's era made one. (See the attatched pictures.) These were affectionately called "camellos" (camels) by old-time commercial bus drivers.

In my haste of cutting and pasting the pictures, I changed the roofline above the driver. The idea is to NOT modify the front roofline (no change to front cap needed), but do it where the inside floor begins its first step upward, at the back of the driver's seat.

Rear cap is no problem, as it is one piece above the engine compartment. Move the whole thing up and add a wrap of metal.

My purposes in raising the roof are:
  1. Eliminate the two steps down the center aisle.
  2. Raise the windows to a better level to clear sofa and counter tops.
  3. Have more headroom for overhead cabinets.

Thanks for your input!

[Dreamscape]

I like the double hump, it looks natural to me. Also looks like a bunch of work, but hey, that's why they call us nuts!

You are going to have a real gem when finished!

Paul