Awesome find . Looking forward to more pictures and hope that we all can see it on the road sometime soon.

Sweet! Keep the pics coming! 55 is a good year!

Great looking project! As Brian says keep the pic's coming.

It's been on the road (off an on) for a while now. I got the engine finished and installed In Jan of '09 and was ready to roll- Unfortunately I had Donnie Smith torque the gland nut for me (the only thing I didn't do myself). His torque wrench was reading about 30% high (He had it calibrated later), so when I drove the first mile the flywheel came loose, grenading my crank, flywheel, bearings etc and I had to tear it down and build the motor all over again

After that mess was sorted, I attempted to take it to the monument show last year but blew the adjusters out of the beam on the railroad tracks about a 1/4 mile from the entrance.

This bus has been like that, sometimes I'm convinced it's been abused so much it has just doesn't trust me.

I did just take it to the Kingwood car show on Sunday and one 1st in "Ratrod" class.

i know those railroad tracks pretty good they got the front apron on my oval.

Wow I saw you last year and was gonna stop but saw that there was nothing I could help ya with..How bad was the beam?

I think I saw you on the side of the road.... you had a flatbed or someone helping tow it ...I think.

I didn't have the allen bolts tightened down enough. When I hit the tracks the stripped out the threads and the suspension bottomed out. Tires dragging on the wheel wells- lots of jarring, noise and smoke. I had to throw my underwear away, but other than the adjusters, there was no damage. I did get lots of offers of help, but not much anyone could do. I ended up dragging it onto a trailer. Looking back I should have just run home and cut some square tubing to replace the front shocks with

So the soda blaster people had the bus painted in black primer when they were done with it.
I got it back and got to work:
Rebuilt trans with 3.88 ring and pinion and straight axle kit (still have the OG trans complete with reduction boxes).


Notice the tubular barndoor/Wolfsuburg only trans hanger. Plasma cutting the front trans mount to modify it for a later mount (solid mount would have been waaay too loud for all the driving we do). The identy of the torch handler shall remain a secret to protect the guilty. I gotta get a plasma some day, those are awesome.
On the right is a cut up wiring harness- I will install the new complete wiring harness with modifications for semaphores shortly after this.


Thinking about all the fun we're going to have in this bus


Thing drums going on so I can keep the wide 5 bolt pattern. I powdercoated the torsion bar pivot covers and bolts for a little hot rod inspired pizazz:


New adjustable front beam, narrowed 4 inches. Also running 3.5" dropped spindles



Almost ready to hit the floor on new Sprintstars: