After many weeks sitting outside the shop, we finally got the bus back! Yeah I mean I ended up driving it the 35miles home at midnight, in a rainstorm, with no window wipers… but hey, we got it back!!
I got the call that the bus was ready on Tuesday, but it was a busy week at work, so I had to let it sit a little longer. Thursday night, I decided screw this I want that bus back, and I’m going to go get it – even though it was like 10:30 and rain was on the way. When we set off for the shop, it was still a clear night – but of course, 5 minutes before arriving it starts pouring down rain! Noelle and I debated for a while if I should try to drive it home, and we decided to try to drive it around the block – I get in, fire that bad boy up, and pull out into the street. With the near vertical windshields, I could actually see pretty clearly, so I just kept driving towards home – sweet!
Stopped on the way for some gas – the first time I’ve actually added gas to the bus via a gas station. only $4.50 a gallon – thanks Illinois
Even though the skies really opened up along the way, we made it back with no problems – this whole bus thing is starting to work out.
While I wasn’t happy with how long everything took, Darby’s a busy guy, and we may still end up doing the transmission swap with another ’67 bus. For now, he fixed a few things on the shifter, changed the gear oil, adjusted the brakes, greased everything he could, and did a full mechanical/ bodywork inspection. I didn’t end up having him to anything to the engine – it’s running fine now, just leaking oil, and I’ll keep working on that myself. The shifter feels much tighter, and I’m getting the hang of driving this thing around!
