The $50 bus makeover

We have all seen it, maybe not thought much about it, but have seen it.  Dirty wheels on the bus.

We’ve all done it, not realizing what it did, but it did trigger something. That is noticing something looking dirty and not liking it or thinking poorly of it. And we’ve all put it off… for one reason or another. Cleaning the gum off the floor

It’s seeing a bus going down the road with dirty looking wheels.

It’s walking onto a charter bus and seeing the dashboards paint looking scratch and tattered and gum on the floor.

It’s making a opinion on the owner, operator or seller of a bus, base on those 3 things, and maybe a few other little things that the owner never gave a second thought, but triggered something in your mind, such as gum stuck on the floor looking black and ugly.

 All 3 of these items can be corrected, all 3 in less than 2 hours labor and a cost of $20.  And with this, comes a whole new impression to the person looking at or riding on your bus seated or converted.

Now, if you’re the type that has the polished aluminum wheels and leather dash, this doesn’t apply to you.

First the wheels. Most of the older buses have steel wheels that have been painted, and over the years have chips and peeling paint and other nasty looking things.  Now you can do it the expensive way and get new wheels, but while your saving for that, try this. You’ll need a bucket of water, some Tide soap and either a wire brush or other stiff bush to wash the dirt off. Once the wheels have been washed, take a putty knife and maybe some ruff sandpaper and clean them up some. You don’t have to spend hours getting them perfect, just get the big bad stuff off. The more you clean the better they will look when your closer, but when your driving down the highway, anything will look better than the dirty peeling ones.  Once they dry, I spray paint them with good quality white gloss spray paint. They really do not look good any other color. Buy using good quality paint, it will cover easier and last much longer.  You do not have to tape off the wheels to prevent over spay, but what you can do is get a piece of card stock (like a FEDEX or U S P S overnight service type envelope (size 9 x 12”).  You can hold this along the rim, bending it a little to fit the curve where rim meets the tire. Spray that 6 to 8 inch area and then continue sliding the envelope around the wheel until you have it all “cut” in with paint.  From there it’s simple to fill in the inside of the wheel with the white.  Once it’s dry, take a can of flat black spray paint, and paint inside the holes on the wheel where you got overspray. This can be done without masking, by just taking your time and pointing the spay can inside the opening.  You will be surprised how nice they look even if you do not do a great job in the prep.  If you’re in a hurry, just wipe them and spray. It makes the bus look so much better!

Next is the dash.  If it’s an MCI, the dash is painted dark grey. You can get a matching grey paint at any hardware store.   I have been able on many occasions to lightly sand the scratches and chips, wipe the dash off and spray. Again I use the card stock to keep the paint off the glass. You do not have to do the entire dash, just the area that is easy to get to and visible.  Quick easy and done, so when someone walks on board, the first thing they see looks nice and fresh, seated coach or conversion, the results are the same.

Last but not least, clean the floor of stuck gum!  The cleaners seem to let this go because it doesn’t come up with a mop and water, but it will with a putty knife or a single edge razor blade. There are not many things worst than walking into a bus, turning the corner and looking down the isle and seeing all the black spots of gum.  It takes just a minute to clean it off, if it leaves a spot, try a cleaner or acid tone to get any residue off.  Don’t forget to do the same with the stairs. You will need a flat screwdriver and a rag to get into the grooves, but it will come out and will look so much better.

One, more expensive thing to consider, the drivers seat.  Seems like it get the most ware of all the seats.  Well, for a $100 your local upholstery shop should recover it.  It’s easy to remove the bottom cushion and the back cushion from the frame in the bus without removing the base or frame.  Once removed, head over the local upholstery shop. It might be extremely hard to find a matching fabric, so don’t worry about it. Either a black vinyl or another color that compliments the rest of the seats will work fine.  Your customers will notice and your driver will feel better about driving. Kind ‘a like the feeling you get when you wash your car.

Enjoy the bus!
Michael Kadletz

mak