What I have here is an 18 passenger school bus manufactured in Canada and used during the winter months.
I've had it for a few years now and it's time for some bodywork. Don't expect anything on the scale of Northerndave's projects but I thought I would post some pics for those of you that are interested.
It is a Bombardier C18s manufactured in Nov of 1951.

The entire body is made of wood so it should be nothing a hammer, skillsaw and a few nails can't fix. It had an extensive make-over sometime in it's 65 year history and now it's time to freshen things up a bit.






Some problem areas.....





The interior is plenty good for me as this is a "daily driver" and not a trailer baby. It was time to fix the wood before mother nature wrecked the entire machine.

Driver's seat and back.



Back door looking forward.



I'll also need to pull the rearend and overhaul that as something let go in there on my last mission.

This originally came with a flathead 6cyl Chrysler and a manual on the tree but it has been upgraded to a 318 and 727 auto which helps a lot.

[img]http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k485/White_Bear/DSCN2018_zps0325fd24.jpg[/img]

I'm heading out now to peel of the ugly and see what I'm up against. I'll try to keep my progress posted here but I'm not very good at remembering pictures.

Enjoy and thanks for looking.

Looking forward to the progress pics!

That thing is badazz!

Super cool!

Sooooo cool! Glad it is being "appreciated".

That is cool! Any idea how fast it will run??

That thing is SO totally awsome!

Count me in as one who wants to see the photos as this goes along in its re furbishing!

Outstanding.

Very cool project

Those things are so cool. Here's a '49 in action.

Took the words right out of my mouth! I want a ride!

Looking forward to the restoration.

Removable floor panel so you can fish from the inside?

That's a fantastic machine. I can imagine how much the V8/auto improved it over a 6 cylinder/stick.

A person could get very creative with something like that.

I'd convert it into a mini motorhome.

I like it!!!

Camouflage that beast and hunt from it.

I take it they never heard of "snow days" when that thing was running.
Keep up with the pictures please.

I didn't know such a thing existed until now. Very cool!

Ill bet the kids couldn't wait for the ride to school...

That is cool!

Me 2

I have never been into car restoration but this would be to much fun for me to pass up. I too will be looking forward to updates. That thing looks like a blast!

That thing has a cool factor 10x....

I can't imagine living in a place so cold, where that would be the standard mode of transportation during Winter...

Hats off..

WOW - coolest thing I've seen in a long time. No doubt that would win a few trophies here at the local car shows.

Looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks for posting.

Those things are workhorses. Used by all the resorts at Lake of the Woods to haul people, move fish houses, propane tanks, etc. Looking forward to more pictures as you progress.

Here's the view from the interior out on Lake of the Woods. Hauling ice fishermen.

Shagginmobile

There was one in the Series of the Alaska Lake People on the Discovery Channel a while back.

Cool machine also looking forward to a restoration thread on this vehicle.

If'n you ever want to sell.....

All I can say is WOW! Keep the pictures coming as you progress Sir.

Thanks all of the interest. I got a lot of the rotten wood off on Thursday but I was forced to go on an ice fishing trip to Lake of the Woods yesterday so not much else was accomplished. I'll grab some progress pics when I go out there this morning. I have family up from Colorado so it won't be all work this weekend.
I'll answer a few of the questions that I remember.

This one travels nice on the trails at 30mph. It will go faster but the rpm's start getting up there for sustained periods.

It's not and never will be for sale. I'm looking for a second one.

I have a twin tracked groomer style machine for the tractor duties so this one is for pure enjoyment.

I took a ride on one of those back in '57. My dad has the pics, my dad took me up on the Columbian Icefields at Jasper AB then, and I can still remember riding on those bench seats and the steep rate of climb as we ascended the glacier. I was 3 years old. One of my earliest memories.

There is no other machine like them in the world. They aren't a deep powder rig but out here in the frozen prairie, they work perfect. I was aware of them but never rode in one until about seven years ago. I was hooked and my passion for tracked snow machines was born. I've had this one for three years and my tractor for about six.

The ultimate one......

I had a little time to do more tear-down today. I sure wish I was a body guy. I can build a house, rebuild an engine or weld x-ray pipe, but be damned if I can get this bodywork & paint down pat. Pics are downloading and will be here soon.

I pulled off the read door which is steel and peeled off the rotted wood from the back of the machine. I still have a bit of trimming to do but these were the panels that needed replacing.



A little demo and sanding on the front panels.





A new HEI spark thrower that has been machined to fit a sb Chrysler. This will be a big step up from the old points dist that was wore out.

That would be a load of fun to work on.

Nice ride.

I pulled off some cleats on each side so when I roll the bus forward I can have enough room to slide the axles out for the differential replace/rebuild.



My new LED lights showed up today! I got a couple spots & a couple floods for the front. I'll see how these work out and add more for other areas if needed. I will definitely need tail lights and probably at least one back-up light.



63 year old original Bombardier tire. It may be checked up but I still trust it. Try that with a tire built today in 63 years.....




I need to start researching my fillers and coatings for the reassembly of this old-timer.
Thanks again for looking and I'll try to answer any questions that I can.

It's a lot more fun to drive. Trust me on that one.
I love taking people for rides and looking at the smiles on their faces.

Coolest rig ever!

Thanks but my neighbor would disagree with you.

His is the yellow one in the background. It's a '69 if I remember right. One of them new-fangled metal bodied machines.




They seem to be reproducing...

WB is the master of moving people and "stuff" around LOW. His machines are bad ass and fun to ride in.

WB, show em the rig that pulls the fish house thingy.

Ummmmmm.....
I was going to save that one for the next thread. I only have one pic on PB so here is a sneak-peek of the next build. It's the yellow extended-cab pulling the galvanized house.
That will be the next project after the next one or two.

This is so cool! Glad you started a thread on it WB.

Won't be long now and we'll have the Castle up on the big lake! Can't wait!

Loving this thread and ND's car thread!

That thing is epic! Awesome project that I looks forward to following.

Looking good wyte bare! I'll have to swing over for a look see maybe this week.

keep it up White bear, been riding in these the past couple years up east and they are amazing. I am surprsised you dont have a big basket up front on there. a rack, holder for the auger, get out the can holders in side as well.. so much you can do. onyl bad part it all takes time. i'll be going for the first ride on the 19th this year in one.

This is the coolest thing ever. I have never seen one and with wood panels to boot. I love it. I know I am probably slow but what are the tires for? Can you drive it on the road when there is not any snow? I would like one and I live in Georgia. LOL.

Cool Machine! I notice a compartment in the rear that opens. I assume that's where a driver would stuff unruly kids when they act up, correct?

Y'all yankees is some peculiar folks,...no chit.

Us Southan boys will jack a pick-up way up in the air or put 2-4 barrels on a Mustang,...but you Yankees will drank 47 beers of an unknown variant and stick a V8 in something that looks like it came offa "Voyage to the Bottom of the damn Sea".

We're Irish, Indian, and the occasional jiggaboo down here.

Where you people come from, anyway?

I'm guessin' Finland, Norway,...with the odd drunk ass, hard dicked, nomadic eskimo passin' through ever now and then.

Finally, an anthropologist on the board.

Plenty of Irish around here too, but with all the Canadian whiskey flowing through our veins, we can claim dual citizenship.

Language warning.

I've been busy with some "other jobs" but am back to work on the skewl bus. I'll snap some pics if there is any noticeable progress made today. I was busy making venison jerky/sausage this morning.

The tires carry the weight of the machine. Slides would work as well but they would cause friction in low snow conditions. The new (about '54 & newer) ones have a longer nose and wheels can be mounted where the skis go for no snow use. These old girls have a kit but it's a very small tire. The new ones use a wheel/tire that is the same size as the rear ones.

There will be a basket made for the front as well as some other upgrades.

We are Scandinavian and Polish for the most part with a little of everything else mixed in. I stay away from the polocks when possible tho as they are trouble unless they bring me potato sausage.

Thanks to you all for taking a peek at this project.

So you boys put bigger tires on your trucks to?????

So do we. This one is tore down at the moment and getting a full-sized body with a built 473bbf under the front tin.



I've also heard of these minivans. Not much use for them but they bring decent scrap price. My mancard is still intact.



Found one more of the next snow tractor project. It was a nice 15*F day so no extra clothes needed. I rebuilt this rig once but there will be a lot more goodies added for this season



Just another day of fun in Minnesota.....




One of the reasons we do all of this.



I hope you all enjoy seeing a slice of our life up north.

Love it!

I dug up this old thread, am I missing something or did White Bear finish the rebuild on the Skewl Bus?

The bare, he working now.

I saw the bus a couple of weeks ago. Its looking good, I think he's got it on the side burner for now with excavation season starting up here in the tundra.

The Bare is deep into the dot u digging right now. That's what he told me when he hit me up on the text messages.

I had to switch gears this winter. I lined up more work than I can do this spring/summer/fall and needed to get all of my equipment ready for the season. It's been a great spring so far and not an end in sight. It's good to be turning down jobs because I'm booked solid. I'm busier than a one-legged man in an azz-kicking contest

If I get a lull this summer I may spend some time on toys but I'm guessing servicing machinery, hardfacing wear components and burning diesel will keep me 100% occupied until December or later.

My life now consists of a lot of this amongst other projects. I'm not much of a picture poster but I'll maybe toss a few on the "birth of a deer camp" thread from time-to-time.