Thread: My 1963 GMC Bus
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Old February 25th, 2022, 09:26 PM
bucolucas bucolucas is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Towanda, KS
Truck: 1963 Wayne Coach Bus
Age: 37
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Default My 1963 GMC Bus

Back Story:

This bus was in my family for about a decade. My dad used it as a mini-camper, hauler, temporary house when in Missouri.

The last time it ran was in 1991. The water pump went out on it, and there were no replacement gaskets available. One thing and another, my dad parked it on my Grandpa's property and there it sat for 30 years. It functioned as a junk storage unit and mouse dwelling.

It has one of the 305 V6 engines in it. My dad says it started up great every time, never let him down. He would drive 55-60mph for gas mileage - the big RVs would pass him on the flat stretches. Going up the mountains he maintained 60mph while passing all the RVs that were struggling.

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Fast forward to 2021, my uncle pulled it out of the forest with his tractor, and we hired someone to tow it to my house.

I took 4-5 pickup loads of mouse nest/trash to the dump and hosed out the interior. The valve and cam covers are rusted out, the mouse nests really did a number on them. The rest of the body and frame look surprisingly good, and all the glass is intact.

I was going to put another engine in it, but I've read such good things about this V6 I'm going to give it a shot. Maybe some JB weld to patch the valve cover a small bit at a time, then make/buy another cover for the camshaft.

First step will be removing part of the head to inspect the cylinder and gasket, just in case something went wrong while he was messing with the water pump.
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