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HO GM Fishbowl bus


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One of my current projects. An Busch HO GM "fishbowl" bus. This is going to be for one of the young mechanics(Joey) at my job. I work at Beaver Bus Lines in the washbay. This is a local company with a long history in the Winnipeg area. The bus in the printed photo is a '71 GM that came from B.C. originally. It was retired and sold Joey's grandparents (and parents of the head mechanic) two years ago and now resides in Stead Manitoba, used to occaisionally haul the local kids around. In the photo, I just finished washing it and the company name was removed the day before going to Stead.

Anyway the spare green bus pictured ended up donating it's a/c unit. The rear doors were filled in and I made new beads with 1/2 mm half round strips, very carefully filling any gaps. I would have prefered a parts bus and replace the side, but it still came out straight. The red bus only had the front rims since it came from the flea market. I had some spare HO trailer tyres that were the correct height. I also used the spoke traier wheels, just very carefully with an engraver on the motor tool, I ground out the spokes and made two holes since this bus has two hole rims (these all came with five hole rims originally. It's painted by airbrush using Tamiya flat and gloss white over Humbrol grey primer. The gloss white still would get marked when I used Tamiya tape, even after sitting for about three weeks. I had to scuff and polish the paint to get glossy again. Might go back to enamel for white. The stripes are done now, just have to upload the pictures from the camera. You have to mask the body for any stripping together, then take it back apart, Had to also correct the square midow window on the left side, it was to wide, like I say, it's square and round the corners. I also made the corner roof lights smaller and altered the tailights to make it correct for a '71. The stock bus is the ealier version. These were built from 1959-1986. After that GM sold off it's coach division to MCI and was modified the upper half into the Classic and even later became the RTS in the '90s, now the rights are owned by Novabus and these aren't made anymore.

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Here it is parked next to one of my XF8U-1 Crusader

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Joeys_GM_June_29_2015.jpg

Edited by busnproplinerfan
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40_WIP_July_14_2015.jpg

Here's an update. Almost done, just have to go through it and make some mirriors. The backglass was modified with what is called the EIP, Environment Improvement Program. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it. I do know the exhaust was moved from under the bumper to the top left and the right side is the air intake. Also the backglass in now two pieces, well painted that way.

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So are these die casts that are being repainted and reconfigured? Don't see many Bus kit around.

:thumbsup:

This one is plastic from Busch. they're on evilbay, usually about $25 before shipping. Bus models, especially N.American ones are rare and a very large untapped market.

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