This is where a big-block Duster project, and an ill-advised '80s wood-and-fiberglass motorhome project, has led to.
Seems that when I pulled the 383 out of a buddy's '71 Duster and found it was shot to hell, my neighbor two doors up was sure I should grab the fresh 440 out of another neighbor's grandpa's old motor coach that was sitting in the back yard, and put it in the A-body. Then that guy came over and saw my motorhome project and essentially said, "crap, my grandpa's motorhome that we're about to scrap is better than that one you're working on". Then the Duster owner bought a 520, but that's another story. Are you keeping this straight?
So there's this old whole-different motorhome that I go over to look at although I no longer need the motor and the guy is right, it is better. Plus it's all steel, no huge expanses of plastic and wood siding that are coming apart as the adhesive decomposes, like mine. The old thing is really built pretty well. The look? Homely, to say the least. It really ain't pretty. But it has character...
I pass this by the wife, and of all things she's good with it. She agrees with the neighbor about our present one (they're both right) and thinks the other one is kinda cute.
So, here we go. Guess I'll junk the other one, even after all my work (much of which was fighting the adhesive problem, which was just a losing battle no matter what I did). Anybody need a buildable truck-454?
The Superior Coach Co. was an Ohio company whose roots went back to the early days of the automobile. They built custom bodies for existing chassis, mostly hearses and ambulances at first. They eventually moved on to bigger things and built many a schoolbus from the forties-'80s. During the late sixties they tried motorhomes...but it was a tough market with lower-cost competitors using wood frames and aluminum siding. By the end of the seventies when Chrysler was in trouble and required to drop their motorhome-chassis business as a condition of getting government loan guarantees, Superior was finished.
There are a few Superiors around, but nothing like from the other companies. I am not sure how many made it out West from Ohio, this one came from Montana and I think the neighbor's (who I am now good friends with) grandpa was the second owner.
Those Superiors I've seen are still very structurally intact, although the plywood interiors get awful. That is the case with this one.
So first things first...out with the old.
This filled a dumpster and four barrels, and I'm not done yet. I will post more as things proceed, and this yet-another-project competes with all the others.
Seems that when I pulled the 383 out of a buddy's '71 Duster and found it was shot to hell, my neighbor two doors up was sure I should grab the fresh 440 out of another neighbor's grandpa's old motor coach that was sitting in the back yard, and put it in the A-body. Then that guy came over and saw my motorhome project and essentially said, "crap, my grandpa's motorhome that we're about to scrap is better than that one you're working on". Then the Duster owner bought a 520, but that's another story. Are you keeping this straight?
So there's this old whole-different motorhome that I go over to look at although I no longer need the motor and the guy is right, it is better. Plus it's all steel, no huge expanses of plastic and wood siding that are coming apart as the adhesive decomposes, like mine. The old thing is really built pretty well. The look? Homely, to say the least. It really ain't pretty. But it has character...
I pass this by the wife, and of all things she's good with it. She agrees with the neighbor about our present one (they're both right) and thinks the other one is kinda cute.
So, here we go. Guess I'll junk the other one, even after all my work (much of which was fighting the adhesive problem, which was just a losing battle no matter what I did). Anybody need a buildable truck-454?
The Superior Coach Co. was an Ohio company whose roots went back to the early days of the automobile. They built custom bodies for existing chassis, mostly hearses and ambulances at first. They eventually moved on to bigger things and built many a schoolbus from the forties-'80s. During the late sixties they tried motorhomes...but it was a tough market with lower-cost competitors using wood frames and aluminum siding. By the end of the seventies when Chrysler was in trouble and required to drop their motorhome-chassis business as a condition of getting government loan guarantees, Superior was finished.
There are a few Superiors around, but nothing like from the other companies. I am not sure how many made it out West from Ohio, this one came from Montana and I think the neighbor's (who I am now good friends with) grandpa was the second owner.
Those Superiors I've seen are still very structurally intact, although the plywood interiors get awful. That is the case with this one.
So first things first...out with the old.
This filled a dumpster and four barrels, and I'm not done yet. I will post more as things proceed, and this yet-another-project competes with all the others.
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