Minimal upgrades for an all-original coach ?

[dave silva]

There are a few unrestored coaches popping up in the marketplace. Some listed by heirs who have no idea what is and is not important to the typical
GMC buyer.

But it got me thinking, if the original stuff is in decent working order how little would you have to do for the coach to be a reliable toy?

Are there decent 16.5 tires for a reasonable price?

How hard is it to support the air bags?

--
Dave & Ellen Silva

1972 Revcon Olds 455, toro drive train. All Stock

 

[LQQKatJon]

almost every coach that has sat, I would guess needs easy $5000 worth of parts. lots of free labor..... Little things add up fast.

$1000 tires. with the price of set of Ion aluminum rims, I don't know why people stick with the steel rims in today's day. Super heavy, normally
bent, hubcaps fall off. Aluminum rims are the one thing that will instantly increase value.

needs all new brakes(rubber brake lines, wheel cylinder). you have that apart, you do new bearings. you will dump $1000 into the brakes.

fuel system is always junk- so you need new fuel lines.

buzz box will destroy batteries, so a new converter should be bought.

50/50 if the plumbing is OK. that old waste valve likes to leak, and the original waterpump tends to be junk as well as waterheater.

exhaust almost always leaks, so if you are lucky you can just get some remflex.

and lastly hoses/belts.

--
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/

 

[Randy Hecht]

I would also advise that all steel lines in the fuel and hydraulic steering-wiper systems be inspected. Both system had cracks at a mounting clamp from corrosion and vibration.

Randy Hecht
Roswell, GA

1974 Canyon Lakes GMC Motor-coach

>
> almost every coach that has sat, I would guess needs easy $5000 worth of parts. lots of free labor..... Little things add up fast.
>
> $1000 tires. with the price of set of Ion aluminum rims, I don't know why people stick with the steel rims in today's day. Super heavy, normally
> bent, hubcaps fall off. Aluminum rims are the one thing that will instantly increase value.
>
> needs all new brakes(rubber brake lines, wheel cylinder). you have that apart, you do new bearings. you will dump $1000 into the brakes.
>
> fuel system is always junk- so you need new fuel lines.
>
> buzz box will destroy batteries, so a new converter should be bought.
>
> 50/50 if the plumbing is OK. that old waste valve likes to leak, and the original waterpump tends to be junk as well as waterheater.
>
> exhaust almost always leaks, so if you are lucky you can just get some remflex.
>
> and lastly hoses/belts.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Jon Roche
> 75 palm beach
> EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
> St. Cloud, MN
> http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
>
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[dave silva]

I'm not talking about restorative work. Obviously some old things will need attention. I'm asking which original things are just not worth supporting
and should be UPGRADED as opposed to maintained.
--
Dave & Ellen Silva

1972 Revcon Olds 455, toro drive train. All Stock

 

[LQQKatJon]

The only upgrade I think a person Needs is to add an electric fuel pump on the aux side for vapor lock mitigation. some run without them, but my aux
fuel pump saved my hide a few times with a new fuel line system, so I don't know how they get by without.

but I know plenty that do nothing with my list above, and end up complaining they are breaking down often.

get used tires if you want. they sell biased ply tires too cheap.

a guy can be cheap on a GMC, but they better be prepared and quick with diagnosing what is wrong.

--
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/

 

[johnny]

What Jon said, necessary stuff. As to upgrades, the 12 volt supply and reaction arms for the rear brakes and anew fuirnace. Then you're good to go
safely, replace other stuff as it fails.

--johnny

--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell

 

[LQQKatJon]

> I'm not talking about restorative work. Obviously some old things will need attention. I'm asking which original things are just not worth
> supporting and should be UPGRADED as opposed to maintained.

I have been working on my coach now for just going over 10 years. Paid $500. I "upgrade" and "maintain"... I have always said, you just need to
fix it slightly faster then it falls apart.

The items that if they fail, I upgrade, is the roof air unit. but honestly, the original one's usually don't fail. The buzz box if fails, I would
buy an upgrade, or buy an upgrade before it fails. AS far as airbags are concerned, there is nothing wrong with the original airbag setup. Just
that New bags are more expensive then the "upgrade". and running older bags can be risky, and each person has to depend on what risk they are
willing to take.

Same with tires, run old or cheap tires, there is some risk involved.

if the radiator fails, an upgraded aluminum is close to the same price as getting the old one properly re-cored.

as far as rims are concerned, you can stick with the 16.5. But after 10 years of messing with heavy as hell rims with 250 ft. pound lug nuts. I
really despise having to deal with steel rims. Aluminum rims used to be $300+ each. now they are $176. and if you factor in the fact a 16" tire can
be found for less then a 16.5, it makes the situation more appealing to go to aluminum.
--
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/