That’s right, the bus was actually in my work shop at this point. This is all well and good but where on earth do you start with a conversion like this. Having seen the other bus on the market there were certain design elements that I would copy.

1. The bar was always going to be the whole of the downstairs and would always serve to the outside through the windows on the kerbside.
2. The upstairs would serve as a lounge/seating area that would include an open roof.
3. The bus, even as a bar had to remain totally mobile and largely unaltered on the outside.

So, better get to it…

One of the first tasks was to remove all the old seats. This might sound fairly straightforward but the same issue you’ll have over and over again is seized nuts and bolts. This stuff is all old and it’s usually very difficult to get movement going in bits like this. The other thing I learned very quickly is: Have the right tool! You can turn a 5 minute job into a week or do so much damage if you don’t have the right bit. The removal of all the seats might’ve been hard work but it did pay, literally!