I just bought a cheapy bay bus that came with a shell full of spares. I have room to stack the spares, but no room for the shell. I need the floor for the <<< green thing over there and the roof to replace the pop-top on the bay. What I plan to do is cut the roof and floor out of the bus, maybe keep the front clip, the rest is a POS. I'd then want to cut the rest of the bus up and toss it in the scrap metal yard.

My question: what is the best tool to chop it up? I have a small 6" angle grinder, but reckon that'd take ages. I also have a circular saw. Should I just buy a metal cutting disk for the saw and work with it and the grinder or is there something I could hire that'd make the job easier?

if this helps i have no idea.sorry. do you know where i can get a kombi shell though??

i would use a air hacksaw,or
a oxy then when finish cutting just trim the parts you are using,just watch the fuel lines tank etc..
cheers

what model is it? a low light early bay?

Hire a plasma cutter, nice neat cuts, and quick too.

I'd love to get my hands on the area below the headlights - the right hand side would do.... (if it is an early 70s model with the blinkers down low....

Matt

Oxy cutter I guess if the cuts dont need to be neat.

It would be good if you could take some pics as you dissect it!!

Steve

plasma cutters are great but they will run ur electricity dry as it is electricty penetrating the metal!
but use an oxy if cuts dont need to be neat!
cheers
rhys

I wouldn't use a metal cutting disc designed for a grinder, because these blades are designed to spin fast RPM's. A circular saw doesn't have high RPM's. The grinding cutting disc would not cut to it's best potential. You would end up probably doing damage to the circular saw motor, because the disc would always be stalling/stopping the motor. It would probably overheat and throw the trip switch out all the time.
The safest and neatest way is use the 6" grinder with a metal cutting disc. An oxy, especially if your not exactly familiar with their use, will make a very unsafe working area inside a vehicle. Fires can result, with the hot molten metal been sprayed around. With a cutting disc, it's only small sparks, which don't hold their heat for long. Safest/neatest, is metal cutting disc on an angle grinder.
Regards,
Mark:thumb

There is a special power tool a mate had. Its like metal shears. No distortion and the size of a small angle grinder. No heat-no distortion and has'nt got the danger element of Oxy-acetalene(plus oxy is messy+distorts the hell out of thin sheet)
Plasma is excellent too.

My suggestion is talk to a hire place and get hold of a blueprint of a Kombi and cut sections close to factory spot welds etc.

5PL1T

a friend has one of those petrol powered cut off saws ( basically a chainsaw with cutting disc on it) which he uses to cut up old cars with very noisy but very effective.
you should be able to hire one
marcel

Mate a gas axe is the go. cuts through anything and quick too

I have used the grider blades that you can get that are only about 1 mm thick,
They are neat and cut like a hot knife through butter as you are not removing much metal good for some cutting for neatness etc but they dont last real long and depending on where you make your cuts it may not be the answer.

Gas axe is good if you have the right environment. Dont burn the car to the ground while your'e concerntrating on the cut at hand. and it can distort like mentioned above.
I think the plasma cutter would prove quite expensive to hire, we hired one for ghostship and I think it was $170/day, but it may have been a grand daddy cutter cos we were cutting a lot of quite thick steel.

I have an air hack saw and they are cool but chew the hacksaw blades pretty quick, and the cheaper the blades the quicker they die too. I did a choptop with that and an air chisel till the local council rep came and kicked me up the ass for the noise.
I also have a pair of those air snips, they are good on flat single thickness metal with no obstructions and plenty of room, but find them a hassle mostly,
so choose your weapon!!!!!
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