Restoration at Jim Bounds Cooperative Motor Works in Orlando Florida began in August of 2014 and was completed November of 2015. Please feel free to Contact Jim at
Phone number: (407)-857-5777
Address: 6101 Anno Ave. Orlando, Fl. 32809
Email: coopmotorworks@yahoo.com
The restoration process for GMC motorhomes begins with the mechanicals. After all if it does not get you to where you want to go it does not matter how pretty it is.
It was determine early that the order of work should be:
1. Mechanical work
2. Exterior paint
3. Interior restoration
Click on imager below for larger picture.
NOTE. Full size dining table made out of Corian (to match counter tops) comes with RV. Current owner had a smaller wood one made to fit his needs
NOTE. Full size dining table made out of Corian (to match counter tops) comes with RV. Current owner had a smaller wood one made to fit his needs
Here is a brief listing of the work done, so much was done I'm sure I have forgotten something. There is a full gallery of images at the end.
mechanicals
The first thing we had done was to have Jim at his GMC COOP go through and check all the mechanicals.
- brakes and bearings serviced, redone
- new front brake lines 2017
- fuel system rebuild
- new shocks
- quad air bag system
- new holding tank
- new fresh water storage tank
- new 2 way fridge
- new exhaust header gaskets
- new firestone Transforce HT's 2013 (front tires replaced 2017)
- new fan clutch
- new potable water pump
- new air compressor
- new DOT spec air system fittings
- Manny tranny rebuild 2017 with power-drive unit installed, effectively a 3.55 final drive
- oil cooler (radiator) installed 2017
- Honda 4000 rebuilt and installed 2014, has 8 hours
- fire suppression system installed in motor, behind refrigerator and at generator
- Mac daddy dash
- battery disconnect system
- new window seals
- new electric drivers and passenger side mirrors
- new air conditioning
- front air works
- new heater and thermostat
interior
- All woodwork restored
- new stove
- new refrigerator
- new microwave
- all interior reupholstered in ultra leather
- new captains chairs with optional lumbar support
- rare "baby bunk" option (folds into ceiling)
- new air-conditioning
- Mac daddy dash
- new radio with extra interior speakers
- all lights either LED or florescent
- new mini blinds
- instant hot water heater
- corian countertops and dining table (currently smaller table is shown in photos)
- wired for exterior tv cable hookups
- new television antenna for local tv stations
- new exhaust fans above bed and in bathroom
- new monitoring gauges
- new engineered wood flooring
- new ultra-leather headliner
exterior
- new paint
- new electric drivers and passenger side mirrors
- Zip Dee Century electric armless awning
- new front windshield (s)
- new wiper mechanisms
- newer updated rear led tail lights
- updated accessibility latches
- new entry door handle
- Ragusa entry step
- all new stainless bolts for bumper and rear hatch
- new led running lights
Here is the first pic I have of the coach taken in 2013, after it's rescue from the aircraft hanger of the previous owner, it came to the COOP in Orlando on a flatbed-- actually blew a tire on the tow over! What is interesting, is that we know the full ownership history of this RV from new!
Credit to Jim Bounds at the GMC Cooperative Motor Works in Orlando Florida for the excerpts written below by Jim for his blog. The articles written below were from his point of view.
9.11.14 Want to spend a little time talking about that fine line on "where to stop" when you work with these machines David, gonna pic on your new toy a bit, I feel ok doing this because we had already discussed this at length. Jerry P., who is an avid "poser" was worried David was upset at him on the condition of the coach. Jerry was the one who initially recovered the coach from it's 15 year storage and made it available for someone to work with.
No Jerry, you didn't do anything in fact you saved the machine. With only 87,000 original miles it was more the years that has caused work to be done and there's not much you can do about that. When you pick up one of these coaches, you must understand they are what they are--- when someone list attributes of a coach for sale, you must understand even that stuff must be carefully inspected. Recently, a guy picked up a coach--- all the things that were said about the coach were true-- the seller was a long time dealer so in true form he did not misrepresent but most everything on the coach that was not discussed was broken. Look, this is why I do not want to buy and sell coaches-- by this time, there must be issues on a coach maybe no one knows about most certainly it's not a spring chick so a buyer must understand this. Trust but verify and do it not to get upset at someone but to know what it is you are getting ready to deal with. I mean no one made you buy the coach so understand it's yours and just deal with it! Like I said, I would rather someone trust me when I say something that work the truth to make money.
OK on we go-- when the next owner Chris G. picked the coach up from Jerry, it was fresh--- fresh from it's 15 year sleep-- a tire blew out while being brought to us on a trailer! Our first rake on the coach was to pick up things that would keep the coach from making it home to south Florida. That sounds easy but after doubling the investment from the purchase, the coach did make it home but issues did arise. The goal is to work the problem-- take each issue one at a time and find resolution. Chris did a great job with the coach and worked his issues. One issue though he could not do anything about--- his family got too big for the 23' coach. Yea, Chris is a young whipper snapper-- the very people the community needs and as I hear it he and his family had a blast even with trying to sort out the wear and maintenance curves while using it.
Hey but he couldn't do much about the size of his young family-- he could make it bigger but the size limitations of the 23' coach was taking him the wrong way so even though he really enjoyed the coach, a move had to be made. In walks David G. from the LA area. Hid driveway is very small and after having the tough decision to not pick up a 26' coach mainly because his drive was too small, I got him and Chris together and wonderful thing happened---- we found a need for the coach--- David purchased the 76 23' Birchaven --- Chris cashed out on his investment and David picked up the flag. Now---- and David understood this going in---- it's now up to him to run with the coach to bring it to the best it can be. This meant picking up where Chris left off bringing the coach back to the road. Mechanical stuff was first. Here, take a look at the front suspension.All of these parts have been holding hands tight keeping everything going. The shock looks original, David needs to replace those. This knuckle has some movement in the bearing which means it has to come apart and find that play. None of this was the previous owners fault-- it was age. The parts were still together so the first mechanical rake let these issues through but now it's time....
We had replaced the wheel cylinders on the first rake but we found 2 of them weeping fluid-- no ones fault but the wheel cylinders will be replaced as well. The spindle has good recent grease so investigating the bearings we should be OK but one issue w e are now including on all brake work is replacing all those springs and hold downs associated with the shoes. SOP in the past was to inspect and if all looks good reuse these parts. Jon D. coach recently was picked up and driven to New York, on the way a spring broke. OK so now every wheel gets new hardware! I mean now our grey area has changed. Make it up I guess to the age of the parts. We can no longer even trust that with no visible damage the spring kits can be reused. So now David will get all that too. Guys you have to do this, you simply cannot go out on the road with parts that have failed for no apparent reason. So the question is, was that spring breaking our fault? Most shops will simply say, we didn't touch that part-- it's not our fault. I want to say it this way--- we made our best determination at the time based on our past experiences. Sorry that it happened and the one thing I will do for the future is learn from this and do what we can in the future to not have this happen. It should be a foregone conclusion no one can warrant every part on an old machine like this but what we can do is our best to do things we know to help the reliability. I worked with Jon on the road to get the parts and have things fixed and from that point my promise to him and to all of you is to not have his hassles go unknown.
Of course now David's new bundle of joy has taken up residence on our operating table
Of course now David's new bundle of joy has taken up residence on our operating table
Guys, this is how you work on these, if you fix it just to work for today it will surly break again tomorrow. You must completely investigate each system one at a time. Decisions need to be based on the whole coach not just fixing something wrong and broken. One shock is bad--- all need to be replaced. One wheel cylinder weeping, all 4 need to go. Good bonded shoes need to be replaced with fresh riveted ones and the beat goes on...
Hey, I'll give you another one, on this coach the water pump was replaced on the way to here when Chris bought it. Was done on the road by Jerry which was not a fun job-- he used any pump he could get. The water pump went out again for Chris some months later. Hey, was probably a rebuilt, that's about all you can find on the road. Chris went the high road picking up a hi dollar performance pump from Summit. Well, at @ 90,000 miles the original single row timing chain has been found to stretch in about every 455 and 403 we run into. This coach too so once more the water pump will come out to get to the timing chain. I will also get a chance to check out the super dooper water pump Chris installed. Hey, lets see what makes it such a good one. So within 2 years, the water pump in the coach will have been touched 3 times-- had to happen and there is no fault here. We don;t care about that, we just want it to work along with the fiftymillion other parts in the machine. Like I said before, you roll with it...
Hey, I'll give you another one, on this coach the water pump was replaced on the way to here when Chris bought it. Was done on the road by Jerry which was not a fun job-- he used any pump he could get. The water pump went out again for Chris some months later. Hey, was probably a rebuilt, that's about all you can find on the road. Chris went the high road picking up a hi dollar performance pump from Summit. Well, at @ 90,000 miles the original single row timing chain has been found to stretch in about every 455 and 403 we run into. This coach too so once more the water pump will come out to get to the timing chain. I will also get a chance to check out the super dooper water pump Chris installed. Hey, lets see what makes it such a good one. So within 2 years, the water pump in the coach will have been touched 3 times-- had to happen and there is no fault here. We don;t care about that, we just want it to work along with the fiftymillion other parts in the machine. Like I said before, you roll with it...
Hey David, look what came in UPS yesterday Yea, it's your Mac dash panel. Straight from the natural Mac mine in the hills of NC. We are so blessed to have someone with well over 20 years building these custom parts for us. For those that do not know about Mac McNeal and the awesome custom dash kits he builds for the GMC, here are a couple of pics of his dashes in our restorations: Yea, David's is a cluster for the original dash configuration, stay tuned and watch what it takes to install one of these...
OK, have the pics ready so lets get going-- David picked up this coach-- you may remember it's the "Hanger Queen" named by Jerry P. who got it out of that hanger after it's 15 year storage.
That water is not the water pump--- yet but hey what would YOU look like after being in a forced coma for 15 years! So the coach went through a family here in Florida who really enjoyed it and got it up to a descent condition but having another kid that young family needed more space so the coach needed to find a new home and needed more work to get to it's former glory
Then the next steward of this classic machine stepped up from California, David G. is single with 2 small dogs, the coach would be perfect for him and so the plan was set to do what's needed to bring the coach back to the glory we all know it can be. It was determined that the new name for the coach would be Chauncey!
exterior
August 2014
Here's how Chancy looked when I picked her up in Jupiter FL in August of 2014. She was a 30 footer. Her complete ownership history was well documented, and she was an excellent candidate for a restoration. Thanks to the previous 2 owners for taking such good care of her.
Here's how Chancy looked when I picked her up in Jupiter FL in August of 2014. She was a 30 footer. Her complete ownership history was well documented, and she was an excellent candidate for a restoration. Thanks to the previous 2 owners for taking such good care of her.
Now the coach has shuted to Kevin and it's exterior update. Kevin has the coach basically apart and to some it looks like it might be ready for paint.
December 2014
The paint was "ok" but we wanted this coach to shine again, so she went to Jim Bounds at the GMC COOP in Orlando Florida. Sanding and prep is almost complete. All the leaks were ferreted out. This picture makes the rv look so sad and neglected.
Heres what the roof looked like after Kevin peeped it for paint, getting rid of 37 years of destruction
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Blow these pics up and look at all the roof penetrations, the goopenpucky and all the work that goes into the roof. You might say-- and many paint shops will-- hey, no one will see the roof --- sorry but THAT is not the way to do it. The whole coach needs to be treated well. In many ways, the roof is one of the more important parts of the job so Kevin does that DA work, priming and painting first. The roof will be going 1 color so he will prep it all up then take it to the booth and paint this roof. From there the paint work will be on the sides with the finished roof bagged off. If someone says they will paint your entire coach in one sitting be concerned. That would not be the correct decision for the best outcome-- let me just say it that way...
11/18/14
Final Seafrost metallic paint going on today. Pics of the roof
Final Seafrost metallic paint going on today. Pics of the roof
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February 2015
Paint finished with Jaguar "Friremist" metallic body and Mercedes dark green metallic raccoon upper. Back ladder, upper railings and storage pods removed for a sleeker uncluttered look.
Paint finished with Jaguar "Friremist" metallic body and Mercedes dark green metallic raccoon upper. Back ladder, upper railings and storage pods removed for a sleeker uncluttered look.
Septmber 2015
The Zip Dee New Century electric awning is on, and yes the covers for the heater and the hot water access are going to be painted the same Jaguar Firemist as the rest of the coach.
The new front electric mirrors have finally been put on and help take the coach into the 2000's.
The Zip Dee New Century electric awning is on, and yes the covers for the heater and the hot water access are going to be painted the same Jaguar Firemist as the rest of the coach.
The new front electric mirrors have finally been put on and help take the coach into the 2000's.
