Keep This Love On The Road

I was born in Houston in 1980 and attended the first Art Car Parade at the age of 8. My mom's hair stylist and artist, Trish, made and drove an Art Car. I have always thought that adorning and transforming a car gave it its highest purpose - the ability to spread beauty, humor and joy, and inspire connection when cars have done much to divide. For the past 5 years I have been driving The Bus on the streets of greater Pittsburgh - as a daily driver, in parades, hauling art for community events, moving soil and plants for my job working with teens - and have felt that indeed this is true. The love I have received in recognition of my work and efforts to make The Bus beautiful make my heart explode daily. I am launching a GoFundMe to keep this love on the road.

Starting in August 2019, I will be addressing several issues in order to prolong the life of The Bus:

- Take apart the interior in order to fight rust there as well as tackle much of the rust on the under carriage. The frame is still in good condition so this work needs to be done NOW!

- Re-wire much of the lights and signage along the top and to the back of the vehicle so there can be illumination!

- Re-build any structural areas that need it, ie. where the body meets the chassis and the structure of the top part of the vehicle.

- Seal the bus so that water cannot enter (yes, sadly it currently does).

- Re-cover the interior and paint it (yes, I want it to look as amazing as the outside).

- Possibly lay a new floor (if needed).

AND perhaps of most interest:

- I will convert The Bus to run on vegetable oil instead of diesel, for the health of the world and of myself.




I have not done any additional painting of artwork on the bus since April 2018. This is because in several areas where I have elaborate painting, rust has started to bubble back through. The work outlined above will allow me to continue painting The Bus until every square inch is covered. 

I need the requested funds to buy tools and materials to address the rust and body (paints, epoxies, rivets, fiberglass, steel, etc), compensate people who can weld and wire the vehicle, install a custom vegetable oil system and compensate a mechanic to assist with that. Last year my income was pretty small and this year I have been transitioning into other work and have had ups and downs. I already spend hundreds to thousands of dollars annually on different parts and systems as they need to be maintained. Just this month I replaced a brake booster, and paid to have a shock and brake pads replaced. I do not intend anytime soon to make this vehicle a tiny home. On the contrary, The Bus is a beautiful vessel open to lots of functions from moving furniture to friends.

I am not using this money for my personal needs (other than the bus itself) or for garage space rental - compensation from current work will be used to rent indoor space for one month in a large garage.

Any funds that exceed what I immediately need for this project will go towards the expensive paints, caulks and sealers I need to continue making The Bus a visual experience. Should I not reach my goal, the funds will go foremost to rust prevention and preservation, with the conversion to vegetable oil being a later concern.




If you cannot donate funds but can offer electrical help, welding help or supplies, that is also super appreciated. Verbal support is great, too! Please be in touch.

You can follow me here, check out progress or ask questions: The Bus has an Instagram Account!


As a thank you for your GoFundMe contribution, I would like to offer the following*:

- Anyone making a donation: a hand-printed postcard greeting for New Years 2020.

- $25 or more: A vinyl sticker of my design. Yet to be designed but Bus themed of course.

- $40 or more: a sticker, card and the original Transformazium publication about the possibilities of The Bus. What a package!

- $75 or more: I will add your name to artwork on The Bus at some point over the next year.

-$250: A canoe trip (with me) from Braddock to the Southside of Pittsburgh including life jacket, food and drink. Transportation will not be in The Bus, it will mostly be in a canoe...

- $350+ : An evening or day use of The Bus with me at the wheel after it has been doctored and further bedazzled (Summer 2020 and beyond). This could be a showcase or a night on the town with a bunch of friends. Please contact me in advance as this option will need to be worked out on an individual basis. Limited to Pittsburgh and the surrounds. 

Thank you and much love!!
-Leslie


* You can read below for a little more history about The Bus and technical info *



The Bus is a 1991 Ford E350, meaning it has the chassis of any 1991 E350 Van, but was custom built into a small school bus in Mexico. The Bus has been all the way to the Yukon on veggie oil under the stewardship of my friends Niko and Simone. In this time it was painted red and silver. The Bus also faceplanted into a tree at some point on this run in rural Virginia. But that barely slowed it down.

The Bus came into my life in 2008, but I could not get it legally registered in Pennsylvania until 2014, after which I invested much time, energy and funds in doing body and mechanical work. Rehabilitating the engine and other elements required the removal of the original vegetable oil system.

With the counsel and outright help of many people, (Jay, Dan, Dave, Garrett, Rick, Stuart, Ben and Justin especially) the following has been done: 
-Replaced a side body panel
-Replaced the steering gear
-Replaced the starter motor
-Replaced all the shocks
-Replaced the fuel tank
-Removed and re-set the windshield
-Rebuilt the passenger doors
-Rebuilt the front corner frame
-Rebuilt the back frame to support the doors
-Added a fuel pump
-Replaced the front end rods
-Fixed the brakes and replaced lines and cylinders
-Replaced tires
-Replaced  several exterior light covers and all the bulbs
-Replaced headlights
-Knocked the side mirror off and re-attached it
-Rewired tail lights
-Replaced the exhaust system and muffler
-Replaced all but one glow plug and the glow plug relay
-Replaced the starter solonoid
-Replaced the transmission speed sensor
-Replaced the batteries

This isn't really an unusual list of maintenance work done over a 5 year period, considering that The Bus had been parked and idle for the previous 5 years. I include it to demonstrate my commitment to this vehicle and why I am not giving up now!