I have everything under the floor. Including the Onan, to the bottom of the windshield. Absolutely untouched by the fire. Not even a trace of soot or smoke. So I have a lot of 78 parts that could be used as upgrades on the 73 that the dog dragged home. NOT ME of course. As my answer to Linda. Yesterday was very nice out. In the upper 30's. So I put the GMC convertible up on stands, in the drive so I could pull the alum rims with new tires, gas tanks, bumpers, new exhaust, exhaust heat shields next to the gas tanks, ( Mine were bolted to the floor) and cut the body/ floor to the right of the engine. The cut was in prep of removing the front of the body next. Got all that done in about 2.5 hrs. Then went inside the shop to do the same thing to the mouse house. ( Except cutting the body. ) That was another 2 hrs. Time, Time, Time. It just takes so much of it. The 1- 1/2 year old alum rims with tires are going on the 73. With new rims now coming from Jim K at Applied. Then more new tires to be put on the Mouse House. So we now have spent about $14,000. With another $9,000. in salvaged parts that will finally be removed, and installed in the Mouse House.Bob Dunahugh

Bob,
The one thing I know of would be the bogie assembly. Now, here is where I am a little fuzzy. The early coaches had two issues that were corrected later. First was the bogies pins were made larger with later and had better grease delivery and the wheels or travel was modified because the tires will contact the wheel well if the air spring (bag) goes down. JimK would know.

About the heater, ask KenH as he knows those things well.

Matt

I guess it depends on how much work you are going to put in the -73, the rear inner fender wells is really bad on the -73/74 they are usually full of cracks and the tires on the rear axle will rub them when the air is out of the bags,on the -78 the are made of glass fiber and are stronger and will not rub the tires, I would also try to save the fiberglass housing for the onan on the -73 it is plywood.
If you do not want to change the rear inner fender well I could be interested in them

Steve Ferguson did a great write up on the lower 73 A-arms that were weak from the factory.

...it looks like I should change the fender wells, and rear suspension.

BobDunahugh wrote on Sat, 16 January 2016 01:44

...it looks like I should change the fender wells, and rear suspension.

Don't need to mess with rear suspension unless there is too much slop in the bogies. There is no more travel in the early models than later, just wheel wells were deeper in later years. So no point in the extra work. Front suspension is a different story. Use the 78 A-arms.