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Old 12-15-2004, 10:07 PM   #1
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Ebay bus; whatta think folks?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 59314&rd=1
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Logic says I should try and look closer for buses before doing a cross country...

Whatta think of this one?

pg

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Old 12-15-2004, 10:48 PM   #2
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put a bid of $1000 and I think you will quickly be outbid. It looks like a nice bus, minus the paint.
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Old 12-16-2004, 07:28 AM   #3
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I think they will yank the auction at the last minute if it doesn't bring enough to suit them...I hate it when ebayers say the item is for sale locally....

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Old 12-16-2004, 08:41 AM   #4
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Re: Ebay bus; whatta think folks?

Quote:
Originally Posted by pangaia
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 59314&rd=1
------------------
Logic says I should try and look closer for buses before doing a cross country...

Whatta think of this one?

pg
This is the second time I've seen this bus up for auction; I don't remember if the first one got pulled or just didn't make their minimum. If I remember correctly (at that's up for garbs) they were in the $3000 or so price range the last go around.

It's on a good chassis with a motor that I believe is reputed to have long life if not much power. They seem to have taken care of the bus and put some miles on it. I don't know much about the Wayne bodies but I don't recall hearing anything bad about them.

If you can get it for say under $1500 you'd probably have a reasonable deal on your hands. The more of the bus you have to take apart and redo the less I think you should spend. In my (not so humle) opinion nothing they've done to the bus (other than maintenance) makes it worth more than a basic school bus; I guess I'm saying there's no 'value added' in their conversion unless it just happens to be what you want.

Two things that are good about it is that its licensed as a motorhome already and you don't have to remove all the seats. And its got the deck if you're wanting one.

The bus is way the heck north in snow country so if you get it go prepared! Take your mittens!

Good luck...
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Old 12-16-2004, 04:17 PM   #5
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i live in michigan, but about 500 miles from that bus. IT appears to be a fine bus, but i personally woulnd't spend more than 1,500 bucks on it, and that seems kinda on the high side. The 9.0 liter will run forever, but its' wimpy. IT's a huge engine, with only about 170-180 hp. You could find a newer bus with air brakes from a school district for far less money.

some negative things:

That deck is really ugly! no air brakes, at545 trans is extremely common, but sucks up a lot power. I have that trans in my bus, but I think you'll read a lot of negative things about it. However, being mated to such a wimpy engine should really increase the transmission life. 250,000 miles is a lot of school bus miles! The bus is old....18 years if i did my math correctly.

Positve things:
the 9.0 liter is one of the most fuel efficient mechanically injected skoolie engines available, and it's bulletproof.
My guess is that it'll run for a long time. I would immagine you'll have at least another 50K relatively trouble free miles, but any bus you buy is a gamble.

How are the tires??? @$300 bucks each x 6 tires, this is an important factor.
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Old 12-16-2004, 04:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lapeer20m
How are the tires??? @$300 bucks each x 6 tires, this is an important factor.
Quote:
The front steer tires have a lot of tread remaining. Every spring we switched them between driver and passenger sides. We also typically flipped them on the rim and checked the toe in/out in order to distribute the wear. The rear drive tires are all retreads, all with legal tread remaining. They are all plenty safe but two of them will need to be replaced within the next 5000 miles or so in order to remain legal.
As long as the front tires are good, you should be good in rain/wet roads for a while.
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Old 12-16-2004, 07:25 PM   #7
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I agree that $1500 is max for something like that since the "conversion" is bad and is basically a wash since most people would redo most of it. Seats are out so that saves a day's work. The guy is a fool for not painting it nicer since most states prohibit yellow and he could have gotten a ton more for it if it was any other color and painted nice instead of the childish graffitti style scribbles on it.
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Old 12-16-2004, 10:08 PM   #8
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I would pass on that bus, you could find something just as good or better from a school district. Does anybody know if they salt the roads where it is located? It could have some serious rust. Like others have already said that engine with that tranny will equal one slow bus. Just my thoughts.
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Old 12-16-2004, 10:47 PM   #9
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Ya'll are right....

I did make a bid on the bus as it was a screamin' deal but after much brain pickin' I'd decided to just wait until the time was right. Besides, I need something that can tow a horse trailer with a big o' draft horse.

pg
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Old 12-17-2004, 06:12 AM   #10
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yes, michigan is part of the rust belt. Lots of salt used on the roads here.
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