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Old 10-15-2018, 06:45 AM   #1
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Coachwork: Blue Bird
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Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Hey, conventional Blue Bird skoolies...

I'm thinking of replacing my driver's side emergency door with something a little taller than 54". If I do, I wouldn't mind something wider than 24". So, for you conventional Blue Birds and/or FE Blue Birds I suppose, what are the dimensions on your rear door?

Any one willing to part with theirs?

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Old 10-15-2018, 06:55 AM   #2
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Mine isn't very tall but you could replace yours with an RV door, storm door, steel exterior door. On my bus, (1990 Bluebird) I don't think I'd have any room to make the door taller. I haven't done a roof raise.
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Old 10-15-2018, 07:06 AM   #3
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
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Mine isn't very tall but you could replace yours with an RV door, storm door, steel exterior door. On my bus, (1990 Bluebird) I don't think I'd have any room to make the door taller. I haven't done a roof raise.
If you don't mind, can you measure not very tall? 6' would be nice but I don't know if theygo that tall without coming from a wheelchair bus with the roof cut out. But those are side doors not rear doors. Maybe (hoping) the rear doors are taller. I know there were NOT any wheelchair buses at the salvage yard when I was out there last but that's been a year now.

Roof raise or not, I'd want either a taller door or delete it altogether. Deleting seems to be common with the Youtubers yet the For Sale section here doesn't have any posts unless you go back to 2016 or older.

It's a skoolie. It will always look like a skoolie. And I'm actually ok with that so unless an RV door can be had and is available for free AND the skoolie door is $500, I'd prefer to stick with a skoolie door.
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Old 10-16-2018, 07:34 AM   #4
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Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Anyone; measurements?

Looking at the school buses on the top at the top of the windows. Makes sense. But also makes for a door that is shorter than 6 feet. The wheelchair buses bump out the curved roof for a taller door but how wide are those?
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:50 AM   #5
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My back door is roughly 55" tall and 39 1/4" wide
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:52 AM   #6
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There is probably a foot or more of space above the door that could be cut into and framed out to make the opening taller
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:52 AM   #7
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Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
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My back door is roughly 55" tall and 39 1/4" wide
Nothing personal but that just plain sucks!!
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:53 AM   #8
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
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There is probably a foot or more of space above the door that could be cut into and framed out to make the opening taller
Mine has more than that now. I'd just like a door that is already made that tall. It'll be stronger, straighter, truer than anything I craft.
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:54 AM   #9
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Yeah, it works for us. I have my bed back there, raised up with fresh tank under it. It makes for easy access to some of the other things I have back there.
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:55 AM   #10
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I think for any decent welder/metal worker, it would be easy enough to cut into the roof cap and frame out a door opening.
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Old 10-16-2018, 08:59 AM   #11
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Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
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Yeah, it works for us. I have my bed back there, raised up with fresh tank under it. It makes for easy access to some of the other things I have back there.
How big of a tank?

I'm RE so the tank(s) will be under the bed for sure. Talking to an RV guy, he suggested moving it between the axles and got me worried. Probably for noting.

School bus damn it!! 50lbs per kid, 6 kids per row, = 3 rows of kid per 100 gallon tank. Pretty sure I had more than 3 rows of seats behind the rear axle. Black and/or gray can go under the bus. If they freeze, they stink less. Besides I'm thinking composting toilet.
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:01 AM   #12
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Quote:
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I think for any decent welder/metal worker, it would be easy enough to cut into the roof cap and frame out a door opening.
any decent welder/metal worker, ... that's definitely questionable when referring to me but my roof is 18 inches taller than it used to be. No need to cut into the roof cap.
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:03 AM   #13
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125 gallon tank. It's just behind the axles. My bus is 33' bumper to bumper
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:09 AM   #14
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Location: Essex, MD
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
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125 gallon tank. It's just behind the axles. My bus is 33' bumper to bumper
So you can do wheelies now right? Mine's 40ft so a 100 gallon potable or even a 125 wouldn't upset things terribly. I would like another between the rails fuel tank as mine is only 65 gallons.
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:25 AM   #15
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So you can do wheelies now right? Mine's 40ft so a 100 gallon potable or even a 125 wouldn't upset things terribly. I would like another between the rails fuel tank as mine is only 65 gallons.
Yeah, I basically just hit the nitrous button and roll out on the back 4!

But for real, I haven't filled the tank and gone anywhere yet.
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:41 AM   #16
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Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 3,738
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninjakitty View Post
Yeah, I basically just hit the nitrous button and roll out on the back 4!
Nice. I was thinking of adding a super charger in addition to the turbo.

Quote:
But for real, I haven't filled the tank and gone anywhere yet.
The guy's worry was wear and tear on the driveshaft/diff. I don't think it will be a problem after doing the kid weight ratio. Doesn't take long for the tots to hit 50 lbs these days. The HSers will be 120~200 lbs and 4 per row which is more than 6 of the 50lb snot slingers.
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:45 AM   #17
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Location: Essex, MD
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
Just did the math (yes, I'm that bored). My bus was 22,000 empty, GVWR is 33,000 and is 84 passenger + 1 driver. That's 129 lbs per passenger average.
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