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Old 04-22-2010, 01:55 PM   #1
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my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Hi, I am a new member. I live in Birch Run, MI. with my Wife Bonnie and our two kids Danny (10) and katie (7) I just purchased my first bus. It is a 1998 Bluebird with 73,000 miles. It is in MD, I will be flying out on the 6th to drive it back here to Michigan. I purchased it from a Government (GSA) online auction. Hopefully it runs and makes it all the way back.

The plan is to make it into an RV for vacations mostly here in Michigan but out of state as well. I have countless questions and need advice on everything. I have never driven a bus before. I am hoping it will be able to turn into my driveway! I'm not sure what I will do if it won't?!

It is a little different than most buses and was used to carry our critically injured soldiers from Andrews AFB back to Walter Reed memorial Hospital. They had (and just sold) three of these buses and have replaced them with new ambulances that are semi trucks costing $510,000.00 each!

I was thinking of going to Napa or Carquest for a spare set of fan belts before I fly out. Any ideas what other spare parts I should take with me? How about tools? Can anyone tell me anything about this bus? I don't know much about buses. I'll take all the advice I can get.

Thanks, Bill
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Old 04-22-2010, 01:57 PM   #2
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

I thought I would post some more photos in hopes people can tell me more about this bus.

Bill
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Old 04-22-2010, 01:59 PM   #3
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

The last three photos I have, I have actually never seen the bus in person. It was a risk, I hope it pays off.

Bill
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Old 04-22-2010, 02:33 PM   #4
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Hey, Welcome!
Love those rear doors in your bus. I bet a lot of folks here would like to have those. They would have changed my interior plans for sure. Very cool bus. Lots of hlep here, keep us pictured up and posted.
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Old 04-22-2010, 04:01 PM   #5
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Oh man, I am so jealous! Those rear doors are awesome! And the built-in AC is great too. Cummins diesel engine is also great. Not sure if it's a 12 valve or 24 valve in 1998, might go either way. And low miles. And an air horn to boot! Great bus! Welcome to the skoolie forum!
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Old 04-22-2010, 05:01 PM   #6
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

The auction listing said 190HP. I am not sure if that will tell you anything or not. I hope the AC works. I am sure it wouldn't be cheap to fix. I priced AC to add on another bus I had located and Carrier wanted $6,000 if I installed it myself. Installed it was $10,000. That was more than I wanted to pay for an entire bus, let alone just for the AC! I knew I would have to find a bus with AC or my wife would never come along if the weather was hot.

I am trying to locate manuals but The Blue bird dealer in Ohio says 2000 is the farthest they go back. And here I was thinking that a 1998 bus was pretty new. He says that he can't get wiring diagrams or anything for a bus that "old" any more. Anyone have any idea where I can get manuals?

Bill
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Old 04-22-2010, 05:44 PM   #7
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

I am sure we are all going to be jealous. First of all, it is white!!! You dont even have to repaint it if you dont want to. Those back doors are going to be nice for sure. Also, chances are there is a nice big high quality inverter if it was used as an ambulance, as well as high output alternator or two. Nice platform to start with.
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Old 04-22-2010, 05:45 PM   #8
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

http://service.blue-bird.com/wiringschematics/ if you need wiring schematics. Just punch in the body number (found on the ID tag/compartment over the windshield by the door). If you can get the 2000 manuals cheap enough I'd get them, some stuff might have changed but a lot stayed the same over the years.
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Old 04-22-2010, 06:01 PM   #9
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

From the engine pic, that's a 12-valve which means an early-98 bus. The analog odometer also means an early-98...late-98 (after 1/1/9 Birds got the 24V Cummins and a weird and cranky electronic gauge cluster. You're better off with the older one. Even has a driver 3-point belt! Air brakes?
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Old 04-22-2010, 06:24 PM   #10
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Air brakes?
Yep, I can just barely see the knob if I zoom in on the pic of the driver's area.
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Old 04-22-2010, 07:23 PM   #11
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

I tried punching in the "body Number" that the guy in Ohio gave from looking up the vin. No luck on the wiring diagram. He said it was a "TC" bus, but when I look at photos on bluebirds site it kind of looks like an "All American" Anyone know which it probably is? I am trying to figure out what to call it if I go to get belts at Napa.

Is air brakes good? I remember now that I was also told it is really a 1997 model year. Even though the paperwork says 1998.

I now have a plane ticket. Any ideas what would be good to take along Just in case?

I wonder if it will be 12VDC or 24VDC in the bus?

Bill
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Old 04-22-2010, 08:18 PM   #12
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

she is an interesting one!!

im partial to hydraulic brakes. I found air brakes are a bit too touchy lol.

I bet some guys would love those seats in there! looks like they fold down nice and flat. would be easy to use 2 + plywood to make a fold down bed in a kitchen area!
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Old 04-22-2010, 08:31 PM   #13
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Well, I am sure I won't need all those seats. Probably some will be for sale. I think they fold down so they can put stretchers in the rear on top of the seats.

I called my State Farm insurance agent and they said the "underwriters" are really clamping down on "high risk" vehicles and they could not insure it. I then called GMAC and was told they could only provide "liability" insurance. I called "Good Sam club" who uses GMAC as their underwriter and they had no problem insuring it full coverage. It is sure hit and mis out there for insurance coverage.

Bill
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Old 04-22-2010, 09:02 PM   #14
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Air brakes are good, depending on who you ask. There's a sticky thread about brakes in this forum, with lots of info about the differences. You should become familiar with how air brakes work before driving. Commercial drivers need additional training and a written test before driving with air brakes. RVs are exempt from that, but you should still learn about them because the bus will handle differently. You can also study the air brake portion of the CDL manual from any state's DMV.

That bus is a TC/2000, not All American. The body lines are similar, but AAs always had quad headlights, while TCs had dual. That's also a TC dash - AAs had a wider gauge cluster with woodgrain trim during those years.

Body number isn't the same as VIN, it's a letter followed by 6 numbers.

The electrical system should be 12 volts (not including the extra ambulance stuff). I believe when Jarlaxle said 24V he meant 24-valve, 98 was a changeover year for Cummins engines.

Overall, great find. I wish the government sold buses like that around here...
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Old 04-22-2010, 09:14 PM   #15
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Take a credit card and an extra pair of undershorts with you. Hopefully, you won't need the shorts.
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Old 04-22-2010, 09:27 PM   #16
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Undershorts are on the list. I hear the only tools allowed on an airplane are those 7 inches or shorter. Maybe I'll stop somewhere and buy a basic tool set on the way back. I wish I had an operators manual to study up on.

Bill
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Old 04-23-2010, 12:26 PM   #17
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

I stopped by the local school bus garage today and told them about my bus. They just shook their heads. Said that the cummins engines leak all over the place, and the "lift pumps" go out around 85,000 miles, That the injector pumps go out around 100,000 miles and cost $1700.00 They said that a front engine was almost impossible to work on and that you have to tear off the whole front of the bus to get at it.

Did I make a bad choice? Or is the 5.9 Cummins and flat front busses not as bad as they made out?

Bill
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Old 04-23-2010, 02:02 PM   #18
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Some love them, some hate them. I know mechanics who can only dream of working on a bus as nice as that one. Others are spoiled with the easy access of an all-conventional fleet and would never try to do anything on an FE. Most like the Cummins 5.9 and consider it second only to the International DT series, but your local district may have gotten a bad batch of 5.9s.
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Old 04-23-2010, 02:24 PM   #19
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Depending on when you pick up the bus, you can probably just buy what you need shortly before or just after taking delivery.

I flew from Kansas to Ohio for my bus. My test drive was about 10 miles long to the nearest Wal-Mart to pick up fluids and whatnot...it was all full when I got there and not a spot of oil on the ground...I couldn't believe that there wasn't a puddle of something underneath. So I erred on the side of caution and picked up some fluids. But the Snail didn't need any oil or tranny fluid the whole "maiden voyage" to Kansas. I got lucky.

Good luck with your purchase. It looks outstanding! Buying stuff via internet is all kinds of exciting! Oh yeah...I love my air brakes!!! (Especially now with a new air compressor!!!)

Ben.
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Old 04-23-2010, 02:40 PM   #20
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Re: my new ambulance/ 66 passenger bus

Yes, they have an all conventional DT466 fleet. I guess they are spoiled.
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