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Old 05-06-2018, 01:56 PM   #1
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2005 Ford E350 16 passenger vs. 1993 International

My girlfriend and I looked at our first few busses this past week, and we feel like we have two great options already! I was hoping get as many opinions as possible about the pros and cons between these two busses. I'll put the links to the two craigslist ads instead of posting a bunch of pictures...

The first bus we checked out was a 2005 Ford E350 16 passenger with 136k miles for $5000. There is virtually NO rust anywhere on this one! Before anyone questions why the small size, it's just the two of us and we feel like it'll work just fine. The bus is in great shape and drove fine. I could not find any red flags at all, and I think that for the price I should jump on this. Any thoughts? Link: https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/hvd/d/2005-ford-epassenger-school/6562447336.html

The second bus is a 1993 international 28 passenger school bus. It has 213k miles, and has a DT466 engine. Priced at $7500. It has air brakes, and because of this I was told I would need my CDL (don't know if it matters, but I live in PA). That turns me off to it a little bit, but I understand that a CDL would be a valuable thing to have... We really liked the extra space compared to the other bus, but there was a little more rust underneath and on the inside walls. But it was all surface rust and didn't seem too concerning. I was told by the owner that this engine is way more reliable since it is all mechanical and has no electronics. Any thoughts on this? Link: https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/hvd/d/2005-ford-epassenger-school/6562447336.html

I am really leaning towards the first bus since it's newer, has less miles, and in better shape than the second. But what the owner of the 1993 said about the DT466 engine being more reliable really made me think, so I am going to be doing a lot of research over the next week or so. I know very little about engines and mechanics, so any advice or opinions would be very much appreciated. The increase in space in the 1993 was very appealing too, but the 2005 was in way better shape! Please let me know your thoughts on this and anything else about these two busses...

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Old 05-07-2018, 06:24 AM   #2
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looks like you linked the same bus twice
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Old 05-07-2018, 06:34 AM   #3
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If there was any indication of whether the E-350 was gas or diesel, I missed it. But if it's a diesel, it would almost certainly be the 6.0 - which had a number of issues that may or may not have been addressed (usually referred to in this case as "bulletproofing"). If the E-350 is diesel, and it couldn't be proven to have been bulletproofed by a reputable diesel shop, that alone would make up my mind to pass on it - since it's not a cheap process to have done.
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Old 05-07-2018, 09:18 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by TrailLifeBill View Post
If there was any indication of whether the E-350 was gas or diesel, I missed it. But if it's a diesel, it would almost certainly be the 6.0 - .
It is diesel and yeah it is the 6.0. And that's good to know, I'll look more into it
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Old 05-07-2018, 09:20 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by Tankster View Post
looks like you linked the same bus twice
My bad, here is the link to the 1993 international:
https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/d/1993-international-school-bus/6539657040.html
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Old 05-07-2018, 09:54 AM   #6
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You may need an "airbrake endorsement on you license, but a CDL is not required once you take it out of service as a school bus and not using it in a commercial enterprise.
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Old 05-07-2018, 10:13 AM   #7
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CDL requirements vary by state. Here are links to PA info :

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...aFQ9M5YgPPjo_E

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It looks to me like they want a CDL for any vehicle that seats 16 or more. A non-commercial class A if it is non-commercial, seats less than 16 and weighs 26,001lbs or more.

I would suggest that you read the info the state published and decide for yourself.
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Old 05-07-2018, 11:12 AM   #8
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PA is the weird state.

They require a Non-Commercial Class B for any vehicle with air-brakes, regardless of weight.
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