Howdy.
I'm in the very beginning stages of scratching an itch, so to speak, but in reality I have no idea what I'm doing yet, or which direction I'm going to go. I've spent hours already reading all kinds of stuff on this site, and looking at all the pictures, and the more I do, the more I'm hooked. Very cool stuff.
I'm sure I'll have all kinds of dumb / novice / already asked questions, but for now I wanted to get an opinion on a vehicle. I know enough about vehicle mechanics to be familiar with the drivetrains of most of the van chassis based vehicles from Ford & GM (460's, 350's, & other van based busses). Once I get to something bigger, I'm lost.
With that in mind, I wanted an opinion on this:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/1852048454.html
The ad is due to expire in a couple days, so if you can't find it, it's a AmTran 30' (google pic search "amtran genesis"), 16+2 passenger, under 100k miles, and he thinks it's got a DT266 engine. He's asking $1000.
So, questions....
What's the designation "16+2"? Why isn't it just an 18 passenger?
I can't find anything on a DT266. The only thing close is a DT466. I'm guessing he posted wrong? I know nothing of this motor. Can someone enlighten me as to reliability, longevity, any specific issues that are common, fuel efficiency, ease of owner maintenance, and anything else you might know that I forgot to ask about?
Is there any particular advange or disadvantage to a front engine layout in a flat nose bus? It seems to me that the front area is pretty much dead space anyway, with the operational controls and stairs, so why not have the engine there instead of the back, right? Refer to above though, where I mention that I have no idea what I'm doing.
The seller doesn't list the year, but it's got to be a '90-something. Would $1000 be reasonable for something like this?
Any thoughts appreciated, and thank you in advance.