Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 02-20-2010, 05:09 PM   #1
emo
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: sudbury,suffolk UK
Posts: 4
Year: 1969
Coachwork: international harvester
Chassis: international loadstar
Engine: 5lt v8
what year is my bus??! please help!!

Hello......I've just bought an international harvester which I have been told is 1969
its already been converted to a live in but needs totally transforming!
It is right hand drive which was a special order for the US military to drive here in the UK.
If I can prove it was built before 1972 then I can become road tax exempt and class it as a historic vehicle
Can anyone help with any info about my lovely bus or how I can get an official age comformation certificate??
any help with manuals or where to get parts would be great.........some brakes would be awesome!
Its a 5lt V8 diesel automatic. vin number is SABTVRO3264217456.........PLEASE HELP ME!! can't wait to get started! thanks Emo.
Attached Thumbnails
ebay t4 121.jpg  

emo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2010, 12:59 PM   #2
Bus Crazy
 
timbuk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: vancouver island bc
Posts: 1,028
Year: 1965
Coachwork: thomas
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 350
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

wow wierd to see a american bus with the door on the wrong side.That bus could very well be a 69,you will need to look at the vin tags ,etc.Should be able to get parts from the us no problem good luck with it!
timbuk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2010, 01:34 PM   #3
Bus Nut
 
jkindt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Lethbridge, AB, Canada
Posts: 637
Year: 1981
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Ford B-600
Engine: Ford 370 Propane
Rated Cap: 48
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by timbuk
wow wierd to see a american bus with the door on the wrong side.
If by 'wrong' you mean left, then yes, it is strange to see. A standard american bus would have the door on the 'wrong' side if you were using it in the UK, or Japan, or many other countries with right-hand drive vehicles. There has been a trend over the past few years around here to import older right-hand drive vehicles from Japan. This has been leading to many safety issues since it is very hard to pass people on the highway, pull out of parking spaces, etc. There is even rumors of legislation banning right-hand drive vehicles in Alberta due to these concerns. I would imagine it is very similar in the UK when someone imports a left-hand drive vehicle. Which means that our buses are 'wrong' to them. This is all too bad, because I serously think the ultimate skoolie would be one of those double-decker buses that seem to be strictly right-hand drive for some strange reason. Oh yeah, and the fact that double-decker vehicles are illegal here in Alberta. I wonder if I could get around this by registering it as a recreation vehicle that does not carry passengers on the 'upstairs'. Of course it could be a height issue, I am not sure why they are illegal.
jkindt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2010, 03:28 PM   #4
Skoolie
 
busdriver_phil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northeast CT
Posts: 201
Year: 1999
Coachwork: AmTran RE
Chassis: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 72
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

That chassis, International "Loadstar," was one of the longest-running bus models. They made them from 62-79. I don't recognize the format of that VIN. Since it was a custom order, it may have been assigned a different serial number either for export or for military specs. All I can suggest is looking for all the ID tags, you might find a manufacture date on one of them. Look under the hood, on the vertical "cowl" panel right below the windshield, look on the inside of the glove compartment door, and look all around inside near the top of the windshield, driver's window, and maybe near the steps or inside of the door.

Another option would be to try to get a copy of the original lineset ticket. http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/show ... hp?t=74124

And by the way, GREAT FIND! Superior body on a Loadstar chassis was one of the best buses you could buy in the 60s and 70s. I'm jealous.

Edit: For those who don't know, the lineset ticket is like a build order for the assembly line. It would have manufacture date, serial numbers, engine/transmission model, options, etc. They used to laminate a copy and stick it to the bus under the hood, but it's very rare to find one intact on such an old vehicle. That link I posted has contact info for a museum that supposedly has all the old International linesets, they can make a copy for $20. Good luck!
__________________
The conversion of Miss Euphegenia, a 1999 AmTran RE: https://www.skoolie.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5704
busdriver_phil is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2010, 04:51 PM   #5
emo
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: sudbury,suffolk UK
Posts: 4
Year: 1969
Coachwork: international harvester
Chassis: international loadstar
Engine: 5lt v8
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

hello everyone.thank you for the help.will try and get some more photos soon.got him running today.think injectors want a service.smoked like a tyer yard fire.over here in the uk we have an odd registration system.as the bus came off an american air base its age couldnt at the time be verified so ended up with a "Q" reg number.this can make problems fo insurance.also if a vehical is built befor 1st of january 1973 it becomes classed as a historic vehical.better for insurance and better still road tax exempt!! happy days!problem is you need an official piece of paper to keep the pen pushers happy.any ideas how i could get something like a birth certificate.need to prove his age.i love this bus but it does need quite a bit of work to get it road worthy.a workshop manual is first on the list.i have restored many british and europian cars and vans but never an american school bus!! brakes are none existant.foot or parking brake.all the lights need sorting and some welding is needed.british weather is no friend to steel work! lots to do for MOT test.yearly test to pass before you can drive on the road.so any ideas or contacts for parts that can be shipped would be very much appriciated.got to go get a load of tool as everything i have is metric or to small THANKS AGAIN.EMO.
emo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2010, 07:23 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 55
Year: 1987
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Chevrolet B-60
Engine: 366 Gas
Rated Cap: 54
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

I hate to say it but that Superior International is between 1975 and 1978. It has the more modern front roof cap and the 78" high roof package which gives it away.
jaredg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2010, 09:06 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!


That's a 17-digit VIN, which is the current standard. The 10th digit is the year (6). Unfortunately, it does not tell you the decade. So see if you can find something else that matches with 6. The newest possible is 1976, as they used letters in 1980-2000.
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2010, 04:17 PM   #8
emo
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: sudbury,suffolk UK
Posts: 4
Year: 1969
Coachwork: international harvester
Chassis: international loadstar
Engine: 5lt v8
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

hello.thank you all for your suggestions.still no joy with line set ticket yet.
nobody recognises the vin number.would it be on a different list as it was possibly special order for military?
anyone got any ideas where to look?!
had a quick look at the brakes.master cylinder is very wet and front bleed screws have been sheared off!!
think i better replace all the rubber components off the braking system.....
list of good suppliers would be much appreciated

here are a few pics of the inside.
Attached Thumbnails
ebay t4 126.jpg   ebay t4 116.jpg   ebay t4 131.jpg  
emo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2010, 05:54 PM   #9
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!



http://jalopnik.com/5165656/how-to-decode-your-cars-vin

There are many other sites that deal with this. Just google "decode VIN" and similar.

I ran your number on an other site, and it came up invalid. Are you sure you read it correctly? But I suppose a military vehicle might not conform to the standard. The S suggests it was built in England.
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-01-2013, 01:42 PM   #10
emo
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: sudbury,suffolk UK
Posts: 4
Year: 1969
Coachwork: international harvester
Chassis: international loadstar
Engine: 5lt v8
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

Hi, not been on here for quite some time, but have made some progress on the bus. Sandblasted the wheels and underside and also painted those bits, now it is time to get the brakes sorted. It had new rear cylinders and shoes fitted before i got the bus, but I really need front cylinders and shoes and the 2 remote power boosters (or servos as we call them) with their cylinders. I also need the main cylinder that is operated from the pedal. Can anyone give me any web addresses, phone numbers or contact details of anyone or companies that may have these parts? Also looking for a whole front end (fenders, hoods, rad, grill etc), so any breakers (wreckers) yards with these that may ship to the uk? Thank you, any help is greatly appreciated as I am really struggling for these parts. Really really want to drive my lovely bus! thanks again, Emo.
emo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-01-2013, 05:08 PM   #11
Bus Geek
 
bansil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

Welcome back,cool bus

Sorry I can't help with parts tho'
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
bansil is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2013, 04:31 PM   #12
Traveling
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Virginia
Posts: 2,302
Year: None
Coachwork: None
Chassis: None
Engine: None
Rated Cap: None
Re: what year is my bus??! please help!!

Shouldn't there be a body build tag somewhere? Might indicate the build date? My 89 Blue Bird had one.
CHEESE_WAGON is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
What year is your bus? Skunky Bus Conversion General Discussions 25 05-22-2015 12:14 AM
Happy New Year travelinwithus Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 5 01-01-2013 11:45 AM
HAPPEY NEW YEAR!!!!!! gbstewart Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 9 01-02-2012 03:39 PM
Happy New Year fishphart Classifieds | Buy, Sell, Swap 0 10-23-2011 10:30 AM
Time of year to buy? vonslatt Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 4 11-10-2004 09:45 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:08 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.