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View Poll Results: What year range is your current bus?
2000 or newer 8 6.67%
1995-99 32 26.67%
1990-94 25 20.83%
1985-89 21 17.50%
1980-84 13 10.83%
1975-79 6 5.00%
1970-75 2 1.67%
1965-69 5 4.17%
1964 or older 8 6.67%
Voters: 120. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 05-03-2010, 07:41 PM   #1
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Huron, South Dakota
Posts: 422
Year: 1976
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: Dodge S-600
Engine: 360 V8
Rated Cap: 66
What year is your bus?

You can enter up to three buses and put specific year in comments. Also interesting would be notes on what you like or dislike about having a newer (or older) rig: character, easy/hard to find parts, etc.

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Old 05-05-2010, 08:38 PM   #2
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Asheville NC area
Posts: 47
Year: 1976
Coachwork: Carpenter Cadet CV
Chassis: G 30
Engine: 350
Rated Cap: 23
Re: What year is your bus?

1976, parts are cheap,small block chevies are plentiful, gas mileage? not so much.
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Old 05-05-2010, 09:21 PM   #3
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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 your bus?

I would vote, but every time I try on this forum it says something about invalid form or something like that so.....

Mine is a 1981 Bluebird body on a Ford B600 chassis. 28ft from bumper to bumper. Big block 370 on propane through a 5 speed manual transmission.
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Old 05-06-2010, 04:54 PM   #4
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New England
Posts: 1,009
Year: 1993
Coachwork: Ward Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/MT643
Rated Cap: 77
Re: What year is your bus?

Had a 1984 B-700 with a Thomas body...gas 460 (replaced a 370), Spicer 5-speed, 2-speed axle.
Now have a 1993 International Genesis front-engine...DT466, MT643 with retarder, midship WC lift.
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Old 05-13-2010, 09:44 AM   #5
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Haysville, Ks
Posts: 174
Year: 1969
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Chevrolet
Engine: 350 Chevrolet
Rated Cap: 65
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Re: What year is your bus?

1969 Chevrolet Bluebird body.
a downfall to an older bus is RUST.
And they usually need a lot of stuff replaced. HOWEVER, think of the age of the rig and how long it has taken said parts to need to be replaced. So, once they are replaced, it should be that number of years again till it is needed or even longer since the bus generally won't be used everyday to get the kids to and from school.
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Old 02-24-2011, 02:43 PM   #6
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Elk Plain, WA.
Posts: 513
Year: 1993
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DTA360
Rated Cap: 16
Re: What year is your bus?

'93 Genesis... Haven't had to buy parts for the bus yet other than conversion stuff...
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Old 02-27-2011, 12:44 AM   #7
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: vancouver island bc
Posts: 1,028
Year: 1965
Coachwork: thomas
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 350
Re: What year is your bus?

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Old 02-27-2011, 11:16 AM   #8
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,485
Re: What year is your bus?

1990 E-350
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Old 02-28-2011, 08:07 AM   #9
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Portland OR area
Posts: 180
Year: 1983
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Carpenter
Engine: 8.3
Re: What year is your bus?

1983 International, I have had no issues with my bus. A few gages do not work and it has the typical issues but all in all it's a great rig. Load star chassis 392 Big block I'd kill for a simpler carburetor but I haven't messed with it too much yet. My only complaint is the 30 gal fuel tank... Soon to be remedied.
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Old 02-28-2011, 11:26 AM   #10
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
Re: What year is your bus?

1986 BlueBird All American FE

"The Convoy Heading West" Super Wal-Mart Parking Lot, I24 Exit 174, Tiftonia, TN
Bus in the paint job we bought it in. The moss growing in the windows was still green at this point.

We bought the bus in Spring 2009 to use as a moving van for our trip to NM (and an eye to "recycling" it once out here). It's a 40 ft one which is bigger than we wanted. But we can live with that!

We paid $1400 for the bus. Repaired the radiator in Longview TX ($800-$900) on the trip out west. No other repairs... so far. The engine is a DD 5.2 Turbo apparently also called a "fuelsaver". Lousy top end speed but fantastic fuel mileage (that no one here believes me on). Since we like to travel on the primary and secondary roads (often called "Scenic Byways") we aren't looking for a speed demon.

"Trivia" about our bus...
My kids were born in Oct 1986.... The BB is a 1986
David has a cousin who used to work in the Ft. Valley, GA BB Factory on the Wanderlodges... BB was built in Ft. Valley GA.
We went to look at the bus, it was parked in a pasture near Almond/Bryson City NC off Needmore Rd... We used to live near the opposite end of Needmore Road out by Lost Bridge in Franklin.
The bus was owned by a white water rafting company in Longview SC on Hwy 76... we know because we used to drive past it all the time to go to Franklin, NC (where my parents lived and we used to live) from our home in Westminster SC (and West Union & Seneca).


Small world!
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Old 02-28-2011, 09:04 PM   #11
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Montana
Posts: 1,626
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All-American R/E
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Re: What year is your bus?

Here it is: https://picasaweb.google.com/pmilne/Bus#

1995 BB AA/RE
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Old 03-06-2011, 08:30 PM   #12
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Whidbey Island, WA.
Posts: 1,109
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 3208 na boat anchor
Rated Cap: 2
Re: What year is your bus?

My bus is an '84 BB AA RE, if you know what I mean. I bought in the spring of '06. Divorce, loss of job, death of parents; throughout it all, I worked on it in fits and spurts. Insulated floor, waste tanks and waste plumbing, window blanks & room partitions are in. Doing the wiring now. Haven't bought the expensive stuff yet (batteries, inverter, etc., etc., etc., etc....).

This summer I'll be able to use it. And what now? Fuel edging to 5 bucks a gallon. Yikes!
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Old 04-11-2011, 04:25 PM   #13
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: from: Prescott, AZ currently: Denver, CO
Posts: 469
Year: 1992
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: All American RE
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Re: What year is your bus?

Our bus is 92 BB AA RE 8.3 cummins, 643 allison.
Just started the conversion.
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Old 04-11-2011, 09:14 PM   #14
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 2
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International
Engine: 7.3L Navistar
Re: What year is your bus?

I have a 1996 International Blue Bird 47 passenger, 7.3 turbo, auto. My wife works at the local International dealership that serviced the vehicle during its tenure as a student hauler. The service manager gave me the heads-up about the auction and condition of the bus. I won the auction in July 2010 and have camped in a bus just about once a month since. We have logged almost 2000 miles. We have had one 5 night, six day trip, and lots of three-day weekends. I'll be in the bus this weekend for a fishing tournament and the family goes next weekend for the long Easter weekend.
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Old 04-17-2011, 04:58 AM   #15
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: S.E.UTAH
Posts: 19
Year: 1946
Coachwork: ?
Chassis: chevrolet
Engine: 292L 6
Rated Cap: ?
Re: What year is your bus?

I have a 1946 Chevy. Blew the engine (235 oil dipper) on the way home.
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Old 05-22-2011, 10:20 AM   #16
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Idaho
Posts: 575
Coachwork: Thomas
Re: What year is your bus?

95 International Thomas DT466, turbo
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Old 06-22-2011, 08:31 PM   #17
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Athens, Georgia
Posts: 30
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC 2000 FE
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
Re: What year is your bus?

1989 Bluebird TC2000, aka, "Freebird"

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Old 08-24-2011, 10:50 PM   #18
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Central Tennessee
Posts: 1,093
Year: 1973
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: CAT 1160 V-8 Diesel
Rated Cap: 72
Re: What year is your bus?

I am in the minority with an early 70s bus. 1973 BB AA FE
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Old 08-25-2011, 09:50 AM   #19
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
Re: What year is your bus?

I've got a 1996 International/Thomas with the mechanical injection DT446. Spent $1,000 on mechanicals so far, but it has a clean bill of health at this point.
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Old 06-29-2013, 09:46 PM   #20
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Re: What year is your bus?

One more "oldie" here...a 1946 Chevy Shorty. I'm taking out the 80's vintage Chevy 350 and installing a rebuilt Cummins 4BTAA diesel (turbocharged & air-to-air intercooled). Chassis parts can be tricky but since it is built on a 1.5 truck frame, most can be had. Body parts...forget it. Wayne Coach is long gone so you make your own. Toughest part of the re-build will be the rear-end. Desperately need taller gearing. These buses were made before there was an Interstate highway system and built to handle, rough roads, deep mud & steep hills. You can pull a house with the "granny-gearing"...just don't expect to drive much over 45 or 50 without totally different gearing. Why bother with such a relic ?...'cause they just look so damn neat and make people smile! Art Deco forever!
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