The bus is now officially ready for sale. New batteries were installed as of 2.8.06.
Pictures can be seen here:
http://www.skoolie.net/gallery2/album56
What's been done:
New rear main seal on engine, and as mentioned new batteries.
All but one interior sheet metal panel on right side of bus removed. Exposed insulation removed. It is strongly recommended that the buyer finish what's been started, to finish removing the mildewed insulation behind these panels.
Rotten particle board cover removed from passenger compartment side of engine cover.
Heater box panels cleaned, sanded, primered and painted brown. I inadvertently bumped the top panel with the can, and there is a flaw in the paint where I hit it. The heater box should be removed to have a hole in it patched, and the same sanding/paint job done to it. The fresh air cable is not connected, as I forgot to reconnect it when I was reassembling the dashboard.
All seats removed execpt two - one holds the heater and it's seat bottom is gone, and the second one left there as I simply didn't get around to removing it.
Mechanical issues:
The steering box and/or front end NEEDS to be rebuilt. There is ALOT of play in the steering. If you grab the wheel at 12 o' clock, the wheel turns between 9 o' clock and 3 o' clock before turning anything. It can be driven this way, and I did drive it home like this, but it would not pass any D.O.T. safety inspection if it were to be subject to one.
When I originally bought the bus, the engine had trouble holding oil pressure at idle. It dumped alot of oil out of the rear main seal on the drive home. After the seal replacement, it seems to be holding 10 psi at idle. Anything above idle instantly picks up to 60 to 70 psi. However, I haven't driven the bus any appreciable distance since this repair was made.
The fuel gauge is inaccurate. I also believe that the tachometer is not accurate as well, and points to 3800 RPM running down the highway. I believe that the actual revs are alot less as at idle, it sits at 1100 rpm, when it's obviously running closer to 800 when in gear. Many of the instruments need new bulbs.
I found a couple of loose connections looking for the cause of the running lights flickering and going out while in motion. I've tightened these connections, but cannot verify if this fixed the problem as the bus is no longer insured, and its safety inspection is expired. Tags are good untill May 2006.
Coolant level will need to be watched initially to insure that all air was indeed purged from the system from my heater box removal.
The window was broken by a tree limb on the left side emergency exit door.
There are a couple of minor dents in the right front corner of the bus, and another just in front of the right rear wheel.
The price is $1500 firm. The bus is worth this even if it's only ever to be used as a storage building. If there are no takers here within one week, it will be listed on Ebay on a no reserve auction with an opening bid of $1500. If the buyer is close enough to stop by and look at the bus, they are more than welcome to do so, and I will make arrangements to be around. My schedule is that I work evenings. My days off are Wednesdays and Thursdays. All other days I'm available untill 2:30 pm.
I can be called at 817.925.3607. I have a voicemail if I don't answer, and will return any calls as soon as I can. I can also be emailed at
mailto:bfoust@direcway.com. If the buyer is from out of state, I will be more than willing to pick them up at the airport to drive the bus home. The buyer MUST understand that this is a 24 year old bus. If something grenades on the drive home, they must fully understand and accept that risk - same as I did when I initially bought it.