Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
That isn't a very good price, imo. I'd hesitate to pay that if it were running.
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Rust? Swill Specs? Signs of Mechanical Neglect? It's an Alaska bus?
This is a hard buy for me, with my cash or without. Seller says the best bet to pull the motor and send it to a machine shop, which would add thousands to the purchase price, hence doing a swap. Seller dropped price to $2250 to help move it. Still haven't recieved specs from seller. Not looking good.
I would need to have it looked at by a school bus mechanic before I would make an offer. Then I would need to get quotes from junkyards and mobile mechanics to solidify the go / no-go decision. I'm willing to source an engine myself, and be the mobile mechanics assistant to defray costs. This is assuming the engine is the only thing that's blown, and the trans has at least some life left. Surface rust isn't a deal breaker, structural rust is.
Following this subforum & Facebook skoolie groups; I'm just not seeing a lot of 40', all-mechanical, road-spec, pre-2000 dog noses! For anyone wanting similiar buses to me in the year 2020, speed up your processes and acquire one sooner rather than later as these buses are only getting rarer!
Regardless, my budget for the bus is $5000. I've budgeted $1000 for initial expenese: getting the bus in my name (including RV re-titling if needed), cost of bringing it home to San Jose, CA, + taxes and fees related to aforementioned. I will blow my budget for a unicorn if one appears in my timeframe, keep in mind I'm not a unicorn hunter.