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Old 06-15-2017, 11:20 AM   #561
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sweet!!!.. yeah ive waited for parts.. and it sucks... ive also spent probably more than I should to get the right parts. on projects... sometimes you can get away wioth fabbing something up in the garage or such and other times you have to double down and get the right part and when you do and find it works great it is well worth it... !

-Christopher

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Old 06-15-2017, 12:37 PM   #562
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Too much money for a rubber seal. Keep the door but do the cut-off wheel and use a standard gasket. That new gasket is only going to collect water like the original and rust out again. You're a smart guy and can fab something up.
The original gasket didn't have any issues... The rust was from salt. I only have the two spots of rust on the whole bus. I figure since I'm gonna paint it RIGHT, and use a new seal it should last a lifetime as long as I keep it clean and keep an eye on it.
If I mod the door, I'll either have a huge gap and/or a possibility of less sealing. If I buy the seal and spend 300 painting it, I'll still be in this thing for very little money.
1760+300+300 = $2360 for a freshly painted bus that runs like a top and has new tires and batteries.
But I do agree that the price sucks. Supply and demand, and all that...
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Old 06-15-2017, 12:39 PM   #563
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$300 is way steep, but when they got you by the short hairs...

You'll fix the door right and you will monitor it closely for the tiniest rust bubble and remediate, unlike a fleet director who is just trying to keep 'em
on the road. Maybe modify/add a gutter?

I'm pretty good at sourcing stuff, but that thing is unobtanium.
Thanks, and I totally agree!

Found my seal and got my commercial mower in the same day! HUGE win!
Burnin a victory jay as I type!
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Old 06-15-2017, 12:42 PM   #564
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I'd put a few bids in on this bus-
https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?f...=1&acctID=9831

But its sat a lot, has a ton of miles/hours, an at545, low headroom, and leaf springs... So I bowed out at 2000 or so. Mechanical dt466. But still not worth what it went for, IMO.
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Old 06-15-2017, 12:49 PM   #565
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The original gasket didn't have any issues... The rust was from salt.
That salt stayed on the bus tho. If a function of the gasket the most certainly keep an eye on it in the future even if you don't drive in the rust belt or beach.

Everyone has a different threshold of pain. Even if the bus cost me a $1, I don't want to spend $2000 on a gasket and be under your total investment. It's a stupid rubber gasket and ought not cost more than $30 retail.

But again, if it's worth it to you, knock yourself out.


Quote:
I'd put a few bids in on this bus-
Thought you gave up on bidding for awhile?Has it been awhile already?
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Old 06-15-2017, 12:54 PM   #566
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That salt stayed on the bus tho. If a function of the gasket the most certainly keep an eye on it in the future even if you don't drive in the rust belt or beach.

Everyone has a different threshold of pain. Even if the bus cost me a $1, I don't want to spend $2000 on a gasket and be under your total investment. It's a stupid rubber gasket and ought not cost more than $30 retail.

But again, if it's worth it to you, knock yourself out.


Thought you gave up on bidding for awhile?Has it been awhile already?
I never gave up entirely. But I don't post anything publicly until the auction is over.
IDK 300 is a lot of money, but how much would a similar seal be for a new chevy truck?
I've never heard of a two thousand dollar seal but I'd love to see one.
The bus has been out of production since 02. The manufacturer is defunct and was acquired by Navistar. I'm lucky I can even get this seal.
Still not 100% certain I can even get it. But if I can it will make this paint job and body work move along a lot faster.
I live 65 miles from saltwater and don't care much for the beach so no salt worries here. Nothing I own has any rust on it.
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Old 06-15-2017, 12:58 PM   #567
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I've never heard of a two thousand dollar seal but I'd love to see one.
Try something that does EMI shielding. Not likely needed on a bus but ...

Quote:
The bus has been out of production since 02. The manufacturer is defunct and was acquired by Navistar. I'm lucky I can even get this seal.
Still not 100% certain I can even get it.
All that said and since it is worth it to you, you may want to consider 2. Then again if the first one lasted 20 yrs, do you need 2?

P.S. Glad for you either way. <--Forgot to mention that before; was implied tho.
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Old 06-15-2017, 01:13 PM   #568
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10-4

I have been known to buy more than one when finding an elusive part.
That's how I ended up with three NOS VW Beetle wiper fluid reservoirs back in the 90's!
Super stoked to see some progress!
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Old 06-16-2017, 04:27 PM   #569
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I think I am going to go back to the scrap yard with the buses. They had some angle iron and square tubing. I think the tubing was 1 1/2" stuff. They had some 2" thick walled stuff too. I should get a bunch for building more basement storage and/or racks for water tanks. The guy quoted me 25 cent a lb. I know the scrap price for selling is only 4 cents a lb but I've no idea if that's a good price for buying or not.
Where is this scrap yard you speak of? Down here in DC we are waaay too snooty to even think of having a resource like that in the neighborhood. I'd drive to north Balto!
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Old 06-19-2017, 07:15 AM   #570
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Where is this scrap yard you speak of? Down here in DC we are waaay too snooty to even think of having a resource like that in the neighborhood. I'd drive to north Balto!
Just the other side of the PA line. State Line Salvage. Apparently they have a FB page but not a web page.

https://www.facebook.com/statelinesalvagepa/

https://goo.gl/maps/xuKYvSEKyPL2
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Old 06-19-2017, 07:25 AM   #571
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I'd put a few bids in on this bus-
https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?f...=1&acctID=9831

But its sat a lot, has a ton of miles/hours, an at545, low headroom, and leaf springs... So I bowed out at 2000 or so. Mechanical dt466. But still not worth what it went for, IMO.

does it seem to you like this year there arent as many busses hitting the market? seemed last year like it was flooded with busses.. really nice ones.. this year alot of what i see are non runners or rust buckets... and others are jacked way up in price when they do sell.. even shorties
-Christopher
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Old 06-19-2017, 07:33 AM   #572
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does it seem to you like this year there arent as many busses hitting the market? seemed last year like it was flooded with busses.. really nice ones.. this year alot of what i see are non runners or rust buckets... and others are jacked way up in price when they do sell.. even shorties
-Christopher
IDk, I definitely think the supply of good buses is starting to show signs its definitely drying up a bit.
Another thing- maybe the dealers and exporters have used their financial muscle to eliminate the auctions and buy whole lots outright?

I know every time a really RAD bus pops up on GD or PS no one seems interested and then a week later someone will be searching for that "elusive" bus. If I had half the money of most of the members on this forum, I'd have some really cool stuff!
I still lament the fact I couldn't get that mobile pet bus that sold a few months back in FL.
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Old 06-19-2017, 07:42 AM   #573
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that pet bus anbd the few bookmobiles that have come along are super nice!!

the other busses that are showing signs of starting to get old are the 'Big Red Bus' Bloodmobiles?? that I see all over the place.. those would be some nice units to get hold of when they retire..


it could also be the schools are so fed up with the new stuff they are cleinging to pre-08 stuff as long as they are lawfully allowed..

my neighbor who is board pres says the fleet manager is really frustrated at the age of their fleet (70% newer than 2013) and how many units are down at any given time for stuff they cant service, that has to go to the dealer.. most of their short busses are little bluebirds similar to mine (all have bigger tires and a mix of engines).. but are 13+ years old and have a much better in-service record than the new ones.. the shorties are run more than the others.. they have much larger routes..

there is no age limit in ohio I guess for a bus you can run as long as it passes inspection each year.. and here the inspector is physically hands-on for mechanicals so if its goingto school every day it runs good.. they wont fail a bus due to rust till it has actual holes in it..
-Christopher
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Old 06-19-2017, 07:47 AM   #574
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Sounds about right.
My RYO bus from KY stayed in service for like 22 years!
Did you see the couple of NICE mid length RE's that just sold on PS in Aurora, CO?
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Old 06-19-2017, 07:55 AM   #575
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I wish I had a way to tow a bus. Find a parts bus that doesn't run for storage lockers and whatever else. One with AC. Then scrap the rest. If I had property, use is as a storage shed or even something stupid like a green house or chicken coop.
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Old 06-19-2017, 08:01 AM   #576
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the exporters tow a bus with a bus... ive seen them going down the freeway one RE hooked to another rolling along...

-Christopher
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Old 06-19-2017, 08:05 AM   #577
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I wish I had a way to tow a bus. Find a parts bus that doesn't run for storage lockers and whatever else. One with AC. Then scrap the rest. If I had property, use is as a storage shed or even something stupid like a green house or chicken coop.
^ I wish I could buy busted up FL, GA, SC, LA buses and harvest transmissions, engines, etc
We're listing our house at the end of the year and will have property next year!
Gonna get a tractor and a forklift, too!
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Old 06-19-2017, 08:21 AM   #578
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the exporters tow a bus with a bus... ive seen them going down the freeway one RE hooked to another rolling along...

-Christopher
I have few shits to give and have fairly large balls but not that large. With a proper tow bar and a semi local bus maybe.

Quote:
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^ I wish I could buy busted up FL, GA, SC, LA buses and harvest transmissions, engines, etc
We're listing our house at the end of the year and will have property next year!
Gonna get a tractor and a forklift, too!
Then let me get on the list now; storage boxes (tho by then maybe not), MD3060, the rear end to go with said MD3060, front "glove box" for over the driver, AC, 32" emergency door (if there is such a thing), WC door (if there isn't).

I'm sure I'll come up with more.
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Old 06-19-2017, 08:27 AM   #579
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theres a LOT of harvestable A/C in the junk yards.. esp in short busses.. the rear units out of van cutaways are almost always there...

if I thought I could make any coin by grabbing them and selling the parts Id do it.. esp for defunct companies like Carrier.. theres a ton of busses with Carrier units and they no longer manufacture Bus units.. a LOT of shuttle style busses have carrier A/C, and it wasnt very reliable..
-Christopher
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Old 06-19-2017, 08:39 AM   #580
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theres a LOT of harvestable A/C in the junk yards.. esp in short busses.. the rear units out of van cutaways are almost always there...

if I thought I could make any coin by grabbing them and selling the parts Id do it.. esp for defunct companies like Carrier.. theres a ton of busses with Carrier units and they no longer manufacture Bus units.. a LOT of shuttle style busses have carrier A/C, and it wasnt very reliable..
-Christopher
Of all the buses in the junkyard near me only 2 had AC. One was a rear Carrier unit. 1) Didn't know they were defunked 2) didn't know they were garbage. Buses up here in the Great White North don't have AC. The newer ones do but almost none of the old ones do including the ones still on the road.
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