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Old 10-28-2019, 10:36 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Just south of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Posts: 36
Year: 2000
Coachwork: BlueBird
Engine: Chevy 3500 Short Bus 6.5L Diesel
Keeping Bus Yellow Color...

What are the pros and cons of simply keeping my short 2000 Chevy 3500 Bluebird the original yellow color?

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Old 10-28-2019, 11:00 AM   #2
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Depends on where you are. I f you fill out your profile we can give you better answers

In some states it is illegal to drive on public roads with a private bus that is still yellow.

In warm climates having the roof or even the whole bus white will make it easier to keep cool.

Some private campgrounds will refuse you entry in a yellow school bus. Some will not let you in in any color school bus.

Public campgrounds are no problem they will let anyone in. Even me..... There goes the neighborhood

Other than that it is a matter of personal choice.

Just my $0.02
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Old 10-28-2019, 12:07 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by abremer View Post
What are the pros and cons of simply keeping my short 2000 Chevy 3500 Bluebird the original yellow color?
You mean aside from the look?

I’ve seen a lot of buses that still sport the yello and have been augmented so that they are clearly not school buses anymore. There’s one of sale on this site right now. I saw one a week ago on the freeway while I was also driving my still-yello bus. He had left the cutaway portion untouched and done a sponge-finish in various colors that still showed the yello.

I personally can or wait to make it completely go away.
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Old 10-28-2019, 12:08 PM   #4
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Oh,

Pros: you can pretend to be Otto Mann

Cons: you’ll look like Otto Mann?
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Old 10-28-2019, 02:46 PM   #5
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Police have threatened to impound buses that are still Yellow with some of our members. Legally I believe it must be changed in evry state. Anyone know differently? Some states say it can't be NSBCY, some say it can't be any shade of yellow.
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Old 10-28-2019, 04:00 PM   #6
Skoolie
 
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Year: 1997
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Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 65?
Con: won't pass inspection. At least not in Maryland.
No artistic expression, lacking cool factor, bland appearance

Pro if you can: People drive better/more courteous.
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Old 10-28-2019, 04:02 PM   #7
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im allowed to keep my bus yellow in ohio as a restored classic, I just cant display the words "school bus".. so those of us with all original busses up here cover up "school bus" and put "not in service" in the back and front window and never get bothered..


I see church busses that are yellow and those must pass yearly inspections..



every state is different.. check with yours..
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Old 10-28-2019, 04:14 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Stuntmanmitch View Post
Con: won't pass inspection. At least not in Maryland.
No artistic expression, lacking cool factor, bland appearance

Pro if you can: People drive better/more courteous.
And when you pass other school buses the drivers give you the secret hi sign!
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Old 10-28-2019, 06:46 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
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pro: you don't have to spend hours upon hours prepping for paint

con: its still yellow

Having driven a yellow bus for over a year now I am really excited to finally get it painted. I'm deep into prep and can't wait to finally have a non yellow bus. People keep asking me what color are you going to paint it, my reply "not yellow"
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Old 10-28-2019, 09:18 PM   #10
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It takes days, many of them, to properly prepare a MiniBird for automotive paint. Other paints or lower standards may take less. I don't like seeing yellow skoolies, they just don't look finished to my eye.

I have a 1999 Mini Bird in final prep for acrylic urethane. Full body color change is a lot of work. Maybe that's why there are so few.

The millions of stickers sucked too.
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Old 10-28-2019, 10:40 PM   #11
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From what I've seen a paint job on car runs these days, I don't see how you could do a proper auto paint job on a bus for less than $10K.
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Old 10-29-2019, 12:31 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
From what I've seen a paint job on car runs these days, I don't see how you could do a proper auto paint job on a bus for less than $10K.
A refinisher that does fleets would probably charge $8-10K for an 11 window bus.

I will be doing my 5 window in a commercial booth an average gun and my own beginner skills for about $1100. $700 for paint and mask, $400 for the booth. That’s single stage fleet paint. The cheapest price I got was $4K from Earl Schieb.
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Old 10-29-2019, 12:51 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
From what I've seen a paint job on car runs these days, I don't see how you could do a proper auto paint job on a bus for less than $10K.
We got a rough verbal quote for our 38 foot beast from a shop that specializes in painting buses ... $6,000.00.
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Old 10-29-2019, 05:56 AM   #14
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Just south of Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Year: 2000
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Bus color...

I'll be painting mine white.
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Old 10-29-2019, 06:34 AM   #15
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I did a lot of the prep work on my red one and it was painted for about 3k .. and its a decent paint job although 50k miles and 3 years later its got some battle scars in the paint.. and the fiberglass hood has been a bit of a pain all along...



-Christopher
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Old 10-29-2019, 07:01 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Native View Post
We got a rough verbal quote for our 38 foot beast from a shop that specializes in painting buses ... $6,000.00.
Fudge. I was thinking of going this route but not if it was more than a grand. DIY economics wins again.
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Old 10-29-2019, 07:33 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
I did a lot of the prep work on my red one and it was painted for about 3k .. and its a decent paint job although 50k miles and 3 years later its got some battle scars in the paint.. and the fiberglass hood has been a bit of a pain all along...



-Christopher
For the price you got a decent paint job. I'd be pleased with it.
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Old 10-29-2019, 07:36 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
Fudge. I was thinking of going this route but not if it was more than a grand. DIY economics wins again.
Single stage primer, paint and masking for a 35 foot bus is probably a thousand or 1200
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Old 10-29-2019, 11:02 AM   #19
Skoolie
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danjo View Post
And when you pass other school buses the drivers give you the secret hi sign!
I forgot about that part

I get a lot of looks and thumbs up but people cut me off more after the paint change. I also spend a lot of time in the 495 MD area, not the most courteous drivers to begin with.

I used painters touch primer, about 20 cans due to high winds in February. Then a flat clear over that, about 15 cans. Touched up rails and bumpers with gloss black. I decided to keep the reflective sticker, it also made the job easier. 5 years later it could use touch ups around some rivet areas, (I only gave it a light scuff and wipe as prep) not bad for under 200$.
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Old 10-29-2019, 11:41 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danjo View Post
A refinisher that does fleets would probably charge $8-10K for an 11 window bus.

I will be doing my 5 window in a commercial booth an average gun and my own beginner skills for about $1100. $700 for paint and mask, $400 for the booth. That’s single stage fleet paint. The cheapest price I got was $4K from Earl Schieb.
Earl Shieb and MAACO, admit they spend one hour prepping your vehicle, when the timer goes off, they are ready to shoot paint. Almost always an inferior job.
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