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Old 10-22-2016, 11:34 PM   #1
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"Needs a driveshaft" ?

Found this for $700. Our goal is to move our piano cheaply across country (it cost a couple of thousand to move it out here - I don't want to talk about it). The plan has been to buy a bus, gut it, move all of our belongings and camp along the way, and sell it at the other end. But it might be more prudent to get a smaller (read: cheaper) bus for us, the piano, and our beds, and palletize and ship the limited amount of stuff we will want at the other end. Thoughts on short-bus-and-ship-some? Thoughts on this bus I found on Craigslist just now?

1985 econoline 350. all it needs is a drive shaft. runs good make an offer. 460 engine c6 transmission


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Old 10-23-2016, 12:08 AM   #2
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any drive line shop can make a drive shaft for that, will cost around $350 for a drive shaft, do they say what happened to the old drive shaft?
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Old 10-23-2016, 12:47 AM   #3
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any drive line shop can make a drive shaft for that, will cost around $350 for a drive shaft, do they say what happened to the old drive shaft?
Interesting that a custom driveshaft is an option: I couldn't find anything online. so this may be an option they had not considered.

Haven't been in touch with them (I emailed 'em after midnight).

Would you consider this vehicle? I should think that one would want to pay reeeeal close attention to brake lines and tire age, and hire a mechanic to look it over.
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Old 10-23-2016, 02:46 AM   #4
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$700 looks like it has been setting for some time. It may be easier to sell the bus if you buy a SKoolie and take out some seats. or work with some one looking to transport one across the country you may not even need to buy it. But i would rather drive a skoolie that was just in service than a old over loaded for van. just looks like trouble to me? they don't even need to be your own town they can come get it and its just a lot closer. Not having to get your money or mess with selling is price less. A 40ft $2k skoolie will be easier to sell than that bus.
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Old 10-23-2016, 08:04 AM   #5
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are you just wanting a bus as a moving van or are you planning on having a bus to use as a camper or living quarters at some point?

seems like some of these skoolies that go cheap with smaller engines and AT545's would be a good choice as a moving van... you can move slowly to not ruin the transmision and then sell the bus at the other end... who knows what caused the shaft to break on this van? did the yoke get damaged? or the pinion ? is the transmission slip yoke still there? a driveshaft that falls off and is lost over a cliff or stolen for scrap often has the tranny slip yoke with it...

busted U-joints sometimes damage the vehicle parts they came from deopending on how it broke.
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Old 10-23-2016, 08:34 AM   #6
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Might have pulled the driveshaft for towing?
First thing i would do--measure the door to make sure a piano will fit.
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Old 10-23-2016, 08:53 AM   #7
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Found this for $700. Our goal is to move our piano cheaply across country (it cost a couple of thousand to move it out here - I don't want to talk about it). The plan has been to buy a bus, gut it, move all of our belongings and camp along the way, and sell it at the other end. But it might be more prudent to get a smaller (read: cheaper) bus for us, the piano, and our beds, and palletize and ship the limited amount of stuff we will want at the other end. Thoughts on short-bus-and-ship-some? Thoughts on this bus I found on Craigslist just now?

1985 econoline 350. all it needs is a drive shaft. runs good make an offer. 460 engine c6 transmission

460 engine parts are super high priced. How do you know it doesn't have a cracked block or a popped freeze plug.?
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Old 10-23-2016, 09:42 AM   #8
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Yea i agree with the suspicious vibe here that drive shaft is unlikely the only problem.

So often people sell something that "only needs -------" well if it REALLY only needs that simple part it does not make much sense to sell it cheap rather than replacing it.
And i can't stress enough how CHEAP a vehicle needs to be for me to buy one i cant test drive, really it is only worth scrap price.

And lastly that style will be more difficult to sell than a skoolie.

Good luck!
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Old 10-23-2016, 09:53 AM   #9
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just my 2 cents..... but the fuel for a 460 to drive across the country is going to be crazy high.

you can figure it yourself here.

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Old 10-23-2016, 11:08 AM   #10
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Yea i agree with the suspicious vibe here that drive shaft is unlikely the only problem.

So often people sell something that "only needs -------" well if it REALLY only needs that simple part it does not make much sense to sell it cheap rather than replacing it.
And i can't stress enough how CHEAP a vehicle needs to be for me to buy one i cant test drive, really it is only worth scrap price.

And lastly that style will be more difficult to sell than a skoolie.

Good luck!
I would suspicion that the drive shaft was removed or left out after a tranny failure/inspection or some other major failure. so it could be easily moved around.
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Old 10-23-2016, 11:40 AM   #11
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The goal is to get from Virginia to Idaho as inexpensively as possible, with a piano, bed, MAYBE a sofa, two dogs, and two or three pallets full of personal belongings.
  • A mover would likely charge eight grand on top of us getting there;
  • LTL shipping plus getting us there is likely to be four or five thousand if they would even take the piano;
  • A rental truck puts a time limit on us and would still cost several grand;
  • A used school bus would cost us an unknown thousands (I'm guessing $3K) and labor to strip the seats. And we would be likely to be able to sell it at the other end for at least a thousand.
The used school bus could be packed to allow a bed high near the roof (on top of stuff) and a sawdust bucket, cooler, and camp stove farthest at the back, or I could build bunks (we have a split King made of two twin beds) into the far back. We could spend several weeks getting from here to there as a result, and I would be less likely to hear about screaming across the country (in a rented truck thus skipping the sights) for the next 18 years as I have since we came out.

BUT... is two or three grand a realistic cost for a used school bus? The ones which went at auction just now from a local district were all over the place: they just sold (presumably to exporters):
Thoughts? Stick with a known district (and full records), or buy someone else's church bus or uncompleted project? Buy a short bus for us and the piano and ship the rest?
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Old 10-23-2016, 01:40 PM   #12
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I am sure you have done some measurements? Is there a bus out there that you could even fit a piano through either door without things being removed in or out or scratching it?
I guess my questions depend on your style of piano?
A convertible type skoolie is cheaper than a box truck ready to roll but you could also save the expense and still see the sights along the way by doing tent camping and cooking?
Buy a short bus long enough to haul your stuff and everyone else goes in the family car and see the sights along the way by tent camping.
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Old 10-23-2016, 03:09 PM   #13
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I am sure you have done some measurements? Is there a bus out there that you could even fit a piano through either door without things being removed in or out or scratching it?
I guess my questions depend on your style of piano?
A convertible type skoolie is cheaper than a box truck ready to roll but you could also save the expense and still see the sights along the way by doing tent camping and cooking?
Buy a short bus long enough to haul your stuff and everyone else goes in the family car and see the sights along the way by tent camping.
The emergency exit on a standard bus does a fine job for fitting the upright piano. I haven't seen this smaller bus in person yet, but will do so with tape measure in hand. "Everyone else" is wife and two dogs. I thought to dump the cars (old Buicks) here and buy and old Subaru when I arrive in Idaho. Still think it might work...
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Old 10-23-2016, 04:17 PM   #14
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Seems like I'd go smaller for short term...
Something like this would have good resale value at the other end.
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Old 10-23-2016, 06:30 PM   #15
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That ol' Ford bus - who knows what's wrong with it, even after putting a driveshaft in it? I wouldn't want to take it straight out on a long trip without doing some local driving first, see what it needs and how it drives (and if it has any problems).

As for moving, it might behoove you to consider a larger bus (making sure your stuff will fit through the back door before buying it). Removing the seats shouldn't be too hard for a couple people to do.

Snagging a used box truck and reselling it on the other end is an option. You could also consider a cargo trailer.

It would seem to me that moving some stuff and shipping the rest is not the best (or cheapest) way. I mean, you're already moving the big stuff ... cram in the little stuff, too.

I also do some moving on the side, if you wanna PM me ...
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Old 10-23-2016, 09:20 PM   #16
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That ol' Ford bus - who knows what's wrong with it, even after putting a driveshaft in it? I wouldn't want to take it straight out on a long trip without doing some local driving first, see what it needs and how it drives (and if it has any problems).

As for moving, it might behoove you to consider a larger bus (making sure your stuff will fit through the back door before buying it). Removing the seats shouldn't be too hard for a couple people to do.

Snagging a used box truck and reselling it on the other end is an option. You could also consider a cargo trailer.

It would seem to me that moving some stuff and shipping the rest is not the best (or cheapest) way. I mean, you're already moving the big stuff ... cram in the little stuff, too.

I also do some moving on the side, if you wanna PM me ...
Thanks, Brad - I may be in touch. I agree that toss/sell/donate everything possible and move it all myself makes the most sense. I think I should probably start bidding on occasional buses from our local district. You know, pick a dollar amount I'm happy with and do the proxy bid thing: if I win, I have a bus to start with. If it goes to someone else, bid next go-round. But I think that the bang for the buck of an old schoolbus beats any other option out there.
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Old 10-23-2016, 09:28 PM   #17
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Thanks, Brad - I may be in touch. I agree that toss/sell/donate everything possible and move it all myself makes the most sense. I think I should probably start bidding on occasional buses from our local district. You know, pick a dollar amount I'm happy with and do the proxy bid thing: if I win, I have a bus to start with. If it goes to someone else, bid next go-round. But I think that the bang for the buck of an old schoolbus beats any other option out there.
That sounds like a good plan.
I bid on about three vans and buses a month. Only won this one bus so far- but man, what a deal I got!
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Old 10-24-2016, 07:35 AM   #18
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Thanks, Brad - I may be in touch. I agree that toss/sell/donate everything possible and move it all myself makes the most sense. I think I should probably start bidding on occasional buses from our local district. You know, pick a dollar amount I'm happy with and do the proxy bid thing: if I win, I have a bus to start with. If it goes to someone else, bid next go-round. But I think that the bang for the buck of an old schoolbus beats any other option out there.
Do you know what to look at before making an offer?
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Old 12-28-2016, 12:45 AM   #19
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Do you know what to look at before making an offer?
I think I do... which means maybe I don't.

What I *want* includes:
  • Conventional design (safety, price, and emergency exit door for cargo but will consider flat front with front engine);
  • Diesel (mileage and bulletproof tendencies);
  • DT466 (power and help to be had - will consider T444);
  • 2000 or newer (for garage rot issues, though a mechanical engine would be nice);
  • Allison Transmission not 545 (I'll be going over the Rockies - will consider manual);
  • Good tires (tread as well as age);
  • No rust (or minimal body rust - run from frame rot);
  • Rear emergency exit large enough for a piano (most are);
  • Air brakes (fail to 'Stop!' rather than to 'Whoa, Nellie!');
  • Power door opener (to permit easier mounting of co-pilot chair near driver);
  • Service records and from a known district that takes care of the fleet;
  • Automatic chains (for resale value in Idaho - I'll be moving in the warmer months);
  • Non-yellow would be nice, too, as we'll likely be traveling through states which get excited with non-school use of that color.

Again, this will be a non-insulated moving van sold at the other end - the reason for my champagne tastes is that I want to GET to the other end. And resale likelihood, of course, though I am resigned to recouping half of its cost if I'm lucky. Gonna remove all but the front row of seats and put in a copilot chair and bunks and a sawdust bucket in the far back and load it up.

I reckon I could get one of these for $3500 or 4000 from a local school district that I respect (not that I'm qualified to judge, of course - but the foreman was a whale of a nice guy).

Thoughts?

(BTW - I went to see this bus and ran from it. Turns out there was more wrong with it - good call - though the driveshaft was missing because someone stole it.)
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Old 12-28-2016, 06:14 AM   #20
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did you call about the converted bus in our bargan finder for 2000 bucks, i posted the # in the buses for sale thread.
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