1972 IH Shorty with Superior Coach body

[crowcreekcabin]

Hi all. Cool site.

I'm from Alaska, and just wanted to tell somebody about our new bus. Currently in California, but plan to drive her up to AK mid to late summer.

Ain't she a beauty??

Just want to get her home this time, but conversion is in the long run plan.

I will try pics.

Ben.

[EastCoastCB]

Purty ole bus!
I've seen this one on here before. Looks very nice.
Congrats on the score, man.

[HolyBus]

I nearly bought the twin to that bus. It had been converted with a hidden wheelchair lift and hidden door that was custom added at the time it was first ordered for the school system. I really loved the body style and those wrap around rear corner windows! Great front fenders and hood styling too!
You have a great looking bus there!

[crowcreekcabin]

Thanks guys... I am a fan of anything IH, so especially fond of this body style, and familiar with the running gear.

It hit ebay for a bit, and I know it had been listed elsewhere.., but not one you see everyday. Superior must be the shortest body style for this IH cab..??
Many other IH Loadstars chassis with alternate body manufacture look longer in the tail even with similar wheel base.

I also dig the rear corner windows... and similar styling on the front windshield corners.

Some people just give me a stare when I excitedly describe it to them... Nice to have some folks that understand... and share my excitement.

B.
Any other short Loadstars kicking around the site? Or at least old school IH shorties?

[EastCoastCB]

I'm also a fan of Internationals.
My first truck was a 73 Scout Terra II. It was an awesome truck and 4x4.

[Redbear]

Originally Posted by crowcreekcabin

. . . . .
Any other short Loadstars kicking around the site? Or at least old school IH shorties?

I believe "Steve" started Skoolie.net over 11 years ago in order to document the conversion of his 1972 Loadstar/Ward gasser.

[schoolbusbliss]

Originally Posted by crowcreekcabin

Any other short Loadstars kicking around the site? Or at least old school IH shorties?

I just submitted a new thread for my 1978 International Loadstar 1700 with a few pictures.

[bansil]

Cool, it looks almost like a matchbox kinda car----ugh.....bus


Love it

[crowcreekcabin]

Well... It is time to take delivery!! I fly down from Alaska on Friday, July 31 to pick up the bus in California.

Hopefully the IH gods are smiling!! Planning to drive back up through Canada on the Cassiar/Alcan Highway.

Hope to get to Fairbanks by Aug 16...
I am so excited I am having trouble sleeping...!

[c_hasbeen]

That binder will make it easy.

[opus]

[crowcreekcabin]

Thanks for the vote of confidence!
You guys just made my day!

I have been going back and forth in my head between ...
how cool this will be and ..... what am I thinking?!!...
but... mostly the cool part...!

No going back now! Starting out the adventure tomorrow..
Flying into Fairbanks from our home off the road system. 2 more planes and one train and a car ride to get there, then bus all the way home...

[Tango]

Righteous looking shorty!

[c_hasbeen]

cruising speed around 45~50?

[crowcreekcabin]

More detail later, but a quick rundown of the (super fun, highly successful) trip:
-Bus sold in 1997 with 97,000 miles
-Sold again in 2015 with 98,000 miles
-2 weeks after purchase 3700 miles had been added to get to Fairbanks!
-Cruising speed: happy spot at 45mph @2500 RPM and another at 52 mph @ 3,000 RPM
-Worst gas mileage day 9 miles per gallon. Best gas mileage day 12 miles per gallon. Trip average was right at 11. -- go 304 2bbl!!...
-One flat tire in inner city Oakland
-Lost alternater in Cache Creek, Canada... "Lordco" parts store to the rescue! Sunday afternoon... part in stock!...
-2 oil changes, plugs, cap, rotor, air filter, belts.... loooots of gas...
-Thumbs up, smiles and "the nod"... 1,000's .... Everybody loved this thing.. minus the dudes that couldn't pass.... .... some of them were haters... not that I blame them!
Pics to come.

[Tango]

That little darlin' is worth putting a 5.9 Cummins into. That and a rear gear swap and you could roll with the best of them.

[opus]

304 was a great engine. Put a lot of miles on a IH 1600.

Sounds like a successful trip to me!

[crowcreekcabin]

I have had several of all the SVs and 304 is my favorite. 345 and 392 are great, don't get me wrong, but i just love the good behaviour of a 304.

This one in particular ran so smooth that I had to look down at the guages at stops to see if it was still running!.. Reached for the key a few times thinking it died, but no... just smooth and quiet.

GREAT trip. Bus people, truckers, hippies, red necks, kids, parents, car guys, RV dudes all loved this thing. Swarmed us at every stop.
People wanted their picture taken with it or in one case wanted a picture of them in the drivers seat.. (former school bus driver)...

Soooo much fun and what a good view with tall seats and glass all around.

[crowcreekcabin]

Turns out the 20' bus fits nicely into my garage. Several inches to spare!..
Sure clogged it up for other projects, but sooo much fun!

Winter progress includes:

-New radiator hoses (3x). The smallest bypass hose was original.
-New spark plug wires
-New oil pan gasket
-New valley pan gasket - fresh yellow paint
-New intake gaskets - fresh yellow paint
-New valve cover gaskets - fresh yellow paint and lettering
-New carb. gaskets
-New flexible fuel line and oil pressure line
-New fuel filter inside pump
-New heater hoses (red)
-New tranny gaskets, rear seal, shifter rubber - kit from Novak (NP435)
-NEW RING AND PINION!! with differential rebuild
-----changed from stock 6.16 gearing to 5.29 gearing!
-Packed front wheel bearings and adjusted brakes
-Adjusted steering box

Coming soon is the driveshaft carrier bearing and new u-joints. Had to order the 3-1/4" socket for the rear axle and waiting on this now to do the rear brakes and wheel bearings. Just hoping to inspect the bearings... and re-install. It is my understanding that they need not be packed as they share lubricant with the differential...

Also ordered 2 new electric blower motors for existing cab heat. Heater box was gross. Dirty and full of candy wrappers, pencils, dust and lint along with a bit of rodent poo... yuck... Core is good, but one blower was seized and another had been replaced previously and was a CCW motor instead of the CW it called for!.. Cleaned and painted the heater box parts and reassembling. Re-wiring switch box at the same time.

Other items on the wish list... mini-hi-torque starter... upgraded headlights... but may wait till the interior is farther along to buy these..

Working on insulation ideas and thinking to build another wall inside that is even with the chair rail. Flooring and under-floor tanks are probably next.

New fluids all around including a massive amount of brake fluid to fill the double brake system...

Rambling now, but ... you get the idea. Long ways to go, but making progress!

[Robin97396]

Sounds good. It kills me when someone says they'll be finished in two months.