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Old 05-19-2019, 02:44 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 11
Would you buy this bus for you?

Hello, hello! I am looking to pull the trigger and buy a bus! I think I've found the one for me but I wanted to run it by you folks first (You've already been so helpful in the forums I've combed through thus far.)

2004 Bluebird
- 135,000 miles
- 7.2 liter Cat C7 diesel
- Allison 2000 (Seller says maybe 2500, But 2000 is standard for this model so this is more likely)
-$5500

Thank you all!

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Old 05-19-2019, 02:51 PM   #2
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
Hard tellin not knowin where this bus spent it's life running the roads.
If from the rust belt, no. If from the dry southwest, maybe. This is also, unfortunately, the first year of the dreaded EPA choked emissions controls, mandated on diesel powered vehicles.
The price seems high but if any upgrades were done to it, it might justify the higher $$...
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Old 05-19-2019, 02:54 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by peteg59 View Post
Hard tellin not knowin where this bus spent it's life running the roads.
If from the rust belt, no. If from the dry southwest, maybe.
The price seems high but if any upgrades were done to it, it might justify the higher $$...
Thanks for the info! It's spent its life in dry/hot/flat as hell, Texas.
What are some potential price warranting upgrades?
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Old 05-19-2019, 03:00 PM   #4
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
Has anything been done inside?
Gutting of the seats, redo of the flooring, walls, ceiling, etc.
Also are there under hood upgrades to improve durability and longevity of the engine?
The maintenance history might shed some light on what, if anything, was done from a mechanical standpoint.

Assuming this is a private sale vs buying direct from the school district, or at auction...
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Old 05-19-2019, 04:07 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by peteg59 View Post
Has anything been done inside?
Gutting of the seats, redo of the flooring, walls, ceiling, etc.
Also are there under hood upgrades to improve durability and longevity of the engine?
The maintenance history might shed some light on what, if anything, was done from a mechanical standpoint.

Assuming this is a private sale vs buying direct from the school district, or at auction...
Interior is intact, and I will have to get with the seller (private) about maintenance records. Good things to keep in mind.
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Old 05-19-2019, 04:14 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Frenchtown Montana
Posts: 16
Year: 1981
Coachwork: International
Chassis: International
Engine: DT360 international
Rated Cap: 77
Price is high. West texas bus will be rust free but weigh 2000 pounds more from all the dry dirt packed in the frame rails! So a good cleaning and de-dirt job and good to go. The engine is a good one , in the top ten all time best engines, not as good as the DT466 or the DT360. But with a emissions delete kit it will give you good service.
Unless they have stripped it 3-3500 would be a better price
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Old 05-19-2019, 07:56 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by BegoniaTheBus View Post
Hello, hello! I am looking to pull the trigger and buy a bus! I think I've found the one for me but I wanted to run it by you folks first (You've already been so helpful in the forums I've combed through thus far.)

2004 Bluebird
- 135,000 miles
- 7.2 liter Cat C7 diesel
- Allison 2000 (Seller says maybe 2500, But 2000 is standard for this model so this is more likely)
-$5500

Thank you all!
No I wouldn't buy that bus for me. Or for you.
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Old 05-19-2019, 07:57 PM   #8
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big dog View Post
Price is high. West texas bus will be rust free but weigh 2000 pounds more from all the dry dirt packed in the frame rails! So a good cleaning and de-dirt job and good to go. The engine is a good one , in the top ten all time best engines, not as good as the DT466 or the DT360. But with a emissions delete kit it will give you good service.
Unless they have stripped it 3-3500 would be a better price
C7 isn't in too many "best engines" lists I know of.
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Old 05-19-2019, 09:11 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 11
Man, I was between this one and another but this one was cheaper if I'm being honest. Anyone know anything about a Ford B-Series chassis:
The only thing is the owner is unable to tell me anything other than 'automatic Allison' for model number. Having a hard time figuring out the standard transmissions put in these models around this year. :/ What's the easiest way to find that out?
-'96
-5.9 Cummins
-135,000 miles
-$6,500
-New tires! (But man, y'all are way better at finding cheaper buses)
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Old 05-19-2019, 09:33 PM   #10
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
You're going the wrong direction, price wise!
Another little ditty: In order to get an accurate opinion, pictures are needed.
As many as possible...

Are you looking to convert an auto trans to manual? If so, why???
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Old 05-19-2019, 10:20 PM   #11
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by peteg59 View Post
You're going the wrong direction, price wise!
Another little ditty: In order to get an accurate opinion, pictures are needed.
As many as possible...

Are you looking to convert an auto trans to manual? If so, why???
No, automatic is where I'm staying. The seller just doesn't know the Model# on the Ford chassis.

In my search over all, I'm having trouble finding anything other than 545 transmissions in the buses I've seen this far. The forum generally poo-poo's them so I'm trying to stay clear.

As far as photos go, the ones I have for this query are limited.

The initial bus I'm looking intom (bluebird) came with a video:


The seller was the most transparent of the folks I've dealt with (even if at a higher price) I felt better about it.
Attached Thumbnails
bluebird engine.jpg   ford 1.jpg  
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Old 05-19-2019, 10:33 PM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 11
peteg59, waiting on admin to approve my post addressing you. But in the mean time.. does anyone ever just go with the junker, cheap, straightforward with problems auction buses and then put a sufficient amount of money getting them to where they need to be? (Or do they go with the less crappy, but still cheap, straightforward auction buses ) The way I see it, money will be sunk in somewhere. May as well start with the paid less-known issues than the paid more -unknown issues.
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Old 05-19-2019, 10:41 PM   #13
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
Why buy a $500 bus with major problems that will cost thousands to fix, when you can buy a running bus for $2500-3000?


I mean, if you plan on a major trans/engine swap anyway, then sure, pick up a cheapie. But for many of us, why bother?
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Old 05-19-2019, 10:42 PM   #14
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
Exceptions apply if it's a vintage, or rare bus, or otherwise has value making it worth fixing up. But any old plain Jane bus, not so much.
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Old 05-20-2019, 04:25 AM   #15
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Greater Boston
Posts: 504
It also depends on where you live.

Finding a clean, non-rusted-hulk in Massachusetts is hard.
Travel will be involved, and that does add to the cost.
(So I'd pay more to someone else if I knew they spent money bringing it closer to here.)

In Texas/Nevada/Arizona/California, there are still good, cheap, rust-free buses without searching too hard.
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