Found a potential bus!!!!!

[jbohall001]

So Ive been hunting and hunting, trying to find a bus in my budget. I may have finally found one! And its way closer than anything else Ive found.

1991 International 3700.
31,000 miles
7.3 idi v8 diesel
allison trans
10 window

Not the engine I really wanted, and a little shorter than I had hoped, but beggars cant be choosers.

[Robin97396]

Sounds pretty good. Congrats. If you're not going to be happy with a smaller bus, hold out for what you want.

[EastCoastCB]

Seen those... In Shreveport?

[jbohall001]

I told myself the same thing, to hold out. But honestly Ive been waiting a year, and this is the closest thing Ive found. Everything else is hours upon hours away, this is local to me. Has good tires too and HOPEFULLY will stay within my budget. Id prefer a longer, turbo diesel, but ill have to settle I guess. EastCoast yea, they are in Benton. Which is only 20 minutes from me.

[Robin97396]

Yeah, that's convenient and cuts out a whole lot of stress from making a long trip with a strange bus. Besides, you can always upgrade later if it's an issue. Did you get AC?

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Yeah, that's convenient and cuts out a whole lot of stress from making a long trip with a strange bus. Besides, you can always upgrade later if it's an issue. Did you get AC?

I thought about distance at first but then thought im going to be driving this thing all over creation anyway so distance didnt play a factor.. other than having to take a lot longer time to vet the right bus to make sure it has a solid drivetrain...

I'd say forget the distance and go look for the bus you really want even if it mans you have to drive it a ways to get it home... take your time.. you dont have to drive it in one day.. if you go to hotels to stay over night in the suburbs or along the freeways most of them are friendly to trucks and busses so parking isnt an issue and the lots are big for soeone not used to driving a school bus..

-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I thought about distance at first but then thought im going to be driving this thing all over creation anyway so distance didnt play a factor.. other than having to take a lot longer time to vet the right bus to make sure it has a solid drivetrain...

I'd say forget the distance and go look for the bus you really want even if it mans you have to drive it a ways to get it home... take your time.. you dont have to drive it in one day.. if you go to hotels to stay over night in the suburbs or along the freeways most of them are friendly to trucks and busses so parking isnt an issue and the lots are big for soeone not used to driving a school bus..

-Christopher

I see a lot of folks make the mistake of buying the one closest out of convenience. Almost everyone does.
I'd drive a thousand miles for the right bus, and I DID.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I see a lot of folks make the mistake of buying the one closest out of convenience. Almost everyone does.
I'd drive a thousand miles for the right bus, and I DID.

same here.. 1050 miles.. that will be its first trip when i bring it home..

id rather know in the beginning if theres some reason i shouldnt drive it 1000 miles.. but then some people are planning on their bus being more stationary so maybe they would rather get something close and not be concerned with driveability...

that would be an interesting poll.. how many miles per year people plan to drive their busses either Now or when the conversion is completed..

RV's vs semi-permanent homes. (I know of one couple that is using their bus for snow-birding in florida.. it will make one trip down to florida in fall and back to ohio in spring each year and never be touched otherwise (theyll live in it in florida)...

perhaps why drivetrain isnt mportant to some people.. if the bus is not goingto be driven alot.. then high miles or MPG;s dont matter.. whereas others will be on the road RVing lots..

-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Funny thing is you really didn't HAVE to drive... You just bought an Ohio bus in Florida.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Funny thing is you really didn't HAVE to drive... You just bought an Ohio bus in Florida.

I know right.. LOL.. I found it JUST after it had left Ohio and was on its way to florida..

-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Funny how things work out, eh?

[jbohall001]

No it doesn't have ac. Is that really a concern since I'll be putting a/c in it? I defenetly understand what you guys are saying. The biggest pros for me are ;

Very close.
Good tires
Very low miles
Pretty solid shape
So far, within my very meager budget.

The cons;
A little smaller than I really wanted, but not by a ton
NOT a turbo diesel. Which concerns me.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by jbohall001

No it doesn't have ac. Is that really a concern since I'll be putting a/c in it? I defenetly understand what you guys are saying. The biggest pros for me are ;

Very close.
Good tires
Very low miles
Pretty solid shape
So far, within my very meager budget.

The cons;
A little smaller than I really wanted, but not by a ton
NOT a turbo diesel. Which concerns me.

unless you are buying a pretty new bus you are MUCH better off to put A/C in yourself.. most often the A/C in an older bus is non functional and unless you know how to work on Mobile A/C can be expensive to repair, maintaint and repair agai when it breaks.. so I wouldnt be concerned about A/C.. put in new A/C in whatever form you wish...

-Christopher

[tincaneasybakeoven]

at 60 mph you will take your time to get there. garonteed!

[jbohall001]

Yea that's one of my newer concerns. Researching has shown me that this isn't the fastest bus. I can however, cheaply and easily, add a turbo. Probably good for 20 or 30 hp, a bit more torque, and hopefully at least 70 mph

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by jbohall001

Yea that's one of my newer concerns. Researching has shown me that this isn't the fastest bus. I can however, cheaply and easily, add a turbo. Probably good for 20 or 30 hp, a bit more torque, and hopefully at least 70 mph

Remember a bus' max speed isnt only the horsepower of the engine.. it is in the final gearing as well.. if it is geared low you simply run the engine to its redline RPM at a lower speed... you cannot increase the maximum safe RPM on an engine.. that is dependent on CAM and Valvetrain parts..

if the issue is that a bus is just slow up hills and is running well below its redline, then increasing horsepower can help that out...

-Christopher

[jbohall001]

Found some Bluebird TC2000's. Auction ends next weekend as well. 1993. turbo diesel. and a good bit longer. but 150k plus miles. opinions?'

[M1031A1]

Katy ISD, just west of Houston is going to auction off a BUNCH of excellent buses. I've been trying to find my daily driver a good home since I have known her and her sister for two years. My daily driver is #337, her sister is #335. Both are 40' Thomas turbo diesel rear engine buses in great shape. Both ride solid as well. All gauges work, lights work, engines are off fresh rebuilds with new injectors, and so on. They'll be up for auction either in June, July, or August. Either bus is worth the trip!

I have a general idea of what they might get at auction, but don't hold me to it. Neither have A/C, but that's a good thing.

Let me know if you want more details.

M1031

[jbohall001]

Yes please! I wanted one soon as possible but another month or so isn't bad if it means I get a reliable bus for a price I can afford.

[Robin97396]

150k is pretty average for retirement of buses. Generally we look for something under 200k.