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Old 07-26-2006, 08:53 AM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: clatskanie,oregon
Posts: 103
new bus

hi all, yesturday i won the bid on another bus. that makes 4. surprizingly my wife didnt kill me its a 1981 international shorty. its a 20 foot bus but it still has the 1700 loadstar dog nose front end. it is a 5 window bus. 6 if you count the drivers window. it is gas powered, auto, with the engine rebuilt 16thou. ago. every thing works. still has the swing out stop sign. 1600,smackers. not bad i guess. its half the size of my crown. basically it looks like a bus on a dump truck chassis. ill bet it rides like one to. this may be my new work car

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Old 07-26-2006, 05:30 PM   #2
Almost There
 
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Piedmont, NC
Posts: 88
Year: 1981
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: 345
Rated Cap: 69
I love the dog nose of my 77 Loadstar, and was really torn when I retired it for an 82 S-Series. Those flat fenders made a nice place for the water jug and the top of the tire for the soap. But the tilt hood of the S-Series sure makes it easier to work on the engine. Plus, looking (hopfully far) down the road, IF I ever need to do an engine transplant, a diesel swap is likely a lot easier.

Good Luck
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Old 07-26-2006, 06:09 PM   #3
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: clatskanie,oregon
Posts: 103
ya coma, i got 2 other dog nose internationals. ones a 1964 20 foot shorty, and one is a 1974 --25 foot ex-church bus i got for parts for the 1964. this new ( to me ) 1981 shorty has got the flip top front end. its only 20 feet long bumper to bumper but still is using the 1700 chissis. so many small buses now days have gone to the van style front end. thats ok to i just wanted the truck front end model. i got it off e-bay for 1600 $ the guy called me today and told me that the bus came from the local school district and that the bus itself only had 40 some odd thou. on it. the motor was rebuilt by the school district about 16 thou. ago. its a 345 with the 4 speed auto. my 1974 ex-church bus has got the same exact thing in it so i am set. cant wait, i got to go pic it up this saturday. im more excited about this bus than my 84 crown. the crown runs out good to i just always wanted one of those 1700 shortys. its the shortest bus they make no adays. 6 windows including the drivers. is yours a shorty ?? there all good. oh ya, the guy said hes got all the service records for it to
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Old 07-27-2006, 10:01 AM   #4
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Piedmont, NC
Posts: 88
Year: 1981
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: 345
Rated Cap: 69
My 77 is an old activity bus w/7 windows + driver. I have 19' behind the driver. Besides the chipping white paint, the body is near perfect. No rust or corrosion. But I blew a piston and it has a 7:1 rear end. Had a pin hole leak in the radiator, and somehow I screwed-up the fuel guage. With that rear end, the gas milage was killing me.

I was really just looking for a donor engine from any International when my new bus poped up. It's an 82 with a better rear end ratio, Disc brakes, 1 window longer, and the guages function. Same price as the first bus, $700. This one has some small dents and minor rust and corrosion. I have currently gutted it completely and am in the process of knocking the rust and corrosion off the floor so I can paint and seal it. It won't be complete, but I have to have the bunks, carpet, and water system functional before the Bristol NASCAR race the last weekend in August.

Unlike you, my wife DID kill me, and continues to twist the knife on this one. (I had the first one before we were married.) Hopefully the pain and suffering will end when she enjoys the comforts of this new project.
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Old 09-13-2006, 12:10 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Payette Idaho
Posts: 23
How funny. I am a wife with 49 chevy shorty, and an upset husband. We work it out though cuz he spends just as much for parts on his bike. Kinda an even trade. Can you give me any tips on your floorplan for the shorter busses?
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Old 09-13-2006, 09:50 PM   #6
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: clatskanie,oregon
Posts: 103
well foggymorn, there is nothing in my 1981 right now. im redoing the floor. but my 64 shorty i have a table and i used a bus seat from each side of the bus for the seats. just turn one around-instate table with seats. i also had a co-pilot seat. out of chevy van from junk yard. and a little counter top with a drop in 2 burner stove that i rigged up to run on disposable (coleman style) tanks. then i had a little single sink with the galley hand pump and i just bought those 3 or 5 gallon water jugs you get at safeway and stuck the hose in it. simple simon stuff. i use the shorty for just messing around not to far from my house. hell i drive my 81 shorty to work. i like the old wood style of your bus. are you gonna re-do it something simular ?? im 48 so im kind of a old hippie type my self. only i dont have my busses like that you know. ( further style ) to much hassel from the man :P your bus is what 27 feet ??? you got a little more room to work with. ill try to get some pics of it on here. i just got through mounting my cb radio entenna and police scanner entenna on my 84. police scanners are good entertainment. westport-wayne
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Old 09-14-2006, 06:31 AM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Payette Idaho
Posts: 23
Good mornin Westport_Wayne. Yes I do like the wood style of the bus. I have decided to re-use the stuff that was once in it. I also brought home a load of scrap wood from a friends building site. I got a lotta nails to pull but the price was right! I think that I finely decided on my floor plan. I even put tape down where everything would go, then I just kinda hung out and pretended for a while....to see how it might work. I liked it. I am useing the smaller appliances from an old cab over camper, that gives me the extra inches for the walkway. But my gosh I have a desk and a pot-belly stove and shower, I found a re-cycleing tiolet It is small and does not require a black tank. Not to sure how it works but my husband thinks it was the way to go...Today I am going to go to the shop and pull the nails from my boards(nice 1x4,1x6,1x12!!!couldn't bare to see them put in the dump!) and seal up the holes in the floor. I have to put carpet back over the ceiling cuz the guy before me did and rather than glue it he put screws every inch and a half all through the bus!!! just ruined the ceiling. Oh well lionel likes the shag on the ceiling.. reminds him of his van in his glory days i guess.
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