Finally, I was able to join ! ! ! !

[CDHenry6]

Howdy gang !

Long time lurker, first time poster.
I've frequented the board for a little over four or five years now, but was never able to register because the board wouldn't accept Yahoo or Gmail accounts. I see now that it does. Thanks, Steve, or whomever made that possible !

Anyhow, I used to be a paratransit driver for eight years. I operated a 2007 Ford E-350 with Shepard Bros. conversion,Braun Millenium II wheelchair lift. She had a 5.4 gasser and was a single rear wheel rig, but tough as nails!
My company lost the bid for the shared ride program in 2014, so I was out of a job. A year later, and I am now the manager of a four bed assisted living facility.

I don't have a bus, but I know what my ideal rig would be:

A 1991 International with a DT466 and a six speed manual, Wayne LifeGuard 72 passenger chassis. My high school bus was this configuration, and after seeing what she could in the mountainous Pennsylvania countryside I was impressed. My driver was also a leadfoot, so the turbo was usually at full spool. I know that finding buses with a manual transmission are rarer than hen's teeth now, but with where I want to go ( mountains) I don't see any alternative. I've never been on board an Allison equipped bus, so I don't know how well they do with downshifting on grades. Either way, I prefer vehicles with three pedals.

I have a family of two daughters, three years, and one that is seven months old. My wife, while ambulatory,has a powerchair, so a lift is pretty much required in our bus. I'm looking forward to the day when we can get our bus and explore the Blue Highways of America!

[cowlitzcoach]

The Allison AT500 series of transmissions don't lock up so they tend to free wheel while going downhill.

The MT600 and HT700 series lock up in the upper gears and hold back really well on downgrades down to about 15 MPH with they go out of lock and you start to free wheel.

I have seen a lot of school buses over the years and I can truthfully say I have not seen a manual transmission in a school bus in over 20 years. That is not to say there haven't been any made with a manual I just have never seen one in a loooooooooooooooong time.

Buses equipped with the DT466 and a lift are also sort of few and far between. The DT466 is usually found in larger buses while most buses with lifts usually are smaller buses.

Good luck with your search. If you need help feel free to contact me.

[EastCoastCB]

I've seen some 96 and 97's with manual's go up for sale in the last few months.
Here is something kinda close to what you're looking for-http://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa...43&acctid=3303

[CDHenry6]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I'm really stuck on finding a manual transmission, I could go down in powerplant to the DT433; there's enough mods out there for that engine that I could probably make up for the difference in torque/ HP .

Well, the ideal would be an old Crown with a 6-71 Detroit and a 10 speed, but I don't live in Cali or the Pacific NW so that's kinda ruled out, lol !

I know it's hard to find a lift in 72 passenger, but I have a Braun Millenium sitting in y garage, and my neighbor two doors down has a welder and torch . . . . . realistically, I think a 72 passenger bus would be a bit overkill for us, but I think a shorty would be too small. Is there a Wayne chassis that's smaller than a 66 passenger but bigger than a shorty?

[cowlitzcoach]

Type 'C' buses come in lengths as short as four rows and going up to thirteen rows.

Be aware that the shorter the wheelbase the more the bus will jounce rather than bounce over expansion joints. In other words every bump in the road will be felt mulitple times.

If you really want a Wayne body we have one for sale. It is a 1995 IHC with a T444E and an Allison. http://showroom.auction123.com/thebu...225068.html#lg

[cowlitzcoach]

This is a shorter bus that has a 6-speed manual transmission.

Since it is a newer bus it has a newer bus price.

http://showroom.auction123.com/thebu...39CZ74973.html

We also have two MCI-5 buses for sale. Both have stick shifts. Both are good old buses with life left in them.

http://showroom.auction123.com/thebu...MCI/11434.html
http://showroom.auction123.com/thebu...MCI5A7002.html

We have this older bus with a 5-speed
http://showroom.auction123.com/thebu...3LV106261.html

This older one has a 5/2-speed.
http://showroom.auction123.com/thebu...1MVA32952.html

This is a shorter bus with a 5-speed.
http://showroom.auction123.com/thebu...XYH297701.html

[EastCoastCB]

I'd be all over one of those mci's.

[CDHenry6]

Aw , man, it's even an 8V71 ! Thanks for the links, Cowlitz. If i had the coin, I'd be heading out that way. Right now, I'm still in the dreaming/planning/ designing phase.
(Not to mention that the checkbook is ENTIRELY too light to even think about buying a bus. . . . ) That doesn't stop me from planning, though. What I lack in cashflow I make up for with logistics !

Until then, I just peruse the threads and take a little bit here, and a little bit from there. . . . that's the great thing about this group; everyone documents everything so well, and anything you can think of (mostly) someone has already tested the waters on!

[Veganvegabond]

@CDHenery, Helly fellow west coaster. I know it's an automatic and not stick, and I don't know if this is in your price range or would something like this, but....http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/rvs/4870758220.html (not my bus or sale, just suggesting)

[cowlitzcoach]

That bus on the Seattle CL is a former Community Transit bus that plied the roads from Snohomish County to downtown Seattle.

It has a left turning 2-cycle Detroit Diesel engine with a two or three speed V-drive Allison transmission.

If it runs it is not a bad deal. If it has issues it is worth that price for the stainless steel scrap.

Parts and people who know how to keep that power package running properly are getting few and far between.

Fuel mileage for 2-cycle DD's is always about half of a 4-cycle diesel engine of a similar size.