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Old 01-06-2009, 09:40 AM   #1
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?

$2000 or less would be a great deal for you I think. If I was selling one I'd probably start out asking twice that though. Is there a price on it? Sounds like a nice bus.

A 91 is now 18 years old keep in mind...

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Old 01-06-2009, 10:27 AM   #2
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?

Personally I'd rather have an All American than a Carpenter bus... Is your bus flat nosed, or conventional? Again personal preference but I like the more motorhome look of a flat nose bus. You could probably recoup some of your losses on your last bus by selling the motor, rear end and body all separately. List the motor as "runs good and can hear run" I bet the buyer would even remove it for the right price...

As far as the oil leak, check it when the engine is running, if it's not dripping on the ground I wouldn't worry too much about it (obviously keep things topped off) My bus has oil all over the bottom of the motor but doesn't leave a puddle of oil or anything... the only thing I've had to add was a pint or so of power steering in the 10,000 miles I've driven it. I know you had a bad experience, but keep in mind these are old buses... not new cars, a little oil seeping here and there isn't really anything I'd be concerned about.
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Old 01-06-2009, 11:45 AM   #3
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?

yeah your bus does sound nice.... I'd probably do the swap too...

good luck!
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Old 01-07-2009, 06:20 PM   #4
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vanguy67
My research on All Americans leads me to believe that this bus is made with galvanized steel instead of plain mild steel. Could anyone confirm that?? That would definitely account for the lack of body rust/frame rust.
I have heard that too, from what I've heard that Bluebird All Americans are nice buses. $2500 is a good price for the whole bus, only needing the transmission I'd try to get him to go lower too.
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Old 01-07-2009, 09:47 PM   #5
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?


Except for being a front engine flat nose, which means that engine access is horrible, that BB sounds like an absolute dream boat! Low milage, big engine of high quality, full 40 foot length! I have also read that AA has more galvanizing. We do know for sure that AA is the "deluxe" version. And the price is good -- I paid twice that for Millicent with the small engine two years ago. But make sure you drive it first.

Now, about skinning over the windows. On Millicent, I drilled out a few rivets on each window post, slid the sheet up under the roof, then re-riveted. In retrospect, I should have drilled an other rivet or two, and slid the sheet further up, but I was running out of sheet width.
You would need a BIG riveter and good quality 1/4 inch rivets.
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Old 01-09-2009, 05:57 PM   #6
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?


Looks great! Curved windshields! Dead batteries are normal on a bus that has been sitting a while. In fact, you may want to buy new ones and be done with it.

The dents seem trivial to me. Rust in steps likewise -- easy repair.

To my mind, this is now all about the condition of the engine and transmission.
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Old 01-09-2009, 07:34 PM   #7
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?


I hate wheel covers.

Unless they are put to good use:



I think those headlight bezels are RV wheel covers.

[Mutant vehicle by David Best, at Burning Man Festival.]

By the way, I doubt I know more than you know. We probably just know different things.
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Old 01-20-2009, 03:16 PM   #8
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?


Many turbos are fairly silent. As I understand it, the characteristic noise comes from tiny variations in clearances -- variations too small to affect performance. I must have driven a couple hundred 18-wheelers -- some of them whined and some did not. I've been told that a rebuilt turbo is more likely to whine than a brand new one -- larger clearances, I suppose. That turbo is probably OK. When a turbo fails, you pull over and call a tow truck.
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Old 01-20-2009, 04:43 PM   #9
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?


Nothing scary about it! Turbo chargers rarely fail. To be sure, what I meant was that IF there were anything wrong with the turbo, you would not have been able to drive it at all. All is well.
You want mechanical music? Take the muffler off, like I did with Millicent. Not loud at all, just a nice deep growl. The turbo is plenty good muffler.
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Old 01-28-2009, 05:04 PM   #10
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vanguy67
I have a question about miles and hour meters:

The odometer says a little over 97,000 miles but the hour meter says 7815 hours. To me, those two numbers don't agree with each other.

To me, if the hours are right, this bus should have over 300,000 on the odometer.

Am I figuring something wrong?
Buses spend a lot of time idling and driving slowly: i.e., many hours but few miles. I'm not experienced enough to know if those numbers are out of line, but they seem plausible to me.
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Old 01-28-2009, 10:19 PM   #11
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?


97000 / 7815 = 12,4 MPH.

Sounds right to me, for a school bus.

When I drive 18-wheelers cross country, I cruise hours and hours at 55+, yet the average is only around 45.
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Old 02-12-2009, 06:45 PM   #12
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?

Congratulations on the new bus!

I'm hoping to find a bus that is pretty much identical to the one you just bought, so your experience makes a good reference point. I'm thinking that you got an unusually good price, though!
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Old 02-12-2009, 06:48 PM   #13
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?


Oh... too bad. I had a free half hour this morning and tracked down its history. It was spliced together from two wrecked buses and they were never able to get it properly titled again. Then it sat under water in Hurricane Katrina. More recently, it was stolen and used as a hiding place for a bank robber, and the FBI want to pick it apart for evidence. And finally, an engine shop has a big lien against it.
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Just kidding, yes.
Best of luck with your new toy!
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Old 03-27-2009, 12:01 AM   #14
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Re: Anyone have an idea of value for BB All American?

thats one thing i dont have to worry aboyt...i have no hair!
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