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Old 07-29-2020, 08:51 PM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Posts: 189
Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
In what year did they start making "high headroom" dog-nose school buses?

My bus having caught fire almost two months ago hasn't tamped down my 2-year-old son's excitement whenever he sees one, and he still asks me "ride bus?" regularly. Last night we were watching videos of him as a baby and I happened upon one of my bus on fire, and though I exited out of it quickly, he heard me say "bus" on the video and then he went nonstop about wanting to see a bus. So I found a YouTube video where a guy picked up an old school bus, and he loved it.

The bus was a 1988 GMC / Thomas Saf-T-Liner 9-window. It did not appear to have high headroom, but it got me thinking. If I could get an older, simpler bus for my next one, I'd be that much less likely to watch it go up in flames and that much more likely to be able to work on it myself. I remember that some of them used to have gas engines and stick shifts.

But did they have high headroom? Really, I need to know when they started making "high headroom" versions. We have to have a minimum of 6'5" interior headroom for it to be workable. Do any of y'all know when they started doing this, or do any of y'all have an older bus that is high headroom such that you can say something like, "I know they did it in [year] because I have one from that year that's high headroom"?

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Old 07-29-2020, 09:38 PM   #2
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Location: Sacramento
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I'd suggest you look for a step-van. They have some old cool looking ones.
This isn't one of those, but it shows a good example, this van has been in lots of videos.
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Old 07-29-2020, 09:43 PM   #3
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: topeka kansas
Posts: 1,771
Year: 1954
Coachwork: wayne
Chassis: old f500- new 2005 f-450
Engine: cummins 12 valve
Rated Cap: 20? five rows of 4?
I have seen pictures

of wayne school busses from the 1950's with high head room. They have windows that look like about 4" tall above the standard windows. I have seen two ex air force busses from the late 40's like 1947 to 1950 that were also High head room....

william

six footer that just bends a little when I walk to the rear..... I sit most of the time.
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Old 07-29-2020, 10:15 PM   #4
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,259
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 8.3 Cummins ISC
Rated Cap: 75
States like California and Washington state seem to have required high roof buses but they're scarce in other parts of the country unless its newer usually.
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Old 07-30-2020, 06:12 AM   #5
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Conneaut, Ohio
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Year: 2004
Chassis: International CE 300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 71 passenger / 12 window
Quote:
Originally Posted by BeNimble View Post
I'd suggest you look for a step-van. They have some old cool looking ones.
This isn't one of those, but it shows a good example, this van has been in lots of videos.
Maybe, but I doubt that'd satisfy my son. He knows the difference.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WIbluebird View Post
States like California and Washington state seem to have required high roof buses but they're scarce in other parts of the country unless its newer usually.
When did they start making them generally? I've seen 2002 models with high headroom here in Ohio, but I have very little experience.
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Old 07-30-2020, 06:17 AM   #6
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Location: Virginia
Posts: 2,324
Year: 1971
Coachwork: Wayne
Chassis: International Loadstar 1700
Engine: 345 international V-8
My 1971 Wayne bodied bus is high headroom, from the factory.
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Old 07-30-2020, 06:44 AM   #7
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
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Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
thomas had high headroom units in the late 70s.. you canm tell with a thomas bus if the "hump" in the front goes Up toward the back.. the low headroom models the hump goes "down" toward the back of the bus.



bluebird dognose busses you can tell by the p[assenger window in relation to the driver window.. they always used the same size driver window so passenger windows taller than the driver window are a high headroom.. I have seen these back into the 80s.. though they werent super common until late 90s..



amtran / IC high headrooms back into the 80s(ward) for sure.. those you can tell by the busses apearing to have 'tall' windows the driver window is taller than it is wide on those busses..



the high headroom makes a difference.. im only 5'9 but my carpenter huigh headroom feels more open and airy than either of my other busses which are low headroom
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Old 07-30-2020, 07:14 AM   #8
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
My International is a high-ceiling (6'7" down the center) but has a squat driver's window:

https://www.skoolie.net/forums/attac...5&d=1567046903

I actually just noticed for the first time that it's the same height as the windshield and the passenger windows, but it's set a couple of inches lower. Kind of irritating aesthetically, actually.
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Old 07-30-2020, 07:34 AM   #9
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
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Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
interesting! I hadnt seen that.. first gen IC, used a short driver window.. every day I find a new variation of these busses lol
-Christopher
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