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Old 09-08-2022, 07:20 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2022
Posts: 13
06 Chevy/Blue Bird 5 window in Adirondacks

I did a lot of reading on this site last winter when I was trying to decide whether to buy the bus, but didn't join and ask questions at that time. I wasn't planning an RV conversion, but a lot of the information on here was still very helpful.

I bought this bus last winter from a school district near Syracuse that was using it as a maintenance vehicle. I have used it to make 12 trips up here to Piercefield NY from Orwell NY and 11 trips back down, starting in April. It's 120 miles each way and the bus has never let me down. I hauled building materials in it and then used it when we moved. GVWR is 12,000 and current empty weight with the shelves in place is 8,200.

It has only the driver's seat, and there are some shelves bolted in behind it. Otherwise the interior is a blank slate, and you could continue to use it as a cheap box truck, or make it into a camper, or whatever you want. I removed the lumber and boxes and such from the interior last weekend. It has 166k miles on a 6.0 gas engine and I think it has a 4L80E transmission.

It has two new Cooper Discoverer tires on the right rear axle, and one spare used Goodyear tire without a rim is included. I blew a tire on one trip and replaced both on that axle to be safe. One of the remaining rear tires is older, llike the one that blew, but the others are newer and have good tread. I also replaced the oil cooler line when it began to leak back in May. This is a very common repair on this engine since there is a bracket that holds the line up and also collects sand and salt, and the lines rust right there. The body is rusty, mostly on the back, but largely solid.

There is a big AC unit on the roof, but the compressor or the clutch doesn't want to turn, and I have been running it without the AC belt. The heat does work. The bus passed inspection with no trouble when I bought it. I get an intermittent check engine light when driving on the highway or with a full load at 55 or higher. I have had codes for bank 1 lean, misfire, and small evap leak, but the bus has always run well so I think maybe the ECM is faulty. If the bus is driven more slowly or with light loads the light will go out for a while, so that may be all you would need to do to get it to pass inspection.

This bus has been a lifesaver for me and has saved me a lot of money in truck rental, but now that I have moved I don't need it anymore and don't have much room to keep it on our small lot in town, so it's time to put it up for sale. It's currently registered in NY as a utility vehicle, with a commercial plate. I'll do my best to answer any questions promptly.







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Old 09-09-2022, 01:45 PM   #2
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(Price and pictures will help you out here!)
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Old 09-09-2022, 02:16 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Thanks, I was trying to edit my post to add them but the original post was held for moderation since I'm new, and I didn't know when it had become live. Sometime today, I think maybe, since I didn't see it first thing this morning. I'm looking for $3500, but may end up settling for less in October if it's not sold by then. Anyhow, here the pictures are, I hope:
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Old 09-09-2022, 02:26 PM   #4
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Location: Swansboro,NC
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Year: 86
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Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
thats a good price if its not to rusty.
thats what i paid for my 04 chevy 5 window collins with the same motor a couple of years ago.
misfire bank one could just be plugs and or a coil pack.
and an evap leak isnt hard to find with the right approach.
wish you luck with the sell.
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Old 09-09-2022, 02:31 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Thanks, that's good to know. I've never felt it running rough, so I am not sure what to make of the misfire code. On the other hand I've not spent a lot of time before this driving things with 8 cylinder engines, so maybe it's less perceptible than in a 4 cylinder.
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Old 09-09-2022, 02:40 PM   #6
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
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Year: 86
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Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
the 6.0 is a smooth running engine and you can definitely feel a misfire but if your not then i would say coil pack or loose connection.
but those maitenance items anyway.
and the evap leak could be in a vaccum line that could also throw a misfire code.
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Old 09-09-2022, 04:29 PM   #7
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I'm not really ready to pull the trigger yet, but I would be interested if you weren't so far away. BUT I have always wanted to see Upstate New York, too.

I have never seen a roof top A/C unit like that. What does it look like from the inside? Have you tried to run a jumper wire from the positive post of the battery to the compressor clutch? (With belt on and engine running of course) If the clutch engages and the compressor turns, that would indicate a low charge of refrigerant. Leak would need to be found and repaired and all would be good. (maybe)

Do you know the inside ceiling height at the centerline? I'm a bit over 6 feet tall.

The body rust concerns me a bit. I know it's difficult to do but can you crawl under and get pics of the steel floor? If the body is like it is, I worry that the floor may need more work than I'm willing to do at this point in life.

I am a huge fan of big block Chevy engines so that is a good selling point. I don't think you will have much trouble finding a good home for this little guy.
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Old 09-09-2022, 05:02 PM   #8
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
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Engine: 8.2
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likely a high pressure switch or low pressure switch if the compressor clutch isnt locked?
many a thing to look at for A/C problems.
for that price the rust would be my only concern but i am only 5'9 so that leaves me a few inches under you.
the 6.0 gas is a good engine.
every engine sucks to work on in a van body but they are good.
dont know what year they went from ls3 to ls4 but they are a chevy LS motor.
and i wish i had found a blue bus.
i like blue?
in reality this is not my bus and with the minimal issues the owner states and you are mechanically inclined and can learn construction/destruction TEKnique's(dang auto correct).
i think the price is good.
yeah underside pics and or find a member here that is close enough to go look at it far you.
there are some in that area.
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Old 09-09-2022, 05:02 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Thanks for writing. I have not tried to do anything with the AC. There was an intermittent rattle coming from the bottom of the engine where the AC clutch is back in April on one trip, and then it locked up and stalled the engine as I was driving by the park in downtown Tupper Lake. I crawled under to cut the AC belt but found it had broken already, so I took it out and when I started the engine again the rattle was gone. I didn't drive the bus when the sun was high so I didn't really need the AC. I mostly drove up here from 6 AM to 9 AM or so, worked on the house a few days and drove back in the evening, leaving at 5 or so. The bus has never run hot, even with a full load climbing hills at 80 degrees. The temp stays right around 190 once it's warmed up.

I tried to throw myself under the bus and take some pictures, but I don't know if they'll be good enough to show anything. There is some rust but it's quite mild for a NY vehicle. I imagine the school district did something to mitigate rust underneath but I don't know.

The center height is 73-5/8" approximately to the current floor. I took another inside picture which shows the inside part of the AC. It is not right under the outside part, but on one side. I don't know why but there must be a reason. It's very pretty up here this time of year (and most times of year, actually, that's why I moved up here). I am 7 feet tall so this bus is a bit short for me. I like to camp but I am more of a bicycle/canoe/tent kind of camper. I'll also put in a random picture from when I was moving my workshop tools up here(I build banjos for a living, so I had a whole busload of woodworking stuff). My bigger bandsaw was too tall to stand upright except in the vent/emergency exit, so I drove up with that open about 4" and luckily there was no rain in the forecast.

By far the worst rust on the bus is on the battery door right behind the passenger door. There are also some rusty areas on the back door and beside it, but most of the rest of the body seems pretty solid with just an occasional small rust spot.
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Old 09-09-2022, 05:06 PM   #10
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Jolly Roger Bus 223, thanks for the mechanical advice. I don't know enough about AC units to understand everything, but it did seem to lock up, either in the clutch or the unit itself. For my use I just didn't want to put any time or money into it that I didn't have to, so I replaced the oil cooler lines and didn't worry about the AC. For someone who was going to keep it long term there would be a lot of different priorities than mine, I am sure, so I'll do my best to answer questions and take pictures.
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Old 09-09-2022, 05:11 PM   #11
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just trying to help keep this going?
if yours is like mine then you just dont throw yourself under it?
chevy didnt put that compressor in a fun spot?
anybody here gets this and want to DIY?
PM me.
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Old 09-09-2022, 07:31 PM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223 View Post
just trying to help keep this going?
if yours is like mine then you just dont throw yourself under it?
chevy didnt put that compressor in a fun spot?
anybody here gets this and want to DIY?
PM me.
I was just being silly about throwing myself under my bus. Usually I think one throws someone else under the bus, or is thrown by someone else, in the idiom as I understand it. It was a tight fit to get under there and check the compressor belt, but luckily I had an old wool army blanket in the bus so I was able to lie on that instead of on the damp April ground. That's a very kind offer to help a prospective buyer with the AC.
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Old 09-10-2022, 09:15 AM   #13
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Yup, if it broke the belt, the compressor is most likely locked up. The floor looks plenty solid.
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Old 09-10-2022, 01:36 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zachh View Post
I was just being silly about throwing myself under my bus. Usually I think one throws someone else under the bus, or is thrown by someone else, in the idiom as I understand it. It was a tight fit to get under there and check the compressor belt, but luckily I had an old wool army blanket in the bus so I was able to lie on that instead of on the damp April ground. That's a very kind offer to help a prospective buyer with the AC.
i usually crawl under the bus myself with these shorties throwing yourself or anyone else under there could hurt.
very easy.
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Old 09-10-2022, 01:39 PM   #15
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and an old woolie blanket?
i would rather lay on the wet ground and i refuse to wear a wooly pully sweater?
my choice now.
give me my poncho liner.
have been told the army calls the woobies but the tag clearly says poncho liner.
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Old 09-10-2022, 04:42 PM   #16
Mini-Skoolie
 
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I don't wear wool either, but those blankets are very tough, so they are sometimes nice for that sort of thing, and nicer than wet sand to crawl across. Ponchos are great, though. I don't know if I had mine with me that day. I think I was still wearing my heavy jacket since it was still cold.
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Old 09-10-2022, 08:40 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223 View Post
i usually crawl under the bus myself with these shorties throwing yourself or anyone else under there could hurt.
very easy.

these compressors were notorious in the vans... the truck version in the 5.3 and 6.0 were venerable but ive saeen a lot of these van compressors die and they dont go without often making a mess of things.. not quite the black death of fords but you will still want ot flush the whole system down if the oil isnt 100% clear or if theres metal in either screen...
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Old 09-21-2022, 10:26 AM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
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I've had a little interest locally but no one has bought the bus yet, so I am reducing the price to $3,000.
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Old 09-30-2022, 07:09 PM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Price reduced to $2700.
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Old 10-01-2022, 05:12 PM   #20
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would you be afraid to drive that from there to Louisiana?
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