For sale: 1997 Bluebird B800 w/Cummins 5.9 and low miles

[Aubustus]

Hey there folks,

I bought this bus to convert for a friend’s flower shop business. They decided to abandon the bus before the project even got off the ground. Their loss is your gain. Take a look at this unicorn…

1997 Bluebird B800
Cummins 5.9L 12 valve Turbo Diesel
Allison Transmission AT-545
13,500 original miles
Six windows and 24’ long bumper to bumper
Heat and AC work great
Passenger seats are removed
Thorough service records dating back to 2000

The pros:
Very clean body and frame
Low miles
Runs like a top, shifts clean, and drives great
Original build sheets, manuals, literature, etc.
Detailed service record

The cons:
The tires will need replacing. There is some shallow dry rot. The rear tires have some flaking where the tread meets the sidewall. I have accounted for tires in the price
The driver-side rear bumper has a small dent
The fiberglass hood has a small nick missing, but there are no cracks
Occasional scuff or scratch
There is a small (3/4 inch) crack in the front windshield
Driver seat is worn

This was a one-owner pre-school bus that was in service, maintained, and inspected until early 2022. This is a Tennessee bus with no rust and very low miles. I have a clean title in hand. Mechanically, the bus is in excellent shape with original paperwork and regular maintenance records. It does burn a little diesel when it's cold, but that's probably because it has sat most of the last year. According to the diesel mechanic that has worked on this bus since 2000, outside of regular service (filter and fluids), the alternator was rebuilt and radiator replaced in 2019, and new water pump and block heater in 2021. I can provide printouts of work going back to 2019, before then any work is on file at the mechanic. Body-wise, this bus is in great shape. It has a couple dings, one bumper dent, some light scratches. I have intentionally included the cosmetic flaws as best as I could in the pictures.

I do not want any confusion or disappointment if you drive from far away. I will do my best to provide any pictures, details, or videos you need. Located in Tennessee.

$8,500

PM me for more details.

[Rwnielsen]

That shows a lot of wear for 13k miles, was the cluster replaced?

[cadillackid]

neat Aero series ford!! love this.. *way* expensive for me to look but really neat bus nonetheless

[Aubustus]

As far as the mileage goes, I can’t speak for the whole life span of the bus but I can get pretty close. The diesel mechanic has records of service with odometer readings dating back to 2000. The original owner, creative learning center, would use the bus to go pick the kids up at school for after school programs, so it would only be driven a few miles each day, and not every day. The day care sold bus because they downsized to a 15-passenger van, which is much cheaper to keep inspected on an annual basis.

I have attached a few more pictures of the undercarriage and body to help paint the picture of how clean the bus is. If there is any sort of way folks are able to prove it’s a factory dash cluster, please forward me a link and I’ll prove it.

I’ll stop by the mechanic tomorrow and print of their earliest service record with the odometer reading.

Thanks for reaching out. I understand your skepticism, I had it too. This bus certainly has some sunburn and a scratch or two, but it’s low mileage, not garage-kept.

[DeMac]

Great find, Aubustus . A terrific opportunity for a buyer.



No Wood is Good
Bus floors which have only rubber, without plywood beneath, are usually the most rust-free floors. No "wet coaster" or steel shavings trapped in between. No self-tapper holes.

Factory AC, too. Wow! Interested buyers will do well to close this sale quickly. Lolligaggers may find it has already sold.

[Booyah45828]

Sharp bus. A shorty without a wc lift I feel this will go quickly.

Just to clarify, 8500 and you're installing new tires, or you've discounted it an appropriate amount for the buyer to buy new tires?

[Rwnielsen]

That mileage could be correct. I was commenting on the apparent wear but...the bus is 23 years old. I didn't take that into consideration.

[Aubustus]

The price does not include new tires. There is a shop five miles away that will change 22.5s.

I had considered replacing the tires before listing it, but figured the new owner would prefer a reduced price instead of me listing it for way more with a tire they might not like.

I didn’t have time to stop by the mechanic to print off more service records today. Should be able to tomorrow.

In the meantime, here are some measurements from inside the bus:

The distance from floor to ceiling is 6 foot and 2.5 inches. I am just under 6’3” and can walk around just fine. If I straighten up, while wearing crocs, my head touches.

Stairwell to rear door is exactly 15 feet. Side wall to side wall is 7’7”.

[Aubustus]

We’ll, I need to reduce the price of the bus. I have learned not try to prove Rwneilsen wrong…

I went to the mechanic today to print off early service records to show decades of low mileage and it wasn’t adding up, and the mechanic said “oh, you didn’t know?” In 2007, they had to replace the head assembly and speedometer (aka dash cluster). The we’re not able to show exactly what the mileage was at replacement, but the immediately previous service was at 129,180 miles. There are nine months between service records, so assuming they drove it at the same rate as the first 10 years, I need to add 8,000 miles. The odometer reads 13,600 miles since 2007. So they were definitely driving less the last 15 years, but to be fair, I’ll take the higher estimate. That means the mileage ought to be ~150,000 (129,180 + 8,000 + 13,600). I have attached a photo of the two service records.

I am pretty frustrated with the pervious owner because it was billed as a bus with only 13,000 miles. At best, the employee hadn’t been with the school long enough to recall the 2007 assembly replacement and knew they were only putting a few hundred miles a year on it. At worst, they knew all along.

I’m not upset either the mechanic at all. When I talked to them about service records initially, I didn’t specifically ask if the mileage was correct. We just talked about it generally having low miles, meticulous records, being super clean and rust free, the shop almost bought it themselves just for the powertrain but we’re too busy, etc. The mechanic and I went through their records starting with the most recent and made it back to around 2016.

So all of this is bad news if your trying to sell this bus or we’re about to drive to Tennessee for a unicorn. However, it’s great news if you want a bus with all of the listed great features, but at a lower price, and medium miles.

New price is $5500.

[fo4imtippin]

That mileage seems to be on the low end of when schools are getting rid of 6bt. I wouldn't say low miles, but 150k on a 6bt isn't bad at all. Going to have a ton of hours, but they all do. Cute bus and i think you have a fair price! good luck on the sale!

[gothamgirl2706]

Hi,

Is it still available? Is there a way I can contact you. I don't check this forum as often

[gothamgirl2706]

Hi,

Is it still available? Is there a way I can contact you. I don't check this forum as often