ISO bus 03 and older dt466 upstate NY

[willsmusicbus]

hey yall, been looking for a bus for about a year and figured id put a bug in anyone viewing.

narrowed my search down to 2003 and older due to emissions and all

would like a dt466 or any of the larger displacement engines 8.3 etc

trans swap isnt out of the question but 643 2000 3060 or a stick preferred

traditional dog nose in the 30-35ft range is what im shooting for but open to others

no issue traveling a bit to get out of the salt band but as yall know anything more than 2-3 hours presents its own challenges.still wont rule out crossing a state line or 2

any leads appreciated, whether its your neighbor a local bus garage an add you saw or even a online auction site

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by willsmusicbus

no issue traveling a bit to get out of the salt band but as yall know anything more than 2-3 hours presents its own challenges.still wont rule out crossing a state line or 2

Would help if you let us know where you are. Go to the UserCP and fill out your profile.

[willsmusicbus]

located in syracuse ny bus will end up parked about 45min north of here

[Quasar]

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f14/19...tml#post311964


This is our bus we're trying to sell, not what you're looking for but it is in upstate NY...

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by willsmusicbus

hey yall, been looking for a bus for about a year and figured id put a bug in anyone viewing.

narrowed my search down to 2003 and older due to emissions and all

would like a dt466 or any of the larger displacement engines 8.3 etc

trans swap isnt out of the question but 643 2000 3060 or a stick preferred

traditional dog nose in the 30-35ft range is what im shooting for but open to others

no issue traveling a bit to get out of the salt band but as yall know anything more than 2-3 hours presents its own challenges.still wont rule out crossing a state line or 2

any leads appreciated, whether its your neighbor a local bus garage an add you saw or even a online auction site

I'd not pass up a nice Cat 3126 if a good deal presents itself. They can be had for much cheaper than some other engines. There are Cats to avoid but the 3126 is definitely a decent engine. I really like mine a lot.

[willsmusicbus]

ive found mixed reviews on the web about cat engines. a few local options open up if i include the cat. hows the power level, theres an 02 with 75k on the clock

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by willsmusicbus

ive found mixed reviews on the web about cat engines. a few local options open up if i include the cat. hows the power level, theres an 02 with 75k on the clock

Charlie is a perfect example of why you can't believe everything you read on the internet. So much negative has been thrown around here about how bad the CAT 3126 was, how it needed Caterpillar mechanics to work on them and how the parts are more expensive, etc. Charlie even thought this way. Then Charlie bought a bus with a 3126 and is finding out what a wonderful engine it is. Is it expensive to work on? Charlie wouldn't know, he hasn't had to work on it.
I often think when these conversations come up that if I had a choice of buying something that was cheap to repair but needed repair often or buying something that was really expensive to repair, but never needed repair, I would opt for the latter. I'd rather have a product that doesn't need a warranty than one I have to use often.

[willsmusicbus]

with under 75k miles and well maintained on top of that, repairs are almost out of the question. ive never had the chance to drive a cat but again the internet claims there on the slow side. im sure no where as bad as a little cummins but how does it compare to a dt466/8.3. lets say this has a 2000/3060 allison and a rear end set up right, by no means will this be a forever bus but can i bank a safe and worry free ride to the 150 or even 200k mark as someone who drives like a maniac

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by willsmusicbus

ive found mixed reviews on the web about cat engines. a few local options open up if i include the cat. hows the power level, theres an 02 with 75k on the clock

They're as powerful as a DT466 more or less. Not a wet sleeve, but an upgrade over a 444E or 5.9 cummins for sure.
If the 75k is legit go get on that!!!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Charlie is a perfect example of why you can't believe everything you read on the internet. So much negative has been thrown around here about how bad the CAT 3126 was, how it needed Caterpillar mechanics to work on them and how the parts are more expensive, etc. Charlie even thought this way. Then Charlie bought a bus with a 3126 and is finding out what a wonderful engine it is. Is it expensive to work on? Charlie wouldn't know, he hasn't had to work on it.
I often think when these conversations come up that if I had a choice of buying something that was cheap to repair but needed repair often or buying something that was really expensive to repair, but never needed repair, I would opt for the latter. I'd rather have a product that doesn't need a warranty than one I have to use often.

The mechanical injection and injector cups are a real nightmare on the 3116. The 3208 is *ok* but is rather wimpy on the internals for a 10.4 liter engine. The C7 has earned a pretty dismal to bad reputation.
I don't recall the 3126 ever having any real negative press. Its been a decent engine and is recommended by plenty of folks who know about medium duty engines.
Its true I avoided Cats till my current bus but its not a brand loyalty thing as much as making the best of my own bus situation. My previous brand loyalty was to Navistar and that got me nowhere. I'd take a 3126 over a 444E or Cummins 5.9 any day. I'd still buy either of those engines if the deal was right, though. Pretty much any pre-emissions engine is ok by me.
The 3126 doesn't cost any more to fix or operate than any other similar engine. I don't have to fix mine to know that. My wife's uncle is the fleet maintenance manager at a local precast company and he has always been a fan of the 3126. The 3116 and C7 not so much.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by willsmusicbus

with under 75k miles and well maintained on top of that, repairs are almost out of the question. ive never had the chance to drive a cat but again the internet claims there on the slow side. im sure no where as bad as a little cummins but how does it compare to a dt466/8.3. lets say this has a 2000/3060 allison and a rear end set up right, by no means will this be a forever bus but can i bank a safe and worry free ride to the 150 or even 200k mark as someone who drives like a maniac

The brand of engine really has little to do with a bus being fast or not.
But FWIW my bus does 65mph at 1800 rpm.



The Cat engine isn't why its a "fast" bus though. The rear axle ratio is 3.42 so its got long legs on the interstate. This bus will do 80+!

[o1marc]

Charlie beat me to it. There are 5.9's out there making a bunch more horsepower than my DT466. With a 3060 and like gearing I don't see why it shouldn't keep up with mine.

[willsmusicbus]

yep pre emissions is key. i figured out along the way the rear axle ratio is what sets your top speed, never really seen anything in the 3's but thats crazy gotta be a beer can north of 80 in a bus. im a big fan of big torque numbers and sounds like the cat is keeping up with the rest of them there. like anything else preventative maintenance will go along way for something you cant inframe

[Ab01ns]

Originally Posted by willsmusicbus

with under 75k miles and well maintained on top of that, repairs are almost out of the question. ive never had the chance to drive a cat but again the internet claims there on the slow side. im sure no where as bad as a little cummins but how does it compare to a dt466/8.3. lets say this has a 2000/3060 allison and a rear end set up right, by no means will this be a forever bus but can i bank a safe and worry free ride to the 150 or even 200k mark as someone who drives like a maniac

If you decide to pass on it please put me in touch. Thanks!

[willsmusicbus]

yall think the 7k range is a fair asking price? i wanted to be around 5k.

also i will def provide you the contact info if i pass. if you want to chase down a similar bus with the dt466 but a 2005 i can pass that info along as well

[n2wbl]

Auctionsinternational.com it’s a N.Y. auction house for municipalities, schools and some businesses

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

The brand of engine really has little to do with a bus being fast or not.
But FWIW my bus does 65mph at 1800 rpm.



The Cat engine isn't why its a "fast" bus though. The rear axle ratio is 3.42 so its got long legs on the interstate. This bus will do 80+!

I still wanna drag this beast one day!... who's gonna arm drop us?

[MarkyDee]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I still wanna drag this beast one day!... who's gonna arm drop us?

Maybe....


What's in it for me???

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I still wanna drag this beast one day!... who's gonna arm drop us?

Thats funny!

Bus drags would be COOL. But probably a bit expensive!

[n2wbl]

Yep... it’s a cute little B.