Non-affiliated buses for sale - thread

[dzl_]

'64 Gillig, 35ft, diesel rear engine, white church bus, california bus 'no rust'

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by dzl_

I've been watching this one, nice looking bus,



I know its an auction so terms like this aren't exactly rare but I don't like the combo of a very skimpy description + "Was running" + "Sold as is" + "Vehicle maintenance records will not be provided."



Its being sold by the school district, in a listing where they otherwise can't be bothered to give much detail, they took the time to explicitly say they won't provide maintenance records. I don't know if this is common or not, but it doesn't inspire a ton of confidence.

You just gotta kinda get to know those auctions. Mine was listed SO POORLY I almost thought it was too good to be true. The pic was blurry and a bad angle. Not much for a description.
Its always a gamble. that's for sure.
The less info other bidders have the lower the price will stay. So maybe try contacting whoever is listed on the auction and see if you can get any more info.

It looks low headroom, from what i can see.

[awilder]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...4301195103226/

[roxious55]

1985 Chevy short bus low miles 8.2 fuel pincher diesel only thing it needs is a caliper for the back left wheel Fayetteville NC 1000 firm

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by MNbusboy

Any known bus sources near Baton Rouge Louisiana? I am asking an Uncle that's on a school board too. I might buy there since I have family and it won't have the rust that a MN bus would have.

Lol.

Uncle's on the school board are exactly the reason school districts here in WA are not allowed to sell buses directly. They must sell them in a competitive bid sale.

That said, I have an idea that Baton Rouge buses may rustier than you think. I have seen later model cars there with enough rust to discourage me. Definitely keep your eyes open for rust regardless of where you find it.

Good luck with your search.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by awilder

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...4301195103226/

WOW. Someone go check that out!

[awilder]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...6308748820686/

[Eitek1]

Originally Posted by DrTwitch

8 window flat nose bus
https://m.publicsurplus.com/sms/auct...ew?auc=2564344

Can someone tell by looking at this what the clearance is on the inside? I’m 6’2” and wouldn’t want to bump my head on anything if I were to get something like that. My wife really wants a bus to convert and this may check all the boxes.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Eitek1

Can someone tell by looking at this what the clearance is on the inside? I’m 6’2” and wouldn’t want to bump my head on anything if I were to get something like that. My wife really wants a bus to convert and this may check all the boxes.

Its a low headroom model. You should pass.

[WIbluebird]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Its a low headroom model. You should pass.

It also has an AT545 transmission and high chance of being a 53 block motor. You don't want a bus with either of those.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

It also has an AT545 transmission and high chance of being a 53 block motor. You don't want a bus with either of those.

Good call on the 53 block. 5.9's aren't really my thing, so I didn't even think of that.

[Eitek1]

Thanks so much. As much as I like turning wrenches I don’t want to do it on a bus. I’ve been working on gas engines for the last 35 years and know the firing order from a small block Chevy off the top of my head. That said, I can barely spell diesel and can’t imagine a world without spark plugs.

Learning from my mistakes are good but learning from “your mistakes” is better. Thanks again for sharing your wisdom.

I am looking for a bus just like the one at the link. Something under 30’, transit style with a good motor/transmission package and tall enough for me. Not asking for a lot, I know...

[EastCoastCB]

Unless something big breaks buses aren't much different than passenger vehicles. Just bigger and more generically constructed. most all the usual maintenance repairs can by made by any diy-er.

[JuntiusVT]

https://chico.craigslist.org/atq/d/m...131295909.html

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by JuntiusVT

https://chico.craigslist.org/atq/d/m...131295909.html

Man... and Tango woulda took 10k for his 46. With Cummins crate engine etc.

I think ten grand is silly for that 47.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Hard pass. I wouldn't buy a damned thing from Roanoke county or city government. In my experience, they knowingly and willfully misrepresent vehicles in terms of running condition. Bought an '05 Impala from them in 2016 through publicsurplus on the understanding per the listing (and I quote) "Runs good -- was turned in for newer vehicle"... But then, the car was listed as having a V8 engine as well, which I knew full well couldn't be right, these were 3.4 and 3.8 V6s.

Well, stupid me, took them at their word and didn't go to look at it in person. Won the bid for $1,180 and when I arrived with my trip permit in hand to drive it home, it hadn't been inspected in over a year, and the battery was completely dead -- had to be jump started with a service truck with a 3,500 watt generator to even get it to turn over. I noticed a blob of red spray paint on the oil fill cap as well -- indicating that someone had marked this engine as a problem.

When it fired, I understood why it hadn't been inspected in over a year and the battery was dead from sitting. It had a rod knock that was obvious on startup, and 90% of the #3 rod bearing was stuck to a magnetic drain plug (magnetic drain plugs aren't factory, so someone knew something was wrong with this engine).

Unfortunately, all auction sales are final, so even though they misrepresented the vehicle, the best I was able to get out of it was to return the vehicle for a refund, and it took raising hell with publicsurplus about the misrepresentation to get that.

In that time, I had looked over the service records (at least I did get those with the car) and determined that the engine was really the only thing I could expect to be a problem for awhile. Even with the knock, it made the 150 mile drive home across the Blue Ridge mountains.

So I elected to have the engine replaced and actually wound up with a pretty good car. It even made it to the salvage yard that replaced the engine without being towed. But paying $1,180 for something I had to spend another $1,850 to fix just so I could put on the road was a hard pill to swallow.

I wouldn't buy squat from that local government. Can't trust them to be truthful. RUN, FORREST! RUN!

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

It also has an AT545 transmission and high chance of being a 53 block motor. You don't want a bus with either of those.

Explain the 53 block? I'm not that familiar with the different versions of the Cummins 5.9.

[WIbluebird]

Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON

Explain the 53 block? I'm not that familiar with the different versions of the Cummins 5.9.

It was from a bad batch of casted blocks that Cummins sold around 1998-1999. They have thinner water jackets and as a result they have very high rate of cracked block failures. You can find them by the "53" stamped into the block.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

It was from a bad batch of casted blocks that Cummins sold around 1998-1999. They have thinner water jackets and as a result they have very high rate of cracked block failures. You can find them by the "53" stamped into the block.

Given my history with that locality through publicsurplus, I'd say there's a high probability of that issue with this one.... RUN, FORREST! RUN!

Notice these idiots listed the brakes as drum, not air or hydraulic. That's the kind of half-@$$ed, whatever, close-enough mentality so typical of Virginia. It's almost to the point you have to wear a suit to avoid contracting stupiditis.

[JuntiusVT]

Narrowing in on a bus that i really like. does this seem "too" rusty?
Its from the mid west...