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Old 04-16-2019, 01:29 PM   #4581
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The only advantage I see for the bus dealers is they may have something in stock that fits your needs when you can't find another at that time. They buy their buses from the same auctions we do and then put them on the lot at double what they paid.
If they change all the fluids, sell them with good tires, brakes, etc then I see some added benefit there. If they simply flip them with little to no inspection or maintenance then there is no benefit from this standpoint, other than they have done the inspection work at the auction and hopefully will be selling a vehicle in decent mechanical condition. Many people don't have the time to follow all the auctions and travel to them to look over the vehicles prior to bidding.
Not sure if the lemon laws apply but as a buyer you may have a bit more leverage in a dispute with a dealer than you do from a private seller. In the end as long as the buyer is happy with the vehicle they paid for, and believe the price is fair from their standpoint, that's all that matters.

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Old 04-16-2019, 04:05 PM   #4582
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Originally Posted by dgorila1 View Post
If they change all the fluids, sell them with good tires, brakes, etc then I see some added benefit there. If they simply flip them with little to no inspection or maintenance then there is no benefit from this standpoint, other than they have done the inspection work at the auction and hopefully will be selling a vehicle in decent mechanical condition. Many people don't have the time to follow all the auctions and travel to them to look over the vehicles prior to bidding.
Not sure if the lemon laws apply but as a buyer you may have a bit more leverage in a dispute with a dealer than you do from a private seller. In the end as long as the buyer is happy with the vehicle they paid for, and believe the price is fair from their standpoint, that's all that matters.
I don't think Lemon Laws apply to used vehicles. I doubt you'll ever see a dealer investing in a set of tires.
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Old 04-16-2019, 04:32 PM   #4583
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The only advantage I see for the bus dealers is they may have something in stock that fits your needs when you can't find another at that time. They buy their buses from the same auctions we do and then put them on the lot at double what they paid.
A fair surmise, no surprise, given what thems that had an asking price available were asking...
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Old 04-16-2019, 04:46 PM   #4584
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Buying from a dealer gives you the opportunity to test drive the bus before you buy.

I think that has value.

It will likely keep you from flying across the country only to find that you bid on a broken bus.

I have bought three buses. Two from dealer/private seller and one from auction.

I see the merits in both. If you are a bit adventurous, you can find the best prices buying from auction. If you buy from a dealer you will pay more but you will have the opportunity to test drive and take it to a mechanic for inspection.

Good luck with your quest.
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Old 04-16-2019, 05:24 PM   #4585
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Originally Posted by dgorila1 View Post
If they change all the fluids, sell them with good tires, brakes, etc then I see some added benefit there. If they simply flip them with little to no inspection or maintenance then there is no benefit from this standpoint, other than they have done the inspection work at the auction and hopefully will be selling a vehicle in decent mechanical condition. Many people don't have the time to follow all the auctions and travel to them to look over the vehicles prior to bidding.
Not sure if the lemon laws apply but as a buyer you may have a bit more leverage in a dispute with a dealer than you do from a private seller. In the end as long as the buyer is happy with the vehicle they paid for, and believe the price is fair from their standpoint, that's all that matters.
There is no lemon law or warranty for a decommissioned school bus.
The dealers here are just flippers. They don't do much other than pressure wash em real quick and stick a for sale sign on em.
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Old 04-17-2019, 12:45 AM   #4586
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I just bought a bus from this family owned company and I have been extremely pleased with the whole process! They have pre-owned buses for sale in these locations: Auburn Washington, Bismarck North Dakota, Kalispell Montana, Libby Montana, Missoula Montana, Spokane Washington, Webster South Dakota and Garden Valley Idaho:
https://www.goharlows.com/default.as...ory&filter=bus

I worked for them selling new and used buses for five years.


At times it can be frustrating as their website doesn't get updated as often as it should and the inventory can be a bit hard to pin down as to where something might be. But most of the stuff is priced reasonably and the junk is sent to scrap.
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Old 04-29-2019, 05:54 AM   #4587
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https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/...859870738.html

One of the cheapest Crowns I've seen for sale. If only I had the space to store one of these beauts.
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Old 04-29-2019, 06:32 AM   #4588
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https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/...859870738.html

One of the cheapest Crowns I've seen for sale. If only I had the space to store one of these beauts.
Whoops! Just clicked the link: "This posting has expired"

Bummer. I love checking out good stuff that I'll probably never be able to have..!
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:18 AM   #4589
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https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/...876012022.html

Maybe this link will work.
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:35 AM   #4590
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Yup, worked well, thanx 4 reposting.

Yer right, she is a beaut!!! Price seems dang reasonable, too. (*drool*)
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:41 AM   #4591
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Crowns are cool, but that price seems about average to me.
What's with the "rebuilt" "3 speed auto"?
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Old 04-29-2019, 08:19 AM   #4592
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Crowns are cool, but that price seems about average to me.
What's with the "rebuilt" "3 speed auto"?
I really don't know. Stating to seriously consider the concept of picking up a 2nd bus to convert while NOT living in it!

Still in the pure fantasy stage right now, so not well acquainted on the price trends.

Since I gave $3k for a ho-hum, dime-a-dozen '98 IH 30-footer, it sounds like a much better deal to this white boy!
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Old 04-29-2019, 08:29 AM   #4593
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They go for about $2500-$5000 when they pop up on GovDeals and Public Surplus. Privately sales are usually in the $4k-$10k range depending on engine, condition, and who's selling it.
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Old 04-29-2019, 08:42 AM   #4594
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Good gouge, thanx for the info.

Day-yum! But did I ever get rooked on mine! Oh well, live'n learn...
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They go for about $2500-$5000 when they pop up on GovDeals and Public Surplus. Privately sales are usually in the $4k-$10k range depending on engine, condition, and who's selling it.
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Old 04-29-2019, 09:05 AM   #4595
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Crowns are cool, but that price seems about average to me.
What's with the "rebuilt" "3 speed auto"?
Perhaps an HT-730?
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Old 04-29-2019, 06:40 PM   #4596
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Found these Crowns for sale

I am shopping for my bus and came across these. I talked to the owner of Company and he said that he use to have a Crown enthusiast on his staff, that is how he got them, but they have since moved to a new location with less space for inventory.

I am listing in this post his contact info, if you contact him and end up buying one please let him know You saw it here posted by Diane, he said he would give me a discount on mine (if I am able to get one) if any of them got bought through me posting them here.

Here are the links to the three crown buses he has

https://nationsbus.com/bus-inv/1989-crown-activity-bus/

https://nationsbus.com/bus-inv/1986-crown-activity-bus/

https://nationsbus.com/bus-inv/1980-crown-activity-bus/

if your interested please call

Charles “Chip" Osborne
President/CEO
Nations Bus Corp.
www.nationsbus.com
310.567.9675
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Old 04-29-2019, 06:59 PM   #4597
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They are awfully proud of those at those prices.
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Old 04-29-2019, 07:57 PM   #4598
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Seems like a lot of proud prices today. To be fair though, 18k is about what you'd pay for a replacement windshield so these are a bargain!
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Old 04-29-2019, 08:10 PM   #4599
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I agree that the 18K is more then I could afford but did not really thing the $9,900 was that bad, I would love the darker orange one
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Old 04-29-2019, 09:15 PM   #4600
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They’re old buses, not bars of gold! Nice looking but not at those prices.
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