Non-affiliated buses for sale - thread

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Cheese, don't forget it may also have 6 airbags that are most likely rotted out. I think you are looking at a restoration on that one. Like anything, it all depends on what is acceptable to you in terms of cosmetics, but the mechanicals are always a certain expense.

Air-ride on something this old I'm not sure about, but I guess it's certainly possible. All seems to point to expecting this one to exceed my budget.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON

Air-ride on something this old I'm not sure about, but I guess it's certainly possible. All seems to point to expecting this one to exceed my budget.

Air ride on all four corners, man. Cream of the crop for skoolies. But they're not for everyone.

[cadillackid]

what 6 speed allison would fit behind a 3208 cat? only one I know of in that era wouldve been a 5 speed MT-653 series.. ther 700 series i thought were all SAE-1, there was a 6 speed variant of I think a 730 or 740., was the MT-40 still made in 1980? (it was 6 speed I believe)



someone **couldve** stuffed a 3060 behind it in the mid 90s when it came out but id call that highly unlikely.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

what 6 speed allison would fit behind a 3208 cat? only one I know of in that era wouldve been a 5 speed MT-653 series.. ther 700 series i thought were all SAE-1, there was a 6 speed variant of I think a 730 or 740., was the MT-40 still made in 1980? (it was 6 speed I believe)

someone **couldve** stuffed a 3060 behind it in the mid 90s when it came out but id call that highly unlikely.

Hence I said LISTED.

[musigenesis]

Burn the couch (since you can't nuke a couch), replace the carpet and paint the faux wood, and I think you'd have a decent-looking interior for not a huge outlay.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Burn the couch (since you can't nuke a couch), replace the carpet and paint the faux wood, and I think you'd have a decent-looking interior for not a huge outlay.

that's what I'm sayin. I think I'd just want to get everything functional and cleaned up as much as possible.

But again- that asking price is at least 2x what it should be.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Burn the couch (since you can't nuke a couch).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XchwE9zVdnw

[musigenesis]

Add some live-edge countertops to that puppy and you can resell it on Facebook for $50K.

[Kubla]

1980 wanderlodge will have an MT643 transmission, same as my 1982, when they put the 300 HP 3208 in them in 87 and 88 (last year of front engines in wanderlodge's) they got a ZF 5 speed because the MT line could not handle that much power

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Add some live-edge countertops to that puppy and you can resell it on Facebook for $50K.

Sad thing is, someone would probably pay that for it eventually.

[Bus'n it]

Hey, if they gots the cash, why not?!

[bus-bro]

If you spiff up an old Wanderlodge is that not a better deal than someone's $30k homebuilt school bus. In 95% of the cases the answer would be yes.

They can have a complex house electrical control system. Over the decades that must be certainly buggered up.

An old 3208, at 10.4 liters, can get up and move, and that one's got a turbo -- for what that's worth.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Oh, I am seriously thinking about it, but my budget until yesterday probably would have been about 15k-20k. Now it MIGHT be 20k-25k... MAYBE. I am settling an insurance claim and the proverbial pleasantly plump lady (I like curvy women, too) hasn't even cleared her throat yet, but I am starting to get some word that some of the medical bills have been discounted.

Also, $13k for something that needs A/C work / replacement, at least one broken window and unknown ceiling / mold status, hasn't been driven in 10 years, with mostly out-of-production mechanicals that will likely need a couple grand in maintenance to put back in service... Not to mention no amenities invented after 1985, to be sure. So probably another $5k-$10k in retrofits to make modern living possible. Not to mention about $1700 in tires just to begin making it roadworthy.

Every hose, belt, and hydraulic line on this thing will probably have to be replaced, likely the air brake plumbing will have to be replaced too. This thing probably still has #2 diesel in it if it's been sitting 10 years... which may or may not be any good, so now you add blowing out all the fuel lines in addition to replacing the filters, maybe even draining / replacing the tank. To make all this work with my projected budget, I'd have to get this thing for less than $7k, and I seriously doubt that's going to happen.

And, while the Kitty-Cat 3208 turbo is indeed a big, bad, sexy mofo, I have severe asthma and a diesel is probably the last thing I need to be around (had to give up driving 18-wheelers because of it - health over wealth, as they say). Not to mention said asthma negates the possibility of me doing any of this work myself (another hidden cost of paying others to do it).

Don't get me wrong, I'm interested in this thing and I don't want to sound like a Negative Ned here, but I have to not only think about the hidden costs of resurrecting this beast, but also the costs of making it livable for the future, and I'm not sure the budget I'm projecting is going to do it even with a newer bus, let alone an older one that may need a partial rebuild to be roadworthy.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by bus-bro

If you spiff up an old Wanderlodge is that not a better deal than someone's $30k homebuilt school bus. In 95% of the cases the answer would be yes.

They can have a complex house electrical control system. Over the decades that must be certainly buggered up.

An old 3208, at 10.4 liters, can get up and move, and that one's got a turbo -- for what that's worth.

gona step on toes here-
Skoolies are now a FAD. People don't want it if its factory. They want a sky blue instagram machine.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON

Oh, I am seriously thinking about it, but my budget until yesterday probably would have been about 15k-20k. Now it MIGHT be 20k-25k... MAYBE. I am settling an insurance claim and the proverbial pleasantly plump lady (I like curvy women, too) hasn't even cleared her throat yet, but I am starting to get some word that some of the medical bills have been discounted.

Also, $13k for something that needs A/C work / replacement, at least one broken window and unknown ceiling / mold status, hasn't been driven in 10 years, with mostly out-of-production mechanicals that will likely need a couple grand in maintenance to put back in service... Not to mention no amenities invented after 1985, to be sure. So probably another $5k-$10k in retrofits to make modern living possible. Not to mention about $1700 in tires just to begin making it roadworthy.

Every hose, belt, and hydraulic line on this thing will probably have to be replaced, likely the air brake plumbing will have to be replaced too. This thing probably still has #2 diesel in it if it's been sitting 10 years... which may or may not be any good, so now you add blowing out all the fuel lines in addition to replacing the filters, maybe even draining / replacing the tank. To make all this work with my projected budget, I'd have to get this thing for less than $7k, and I seriously doubt that's going to happen.

And, while the Kitty-Cat 3208 turbo is indeed a big, bad, sexy mofo, I have severe asthma and a diesel is probably the last thing I need to be around (had to give up driving 18-wheelers because of it - health over wealth, as they say). Not to mention said asthma negates the possibility of me doing any of this work myself (another hidden cost of paying others to do it).

Don't get me wrong, I'm interested in this thing and I don't want to sound like a Negative Ned here, but I have to not only think about the hidden costs of resurrecting this beast, but also the costs of making it livable for the future, and I'm not sure the budget I'm projecting is going to do it even with a newer bus, let alone an older one that may need a partial rebuild to be roadworthy.

I wouldnt' consider a 3208 all that "sexy". They're adequate for the job, but they aren't as heavy duty as their 10.4l would suggest.

[cadillackid]

the 3208 is quite heavy duty and a great engine.. the turbo variants can easily be turned up a bit.. but CW has it right.. that bus needs a lot to make it safe, road worthy and mechanically sound.. the beauty of it though is it is right in his wheelhouse of skills and desires being fully mechanical with no electronics or emissions equipment..



buying something that caters to your skill-set is advantageous when or if it comes to repairs down the road vs something where you have tio buy lots of tools or hire out the work.. / have no knowledge of how something works (candidate for being scammed when you are naive)..



while i think their pricing is too high.. I would sooner see CW comfortable with this bus vs a 2003 something or other that has a computerized engine and him either havign to hire out work or buy a bunch of expensive scan tools and learn how to diagnose it..



-Christopher

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

while i think their pricing is too high.. I would sooner see CW comfortable with this bus vs a 2003 something or other that has a computerized engine and him either havign to hire out work or buy a bunch of expensive scan tools and learn how to diagnose it..

The trouble is, no matter what I do, I'll have to hire out anything other than diagnosis... Injuries from the car accident I'm about to settle and the severity of the asthma I have, have seen to that. Just changing the oil in my car is an odyssey at this stage.

And with my limited budget, as I said, given the DIY aspect, I'm not even sure a bus is going to be the right move for me, especially this this one with its ridiculous price and a certain $8000 minimum just to get it safe and roadworthy, before any modern upgrades. Anyone care to advise on a realistic and reasonable offer? I'm thinking $5k considering all that it will probably need.

[Kubla]

3208 was designed in the late 50's, as a high reving NA diesel, to replace gas engines in ford medium duty trucks, red line is around 3000 rpm, does not really make power below 2000. 210, 215 HP and high 400's for torque NA, 250 HP and around 600 lbs torque with the turbo starting in the 70's. My 82 wanderlodge with the turbo and weighing in at around 28,000 is not as fast as the average skoolie but does a pretty good job of holding speed once it gets to it, has a top speed of 72 and will hold 65 with no problem

[angelicadevries21]

https://www.facebook.com/ElkoEastMin...40451426013014

[Honeydipped]

Alpine school district in Utah has a few rear engine pushers for sale on public surplus. A handful of Cummins ISC and some Cats with MD3060s. Some with higher milage and a few with decent milage.

https://m.publicsurplus.com/sms/list/current?orgid=217

I got my bus from Utah. While it’s not a complete rust bucket, there are a couple rusty areas. Just be mindful of that. All depends on how well they were about washing the salt off.