Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 02-24-2019, 01:21 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 17
Prison Bus for sale

Found this bus online...

https://www.commercialtrucktrader.co...CAN-5005494691

Does anyone have any reasons not to bus this bus?
Miles seem to be pretty damn good for the year, tires look good.

Need some advice before driving over to take a look and possibly purchasing..
thanks in advance

Mike

mrufin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 11:55 AM   #2
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SW New Hampshire
Posts: 1,334
Interesting. I've never seen a front engine Cummins 8.3 before. That's a big, noisy, hot mill to sit beside for hours. Make sure you're willing to do that.
dan-fox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 12:27 PM   #3
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
The ad says 8.3 in one place and 5.9 in another.

I called the seller. He insists that it's a 5.9.

He also insists that the milage is correct and he has verified in on the ECM. Says the low miles is due to being a DOC bus not a route bus.

From the pics it looks like it has an MD-3060.

If it has good tires and no rust or other issues, I would pay North of$6k for it but not $9k.

Some will say that $6k is too much but I think that spending a few $ more for a bus that you can inspect and test drive before you put your money down.

I have gotten some fair to great deals from the auction sites. I have been lucky and not bid on any "dogs". I do know a couple of people who have won auctions, paid, flown and rented a car. Only to find out that the vehicle did not run as the seller stated. One wound up getting a refund on the bus but was still out time and travel expenses.

I cringed when I heard that he had to buy his return plane ticket on the day of travel...$$$
PNW_Steve is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 12:47 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve View Post
The ad says 8.3 in one place and 5.9 in another.

I called the seller. He insists that it's a 5.9.

He also insists that the milage is correct and he has verified in on the ECM. Says the low miles is due to being a DOC bus not a route bus.

From the pics it looks like it has an MD-3060.

If it has good tires and no rust or other issues, I would pay North of$6k for it but not $9k.

Some will say that $6k is too much but I think that spending a few $ more for a bus that you can inspect and test drive before you put your money down.

I have gotten some fair to great deals from the auction sites. I have been lucky and not bid on any "dogs". I do know a couple of people who have won auctions, paid, flown and rented a car. Only to find out that the vehicle did not run as the seller stated. One wound up getting a refund on the bus but was still out time and travel expenses.

I cringed when I heard that he had to buy his return plane ticket on the day of travel...$$$

Thanks for the reply.
mrufin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 12:57 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: West Ohio
Posts: 3,678
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International 1753
Engine: 6.9 International
Rated Cap: 65
Well, according to the esn on the data plate, it is a 260hp isc8.3. A picture with the dog house up would remove all doubts See if they'll take one.
Booyah45828 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 01:12 PM   #6
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by dan-fox View Post
Interesting. I've never seen a front engine Cummins 8.3 before. That's a big, noisy, hot mill to sit beside for hours. Make sure you're willing to do that.
First bus I bid on had an 8.3 and it was a Bluebird FE. They're not as rare as you'd think. The BIG brown doghouse is really hard to get around. Requires a bit of acrobatics.
Based on the doghouse in the pics I'm gonna guess its a 5.9.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 01:44 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
I asked the seller to post engine pics. That may answer the question.

I can tell the difference from pictures of the front of the engine. Kind of a hard pic to get in an FE.

A call to Bluebird with the body service number would work as well.
PNW_Steve is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 02:21 PM   #8
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve View Post
I asked the seller to post engine pics. That may answer the question.

I can tell the difference from pictures of the front of the engine. Kind of a hard pic to get in an FE.

A call to Bluebird with the body service number would work as well.
The 5.9 and 8.3 look pretty different from the top looking down. The valve covers look different.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 02:59 PM   #9
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
Front engine covers are different as well and easily differentiate the 5.9 from the 8.3.

I have not paid that much attention to valve covers....,
PNW_Steve is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 03:32 PM   #10
Bus Geek
 
Jolly Roger bus 223's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
Posts: 2,973
Year: 86
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
Isn't the 5.9 an inline 6 and the 8.3 a V-8?
Jolly Roger bus 223 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:16 PM   #11
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: West Ohio
Posts: 3,678
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International 1753
Engine: 6.9 International
Rated Cap: 65
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223 View Post
Isn't the 5.9 an inline 6 and the 8.3 a V-8?
No, both are inline 6s.

The only cummins v8 that I've seen is the vt555.
Booyah45828 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:23 PM   #12
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
I can guarantee you that bus has more than 27k miles on it. Usually the speedos have issues in just about every bus and most have had their speedos replaced during their lifetime. No one needs to tell me what engine is in, the pictures clearly show a 5.9, and with that shifter, probably a 545. I wouldn't go near that bus for the asking price. IMHO that's a $3K bus, max.

This should clear up the engine question:
Attached Thumbnails
5.9.jpg  
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:27 PM   #13
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223 View Post
Isn't the 5.9 an inline 6 and the 8.3 a V-8?
Nope. The 8.3 is wet sleeve straight six.
You're probably thinking of the 8.2 detroit "fuel pincher".
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:30 PM   #14
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
I can guarantee you that bus has more than 27k miles on it. Usually the speedos have issues in just about every bus and most have had their speedos replaced during their lifetime. No one needs to tell me what engine is in, the pictures clearly show a 5.9, and with that shifter, probably a 545. I wouldn't go near that bus for the asking price. IMHO that's a $3K bus, max.
Sure looks like its almost new. I've seen prison buses with VERIFIED low miles that looked more used than this one. Push button shifter is a dead giveaway of the 3060.

The paint, the seats, the general condition all point to being VERY low miles/use. Looks like an amazing bus at a really decent price. The paint is even nice.




I've never seen a $3000 bus with an engine this clean and new looking-


I rarely believe sellers' low mileage claims but I'd bet on this one being legit.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:36 PM   #15
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Sure looks like its almost new. I've seen prison buses with VERIFIED low miles that looked more used than this one. Push button shifter is a dead giveaway of the 3060.

The paint, the seats, the general condition all point to being VERY low miles/use. Looks like an amazing bus at a really decent price. The paint is even nice.

Ya, sorry, don't know what I was thinking when I saw my shifter and the big lit up "5". For a prison bus, I agree it would have fewer miles, but a normal bus that sees 10k a year, this would have only seen 1500.
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:39 PM   #16
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Ya, sorry, don't know what I was thinking when I saw my shifter and the big lit up "5". For a prison bus, I agree it would have fewer miles, but a normal bus that sees 10k a year, this would have only seen 1500.
1500 miles a year transporting prisoners doesn't really sound too unreasonable. It probably only got used occasionally. Its rare a bus is for sale for such a high amount of money and I call it a bargain but this is one, imo.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:39 PM   #17
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Central Utah
Posts: 53
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Conventional
Engine: Cummins 8.3
Rated Cap: 84
Both bafflingly huge straight 6's.
__________________
"Guess what, daddy! Boys have a penis, and girls have an agenda!"
-Hank Nichols, age 3 (some 8 years ago)
Buzz Nichols is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:40 PM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Central Utah
Posts: 53
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Conventional
Engine: Cummins 8.3
Rated Cap: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buzz Nichols View Post
Both bafflingly huge straight 6's.
Wow. We all replied to that post simultaneously!
__________________
"Guess what, daddy! Boys have a penis, and girls have an agenda!"
-Hank Nichols, age 3 (some 8 years ago)
Buzz Nichols is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:49 PM   #19
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Picton,Ont, Can.
Posts: 1,956
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GMC
Engine: Cat 3116
Rated Cap: 72
I was just reading where an hour of engine idling equates to 43 miles driven.


If that is true, how many idling hours has that one seen?


Don't see any blood or bullet holes though



John
__________________
Question everything!
BlackJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2019, 04:53 PM   #20
Bus Geek
 
Jolly Roger bus 223's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
Posts: 2,973
Year: 86
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
No? I have been looking into 8.3 cummins to upgrade my 8.2 pincher and all I get/see is v-blocks?
Is the 8.3 a v-block?
Jolly Roger bus 223 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:23 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.