1984 Eagle Bus

[EastCoastCB]

Polish the shiny stuff, paint the painted stuff.

Make SURE the rear suspension is 100% awesome or it could cost you HUGE $$$. Once the torsion bars wear out you have to fabricate a totally new rear suspension.

[RRRVBUS]

the Upkeep on something that size takes a few bucks. Some folks will run it till they can’t afford something then park it(just till we can get it fixed) six months to a year later they sell it for nothing because their overwhelmed.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Polish the shiny stuff, paint the painted stuff.

Make SURE the rear suspension is 100% awesome or it could cost you HUGE $$$. Once the torsion bars wear out you have to fabricate a totally new rear suspension.

New tortialastics: Sulastic. REAR TORSILASTIC SPRING FOR EAGLE BUSES

My first bus was a 1980 Eagle 10.

I LOVED that bus and wish that I had never let it go. However, my Bluebird will get 10+ mpg vs the 7.25 mpg that my Eagle got and I can still buy new parts from Bluebird.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

New tortialastics: Sulastic. REAR TORSILASTIC SPRING FOR EAGLE BUSES

My first bus was a 1980 Eagle 10.

I LOVED that bus and wish that I had never let it go. However, my Bluebird will get 10+ mpg vs the 7.25 mpg that my Eagle got and I can still buy new parts from Bluebird.

I'd always heard they were obsolete! Man, that would make them much more viable. I may start looking after the wedding. THANKS!

[Iceni John]

If you're serious about getting that bus, you should invest some time reading all you can about them on the Bus Conversions Magazine (BCM) and Bus Nuts Online (BNO) forums. There's plenty of folk there who have or know lots about Eagles. Because it has been known for some Eagles to occasionally rust a little bit (he says with tongue firmly in cheek), you should check for bulging of body panels that would indicate that steel structure underneath is rotten, and whack any suspect areas to hear if any rust rattles inside or even dribbles out. The Torsilastic suspension is a potential moneypit, but they do ride nice. Make sure the engine has the correct CF-2 rated 40-weight oil in it and nothing else - 15W/40 will kill Detroit 2-strokes eventually. Some body panels may still be available from IBP, so all is not lost if you need a new bay door or something. And check the infamous drop box, the Achilles Heel of Eagles.

Good luck, John

[Miles O Roads]

Originally Posted by brokedown

A big 2-cycle diesel? Some folks swear by those. Detroit Diesel has a pretty good reputation and the 71 series was introduced around the same time they invented trees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Diesel_Series_71

Lol,
May be an old motor but if he paints the top and polishes the bottom it would look like a new one.

[Busdriver11]

CHECK FOR RUST! Eagle is notorious for rust. If it's a southern bus, it shouldn't be as bad as those subjected to all that road salt from up north, but be sure to check the frames and anything you can get to. Eagle was a great bus and had a ride that was unmatched. If you can't find major problems, buy it. If you can't find major problems and don't buy it... call me, I might... LOL! No.. my wife would kill me.

[PNW_Steve]

Most likely would be the 8v71 and Allison HT-740

One thing you really want to be watchful of on the Eagle's is the condition of the Torsilastic's. They take the place of Springs and airbags. That is what make Eagle's the best riding bus on the road.

Here is a thread on how to check them: Checking Eagle Torsilastic

Eagle's are awesome buses.

Here is a link to replacement trosilastics: Sulastic. REAR TORSILASTIC SPRING FOR EAGLE BUSES

[PNW_Steve]

Another note:

Regarding rust, Eagle built a number of buses for NJ Transit that had stainless steel frames (monoque) that largely negated the rust issue.

I sold my 1980 Model 10 (not stainless) in 2006 and it had near zero rust. It spent the first 14 years of its life between Tacoma and Bellingham.

[PNW_Steve]

Just noticed that this is an old thread that got revived.

[davido]

Ever buy it?

I have a 71. It’s HEAVY and long and tall, which creates some logistics issues. We like it though. It was already converted to an RV, but like any Skoolie conversion everything is one off and there’s no owners manual. We got stuck in a parking lot for 15 minutes before we can figure out how to get it in reverse (manual).

I agree with the guy that talked about people buying them and not realizing how much they can cost to upkeep. It’s 1,000,000 mile chassis, but who knows where you’re at in that lifecycle and those parts are cheap. I had to put a clutch and tires on mine immediately. Tire tread was fine, but they were old.

I’m in TX but bought mine in Vegas. Flew out, clutch was bad. I should have paid them to inspect it. I did that with a Porsche outside of Chicago (local Club gave me a shop reference) and that worked out golden. This one was already at a shop (probably towed there with the clutch died), but I didn’t know better back then. Had to rent a suburban for one-way trip ($500/day) to get everyone home. But the next trip was epic.

They’re all diesel to my knowledge. Look is timeless. Some rust here and there but the overall setup is heavy duty. The areas that do you rust are usually square tubing and flat plate, and is not hard to repair if you can fab at all. To me, the body panels and rivets are the hardest part.

Multiple times on a single road trip while towing a big trailer, I was asked who I was driving for. Everybody always thinks somebody famous is inside. It gets a lot of attention at gas stations and on the highway.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by davido

Multiple times on a single road trip while towing a big trailer, I was asked who I was driving for. Everybody always thinks somebody famous is inside. It gets a lot of attention at gas stations and on the highway.

I spent six years traveling the country in my converted 1980 Model 10 and was asked constantly "who is in the bus?". I had a lot of fun with that

[WoodenYouKnowIt]

Maybe I've missed it but I didn't see where anyone said if this bus sold or not.

Does anyone know?

If it is still for sale, I am definitely interested. How could I get in contact with the owner?

[PNW_Steve]

My 1980 Eagle had 900k miles on it when I sold it.

Likely has the 8v71 and either a Spicer 4/5 speed manual or an Allison HT-740 automatic.

A 1984 model 10 with less than 200k miles for $5k..... Either a great deal or there are problems that have not been disclosed.