1970 - 24 Foot International --- 21K Original Miles!

[Aces11]

Hi Everyone,
I ended up snagging a 1970 International School Bus at an auction and don't know very much about them! I feel like I got a great deal, and a very rare find due to the miles and condition. Any input would be great, can't seem to find much info about them online. What's something like this worth?
It has a few broken windows and some minor cosmetic issues inside. But it's all original, starts immediately and runs great! No rust, body looks great, paint job about 15 years old.

345 V8
5 Speed
21K Original miles
Runs great

(Can't seem to upload pictures right now, will try tomorrow with different pics)

[Brad_SwiftFur]

The 345's were used in the pickups all the way up to school buses and medium duty trucks. Good engines, but not known for good fuel economy. I would expect 3-4 MPG on the road and maybe a bit less running around town.

[cowlitzcoach]

Outside of fire service vehicles I can't say I have ever seen any medium duty vehicle as old as your bus with so few miles. I am inclined to think it has gone all the way around than to believe it is only 21,000 miles.

Back in the day our 10-row buses with the SV345/5-speeds normally averaged 6-9 MPG on route. The differences were usually due to flat routes vs. hill routes. The 47 MPH buses got better fuel mileage on routes than the 57 MPH buses. The savings were not enough to put up with going so slow on the highway.

[Aces11]

Hey guys,
Thanks for the info! Wow, I sure hope it gets at least 5 mpg! ha
And Cowlitzcoach, I was guessing the same thing, but if you were to see it you would believe the 21k miles. I also spoke with the original owner who bought it in 1985 with 15K miles. The park service used it before he bought it, and he didn't do much with it at all. in 2000 he donated it to a local church who used it to pick people up on sunday to go to church, so they only put 6k miles on it over the next 10 years or so. Hasn't been used much since, and only started up once a month or so. The church donated it to the auction, where I found it. Pretty wild huh?

[Aces11]

I couldn't upload any pictures, but you can click on the link. Check it out!

Postimage.org / gallery - 20160604 162650, 20160604 162718, 20160604 162730, 20160604 162743

[Carytowncat]

Ahh that must have been your picture i commented on earlier. Wow what a looker she is. Congrats on it choosing you

[Aces11]

So I have it in storage for now, but was wondering how tough it is to install things like a generator / propane tank / water tank hidden under the body and frame?

[Mark_In_MA]

Originally Posted by Aces11

So I have it in storage for now, but was wondering how tough it is to install things like a generator / propane tank / water tank hidden under the body and frame?

The good news is that tanks can be found in various shapes and sizes, so you can find one that will fit.

Generators. . . . .not so much.

How big is the bus, and how big is the generator? I might be tempted to try and squeeze it in behind the rear axle on your bus (since you've got almost no overhang, ground clearance shouldn't be a problem.)

[2kool4skool]

Good find.

[Twitchy]

I'm loving them rear windows!

[Aces11]

Thanks guys, yeah it's quite the find I think! I'm thinking the first project needs to be a rv style air conditioner and generator to run on. How much would you have in something like this?

[cowlitzcoach]

Not sure exactly what your question is exactly.

Used RV gensets that have come out of wrecked or parted out RV's can be had all the time for less than $500.00. Most will be large enough to power up an A/C unit.

New gensets that are large enough to run an A/C unit will start about $500.00 and go up from there.

Roof top RV A/C units can be purchased for $500.00-$1,000.00.

Window or portable A/C units can be purchased for $100.00-$500.00.

Split A/C units can be purchase for as little as $700.00.

[Aces11]

Thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very much for the info. And yes, it sure would be nice to be able to tuck it away in the back!