Some brits bought a shorty!

[Old Tin Legs]

Hi,

We're April and Ed - a couple of Brits living in Philly. After much deliberation we've finally joined the club and bought a 5 window 2003 E450 7.3 Diesel. Really we wanted a bigger bus but Philly isn't really very bus friendly if you don't have the benefit of somewhere discrete to park.

For our current situation this fits the bill perfectly - hopefully a quicker transformation, less of an investment in materials and easier accessibility to places we want to see. As foreigners here we want to make more of our free time in the future and see some more of the country. Got a nice road trip to pick it up too so both looking forward to that. Just hope it makes it back ok.

Anyway, hoping this is a cool little adventure we've just started - and will aim to share some progress on the build if of interest.

Take it easy

A & E

[JackE]

Originally Posted by Old Tin Legs

Anyway, hoping this is a cool little adventure we've just started - and will aim to share some progress on the build if of interest.

Take it easy

A & E

Any build is of interest to us!

Welcome, to the bus community and the country. Hopefully the political turmoil we are experiencing doesn't sour you on us too badly.

My best friend from childhood is a Brit, his parents moved here when he was 3. I had a great experience learning about the cultural differences.

Looks like you have a good solid platform to get started with. The 7.3L is a great power plant. Looking forward to seeing what you create.

Jack

[cadillackid]

I love all bus projects!! and the 7.3 ford is a great choice.. take care of it and it will troop anywhere that you want it to!!

[musigenesis]

Welcome, nice to see fellow skooliers in Philly.

[Old Tin Legs]

Thanks for the kind welcome to the community and the country April certainly chose an interesting time to start her PhD 3 years ago.

Yep hoping we have a decent example of the 7.3. Did our research and kept seeing people saying good things about that engine (if it's been looked after of course). Def not happy with the manner in which we bought it (unseen via auction) but figured it wasn't a huge outlay so a semi calculated risk. We're both just expecting lots that needs doing so we're not disappointed if that's the case. I like tinkering and fixing so usually try and justify repairs as excuses to understand the vehicle better. We shall see.

[Old Tin Legs]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Welcome, nice to see fellow skooliers in Philly.

Where are you in Philly? I was out cycling in E Mount Airy the other night and to my delight saw a big old box faced bus parked up in a residential area with the words "Say yes to the bus" stencilled on the front and side. Thats not you by any chance?

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Old Tin Legs

Where are you in Philly? I was out cycling in E Mount Airy the other night and to my delight saw a big old box faced bus parked up in a residential area with the words "Say yes to the bus" stencilled on the front and side. Thats not you by any chance?

Ha, that is not me by any chance. I live in the SW burbs.

[musigenesis]

If you need some welding or riveting, I'm down to help.

[EastCoastCB]

What sort of Brits are you? My wife's a Scot.

[Old Tin Legs]

Hey sorry I didn't see your message! We're English (the worst kind of Brit ). Where is your wife from? Scotland is really beautiful.

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

What sort of Brits are you? My wife's a Scot.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Old Tin Legs

Hey sorry I didn't see your message! We're English (the worst kind of Brit ). Where is your wife from? Scotland is really beautiful.

She's a Weegie from Glasgow. One of the worst parts of Britannia.

[Native]

Dying to know ... Have you picked up the bus yet? If not, when? If so, pictures?

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

What sort of Brits are you? My wife's a Scot.

Interesting that this comes up... My family name has been changed somewhere along the line, but I found out at some point it was once Colyer. Not sure why it was changed, but in researching my family tree years ago, I remember some mention of Scot or Irish. You folks have any ideas what this name's origins truly are, or if it could be either?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON

Interesting that this comes up... My family name has been changed somewhere along the line, but I found out at some point it was once Colyer. Not sure why it was changed, but in researching my family tree years ago, I remember some mention of Scot or Irish. You folks have any ideas what this name's origins truly are, or if it could be either?

Your ancestors were likely coal miners. That's what a colyer was.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Your ancestors were likely coal miners. That's what a colyer was.

I had read that somewhere, but I was thinking the name itself had Scottish or Irish origins.

[Old Tin Legs]

Originally Posted by Native

Dying to know ... Have you picked up the bus yet? If not, when? If so, pictures?

So, yes we've picked up the bus, was a 1900 mile round trip for us but it seemed like the right thing to do. Thankfully it made it back. Just managed to get the seats out at this stage - bolt on so two person job, April with the impact driver and me underneath with a wrench getting covered in Tennessee dust. Currently weighing up the best registration options at the moment but discussing that in another thread.

Hope I've managed to get some pics for you here - for some reason my laptop isn't liking the add image feature. Seems to work on the preview. Walmart pic was where I chose to do an oil change. Managed to get everything I needed for a complete, zero spill oil change (oil, filter, drainage pan, funnel, gloves etc)

[Old Tin Legs]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

She's a Weegie from Glasgow. One of the worst parts of Britannia.

Ha - I'm sure there's worst places in the UK than Glasgow. Well I've never been there so I can't comment based on experience but I have an aunt who lives there and she doesn't always paint the prettiest picture of the part in which she lives. It was awarded City of Culture some years back if I recall correctly so can't be all bad.

I'm interested though, when you first met....did you have trouble understanding her accent? I'm usually pretty good but I know a lot of folks have trouble understanding it. But saying that I find I have to repeat myself a lot here in Philly as most peeps don't expect me to sound like I do.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Not to hijack the thread, but speaking of accents, I have always liked the Aussie / Brit / Scot accents, not to mention the lingo... Funny story from my taxi days...

I had one of those synthesized fart machines you get from gag shops like Spencer's and such. It was remote controlled and I had it inside a cup like a megaphone to make it a little louder and ensure it would be heard. Then I hid it in a box under the third row seat in my van. It was a riot, especially when it started fights...

Anyway, I had a group of Brits one night, and the ladies in the center row began laying into the poor guy on the third row after about the third press of the button... "JESUS CHRIST, Joey, d'ya sit on a DUCK, or somethin'?!"

He, of course, had already caught on and was trying to clue them in... "It 'snot ME, he's up thah in the FRONT seat doing it."

They weren't having it. "OH, piss off, ya wanker, how's HE gonna pop off in the BACK seat from the FRONT?!" By now, I am about to die trying to contain my laughter.

When they reached their destination, I confessed and let the poor guy off the hook. One of the ladies asked me to show her how I was doing it. After two presses of the remote, she laughed, "Oh, piss off..." She'd never seen anything like that before. Ah, good times. The little differences that make the world great...

[JackE]

Originally Posted by Old Tin Legs

I'm interested though, when you first met....did you have trouble understanding her accent? I'm usually pretty good but I know a lot of folks have trouble understanding it. But saying that I find I have to repeat myself a lot here in Philly as most peeps don't expect me to sound like I do.

The Phillies don't have much room to talk when it comes to being understood! I went on vacation back in the '90's to visit my uncle out there. We went out to dinner one night. I had to have him translate what the waitress was saying in her thick Pennsylvania-Dutch accent. I thought I was in a different country!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Old Tin Legs

Ha - I'm sure there's worst places in the UK than Glasgow. Well I've never been there so I can't comment based on experience but I have an aunt who lives there and she doesn't always paint the prettiest picture of the part in which she lives. It was awarded City of Culture some years back if I recall correctly so can't be all bad.

I'm interested though, when you first met....did you have trouble understanding her accent? I'm usually pretty good but I know a lot of folks have trouble understanding it. But saying that I find I have to repeat myself a lot here in Philly as most peeps don't expect me to sound like I do.

She worked really hard on dropping the glaswegian accent and lingo when she moved here. A bit of it remains but far less than one would expect.
I'm into Scottish stuff anyway, and I support Celtic FC, so glaswegian doesn't throw me off a bit.
The various British and Irish accents fascinate me.