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Old 08-15-2020, 08:32 PM   #1
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Starter cost ?

What was spent on purchase of bus and what did u get ?

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Old 08-15-2020, 08:47 PM   #2
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Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
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Year: 1999
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Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
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I bought 5 buses in the last 2 years, from $900-$3500. The $900 one I pulled the wheels and tires and scrapped the rest for $1300. The $3500 one I went to Butte, MT. for, a 99 International Genesis, with Dt466/3060, with 250k miles. It is the best choice if seen in 3 years. It's my keeper. I almost bid on a 2000 model of the same bus last week on GovDeals. in Ark. I shied away after the garage told me it would make it to Atl., but it probably would need a head gasket. It sat at $900 till the last day and sold for $1895. Pre 04 buses are definitely getting rarer, it was the only one there.
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Old 08-15-2020, 09:20 PM   #3
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Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
in my opinion right now isnt as great time to buy.. sure there are some deals out there however the RV / skoolie / camping hobby has taken a huge lift with social distancing and staying away form crowded places beinbg the 'in' thing.. granted not as many exporters are coming to the USA to get busses right now, however they are recruiting people to drive busses to the ports for them whereas a couple months agio they werent.. so im seeing auction prices bid up a bit.. not as many school are selling units. schools that are opening are often reducing the number of students on busses and requiring sanitizing between routes.. I know of at least a couple systems where busses are run on a trip and returned to the garage for sanitizing and the driver takes a spare to go run the next route.. this means districts are running older busses (that still pass inspection) which may have otherwise been sold..

-Christopher
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Old 08-15-2020, 10:20 PM   #4
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Location: Ohio
Posts: 137
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American
Engine: Cummins 8.3
I bought an '03 Bluebird All American, Cummins 8.3L pusher with an Allison MD3060 for $2,500. They were asking $3,000 for it but it's a bit rusty (from a northern Ohio school) so i talked them down some.
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Old 08-16-2020, 05:30 PM   #5
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O1marc -Sounds like u have the ability to move them ,the space to salvage what u can use and to scrap them. Not the case 4 me, I have an area but. One would take up 1/2 my driveway. Good luck with your build & thank u 4 the response.
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Old 08-16-2020, 05:34 PM   #6
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Cadillackid-I Yes, figured this aswell. Trying not to unnecessarily spend the money that would have been designated for items of the build. Thank u 4 ur response.
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Old 08-16-2020, 06:14 PM   #7
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Aswallie- Found same bus but, maybe sum more items w/it & now trying to figure what to offer. Here’s what I found from private seller. Would love to hear ur opinion and anyone else’s for an offer.
This 2003 Bluebird Bus G.V.W.R 36,200 Features:

-8.3L Cummings Engine (Powerful Pusher- Great Condition)
-116K Miles (Low Mileage Bus)
- 6 Speed Allison Transmission (Smooth/Shifts Great)
-47 Passengers (Individual Cloth Seating, No Benches)
-Air Ride Suspension
-Air Brakes ( 2 Tanks in Great Condition)
-Retarder Braking
-30 gal. Fresh Water Tank w/ Lock
-Carrier AC/Heater
-3 pass thru Compartments w/ Locks & Lights
-Tires Very Good Condition
-New Windshield Wiper Blades
-4 New Brakes Pads/Rotors ( Installed 9/2019 & only put 500 Hwy miles on it)
-New Exhaust Muffler( Installed 9/2019)
-Cummins Onan 12KW Diesel Generator (Under 150 hrs of use on it!!)
-Diamond Plate Floor
-AM/FM CD Radio (NO TVs- Sorry)
-7 Exterior Flood Lights For Boarding/Unloading Passengers and Luggage
-Recent Tune up/Oil Change Done 500 Miles Ago (9/2019)
-Front/ Rear Cameras, with 9" monitor
- Width 8 FT., Length 40 FT. & Height 10.5 FT.
-3 Top Carrier AC/Heating units
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Old 08-16-2020, 09:45 PM   #8
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Location: St. Louis
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Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas 4-Window
Chassis: 2003 Ford E350
Engine: 7.3L Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 6
4-window Thomas short bus with wheelchair door/lift on a 2003 Ford E350 dually cut-away chassis (7.3L Powerstroke diesel)

Relatively rust free
Tinted windows all around
Rear A/C and heater
145,000 miles
$3275
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Old 08-16-2020, 10:44 PM   #9
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Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 34
'97 IH 3800, DT466E, Spicer 5 sp, 180K miles.
Surface rust on floor and leaf springs.
Checked all my boxes except high roof.
$3800
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Old 08-17-2020, 01:05 AM   #10
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Year: 1986
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach
Engine: Cummins 350 big cam
Rated Cap: 86 passengers?
I have bought a total of three Crown Buses in the time frame between 2004 and 2019. My first is a 1981 Crown that I drove away and put 500 miles on it the first day. I paid about $2385 on eBay from the state of Washington. My second was an inoperable 1973 Crown for $510 on eBay from Salinas Ca. school district. I had it towed to a friends house and removed a bunch of parts, then scrapped it. My last is a 1986 Crown tandem axle I bought in Salinas from a private party for $3000 and drove it away about 500 miles to home in Ore.


I am in the process of converting the 86 model to a motor home. I ended up having to replace the engine on the 86 and now have a Cummins Big Cam 400 installed, with 3.42 gear ratio (changed from 4.10). I will be starting a thread to document my build and my process for design and construction.
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Old 08-18-2020, 09:04 AM   #11
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Flattracker- Thanks for the response,love the Crown look and Best of luck with your build.
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Old 08-18-2020, 09:15 AM   #12
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Location: Wake Forest NC
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Chassis: Vista 3600
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 24000 lbs
I bought a clapped out E-350 Shuttlebus that "wouldn't start" for $500 and it ended up just being a **** battery was the issue.

I put a new battery in it, and it started and ran great, so I sold it for $3000 as I wanted a larger truck chassis... a true school bus and not a fiberglass shuttle

I then used the profits and bought the 1998 Thomas Vista 7 window for $3500 off FB marketplace from a fellow that has a part time dealership selling trucks... this bus was an auction buy (likely $1500) but it had brand new tires, air ride, cruise control, no rust, clean clean and full of new parts including a reman transmission.



however it was the AT545. So I bought ANOTHER bus for $2300, stole the better Allison 2000 transmission (also a new reman) out of it and put it in the Vista, and put my AT545 in the "donor bus" and re-sold it for $2500


I've spent about $1500 on my conversion I would imagine in camera's, inverter, genny, etc.



so I think I am into mine so far for around $5k ish

I agree not a good time to buy.. junk even is double what it was last year. I bought my bus in oct 2019
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Old 08-18-2020, 12:25 PM   #13
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC RE
Engine: 8.3 Cummins MD3060
Rated Cap: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by Runt View Post
Aswallie- Found same bus but, maybe sum more items w/it & now trying to figure what to offer. Here’s what I found from private seller. Would love to hear ur opinion and anyone else’s for an offer.
This 2003 Bluebird Bus G.V.W.R 36,200 Features:

-8.3L Cummings Engine (Powerful Pusher- Great Condition)
-116K Miles (Low Mileage Bus)
- 6 Speed Allison Transmission (Smooth/Shifts Great)
-47 Passengers (Individual Cloth Seating, No Benches)
-Air Ride Suspension
-Air Brakes ( 2 Tanks in Great Condition)
-Retarder Braking
-30 gal. Fresh Water Tank w/ Lock
-Carrier AC/Heater
-3 pass thru Compartments w/ Locks & Lights
-Tires Very Good Condition
-New Windshield Wiper Blades
-4 New Brakes Pads/Rotors ( Installed 9/2019 & only put 500 Hwy miles on it)
-New Exhaust Muffler( Installed 9/2019)
-Cummins Onan 12KW Diesel Generator (Under 150 hrs of use on it!!)
-Diamond Plate Floor
-AM/FM CD Radio (NO TVs- Sorry)
-7 Exterior Flood Lights For Boarding/Unloading Passengers and Luggage
-Recent Tune up/Oil Change Done 500 Miles Ago (9/2019)
-Front/ Rear Cameras, with 9" monitor
- Width 8 FT., Length 40 FT. & Height 10.5 FT.
-3 Top Carrier AC/Heating units
That is quite the list of extras. It sounds like it was a bookmobile, or a blood donation bus. I would expect to see a price tag of at least $10K, but more likely $15-$20K. If you could get it for $10K
I would consider it a bargain. If I were selling it I wouldn't go any less than 10, but try hard for 15. It all depends on what they are asking and the actual shape it is in, and what you are willing to pay.
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Old 08-18-2020, 01:49 PM   #14
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I would say the bus prices are higher like all rv things during the summer.
But the covid-19 generated interest in rv/bus housing isn't going away, likely to continue to increase. Still good deals out there, but oh my how I cringe at what some people ask for things these days.
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Old 08-19-2020, 05:27 PM   #15
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Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American
Engine: Cummins 8.3
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackE View Post
That is quite the list of extras. It sounds like it was a bookmobile, or a blood donation bus. I would expect to see a price tag of at least $10K, but more likely $15-$20K. If you could get it for $10K
I would consider it a bargain. If I were selling it I wouldn't go any less than 10, but try hard for 15. It all depends on what they are asking and the actual shape it is in, and what you are willing to pay.
I'd second that. I would consider what i got at a steal at my price, this is a lot of really good extras. If it's rust free it's a dream check list.
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Old 08-25-2020, 02:33 PM   #16
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Bus sold...not to me. Starting over...Again ��. Thanks everyone for ur input and look forward to reading urs and others builds.
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Old 08-26-2020, 08:26 AM   #17
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Location: Michigan
Posts: 15
Year: 2009
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American FE
Engine: Cummins isb
Rated Cap: 59 +/-
Just purchased

I just purchased a 2009 Bluebird FE with recent service and new tires for $8,600 out the door. I felt the servicing and tires were worth the additional money. Bus has 159k miles and is 30 ft bumper to bumper
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Old 08-26-2020, 08:38 AM   #18
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Newer items with service records and lower mileage��. Hopefully it’s close to home for transportation and safe travels. Good luck in adventures and memories.
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Old 08-26-2020, 09:35 AM   #19
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Year: 1996
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Chassis: Ford B
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 12v
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96 ford 35' 10 window dog nose with a 12v 5.9 cummins 5 speed manual and a 2 speed rear end. Kept inside and rust free for $2750.
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Old 08-26-2020, 10:34 AM   #20
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Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aswallie View Post
I bought an '03 Bluebird All American, Cummins 8.3L pusher with an Allison MD3060 for $2,500. They were asking $3,000 for it but it's a bit rusty (from a northern Ohio school) so i talked them down some.
Nice equipment. Have you thought of naming it "The Rusty Grail"?
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