So you want to buy a bus. Get edjumacated FIRST!!!!

[1catlady]

This is true.

[KOYD]

Thank you, CrazyCal- I am a Skoolie Newbie; I am in the hunt for the “Right Bus” . I have my eye on this 98 Ford -Diesel 7.3 engine with 131k mile on it ($12k) should I pull the trigger? Need advice-Thank you

[EastCoastCB]

Cal and Bansil have been gone for some years now.
This thread ironically was meant to calm down the sectarian stuff with people arguing about politics and religion but now its somehow become a spiderman thread.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

Originally Posted by KOYD

Thank you, CrazyCal- I am a Skoolie Newbie; I am in the hunt for the “Right Bus” . I have my eye on this 98 Ford -Diesel 7.3 engine with 131k mile on it ($12k) should I pull the trigger? Need advice-Thank you

the price seems high to me.
what transmission?
what condition is the body/chassis/tires and overall maitenance?

[TheHubbardBus]

nevermind I was mistaken

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Cal and Bansil have been gone for some years now.
This thread ironically was meant to calm down the sectarian stuff with people arguing about politics and religion but now its somehow become a spiderman thread.

last time i talked to Cal was after we met in late 2019 in san fran.. wonder where he ran off to

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

last time i talked to Cal was after we met in late 2019 in san fran.. wonder where he ran off to

IDK. I last saw him on here selling off some stuff he'd had in storage. Mostly old mercedes stuff.
I actually got the threads confused. I'd thought this was the thread Bansil started about all the bickering. lol

[Sprout.sprocket]

As someone who has built a skoolie in nz and now doing it with a 33ft midbus here (first was 40ft), a couple of notes I've just learnt.

Thomas buses, especially C2 are glued metal boxes. Eg +10000 lanour hours to remove all panels.

Also particulates filters DPF, DEF, that stuff, I know US is crazy on that but some in CA bypass and go straight through but I'm still on the Find A Diesel Mechanic page while playing with my angle grinder on extra spicy thick steel bolts that are all rusted in. Surface rust - but again, time.

Time, or labour hours, is a huge cost factor. Also, a fresh safety doesn't mean it is 100% up to par, I have a rusted through bolt on a driver's seat anchor point, therefore zero anchorage.

Oh and on labour hours, the stuff still in - flashers, signs, WHEELCHAIR ACCESS RAMPS, vandalocks!!! Any alarm actually! The diesel heater, the stuff people cry about in their sleep when they try to do it after watching Instagram posts.

Ok gotta go write a post asking for tool advice help to unseat the glue currently holding the steel panels on my bus ceiling before I get sidetracked again...

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Sprout.sprocket

a fresh safety doesn't mean it is 100% up to par, I have a rusted through bolt on a driver's seat anchor point, therefore zero anchorage.

Yeah, my bus had one seat belt anchor point that was only attached to the flat sheet metal portion of the floor (which was bad enough as is), but that sheet metal was completed rusted out and the plywood above it was rotten, so it would surely have ripped out in a collision. But it looked completely fine since the rubber on top of the floor was intact and the underside was hidden by sprayed-on bed liner.

[Laframboise]

I found a 2001 genesis with DT466E and a MD3060. 65k miles and 5k hours. With auto chains and new tires. A little bit of rust underneath but I don’t think to bad. Price is $5,000. This is my first bus . What do you you all think? Yes or no ?

[Christopher83]

Originally Posted by crazycal

You want to buy a bus? So did we. Before you buy something and come here complaining that it only goes 49mph and you want to go 80, figure it out beforehand. Without singling anyone out, it is getting annoying reading posts every week with someone whining about something they thought would be different.

Rules in bus buying.

1. Understand that you are buying a school bus, not a $400,000 MCI motor coach. Price before conversion.

2. Many of the buses being auctioned off are at the end of their useful life. Choose carefully or you will pay dearly.

3. Know your budget and what it costs to pick up a bus from 2000 miles away. If you find a bus 20 miles away and it is $500 more than a bus 1500 miles away and 149 miles from the closest airport, it is a steal. Don't be a pennywise, pound foolish, tightwad cheapskate and complain about your purchase after the fact. If you are a tightwad, embrace it but don't come here and cry about it.

4. Tires are very expensive. Understand that a bus with good rubber costing $500 more than the same bus with bad rubber is a steal.

5. Rust. IT NEVER SLEEPS!!! Avoid like the plague. Unless you are buying to part it out, I don't see the benefit of buy a bus with rust. I am talking about body cancer not some mild surface rust.

6. Speed. FORGETABOUTIT!!! See Rule 1. There are exceptions to this rule. Cubes, transmission and ratio. If you want a GO FAST BUS, buy a bus with a Cummins 8.3 engine, a MT643 or MD3060 transmission and a 4.10 rearend. End of discussion. I know that some will mention a DT466 engine but the highest HP I have ever seen is a 210hp and the 8.3 engines I have seen are 250. It is best to buy a bus with what you need or want than trying to change it afterwards.

7. Front or rear engine. Your preference. Are you going to haul bikes, canoes, motorcycles, etc? You might want a front engine bus but the are noisier and hotter for the driver. Rear engine is much more quite.

I have more rules but need to run right now. Feel free to add more if you want.

Does anyone in the Dallas area want to buy my school bus doesn't run needs tow I live south of Dallas tx

[ewo1]

Originally Posted by Christopher83

Does anyone in the Dallas area want to buy my school bus doesn't run needs tow I live south of Dallas tx

How far south of Dallas?

Bus specs?

[Christopher83]

05 Ford international 6.0 it's in Venus tx about 30 minutes south of Dallas

[Iscalcrazy]

I just read all 8 pages of this thread. While I started it to give some direction into the purchase of a school bus, I seem to have caused some butthurt.

FOR THAT I APOLOGIZE.

But seriously folks, what is going to happen when the North Koreans invade. Need to toughen up a little. I saw this in a movie so it must be true.