Thoughts on this bus?

[Sprocket]

http://m.midwesttransit.com/auto/used-1999-international-amtran-swansea-62226-il/11513192/

Ok I've been reading literally ever thread I can for over a week. However I'm still not 100% on the motor/trans/mileage. I'm more of a hands on learner. Everything I see has over 120k miles on it already. Very few places even list the transmission type. Although I don't expect to be flying down the highway, I do want to be able to climb hills at a relatively decent speed.
Thoughts and opinions on this particular bus? Should we be going another direction? We know we want a front engine bus between 35ft-40ft long and plan on full timing.

[Princess]

A bit deeper into this. What's the average life of the buses? What sort of mileage should we be looking at?

[EastCoastCB]

Basic, low powered bus in the rust belt.

[Sprocket]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Basic, low powered bus in the rust belt.

Suggestion on which direction to go or where to look? I know from reading online I should be looking for a dt466 but most of what I see on line with decent miles is a T444e.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

Suggestion on which direction to go or where to look? I know from reading online I should be looking for a dt466 but most of what I see on line with decent miles is a T444e.

Dude you're out west. Look further west. What about the Gillig on Ebay, man?
If I were in your region, I'd be all over that.
You're out where there are amazing buses, don't go for the swill.

[Sprocket]

I'll check eBay and look farther west. What's your opinion on miles and trans?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

I'll check eBay and look farther west. What's your opinion on miles and trans?

I don't really go by miles. Condition and hours are where its at.
Transmissions- I avoid the 545. Been there, done that, and hated the way it drove. I'd take ANY other commonly available transmission and be content.

[Princess]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I don't really go by miles. Condition and hours are where its at.
Transmissions- I avoid the 545. Been there, done that, and hated the way it drove. I'd take ANY other commonly available transmission and be content.

What do you mean by hours?

Edit: never mind haha. Sprocket just explained the hours deal to me.

[EastCoastCB]

For instance- my bus runs pretty amazingly with 250,000 miles on it. Burns less oil than my newish subaru.

[Sprocket]

Looking at busses in our area keep seeing mxxforced dt or mxxforced 7. I never heard of either. Any knowledge on these motors?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

Looking at busses in our area keep seeing mxxforced dt or mxxforced 7. I never heard of either. Any knowledge on these motors?

must be newer stuff.
I've heard lots of Maxxforce horror stories.
I like old mechanical engines like my 92's DT466.

[EastCoastCB]

Really cant go wrong with this one. I was bidding but I'm too broke to go any further. Feelin froggy??

[Carytowncat]

The right bus will find you two when the time is right lol
That's how it magically works; we look and look and research and research and look and look and compare and look and research and look, and then one day it appears out of the blue. Don't try and understand it, it's not logical, it's like how you two found each other. It just happens one day.

[Sprocket]

Which one i don't see a link

[Princess]

Originally Posted by Carytowncat

The right bus will find you two when the time is right lol
That's how it magically works; we look and look and research and research and look and look and compare and look and research and look, and then one day it appears out of the blue. Don't try and understand it, it's not logical, it's like how you two found each other. It just happens one day.

I shoved him in the friendzone for two years. Maybe our bus is down the street and we just can't even tell how awesome it is. Haha thank you Carytowncat. You're very right. The buy is a little down the road, we just want to be prepared and have some technical knowledge. Don't want to accidentally friend zone our bus.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Sprocket

Which one i don't see a link

Its a DREAM of a bus.
Public Surplus: Auction #1661224

3.73 rear axle, 643 trans, klam retarder, rudd auto tire chains, underside storage bays, and the highest hp version of what has to be one of THE last mechanical DT466's made. Its really as awesome a bus as I'd ever hope for and not too many ever sold with that setup. A field trip bus for field trips in the Rockies. Low miles, nice shape.

[bread519]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Its a DREAM of a bus.
Public Surplus: Auction #1661224

3.73 rear axle, 643 trans, klam retarder, rudd auto tire chains, underside storage bays, and the highest hp version of what has to be one of THE last mechanical DT466's made. Its really as awesome a bus as I'd ever hope for and not too many ever sold with that setup. A field trip bus for field trips in the Rockies. Low miles, nice shape.

Exact same set up as mine, i wish I had the 3.73 gearing though. I might snap and swap mine eventually though. How do you know it has that rear end? Did you go look at it? And it has chains, so most likely has rust

[bread519]

Scratch that it's from Colorado like mine. They don't use salt

[BusFiend]

$2600 is pretty good for this bus. I'd go as high as $3500. The spoiler has to be worth $500! Don't knock the spoiler though. The back of the bus can get NASTY in bad weather...

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Its a DREAM of a bus.
Public Surplus: Auction #1661224

3.73 rear axle, 643 trans, klam retarder, rudd auto tire chains, underside storage bays, and the highest hp version of what has to be one of THE last mechanical DT466's made. Its really as awesome a bus as I'd ever hope for and not too many ever sold with that setup. A field trip bus for field trips in the Rockies. Low miles, nice shape.

[bread519]

There another one up too. Has the 210hp version tho. But still has all the goodies