Bought 5 more buses, wife says they must go

[Fyrsail]

OK so the story goes, I was sitting around at Whitehouse Donut shop in Westfield Indiana with a friend, another friend of his joined us and we start talking, the conversation went from mechanical teardown of a 6.0 to him saying ohh you like buses, we are updating our fleet, come see what we have.
With that I got excited.
so I went down and looked, they had 5 up for replacement, I said man I bet I know some people that would like a cheap bus.
he responded with so take them all for one price, much to my wife dismay I took him up on that offer, and when she got home and saw them siting in my yard boy am I in the doghouse.

what I have in my yard right now;

1995 Bluebird TC2000 5.9 cummins AT545 stripped down to metal floors

1998 International Thomas built 3800 DT466e AT545 hydraulic brakes 12 rows

1993 bluebird GM Cat 3116 6.6 liter AT545 11 rows hydraulic brakes

message me on the thread or at f.v.heslin@gmail.com, figured I would pass my good luck on to the forum members.

 

[HomesteadDad]

Prices on them?

OK so the story goes, I was sitting around at Whitehouse Donut shop in Westfield Indiana with a friend, another friend of his joined us and we start talking, the conversation went from mechanical teardown of a 6.0 to him saying ohh you like buses, we are updating our fleet, come see what we have.
With that I got excited.
so I went down and looked, they had 5 up for replacement, I said man I bet I know some people that would like a cheap bus.
he responded with so take them all for one price, much to my wife dismay I took him up on that offer, and when she got home and saw them siting in my yard boy am I in the doghouse.

what I have in my yard right now;

1995 Bluebird TC2000 5.9 cummins AT545 stripped down to metal floors

1998 International Thomas built 3800 DT466e AT545 hydraulic brakes 12 rows

1993 bluebird GM Cat 3116 6.6 liter AT545 11 rows hydraulic brakes

message me on the thread or at f.v.heslin@gmail.com, figured I would pass my good luck on to the forum members.

 

[Fyrsail]

asking 4k for each unit.

 

[o1marc]

Good luck with that.

 

[jjhwick119]

Wrong transmissions and brakes for that price i think. Doesn't really seem like much of a savings

 

[raulaleman84]

ignore my post, miss clicked. ty

 

[Fyrsail]

so make me an offer

I bought these at a good price as stated in the post, I don't know what they are worth as buses but I do know how much I will get for scrap, I just want to help people out who might be looking for a bus, so offer me what they are worth or don't chime in, I will entertain offers.

 

[o1marc]

You think you got a good deal, we don't know. If you paid over $8k for all 5 , you did not get a good deal. typically what you have are $2k buses around here. Salvage they are worth less than half what you're asking.

 

[PNW_Steve]

My $0.02...

I think that those may be $2000 buses AT AUCTION. And we all know that every bus that goes at auction is a good bus. Right Marc?

I think that having the ability to test drive a bus and take it to a mechanic for inspection, before you lay down your $$, reduces risk significantly and adds value.

I would certainly be willing to spend more on a bus that I test drove and had checked by a mechanic than I would bid on the same bus at auction.

If you think $4k is too much then make him an offer that you think is reasonable.

 

[Dog Rescuer]

$4k is not unreasonable - just because a bus can be obtained for less - does not mean buses priced at $3k - $5k are not worth it.
I paid $4,500 for my bus that I was able to test drive. The bus I bought sold for $2,200 at an auction in Georgia to the person I bought it from. I was willing to pay the extra to have it checked out and delivered to my area. Saved me travel up and back - and a lot of unknown.
Auctions seem great - but they are an auction and not a fair priced market. Value is all in the eye of the beholder. I have seen buses similar to mine sell for 2 to 3 times the amount.

As for the transmission - again, to each their own. I know people who live full time in a bus and travel all over and are happy with their transmission.
Some complain - some love it. I hear a lot of negative remarks about my t444e engine - but driving from Utah back to Montana, I averaged 13.23 mpg doing about 57mph - towing my Subaru.

I have no power issues - but I am not trying to go 75 mph uphill.

Be happy with your journey - otherwise the destination is meaningless.

 

[Fyrsail]

thanks pw and dog rescuer

thank you for kicking back a little, but the fact is I'm trying to sell these buses fast so I don't have to find a new home, so all reasonable offers will be pondered over. I'm just hoping I can help someone make a good purchase rather than a gamble at the auction. let me know if you need photos or would like a test drive as I will meet you at the airport and bring you to them here in indy.

 

[o1marc]

Are you willing to accept half what you are offering? If so, I would lower my asking price. If I think an item is worth half what they are asking I won't even bother making an offer. The buses you have, while you may find a buyer at that price, normally would go between $1500 and $2k. I am happy with my bus, but feel I paid more than I wanted, but the purchase was well worth it and I didn't pay but $3500 for air brakes hi way tranny, big motor. If the situation you put yourself in is real you'll need to come way down to keep wifey from booting you. If I were purchasing those buses I would not have paid over $2k for any of them and if buying a group of 5 would expect a much better deal, did you get a deal?

 

[Fyrsail]

ok following the advice, I will lower the asking price to 2200 for quick sale.

 

[o1marc]

ok following the advice, I will lower the asking price to 2200 for quick sale.

Wise decision.

 

[EastCoastCB]

$4k is not unreasonable - just because a bus can be obtained for less - does not mean buses priced at $3k - $5k are not worth it.
I paid $4,500 for my bus that I was able to test drive. The bus I bought sold for $2,200 at an auction in Georgia to the person I bought it from. I was willing to pay the extra to have it checked out and delivered to my area. Saved me travel up and back - and a lot of unknown.
Auctions seem great - but they are an auction and not a fair priced market. Value is all in the eye of the beholder. I have seen buses similar to mine sell for 2 to 3 times the amount.

As for the transmission - again, to each their own. I know people who live full time in a bus and travel all over and are happy with their transmission.
Some complain - some love it. I hear a lot of negative remarks about my t444e engine - but driving from Utah back to Montana, I averaged 13.23 mpg doing about 57mph - towing my Subaru.

I have no power issues - but I am not trying to go 75 mph uphill.

Be happy with your journey - otherwise the destination is meaningless.

View attachment 24794

I've resold a few buses. Something is worth what someone is willing to pay and I've never had a problem tripling my money on buses.
Your 444E does so well because you don't have a 545 and you have 210 hp.
The 175hp ones with 545's aren't even close in comparison.

Op isn't asking crazy money like most resellers so I wish em the best of luck.
He's either got a dealers license or got all the titles left open. If you have to insure, tax, tag, and title them to your name that adds a LOT and he wouldn't be making much money.

I hope no one rags on my when my $1625 "gamble" purchased bus is put up for sale for $7500 or so. Its got LOW miles/hours and I'm gonna paint it and replace some stuff.
May even ask ten G's after looking at the prices on CL for beaten up low spec stuff.

 

[EastCoastCB]

thank you for kicking back a little, but the fact is I'm trying to sell these buses fast so I don't have to find a new home, so all reasonable offers will be pondered over. I'm just hoping I can help someone make a good purchase rather than a gamble at the auction. let me know if you need photos or would like a test drive as I will meet you at the airport and bring you to them here in indy.

If you had one with the engine I'm looking for I'd take you up on that!
Just in case- I'm looking for a clean low miles DT466E From 2001-2003. Preferably with nice tires. I don't care if its rusty, I just want the engine and tires. And the transmission if its not a 545.

 

[Dog Rescuer]

O1marc: Are you planning to make an offer - or just trying to get the guy to lower his price to what you (with little knowledge of the condition of the buses) would like it to be?
Seems fair to ask $4000 or best offer - and let people haggle - versus stepping in and trying to regulate prices for something that is flexible...
How much did it cost you to get the bus for which you paid $3500?

Are you willing to accept half what you are offering? If so, I would lower my asking price. If I think an item is worth half what they are asking I won't even bother making an offer. The buses you have, while you may find a buyer at that price, normally would go between $1500 and $2k. I am happy with my bus, but feel I paid more than I wanted, but the purchase was well worth it and I didn't pay but $3500 for air brakes hi way tranny, big motor. If the situation you put yourself in is real you'll need to come way down to keep wifey from booting you. If I were purchasing those buses I would not have paid over $2k for any of them and if buying a group of 5 would expect a much better deal, did you get a deal?

 

[o1marc]

O1marc: Are you planning to make an offer - or just trying to get the guy to lower his price to what you (with little knowledge of the condition of the buses) would like it to be?
Seems fair to ask $4000 or best offer - and let people haggle - versus stepping in and trying to regulate prices for something that is flexible...
How much did it cost you to get the bus for which you paid $3500?

Not planning on making an offer, Just offering advice garnered from this website. His situation is not one where he can sit on those at $4k when there are literally 100's of like or better buses out there at half the price. I don't know the conditions other than they are from the rust belt, Ind., have undesirable transmissions, less than desirable brake systems. My bus cost me $1500 in fuel to drive it clear across the country and a $320 airfare. But my bus is in a different league than these. I would recommend to him to keep the best one or 2 at $4k and see how long it takes to flip them. I think his decision to lower the price will yield the results he's looking for, the buses gone, profit in his pocket and a happy wife. If wifey ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

 

[Dog Rescuer]

Thanks - I figured it was mostly regurgitated information from a variety of sources about a variety of things.

Not planning on making an offer, Just offering advice garnered from this website. His situation is not one where he can sit on those at $4k when there are literally 100's of like or better buses out there at half the price. I don't know the conditions other than they are from the rust belt, Ind., have undesirable transmissions, less than desirable brake systems. My bus cost me $1500 in fuel to drive it clear across the country and a $320 airfare. But my bus is in a different league than these. I would recommend to him to keep the best one or 2 at $4k and see how long it takes to flip them. I think his decision to lower the price will yield the results he's looking for, the buses gone, profit in his pocket and a happy wife. If wifey ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

 

[leadsled01-SKO]

I would be pissed off at marc if this was my thread. jeesh this gets old marc.

Thanks - I figured it was mostly regurgitated information from a variety of sources about a variety of things.