Do you have an unfinished skoolie?

[Kitty-SKO]

We are looking to start a skoolie for our family! I thought it would be responsible to try to find an unfinished skoolie as opposed to starting a new one from scratch.
We are willing to travel, but we’d like to stay in the Midwest area, so we can road trip it.
We are a family of 4 +pup and cats, so we need a big guy, but other than that we don’t have any real preferences yet.
Any advice would be welcomed as well

 

[o1marc]

This just came up posted here:

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f14/1998-thomas-cummins-78-pass-29351.html#post358714

Look through the classifieds here, there's always unfinished projects being offered.
We should have a separate thread "Life Changes Forcing Unfinished Skoolie Project Sale."

 

[Kitty-SKO]

That’s an awesome idea!! I have been trying to navigate and look through everything on sale here, but I don’t want a finished skoolie or a new bus. I want one that I can still modify and lay it out the way I need for us, take over a project someone can’t finish. It’s hard to sift through everything.

 

[Gilligs/Crowns and Parts]

We are looking to start a skoolie for our family! I thought it would be responsible to try to find an unfinished skoolie as opposed to starting a new one from scratch.
We are willing to travel, but we’d like to stay in the Midwest area, so we can road trip it.
We are a family of 4 +pup and cats, so we need a big guy, but other than that we don’t have any real preferences yet.
Any advice would be welcomed as well

The best schoolie ever built is a Gillig. I am sure of this, I owned about 40 of them and 40 Crowns, and some B700 Fords, Waynes, IHC's, GMC's, Chevies, Carpenters, etc. and my personal bus was a 1969 Gillig with a V8 CAT and Spicer 5 speed manual.

Call or write to AL JENNINGS on the Facebook Gillig page. I'm pretty much just parts now, but Al has several new buses about every month lately. I can't vouch for him personally as we haven't done business, but my instincts say he is a Straight Shooter.

Here is the page, please join. https://www.facebook.com/groups/147836802089192/

It also has a name: Gillig Classic School Bus

Any more questions just call me at (559) 251-3814 up to midnite seven days a week.

Patrick Young
Wheelchair Project
Fresno, CA
28 years of bus work, 53 years on everything else.

 

[Kitty-SKO]

Thank you I’m tryna find a partial convert, not a new bus.

 

[JustKip]

Thank you I’m tryna find a partial convert, not a new bus.

I know Al Jennings. He doesn't deal in New buses. he buys and reconditions used Crowns and Gilligs, which are widely considered the best. Right now Al has a 35' Crown with a freshly rebuilt 6V-71N and 5 speed manual trans. But it is still 100% mint condition school bus.

I don't know the guy posting as "Gilligs/Crowns and parts", but Al Jennings is a great guy, and has top shelf restored Crowns and Gilligs. Never Skoolies, partial or full.

 

[PatrickBaptist]

My 2 cents, stay away from any bus with a Allison AT545, you say you want a big bus, well those transmissions aren't tough at all and don't put up with alot before burning up crapping out. They don't have lock up converters and no over drive.
Last;t I'd avoid any bus made after 2004, the emissions junk when it fails will only make things more costly to fix and can easily lead to needing a early engine rebuild when they fail and they will fail. EGRs aren't the worst, but DPFs are an unholy nightmare waiting to ruin your fun.

Good engines to have would be 8.3 Cummaparts and IH DT466 or DT530 would be the better ones to find that are more reasonable price wise to work on with good amount of power. Good trans to look for would be Allison MT643/647 2000 series, MD3060, or B300 and B500s for slush boxes. I've got a MD3060 and it has a built in retarder which I really like.
Rear engine buses are quieter so you can talk with your riders/family and you don't get any of the heat up front either. But this all depends on what your wants and preferences are.
When looking at a bus spend time and look carefully under all the flooring for rust, I've seen on here how some people wound up buying a rust bucket. Same for the frame, make sure it's not suffering cancer.
If the seller tells you "it's got a million mile engine" then walk away, they are just praying you are clueless.

 

[PatrickBaptist]

My 2 cents, stay away from any bus with a Allison AT545, you say you want a big bus, well those transmissions aren't tough at all and don't put up with alot before burning up crapping out. They don't have lock up converters and no over drive.
Last;t I'd avoid any bus made after 2004, the emissions junk when it fails will only make things more costly to fix and can easily lead to needing a early engine rebuild when they fail and they will fail. EGRs aren't the worst, but DPFs are an unholy nightmare waiting to ruin your fun.

Good engines to have would be 8.3 Cummaparts and IH DT466 or DT530 would be the better ones to find that are more reasonable price wise to work on with good amount of power. Good trans to look for would be Allison MT643/647 2000 series, MD3060, or B300 and B500s for slush boxes. I've got a MD3060 and it has a built in retarder which I really like.
Rear engine buses are quieter so you can talk with your riders/family and you don't get any of the heat up front either. But this all depends on what your wants and preferences are.
When looking at a bus spend time and look carefully under all the flooring for rust, I've seen on here how some people wound up buying a rust bucket. Same for the frame, make sure it's not suffering cancer.
If the seller tells you "it's got a million mile engine" then walk away, they are just praying you are clueless.

Welcome to the forum and the fun, happy hunting.

 

[Alan N]

The best schoolie ever built is a Gillig. I am sure of this, I owned about 40 of them and 40 Crowns, and some B700 Fords, Waynes, IHC's, GMC's, Chevies, Carpenters, etc. and my personal bus was a 1969 Gillig with a V8 CAT and Spicer 5 speed manual.

Call or write to AL JENNINGS on the Facebook Gillig page. I'm pretty much just parts now, but Al has several new buses about every month lately. I can't vouch for him personally as we haven't done business, but my instincts say he is a Straight Shooter.

Here is the page, please join. https://www.facebook.com/groups/147836802089192/

It also has a name: Gillig Classic School Bus

Any more questions just call me at (559) 251-3814 up to midnite seven days a week.

Patrick Young
Wheelchair Project
Fresno, CA
28 years of bus work, 53 years on everything else.

Patrick Young!
Glad to see that you are still up and running!

 

[ComfortEagle]

Patrick Young!
Glad to see that you are still up and running!

It's good to see someone here on the forum who knows Patrick. Did you buy one of your Gilligs from him?

 

[Alan N]

It's good to see someone here on the forum who knows Patrick. Did you buy one of your Gilligs from him?

Yes. It was quite the experience.
The old Gillig is still chugging away.
Patrick is a good guy.

 

[Kitty-SKO]

Thank you for all the advise!!! It’s hard to sort this out if you don’t speak mechanic.

 

[simpletradition]

What state are you located in, Kitty?

 

[herbali]

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f14/1990-crown-supercoach-series-ii-29179.html

Please take a look at our unfinished 1990 Crown Supercoach Series II. I would say probably the best bus you could build a skoolie on and all of the hardwork is done. Please let me know if you are interested, i bought this bus from Al in California and drove it home last year.

 

[studdz]

https://joplin.craigslist.org/for/d/strafford-school-bus-ready-for/6994956444.html

 

[fishbone1@att.net]

Hi I have a 1990 Crown 40' Supercoach on this site. Let me know it you want more information.
Thank you
Tim

 

[Triskite]

make sure to check Craigslist. when we were shopping I found a ton of unfinished conversions. it's funny too because in a lot of ways the demo and floor is the worst /hardest part.

 

[Drew Bru]

make sure to check Craigslist. when we were shopping I found a ton of unfinished conversions. it's funny too because in a lot of ways the demo and floor is the worst /hardest part.

It seems like a lot of people throw in the towel after they demo the interior, then decide that "life changes" are forcing them to sell. We happily paid someone to demo the interior so we didn't get burned out and end up having life changes ourselves.

 

[Kitty-SKO]

What state are you located in, Kitty?

I’m in Kansas

 

[Kitty-SKO]

make sure to check Craigslist. when we were shopping I found a ton of unfinished conversions. it's funny too because in a lot of ways the demo and floor is the worst /hardest part.

I’ve been looking at Craig’s list. I just feel a bit overwhelmed just trying to find one. It’s like I want one now.. but I don’t wanna get caught up in it and get a rust bucket..