I may, or may not, have bought a skoolie

[Digcolnagos]

What's a 5.9 Cummins turbo with low miles worth and why do I ask?

Just put $500 down on a 1998 26-foot Bluebird that has that motor, with $8,500 balance due in a couple days. It has 68k on it. Drives and shifts fantastic. Tires are great. It's already built, with two beds, sink, stove, refrigerator and toilet. Four new deep-cycle batteries. I'd add AC and shower, take out one of the beds and it's done.

My concern is, I didn't check the frame like I should have. There's a fair amount of rust that looked uniform, but I didn't do the close inspection that I should have. I'll bring a hammer when I go to pick it up. I can always back out and call it a $500 lesson learned.

If the frame is in bad shape, it's not necessarily a deal killer. I need a place to live for the next 1-2 years, have a place to park it and never planned on driving it except for a half-hour every month to keep things exercised. I'd pay more in rent than what this costs.

Assuming worst case, the frame's shot, what might the motor, and potentially tranny (I don't know make/model), be worth?

Thanks.

 

[magnakansas]

Sounds like

You put a deposit on a TC2000 or a TC1000. The difference is the kind of rim/tire combination and if it has the smaller diameter wheels, then you don’t have wheel wells. That means a flat floor. A flat floor means a TC1000.

I have a 1994 TC2000 that sounds like the same bus chassis as the one you put a deposit on..

I paid $15,000 I suspect mine had 60,000 miles going round and round in a parking lot as a shuttle bus. Lots of wear on the throttle linkage.


William

 

[Digcolnagos]

You put a deposit on a TC2000 or a TC1000. The difference is the kind of rim/tire combination and if it has the smaller diameter wheels, then you don’t have wheel wells. That means a flat floor. A flat floor means a TC1000.

I have a 1994 TC2000 that sounds like the same bus chassis as the one you put a deposit on..

I paid $15,000 I suspect mine had 60,000 miles going round and round in a parking lot as a shuttle bus. Lots of wear on the throttle linkage.


William

This is it:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k...3cIuaqkJEAZenhNFdeYpw=w645-h860-no?authuser=0

 

[magnakansas]

did not work for me

the link you had in the post did not work for me

william

 

[Digcolnagos]

the link you had in the post did not work for me

william

One more try.

 

[sportyrick]

My old 76 has a rusty frame and it doesn't worry me much because mine is a behemoth, built extra heavy like they did in the 60's and 70's. I would worry more about the crossmembers, floor, front steps, stuff like that. A little rust on the frame wouldn't be a game changer for me.

 

[Digcolnagos]

My old 76 has a rusty frame and it doesn't worry me much because mine is a behemoth, built extra heavy like they did in the 60's and 70's. I would worry more about the crossmembers, floor, front steps, stuff like that. A little rust on the frame wouldn't be a game changer for me.

For the price, I don't mind doing a butt-ton of work removing surface rust from frame/undercarriage and treating. The bus sits high off the ground, which would help. I'll do my best to assess from underneath, but not sure how to be certain of the floor without removing the flooring, which won't be possible.

 

[TheHubbardBus]

Super cute bus. You say the tires are great... what's up with the passenger front in the picture? It looks horrid. Is that just a reflection or some odd play of light?

 

[magnakansas]

i like what i see

the bumper mounted turning lights......

paint job

looks good to me

william

 

[Digcolnagos]

Super cute bus. You say the tires are great... what's up with the passenger front in the picture? It looks horrid. Is that just a reflection or some odd play of light?

Not sure what's up with reflections et al, the tires appear fine in real life. But I think that they're at least seven years old (searched for date stamp but didn't know they're on the inside), so probably no resale value, assuming there is a secondary market for bus tires. For my purposes, they're fine--five hundred miles over two years and not on highway.

Went to pick it up today and it wasn't just exactly perfect. Under terms of the sale agreement, the internal lights have to work before the deal closes (lordy, this is like buying a house). Lights work with power direct from battery, but not via fuse box, so there's a short somewhere. While I was there, crawled underneath with a hammer and it appears/sounds solid, rust wise. Music to my ears.

The sellers seem super cool, stand-up folks. He's going to spend more time on the lights, and I'll be back tomorrow to pick it up.

I am cautiously stoked. Here are interior pictures from the ad: