Is this cheap broken bus worth fixing?

[Ajbriss]

Hi guys, noob here so I apologize if this post is not in the right thread.

I recently got interested in buying or converting a van or bus into a living space so I can go on short road trips. I live in Southern New Hampshire and go up to the White Mountains every weekend. It's a couple hundred miles but I will spend 3 days there at a time and go hiking.

Anyways, I've been doing some research and looking around online and found a bus for $2500 bucks that's already converted however the owner is saying it is not in working condition. Ive emailed him asking to explain in detail what is the issue and his response is attached in the pictures.
Can someone give me some insight and whether this is worth buying and fixing up? And if so the best way to go about that?

 

[cadillackid]

$2500 is Expensive for a broken bus... sounds like someone ruined it... no idea what the coolant leak was about.. but loud, low opil pressure and lots of shavings says unless you've got a spare motor laying around and he'd take $500 for it id run.. you can get a nice running bus for $2500...

 

[weboughtabus]

Besides the mechanical issues that I'll let someone else weigh in on, my concern would be the level of "converting" done. This appears to still have the original bus ceiling and interior skin in it, which would make me think that this bus wasn't really insulated or sealed up from leaks. Almost all emergency hatches leak, so I'd be concerned about moisture in the ceiling that was ignored. If they skipped that, I'd wonder whether they took up the original flooring to check for and treat any rust, water or mold issues down there, too.

 

[ermracing]

Sounds like a new/rebuilt engine is needed, plus the unknown rust issues with a New England bus. We looked south (VA/NC/GA) for our bus and scored a nice rust free one for not much more than what they are asking for this one. Granted, it wasn't converted, but you need the solid platform to start with.

(We're about 45 minutes north of Keene and grew up in Nashua.)