All you need for me is "Crown" anywhere in the thread title...I do check.
Yes, anything worth having, no rust for instance, will be from CA most likely.
At this time I know of only two possibilities for available Crowns. They are indeed both here in Southern California. One I haven't been able to contact the seller yet, and the other I know the seller very well. They are both 35ft two axle Crowns and if you'd like to contact me I can provide better details after I contact the seller(s?) again. I don't know much yet about each ones details, just general info, and that they are available. I will put you in direct touch with them and not try to carve out a commission or anything like that. The asking price(s) for each one is quite reasonable and something I haven't seen in quite a while.
My only concern is that the buyer be serious enough to actually want to acquire and save the Crown from a fate worse than death. I will offer my help and expertise if you want, to train you in how to take care of and drive a Crown so you can get the most out of it.
You may also want to contact me direct so we can exchange this info privately and I can answer any questions you may have regarding owning and operating a Crown.
mikemcc2k@yahoo.com I'll then send you my phone number.
Take heart Crowns do come up for sale sporadically and with a little bit of patience you can find a good one at a reasonable price.....for a Crown. I can explain to you what that means. It's a good thing, really. But takes some explaining.
You'll find them being listed for $15K - 20K or more by some guys who are badly delusional. Please contact me if you happen to find one of these and find yourself tempted by one of the really high priced Crowns. I'll give you some guidance, and there's a chance I might even know that particular Crown and can be very specific about it's condition. They might even be worth that much IF the overall condition and mechanical components are in tip top repair.....but that's always the real question, isn't it. As for me I'd rather get one real cheap and repair it myself so I KNOW what's been done, rather than take anyone's word for what's been done to repair and rebuild a used, anything really.
Don't be in a hurry to jump on one, they are not always available but the tendency to go for the very first one found can be irresistible. There's good ones around still, and at reasonable prices, and in the long run it's worth it to find the best one you can.
A Crown isn't any harder or inherently more expensive to repair and maintain. They're merely different than any other common school bus design, but they aren't harder to maintain, easier in fact once you get the hang of them and how they're laid out. They are really simple and not complicated, and designed to be repaired as needed and kept on the road and in revenue service. They are built using true heavy duty highway truck drive-line and components which can be a little more expensive. But not always, and they are so common to find you can still get newly manufactured parts today for lots of things.
They are really strong and will take a huge amount of abuse before failing, I know this from the many fleets I've worked for and how badly they can be maintained sometimes, and still keep on running.
The really good thing is that once you ever have to repair something on a Crown you won't be able to put enough mileage on it, ever, to wear out what you repaired, as a private owner. They tend to stay fixed if you do it correctly the first time. They were designed, engineered and built to last for many decades in commercial service, and if you look around today you'll see lots of 50 year old Crowns that can look, and run/drive, as good as the day they were built. I should qualify that by saying, around here in Kalifornia anyway, where they still can be seen running around in the wild despite the best efforts of the various Kalifonia Gov't Air quality control freaks(I usually use another name for them). Outside of Kalifornia I understand they are kind of like Unicorns and just as rare to be seen or touched.
A Crown on the road outside of Kalifornia generates all kinds of interest from others who spot it. Whether driving along the highway or parked somewhere. They always attract enthusiastic and positive attention. All Crown owners are familiar with this phenomenon once leaving the West Coast States.
I always like to say that a well maintained Crown will Always manage to get you home safe and sound and will NOT leave you sitting on the side of the road somewhere in the Great American Wide Open Spaces. They are legendary for this.
Don't get me started on what they're like to drive. There just isn't any way to describe it without sounding like a religious zealot. Trust me that it's worth it and with all the new owners to Crowns now finding it out for themselves, you'll have many new friends you can contact besides me, and get their impressions of what it's like to own and drive the Rolls Royce of buses (all kinds, including highway coaches). So you won't have to take just my word for it.
All I can say is it's worth it. Check out some of my other posts on other threads where I go into much more details and you can get a feel for what makes the Crown a special vehicle. And be sure to contact me direct for more details, and info, and please let me know where you're located.
