My "NEW" 2004 IC CE200!

[cofrari]

I had so much fun converting my first bus, that I'm starting on a second! I did my first bus to be more accommodating for my girlfriend and my 2 boys. But as my boys interest has lapsed in Skoolie traveling, I'm hoping to design my "forever bus" for just my girlfriend and I.



I was excited to find a pre-2005 bus coming out of service with a local school district. I plan to start gutting it this upcoming weekend, just in time for my town's bulk-trash-pickup day on Oct 5!

 

[musigenesis]

You are a deranged lunatic, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. :wink1:

 

[cofrari]

Since your bus is about the same as the one I just got, your initial rust pictures scare me!


Despite my first bus being a CT bus, I lucked out that it didn't have any real rust on it once I started gutting it. This new bus is a MA bus. It doesn't look bad from the bottom -- just looks like surface rust. But hopefully I don't run into anything more than that over the weekend! They did have to replace the fuel tank and the stairwell about a year ago.

 

[GarySeven]

Good luck on your build but I gotta say this:

Why in the actual hell don't y'all come down to the southwest to get your buses? They are plentiful and cheap as dirt with not a speck of rust on them.

 

[musigenesis]

Why in the actual hell don't y'all come down to the southwest to get your buses? They are plentiful and cheap as dirt with not a speck of rust on them.

This is the core problem with building a skoolie: the biggest decision you make in the entire project is which bus to buy, and you have to make that decision at the beginning when you know the least.

 

[cofrari]

Good luck on your build but I gotta say this:

Why in the actual hell don't y'all come down to the southwest to get your buses? They are plentiful and cheap as dirt with not a speck of rust on them.

I went to the auction site to look around the South and West for a pre-2005 bus and three just happened to be 20 minutes away from where I live going off in 7-hours. I lost control of myself and here I am... I was able to go out to the lot and see them before I bid and met with the mechanic. The mechanic did a walk through of all the work he has done on them, both mechanically and body. With all that factored in, it seemed like a less-risky move than buying a bus unseen. I ended up getting this one for $3150 with only 125,000 miles on it. It has 6 new Good Year tires on it, so if anything I can sell the tires!

 

[Mags-SKO]

Any Ideas where I Can I find a Shortie in the Southwest? ?

 

[GarySeven]

Any Ideas where I Can I find a Shortie in the Southwest? ?

I found mine on CraigsList. You can search every area of every state in this manner:

https://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/az

In my area there are two sites to check out:

https://www.phoenixskoolbuses.com

https://www.nationalbus.com/Arizona/School_Buses_For_Sale_Arizona/School_Buses_For_Sale_Arizona.aspx

 

[cadillackid]

a 2004 CE200 should be a allison 2000 5 speed auto with a T-444E diesel.. should be right before the VT365.. I dont think they put 466E in the 200.. that will be a really nice bus to work with.

 

[cofrari]

a 2004 CE200 should be a allison 2000 5 speed auto with a T-444E diesel.. should be right before the VT365.. I dont think they put 466E in the 200.. that will be a really nice bus to work with.

The one I got was a 2004 bus with a 2003 T444E (sticker on engine says 2003) and an Allison 2000 transmission.


How would you compare the T444E vs VT365 vs 466E?

 

[EastCoastCB]

The one I got was a 2004 bus with a 2003 T444E (sticker on engine says 2003) and an Allison 2000 transmission.


How would you compare the T444E vs VT365 vs 466E?

466e>444E>VT365

Your bus is probably worth 2-3x what it would be worth if it had the VT.

 

[cofrari]

466e>444E>VT365

Your bus is probably worth 2-3x what it would be worth if it had the VT.

That's good news! What is performance or reliability difference between the 466e and the 444E?

 

[EastCoastCB]

That's good news! What is performance or reliability difference between the 466e and the 444E?

466E. the 444E can't be rebuilt without removing it and totally disassembling it.

 

[o1marc]

The 466E is an L6, where the 444E is a V8. The L6 makes more torque and horsepower.

 

[cadillackid]

generally inline 6 engines do much better on low end torque.. that said the 444E is a super reliable engine.. tried and true.. a 466E in 04 wouldve been the beginning of emissions as they put EGR on them.. the 444E is a non EGR engine.



there are ways to "turn up the juice" through the computer using God mode servicemaxx or purchasing a Kickass tuner from Powerhungry (he is a member here and makes a great power-adder for the 444E)..

 

[cofrari]

1st Day of Painting Complete

Finished my first day of painting Bus #2. Trying to do a different color scheme than I did on my first bus: Going for more outdoorsy colors. So far I think it is coming along fairly good! Hoping to be done painting before the cold New England weather starts.