new orleans buses

[lapeer20m]

Here is a link to the Ebay add for one of these buses.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... escription

item #: 4626699885

they don't say what motor is in the bus. Could be a lamo 7.3, but my guess is that it is either a DT360 or DT466.

a 1993 with almot 150K miles, and it's already over $5K and the kicker....RESERVE IS NOT MET....i guess people are bidding big money on it because it's a novelty item. ... Colectors edition if you will. The add states teh water was 6 feet deep and the motor was submerged. If it's a DT series, it's mechanically injected and even if the motor doesn't run, it would be worth rebuilding (if the rest of the bus doesn't rot off the chassis in the next couple years.) But I'd only bid on one of these if it went for under $1K bucks.

 

[phillbus914]

Read some of the questions on that auction....

here is one of them:

Q: I am somewhat curious as to why these school busses, somewhere around 1,000 of them, were left to be destroyed by Hurricane Katrina rather than used to evacuate the residents of New Orleans to higher ground BEFORE the hurricane struck New Orleans? Sounds to me like total incompetence on the part of New Orleans officials. I was just curious, is all. Thank you in advance for your answer.

A: FYI - There were 260 buses flooded from Hurricane Katrina. We will not engage in the judgement of competence and/or incompetence of New Orleans officials.

I was thinking the same thing

 

[lapeer20m]

Hindsite is 20/20

they revised the add today:

Mar-30-06 at 07:34:15 PST, seller added the following information:

Please understand that this bus has been flooded. It does not run. The title the winner receives will be for salvage. The condition of the vehicle is as one would expect if the electrical connections and substantial portion of the engine had stood in possibly brackish water for a least ten days.

 

[wmah]

Some peolpe are really stupid. Why buy a 13 year old bus that has been flooded for over $5000? Maybe I should buy some 13 year old buses in good running condition and throw some mud in it and claim it was a hurricane bus, but the flood water only got to the floor level.

 

[the_experience03]

Perhaps the people looking at that bus aren't that well educated. If a person just had an inkling to buy a bus and saw that ad they might bid because they think they are getting a good deal. Without know what other buses sell for I can see how they might think that. I know peoples' jaws just drop when I tell them I got a 1989 in good shape with 85,000 miles for $1250. The regular skoolie crowd just says "Congratulations" because they know that's a fair price....not too much, not too little.

Just my deep thoughts on the issue

 

[Clyde-SKO]

For the most part Southerners Know, every time theres a Cane, these salt water flooded vehicles come thru the auctions, many southern states have laws preventing them from being put back on the roads, where they are sold for salvage only, non rebuildable titles,, however, they get shipped to states that dont do this, and end up in the auctions anyway, I have first hand experience with this, as I used to work for a salvage company in florida many years ago, its an ugly thing that happens with salt water vehicles, I wouldnt take one even if it was rock bottom price,, to much potential for major problems, think brakes, fires etc...

 

[Eric von Kleist]

Clue 1.

Starved for cash, the New Orleans school district is taking a long shot and hoping to sell its flooded, unsalvageable school buses on eBay.

Clue 2.

The school district plans to put one bus up for sale on eBay this week. If it succeeds, more of the 259 ruined buses will be offered.

$5Grand is thievery.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Guys, thats salt water,, no matter how good ya flush things out, they are going to rot, and you can write off the entire electrical system while your at it, salt water does bad things to copper, and aluminum stuff, not to mention what the diffs will look like in one of those, I would have to pass on any NO vehicles....

If not for the fact I am almost finished converting my B-700, I'd offer $500-1000 for one of those buses (must have a mechanical DT466 or 7.3 and not have an AT545), strip it, rewire everything, and convert tnat. A DT466/standard-shift IH is my perfect bus.

Does the fact I'd probably drive it home make me a little nutz?

 

[Roasting8]

If not for the fact I am almost finished converting my B-700, I'd offer $500-1000 for one of those buses (must have a mechanical DT466 or 7.3 and not have an AT545), strip it, rewire everything, and convert tnat. A DT466/standard-shift IH is my perfect bus.

Does the fact I'd probably drive it home make me a little nutz?

Yep, and you also wouldn't have much of a sense of smell

 

[phillbus914]

The questions on that auction are great! There's 33 of them now, most are ridiculous but the seller answers them seriously.

Heres a good one.

Q: I'm not sure you should be listing this on eBay Motors. Doesn't the word MOTOR imply that something moves under its own power? I think you should list it in the garden decor category.


A: You have an excellent point. We have a few more of these. Maybe we should list them as potential yard planters. Be forewarned however, these buses still contain oil, fuel etc. that may be detrimental to any plants you might place in or around them.

 

[lapeer20m]

I am very impressed with the person who is in charge of answering the questions.....He/She has a wonderfully dry sense of humor.

 

[wmah]

I just asked a question we will see if it gets answered.
I asked "Are you tired of answering these odd ball questions?"

 

[phillbus914]

I just asked a question we will see if it gets answered.
I asked "Are you tired of answering these odd ball questions?"

I asked what the reserve was since it wasn't met at $5,500 but he never posted it. He never answered me privetly eather.

 

[wmah]

Well he/she did answerthe question.


Q: Are you tired of answering all these odd ball questions yet?
Apr-02-06
A: No. I think a lot of these questions are a hoot and in the spirit of why we listed this bus in the first place. It's kinda fun.

There is close to 60 answered questions so far. And I think this answer here kinda sums it up. They are just having fun with it, and might base the salvage price on whatever the price is at the end.
$6100 and reserve not met. That reserve might be so high nobody will meet it. I sure won't be the one to find out. I think they were the dumb one that didn't get them out of there before the storm hit. They could have had each driver there take one with their stuff loaded in them in land. I'm sure they would have found some of their drivers that would have done so, like some that may not have their own car.

 

[lapeer20m]

$6,200 bucks and 42 bids so far....That's crazy...and the reserve is still not met

 

[phillbus914]

No it’s still up.

Its up to $6400 now but still hasn't met the reserve.

I was looking closely at the pictures in the auction & it looks like the bus hasn't been moved since the hurricane. If you look in the background you can see other busses backed in on the left side of this bus, just like in the aerial photo. I just asked him if it's been moved since the storm & if it even could be moved. I wonder if the wheels even turn.

 

[wmah]

Well it is over now and no surprise to me either.

Current bid: US $6,700.00 Reserve not met
The seller ended this listing early because the item is no longer available for sale.

Let also not the sellers ID for future referance

"thariusamnops" 0 feedback

 

[Roasting8]

I think that this bid was a prctical joke. I don't think that the reserve could never have been met.

 

[Slowpoke-SKO]

Anyone who buys one of these busses is a fool, especially if they pay more than a few dollars for it.


The trucking company I used to work for had a truck sink in the flood in Houston a few years ago. The truck was never right after that. The electrics were all shot, the engine didn't run correctly, sensors kept shorting out, and not to mention the smell in the cab.

 

[wmah]

Looks like he is at it again. New ebay item number 4634748909.