Ohio Crown 1971 Crown

[iusvir]

So I did it..... I bought a bus.

Earlier this year I traded off my beloved Valkyie Motorcycle for a 32ft class A, just to test the waters. I loved it, more so to the point my family loves it. So the search was on for a bus to convert. I was in no real hurry either since I had the class A. I had looked at Crowns years ago but wrote them off due to the smaller size. I looked a GMC Buffalo another favorite of mine but was not impressed once I looked at the bus.

All HAIL CRAIGSLIST!!!!!!

I found this 1971 Crown Super Coach less than 20 miles form the house, I went to look at it just because I had never seen a crown in person.

OOOOPPPPPsss Fell in love with it.

The owner was trying not to scrap the bus because he had love for it as well and a deal was struck.

I do not even have the bus home yet, I have been cleaning out the barn with a fever to get it ready to house the Crown. Even the wife is excited about it. We do not plan on starting the conversion until next year to allow us time to build up money to do the work right. Though I do find myself at night reading the forums of others that suffer from this addiction, and making volumes of notes in my "Crown Book".

I look forward to sharing the journey as I get started in the process and also look forward to any and all feed back and advise from those that have been there and done that.

 

[gmarvel]

Welcome to the madness. Even better, welcome to Crown conversions. The best school bus ever built!!

The Brown Crown thread on this site is incredible. I am still in the midst of my conversion of my current 1988 Crown. However, I am almost finished, as I give it about two more months. I got behind as I wanted to do dark tint on the windows and it took over a month to get someone to do it.

My thread is the Journey Beings - 1988 Crown Conversion. It should give you some great ideas. All of the threads on this forum have great ideas. All of us are more than happy to give advice, suggestions and opinions, sometimes all conflicting with each other!!! That is the fun of conversions. Each person's vision is his or her own.

I love that you got a tandem. When I drove a bus going to college, it was a 1968 Crown tandem with a Cummins. You will love your tandem.

If you want to talk about specifics, feel free to contact me directly.

Good luck and welcome!!!

 

[somewhereinusa]

Welcome aboard

Where's the pictures? If you ain't got pictures it don't exist!!!!

 

[bansil]

Welcome

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[Tango-SKO]

One more Skoolie Welcome! --- Love them old Crowns. And you came to the right place. Not only is there a couple of centuries of general knowledge & and experience re-purposing skoolies here...but some of the finest Crown Conversions you'll ever come across. And given the stoutness of the brand...you can easily hang a Hog or two off the back for when you feel the need!

Again, welcome but...bring on the pix!

 

[sweetfarm]

Is this your bus?

 

[iusvir]

King Pin Update

So it has been awhile....

I have tried several tow companies to move my bus and after two showed up and declined and one that would only give me a per hour quote I settled on a local company that would tow the bus for $600 for 23 miles....... I am in the wrong line of work.

I missed the actual tow but the bus made is onto face book in the town it was located in, Oxford Oh. The neat thing is that the tow company used a pick up truck to move this 27,000 lb monster onto the road.

They picked the bus up on Friday and Monday I called the repair shop just to verify the bus was there and such.

NO BUS!?>?

They did not have my bus, I then tried to contact the tow company..... no luck. Now I was puzzled. Tuesday rolls around and I get the call back form the tow company, as they were hooking to my bus they had a high priority tow come in so they moved my bus to their lot and left it.

Had me wondering if I had lost my bus. Now that would be a feat to lose a 40 foot crown.

More to come.

 

[DoubleO7]

towed with a pickup...............I sure hope the bus brakes were working.

 

[Chevydude01]

Sweet bus. I'm currently looking for a tandem myself. I even like the color of yours. Very nice. Cummins or Detroit?

 

[Chevydude01]

oops. Just noticed you have the Cummins....

 

[iusvir]

OK so here are some more pics as the bus sits at the repair yard. I have a pic of the VIN/ID tag can anyone give me any history on this bus?

BTW the suburban is a diesel as well......


More to come as the bus gets the clutch put in it. I can't wait to drive it for the first time.

 

[iusvir]

Another year goes by

So when you take something to the mechanic and tell them you are not in a hurry........

It's been a little over a year and my mechanic called me the other day to tell me they drove the bus out of the shop!

It has not moved under it's own power for years now!

The clutch was sent out for a complete rebuild, the starter had to be replaced, the trans fluid was changed while it was out.

I plan on picking it up sometime later this week or early next week.

Should be an interesting ride home, the windshields are in my barn currently! lol

Pics and videos will be supplied.

 

[Johnny Mullet]

Thanks for the update!

 

[Rberriz]

Update soon?

 

[iusvir]

I drove my bus!!!!!!!

Yesterday afternoon I drove with my father to pick my bus up from the mechanics place. I walked in and they asked if they could help me, I told them I was there to pick up the Oldest ugliest thing they had, granted this is a heavy truck place. He looked at me and I replied the bus. His eyes lit up and oh yeah! I pay the man and we pull around back to where the bus is.

I forgot how big this thing was. They brought their jump cart around and I started my bus for the first time. God that is a good sounding engine. They showed me how the transmission multiplier worked and the shift pattern. They also pointed out that the gas pedal and brake pedal had been sticking, so they hosed them down with WD-40.

Dad and I walked the bus, did not look like any of the lights other than headlights were working. I removed the windshield wiper and wire tied the mirror in place. Scraped some green stuff of the drivers window and we adjusted the mirrors.

I slipped the bus into first gear, with only a little grind... Let the clutch out and it would not move?? Then I remember the parking brake. I release the brake let the clutch out and I was moving!!!. I needed to turn to my left to get out of the parking lot, before I traveled the bus length I was already in third gear?!? and i felt like I had to turn that three foot steering wheel forever to make that little turn.

I tried the brakes, I have never driven something with air brakes, and the bus seemed to stop OK, though I had to reach down and pull the pedal back up to release the brakes.

I pulled up to the road, this a state route with a lot of traffic on it. I waited for my spot them took off. I made it out and on the road. 1st gear, then 2nd gear, them 3rd..... That's when I could not hit 4th gear, or 5th gear or 3rd gear anymore. I tried double clutching a little RPM matching nothing worked. So I stopped the bus, I thought about calling the mechanic. I figured to try again. 1st gear, 2nd gear, 3rd gear....... I make 4th gear! Then 5th. I hit the multiplier switch and made 6th! All this time and I was only going 30 MPH!!!!!

I had to drive though a little town and speed dropped to 25, and I was good with that. I timed it so I was only stopped by 1 traffic light. So very little use of the brakes. On the other side of town I opened the bus up some to work the gears and climb a hill. Man that big engine still sounds so good with a nice deep roar.

I kept the bus under 35 most of the trip due to the fact the bus has not moved under it's own power for over 6 years and I was scared! I still could not get into a good rhythm with the transmission though I think that with time and experience it should get better.

On the last big straight stretch I had to travel I took the bus up to 50, and it drive great. I passed a local school bus and I could seem the driver pointing and yelling at his kids to look, several other drivers pointed and waved as well. That must mean this old bus still has it....


I completed the trip to my fathers house where the bus will stay while I work on electrical items and fluid changes etc. before traveling to my house where I will start the real work.

More updates to come!

By the way driving a bus with no windshield or back windows in 30 degree weather sucks if anyone wants to know!

 

[iusvir]

Bus walk around

https://youtu.be/B-dDtBtWeqU

 

[iusvir]

Talk about seriously clean air!

So an update. I am currently winged, shoulder surgery with the other to follow in 6 months.

With that said my father and I set about exploring the bus. We make such a great pair, he's 80 and slowing down and I am half crippled! Together we make 1 whole person. Lol

So batteries are bad. I have decided for now to stick with the 8d's. I am going to add 2 1200 amp disconnects, one to each battery. I am also adding a Pulsetech Extreme trickle charger to maintain them. Other than that the battery cables still look good, later I will paint the trays.

So next to the battery bay is a louvered door. We open it up and find the pre-cleaner pictured below, and behind that the largest air filter I have seen, also pictured. That relieves me as I was thinking it might have an oil bath air filter. The next step was a call to Napa to see if I could even get a replacement. $65 bucks better that I thought.

Spare tire is shot, not that I plan to carry one as of now. Spare tire bay looked good though.

Drivers side engine bay always nice easy access to oil changes, compressor, alternator, filters and started. Cold weather engine oil is SAE10...... Differential is SAE140. KIND of neat to have all this info on the engine bay door.

That's as far as we got, vacation next week then the week after batteries and oil and filter changes.

 

[cowlitzcoach]

It would appear as if you have a pretty nice Crown!

The fact that you have it running and drivable is GREAT!

Keep us posted as to your progress.

If you could give me the build number I might be able to find out where that bus saw service when it was brand new.

The build number can be found stamped into a pad in the right front wheel well. As you stand looking at the wheel well look at around 10 o'clock at the outside edge of the fender well. It will be 90* to the edge and about a 1/2" wide and about 2" long.

 

[iusvir]

Thanks for the reply! No joy on finding the tag, there is a heavy undercoating in the wheel wells. There is a vehicle ID number on the dash, 36109. Don't know if that will do any good. I'd love to know the buses history.

 

[cowlitzcoach]

Thanks for the reply! No joy on finding the tag, there is a heavy undercoating in the wheel wells. There is a vehicle ID number on the dash, 36109. Don't know if that will do any good. I'd love to know the buses history.

You are looking in the wrong location.

It is located right on the outside edge of the fender well at about 10 o'clock. If you run your hand along the inside edge of the fender well you will feel it as you move from 9 o'clock to 11 o'clock.