I just saw a listing for a conversion for $100k but BYOB - Bring Your Own Bus! Is this type of thing common? Anysome know much about the seller?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130274664610&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AWNARL%3AUS%3A1123&viewitem=
Out of my price range but curious.
Cheers, Paul.
Pls repost link.
Paul the link you posted does not work.
But the subject you are posting about sounds like somebody wanting to do conversions for others. I'd be very leery of it. There is one scam artist who prays on the unknowing and has taken many people for a long hard ride. He has been sued so many times he has been order to quit conducting business in FL & PA, but he keeps resurfacing time & time again. I'll not mention his name here as there is a no bashing policy and last time I mention his name it started a war! FWIW ;D BK ;D
It's not uncommon. There are quite a few converters around that will start with your shell. And depending on their quality or work and what you want, $100k may not be a terrible price. I mean it is more than I would pay, but then I would rather build my own anyway...
I don't think they expect anyone to hit BIN without knowing what they are actually getting for the price. The point is that an auction like this is cheap advertising. That ad cost them ZERO to list and will only cost them if someone buys it. They should be a little smarter and get their actual company info in the ad though if they really want the most exposure they can get from it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130274664610
I found their company info on a geocities site if anyone is interested.
http://www.geocities.com/busman_mike/
They speel worse than I do.
Sounds like they are trying to sell you a bus with the intent of converting it for you.
Bob
Mike Fitch is providing me with the structural work on my H3-40. I am learning welding but I am not yet proficient. I want slides and do not know the engineering. He has built the 3 slides, raised the roof 6", put trapezoid windows in the front sides, etc. I am very pleased with his work. I am disappointed in his use of time. He is taking longer to finish the steel work than I feel is necessary. But, in his defense, he did not work on my coach exclusively, when my funding was slow to arrive. He is fully funded now and now I am anxious to install the insides.
His Ebay listing is, as others have stated, a cheap way of advertising. He is using Ebay as one way to get the word out on his company. He listed the ad after he saw Sam Walker's ads. He knows about Sam and is trying to show that there are other converters that will follow through.
He is using the exact Prevost engineering diagrams and parts suppliers to build my slides.
I have been in many of his total conversions. His completed coaches rival Marathon and Vantare. He will do anything that you want and more if you need. His pricing is very fair and negotiable.
If you need some work done, give him a phone call. He may be able to complete your work without you needing to learn the engineering.
Good information! That's the great thing about our bus nut family. Somebody is bound to know something about almost everyone. And that is another reason for people to be above board. If you screw someone over, it won't take long for your name to be mud!
Mike at Va Custom Coach is a good guy, a real character, he keeps a baby-grand piano in the middle of his shop floor!
He does really good work and is a very creative guy, it's probably not a bad price, BUT what does that price really include?
Conversion work pricing is very subjective. I had someone ask for quote over the phone today, after giving me little to no information. I told him somewhere between 70 and 270k, being a smarta**, but I've seen very similar looking coaches that cost both of those extremes, it really depends on the components and craftsmanship and probably most importantly, the overhead.
HTH
Todd
A little more info:
The pictures are of many diferent coaches he has completed. (Duh)
The featured coach is a 1990 H3-40 that he completed for a 4 person gospel band. The coach has a 2006 H3 front cap and breastplate with halogen lights. The trapezoid windows were installed to allow the navigator to look outside the moving coach and also to update the overall look.
He has delivered coaches to FEMA and Comcast to work in disaster areas. Also he has built radio station coaches.
Be aware that he is basically a one man show. He has a few welders and staff as workers but this is not an assembly line store.
All work is one of a kind but is done with very good craftsman like results.
And speaking of halogen lights, has anyone converted over to halogens in a similar fashion to the coach in this ad?
Fred. Mc
I have been to this shop a couple of times. I know they have been in business for a while. I was planning on having him do some work for me on my first coach.
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BILL