Hi,
I have come across what seems like a great deal on a factory "Custom Coach" MC-7. It was bought new from MCI to be converted for a client in the early 70s. All seems to be well with it. I am going to have a friend who is a bus mechanic come up from Alabama and look it over if it gets serious. The original conversion has not been updated, though it is very clean, just needs new flooring and the ceiling panels are worn. The interior is nice, just gray and royal blue. I can live with it, though. Floor plan is nice. It has 260K original private coach miles and it comes with a parts bus. Parts bus is even nice, just missing the engine. The only downer is that the generator is missing. All for under $10k. What do you think?
Hello: If you are a glutton for punishment and want alot of work go for it... if you could talk the guy down to 5K it would be better..
One other item look the bottom over real well. If the coach was in the northeast and spent alot of time in salt weather then walk away unless you have the right equipment and want to spend many many hours under the coach chasing rust....
Regards and happy bussin..
Bus prices right now at scrap are .06 cents a pound.. makes the bus worth about 1800 or so.. Lots of buses scrapped every day.. An mci 7 is a very nice bus . I know and like my bus but be prepared for work.. and if you can enjoy the work then go for it.
Good luck on your decision..
Regards and happy bussin mike
Quote from: mikelutestanski on November 04, 2009, 04:41:25 PM
Hello: If you are a glutton for punishment and want alot of work go for it... if you could talk the guy down to 5K it would be better...
Please elaborate, "glutton for punishment"... Are these buses particularly troublesome? I was all set for a 4104 or 4106, but I thought this sounded pretty good. Boy, the market must really be crap if you think $5k will get a usable MCI coach with a parts bus to boot. Not being sarcastic at all, just taken aback. ???
Jump,
I think that we need a little more info. To me, that sounds decent. I think pics would help.
Don't get skeered off. I think that it might be a great coach. Don't discount it!
Sorry I can't offer more.
God bless,
John
I will see if I can get the pics up. They aren't too good, though. I wanted to get general opinions before committing to go see it. Biased or unbiased, I want them all. ;)
The coach is about 3 hours away. I can only go by what the owner has told me at this point. I may have a very different story after putting my own eyeballs on it. He just sent me more pics a minute ago... Looks like it may be an entertainers coach, as it has a rear lounge, not a bed. Details are still coming in.
Here are some pics of the exterior
More exterior...
Some interior shots...
And last two...
Has it been in regular use over the years? That will tell you quite a bit. If it has sat for years, expect that you will need rubber items (bags, tires, maybe bushings). Find out how long it takes to air down. Look for SERIOUS rust, not surface rust on the airbeams. Yes, THIS mci has them (I own one). Check the cradle for damage/rust. The bottom of the cradle is stainless, the top and support pieces are mild steel. Air beams can be plated. Mine did not need it. Look to see if the radius rod bushings are tight. Only about 1/4 inch should be showing. Check the condition of the wiring harness in the engine compartment above the muffler on the Driver's side. it will likley be cloth. Do the same under the side window next to the drivers seat. If it has pantograph style baggage doors, check to see if the wood floor (top of the bay) is pulling down. The MCI 7 also came with swing up style baggage doors. With that low mileage, it should be a very clean chassis. Of course, check all of the RV systems. Expect that it has fiberglass insulation and will never be a really good coach for cold weather unless you plan to strip it out. Check for leaks from the vista windows. If it is in good shape and you get a parts bus, I think you have a pretty good deal. Of course, that extra bus will have to be towed...
Looking forward to pictures!
(Wait, pictures are here!)
Glenn
OK,
Expect that the air conditioning won't work. You will likley need to add roof airs. Look for window leaks. I suspect this has been sitting for awhile. I'd start low. The paint of course will need to be re-done. Find out if this bus smells. It will help you see if you need to strip out lots of interior due to water. If the mechanicals are good on this bus, I'd think about offering 4-5k without taking the other bus.
Glenn
From what have seen the bus market is soft. How soft sometimes depends on how badly the owner wants or needs to get rid of it or how badly you want it. I am not real familiar with MCI buses other than what I have read here and on other boards but In my opinion it all depends on how well it has been taken care of.
The upside of what I can see in the pictures is that if the floorplan is something that will meet your needs it could sure keep $$$$$ in your pocket with minimal spent on updating as the structure is in place. And the time you could spend cruising instead of a full conversion could be worth a good amount to you if the layout works.
It's all about what the owner wants and what you are willing to pay. I think I found that when I was searching for one before I purchased. Don't be afraid to offer half of the asking. Remember all they can say is NO ;D You can always negotiate from that point. I know those deals are out there as I purchased mine for half of what the asking price was just a few months ago and the economy has not seen any improvements.
Just bring your mechanic friend along and do your due dilligence, write down all the questions you have and ask them, because you will not remember everything and take stock in what can't be answered. Walk away if your gut tells you something is not right. As we all know our gut instinct is usually right ;) There is always another bus around the corner!
HTH,
Bryan
A friend told me this bus looks like one that was converted for McDonalds by Custom Coach. You might check with them for more info on the bus.
Bryan
Quote from: Tenor on November 04, 2009, 06:24:36 PM
OK,
Expect that the air conditioning won't work. You will likley need to add roof airs. Look for window leaks. I suspect this has been sitting for awhile. I'd start low. The paint of course will need to be re-done. Find out if this bus smells. It will help you see if you need to strip out lots of interior due to water. If the mechanicals are good on this bus, I'd think about offering 4-5k without taking the other bus.
Glenn
Actually, he said the registration only recently ran out and that it has been used recently. I think he said the air worked, don't remember. As for water encroachment, we'll see. he didn't mention any.
Just curious, why wouldn't you take the other bus?
Does anyone remember the blue tables that were in McDonalds during the seventies? The tables in the bus look the same color.
Bryan
Quote from: thejumpsuitman on November 04, 2009, 07:12:39 PM
Just curious, why wouldn't you take the other bus?
Expect it to cost upwards of $4.00 per loaded mile to move a non-runner, & that's after you find someone willing to move an old bus. If it is towed on a hook, you'll need to have it aired up & good rubber. If you use a landoll, over height issues will add to the cost.
Ain't no such thing as a free bus. After 4, I should know. (the last free bus ended up costing me over $3000 to get her home & it is just a stripped out shell. . . . )
Is it worth that? Do you have a place to store it without the hassles from zoning?
Good luck! ;D
It's probably about 150 miles away, so at $4/mile, that would be about $600. For all those spare parts, that sounds reasonable to me. As for the neighbors, Hmmmm. I am trying to sell my house to one of them, so it might work to my advantage to be as obnoxious and annoying as possible. ::) Creating a 40 foot 30,000 eyesore might just create an incentive for them to buy the place and get me out of the neighborhood! LOL
I was under the impression that in the early 70's, all buses that came off the MCI line were destined for Greyhound, and that they were not provided new to converters.
Not sure about this, but I recall someone talking about that or reading it in one of the bus magazines. Seems like Greyhound owned MCI for a time, and all their production was put into passenger service.
Also, the pictures you posted seem to show more wear and tear than I'd expect for only 260K miles. Even if that's the case, unless the engine has been rebuilt, it's 2/3 through it's life, so you can expect another 10-20K for a rebuild in a short time.
If it were me, I'd would not fall in love with this MC7 until I had a chance to have more detailed inspections done on it. There are a lot of coaches out there.
In 1972 My MC 7 was delivered to a private owner and was converted by custom coach at that time! There were 6 others that were sold to Ray Kroc who was the founder of McDonald's. They were also were converted by custom coach! I have a list of these coach's and there appropriate numbers if needed. I will have to dig but will if needed. Over the years there were others sold to Kroc for which I do not have the info. Regards John
Hi Grumpy,
Assuming what you are suggesting is true, and 260k is 2/3 life on the engine, that would leave about another 125k to go, no? And wouldn't 260K be only about 1/10 the miles any old Greyhound would have seen? Wouldn't that mean the body, seeing only 10% of those miles be much tighter than a Greyhound discard? Don't get me wrong, I welcome all opinions, I am just trying to make sense out of the downside you are trying to present.
Even if the engine only lasted half as long as you are suggesting, 60K miles, it would still probably take me 5-10 years to wear it out. I want to keep the whole picture in perspective.
If the coach has a auto tranny and hasn't been changed over the years it had a wet torque converter ( the converter runs in oil ) from the factory and they were prone for a few problems mostly leaking.
FWIW a owner of several Mickey Dees in Tulsa has one of the MCI 7 made for Kroc by Custom Coach
good luck
Quote from: luvrbus on November 05, 2009, 05:21:18 AM
If the coach has a auto tranny and hasn't been changed over the years it had a wet torque converter ( the converter runs in oil ) from the factory and they were prone for a few problems mostly leaking.
FWIW a owner of several Mickey Dees in Tulsa has one of the MCI 7 made for Kroc by Custom Coach
good luck
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Not sure I mentioned it, but the bus comes with a spare working Allison 6 speed.
I'm glad to hear it has been in use. Take our thoughts on things to check with you and your mechanic and let us know. To me, it just looks weathered. Not beat. The interior looks clean. As for suspension wear for it's mileage, I think that weathering is more likely to have caused issues with airbags and other rubber pieces. Thinking of that, look for an aux fuel tank in the first bay (it will be a big aluminum box attached to the rear wall in the middle). My rubber lines connecting the two went bad just after I filled it up... Really, if it's clean and the radius rod bushings look good and there is minimal rust, you could have a very affordable conversion. Original style airbags can be had for the whole bus for about 1k and if you have the time, the job is just labor intensive. Not horrible by any means. Also, with the original rear windows in, look for rust in the framework above the squirrel cage fans. And swing up the front bumper, and look up behind the front end skin and look for rust in the supports. Those are common areas of problems from bad window seals. I'm excited for ya!
Glenn
Forgot to add:
If you have a place for the other bus and it will only run you about 600 to move it (assuming it airs up) get it. That's well worth it. I paid the same and didn't have to take it home but I wish I could have!
Quote from: gumpy on November 05, 2009, 04:36:03 AM
I was under the impression that in the early 70's, all buses that came off the MCI line were destined for Greyhound, and that they were not provided new to converters.
Not sure about this, but I recall someone talking about that or reading it in one of the bus magazines. Seems like Greyhound owned MCI for a time, and all their production was put into passenger service.
I don't think they ever owned MCI, but wasn't the MC-6 sold exclusively to Greyhound?
FWIW, Greyhound,MCI and Eagle were all owned by the Dial Soap Co and when Greyhound went bankrupt it took Eagle down with it because one manufacture had to go and they needed the cash to keep MCI afloat.And Greyhound was the owner of MCI before Dial
good luck
VERY interesting history, Clifford. Thanks!
God bless,
John
Some more errata! If the spare bus has an HT70 allison and You have no use please contact Me! I have been told that the HT70 was weak and trouble prone but have found a canadain log compamy that have log trucks with 12V71's and HT70 allison's claiming They have never touched the tranny's. The HT70 is a true 6 speed and other than sometimes shifting like a ton of bricks mine does not leak and in 10 thousand miles knock on stainless steel, has not failed. The torque converter is wet in mine and requires a starter with a seal unlike the other engine-tranny combos. Again if You post the serial # I will dig My list out for You. Regards John
The assumption that the engine will go for 500,000 miles is not reasonable. That may be true of engines running 100,000 miles a year, but not on the ones that we use. If the bus has been in use, there should be recent maintenance records to go through. An operating but does not go for several years without a paper trail. Just remember that putting neglected peripheral systems into good order could cost a huge amount. Of course, everything comes down to a good bus mechanic going over it well. I really think that you could find better deals around considering what the fix up costs are going to be.
Quote from: thejumpsuitman on November 04, 2009, 08:52:22 PM
It's probably about 150 miles away, so at $4/mile, that would be about $600. For all those spare parts, that sounds reasonable to me. As for the neighbors, Hmmmm. I am trying to sell my house to one of them, so it might work to my advantage to be as obnoxious and annoying as possible. ::) Creating a 40 foot 30,000 eyesore might just create an incentive for them to buy the place and get me out of the neighborhood! LOL
It
STARTS at $4. It goes up from there. That $4 is to show the minimum cost to move one. Some towing companies add a loading/ unloading fee. Some simply charge by the hour ($125 here) the truck is outside their yard gate.
If your bus isn't 'ready to go', you'll have to pay for the truck while it waits.
I had one driver who couldn't back up the trailer, he spent over an hour back & fourth - I thought he'd wear out the dirt! I had to pay for that time too. - That 60 mile haul cost over $700
Quote from: Lin on November 05, 2009, 09:42:58 AM
The assumption that the engine will go for 500,000 miles is not reasonable. That may be true of engines running 100,000 miles a year, but not on the ones that we use. If the bus has been in use, there should be recent maintenance records to go through. An operating but does not go for several years without a paper trail. Just remember that putting neglected peripheral systems into good order could cost a huge amount. Of course, everything comes down to a good bus mechanic going over it well. I really think that you could find better deals around considering what the fix up costs are going to be.
I never said there was no documentation.... He may have a filing cabinet full of paperwork and the engine may have been overhauled last year for all I know.... I'll find out tomorrow. And as for fix-up costs, I don't believe I mentioned anything other than the lack of a generator. ???
I am more interested in hearing opinions of the deal as described for the money based on what is known, not on pure unguided speculation. Obviously, I will be cautious as to the mechanical condition. I wouldn't ask a friend to drive 9 hours to come check it out for me if I wasn't planning to be cautious.
I'm a little surprised at all the opinions against. I don't think I have heard any legitimate reasons why this is a bad deal, just a lot of "but if's". I don't think my description of this deal gives any cause for all the pessimism, unless the general opinion is that it's just too much money. UNDER 10k. Actually a lot under 10K. I threw in a couple grand to cover incidentals, like paying my buddy to come up, a couple tires if needed, etc.
Opinions are all welcome, of course, but geez, try to have an open mind, or at least give me something specific to go on. I am by no means bent on buying this bus, but I place quite a bit of value on a coach that is ready to use on the conversion side, especially a Custom Coach. Am I missing something?
I wasn't trying to be negative about the bus just trying to inform you with info about the transmission.
But to anyone thinking they can buy a older converted coach in perfect condition shame on them if you like the coach and it fits your needs, budget and knowing about what repairs are needed go for it buying a used bus is like rolling dice sometime 7-11 or the double 6
good luck on your new venture
I didn't find out till after i bought mine that it had about 3 million miles on the body. That would have made me think twice about bidding on it if i had known.(ebay) Having said that, and 6 years later, I know that the body could probably go another 3 million miles. ;D However, if i was ever going to get another bus i would try to find one that had been converted new from the factory. I think this bus could turn out to be a sweet deal.
Jumpsuitman,
I think what you're seeing here is a compilation of everything that each contributor has seen happen when buying a used bus. Not that all those things will happen to one coach. Each one of these machines has a different story to tell. Sitting is almost as hard on them as regular use; but in different ways. You're doing the right thing going to inspect it because rarely does a bus look as good as it did in the pictures.
The MC-7 is a pretty old bus; I have a 1965 MC-5 thats even older! I think what you got going there sounds like not a bad deal as long as you're not afraid of doing some work and spending some money. If you pay to have everything done it can get real expensive. If you tinker with it yourself and use the resources of this board then the parts bus is of some value because body parts and windshields are becoming hard to come by for those things. I like the idea of a coach that was converted new.
I don't know you're mechanic's qualifications but I think you need a bus mechanic who understands MCIs. Just like if you were looking at an Eagle or a GM you need someone who knows the peculiarities of those manufacturers. Each one has unique issues.
I looked at an MC-7 with Gumpy one time that the hub odometer read 375,000 miles. I called the bus company that sold it to the private party I was talking to and they said they never sold anything with less than 700K on it.
Fred
Quote from: luvrbus on November 05, 2009, 11:02:12 AM
I wasn't trying to be negative about the bus just trying to inform you with info about the transmission.
But to anyone thinking they can buy a older converted coach in perfect condition shame on them if you like the coach and it fits your needs, budget and knowing about what repairs are needed go for it buying a used bus is like rolling dice sometime 7-11 or the double 6
good luck on your new venture
I wasn't talking about you, luvrbus. Actually, yours IS the kind if opinion I am interested in. The nature of that model. Someone else said they are more prone to overheat than other models, that is helpful. The list of things to check is helpful. But for someone to just say, "it is going to need a lot of work" or "It will probably need a new engine soon" is not that helpful. :)
Thanks
Hello:
My 7 has been reskinned and rebuilt from the bottom to the top. The NY state salt took its toll on the steel and poor mainteneance. I replaced alot of steel in the rear, sides, and top. I have a bunch of pix of the beginning showing the bus with the sides off however I need to see how to get these into the computer.. A scanner I suppose
I would take the parts bus in any case including a tow bill because the parts are not replaceable and custom parts are expensive.
I love my mci 7 and have spent many many hours under and inside the bus repairing and replacing ...
Oh by the way examine all the aluminum skin above the lower rail for bubbles in the paint; look especially at the rear of each window and follow down to the top of the lower rail. Most coaches have leaky seals on the windows and the water follows down the inner rails and rots the botom off the support going up to the top.
Now if this is custom coach job that is a plus because they usually did better work around the windows..
Like I said before I like this bus and you may have the deal of the lifetime however my experience has been. I learned more and had to develop more new skills whilst working on the bus.. ANd as some of my friends have quoted it kept me off the streets and out of bars..
ANd I went thru the trouble to convert to a 740 auto tranny and rebuilt the engine. Later I changed the engine and tranny to a Cummins so I am a glutton for punishment..
Modified my post because I did not read all of the other posts.. having got caught up the 70 series you mentioned means the wiring for the auto is in place and the rear ratio is 4.625 and possibly the engine has jakes onboard which is a real plus. The 70 series was way ahead of its time and Allison did not have much luck with sales so it ended .
MCI built 7s for other companies. my bus came from S&O coach lines in NYstate who purchased at least 25 that I know of.
Good luck anyway
Regards and happy bussin mike 352 489-1581 (if more info is required)
Quote from: mikelutestanski on November 05, 2009, 11:12:54 AM
Hello:
My 7 has been reskinned and rebuilt from the bottom to the top. The NY state salt took its toll on the steel. I replaced alot of steel in the rear, sides, and top. I have a bunch of pix of the beginning showing the bus with the sides off however I need to see how to get these into the computer.. A scanner I suppose
I would take the parts bus in any case including a tow bill because the parts are not replaceable and custom parts are expensive.
I love my mci 7 and have spent many many hours under and inside the bus repairing and replacing ...
Oh by the way examine all the aluminum skin above the lower rail for bubbles in the paint; look especially at the rear of each window and follow down to the top of the lower rail. Most coaches have leaky seals on the windows and the water follows down the inner rails and rots the botom off the support going up to the top.
Now if this is custom coach job that is a plus because they usually did better work around the windows..
Like I said before I like this bus and you may have the deal of the lifetime however my experience has been. I learned more and had to develop more new skills whilst working on the bus.. ANd as some of my friends have quoted it kept me off the streets and out of bars..
ANd I went thru the trouble to convert to a 740 auto tranny and rebuilt the engine. Later I changed the engine and tranny to a Cummins so I am a glutton for punishment..
Good luck anyway
Regards and happy bussin mike 352 489-1581 (if more info is required)
Thanks Mike,
Your opinion is highly valued. BK told me you know a "7" inside and out. I will have a full report tomorrow night on what is what with this thing.
Sorry if you felt my post was unfairly negative. I was partially commenting on your statement that a 260,000 mile engine still has 1/3 of it's life left.
Quote from: Lin on November 05, 2009, 11:45:05 AM
Sorry if you felt my post was unfairly negative. I was partially commenting on your statement that a 260,000 mile engine still has 1/3 of it's life left.
No problem, wasn't even my original statement. Actually, negative is fine... and sometimes even necessary if there is a specific point. I just think perhaps the core questions tend to get lost on some of these posts, (especially potential purchase posts) because of painful flashbacks to unexpected problems people have had to deal with. I say the way to not have unexpected problems is simply to EXPECT problems. ;)
OK, I am going to post what may seem to be a contrarian view...I think that is a lovely bus, and could be an excellent starting point. Heck, I'd just get the maintenance up to speed, fix whatever is wrong with the house stuff and use it! I even like the decor - people pay a lot of money for new stuff that looks that kitchy, and I think it's kind of cool. the body looks nice and straight, you obvioulsy know how to check for rust, you have a mechanic coming to inspect it, that is one cool bus in my book! I even like the rear nook, reminds me of 1960's Playboy Mansion decor!
There, I said my piece! ;D
Brian
I think the 7 is a good looking bus.
If you like the looks & when you walk away, you find yourself stopping to look at it again. . . . you may as well go on & pull the trigger. Many here have spent lots more on much worse, I have :o. But, it looks so cool! 8)
As for the spare bus, GET IT! you will be amazed at how usefull it will be when it comes to figuring out how something works without having to tear into the 'good one'. ;) The little spare parts will be of great benefit too. My comments concerning towing costs were to enable you to make an informed decision - nothing sucks worse than expecting a $300 tow Bill & being presented with a $700+ fee.
For me it is all about vanity - do you like the looks? If you don't, then it will be difficult to keep your enthusiasm up when the clouds of problems come.
If not for vanity, I'd have bought a late 80's MCI-9. That's what I was looking for when I found a 4501. ;D
Knowing the potential pitfalls will help in your evaluation.
Good luck.
Quote from: kyle4501 on November 05, 2009, 12:47:52 PM
I think the 7 is a good looking bus.
If you like the looks & when you walk away, you find yourself stopping to look at it again. . . . you may as well go on & pull the trigger. Many here have spent lots more on much worse, I have :o. But, it looks so cool! 8)
As for the spare bus, GET IT! you will be amazed at how usefull it will be when it comes to figuring out how something works without having to tear into the 'good one'. ;) The little spare parts will be of great benefit too. My comments concerning towing costs were to enable you to make an informed decision - nothing sucks worse than expecting a $300 tow Bill & being presented with a $700+ fee.
For me it is all about vanity - do you like the looks? If you don't, then it will be difficult to keep your enthusiasm up when the clouds of problems come.
If not for vanity, I'd have bought a late 80's MCI-9. That's what I was looking for when I found a 4501. ;D
Knowing the potential pitfalls will help in your evaluation.
Good luck.
Kyle,
I think I am probably a lot like you. I do like the looks of the mc7 much more than than any other MCI. Actually, MCI's weren't even on my radar at all when I came across this. I was set to get a 4104 or 4106, and still may. To be honest, I don't think there is much to distinguish any of the later buses... (Unless you want to call a Buffalo a later bus)... No offense to newer bus owners. Cool old stuff is just my thing. By the way, I think the Scenicruisers are the coolest buses ever. Too bad they made so few of them. But I'm right there with you as far as the styling goes.
Also, I didn't even think about being able to mess up the parts bus before messing up my own! HA! ;D
Howdy Neighbor! Looks like a nice bus to me at a decent price, can't beat the parts bus. It will be handy!! Wish I had a parts bus.
Anyway, I too bought an already converted machine, and I think I have replaced half of it in 2 years. No biggie, still a little ahead of starting from scratch!
The bus market now certainly is in the buyers court, I paid twice what your looking at just 2 years ago. I think it's a deal if the mechanic likes it.
Brandon
Quote from: brando4905 on November 05, 2009, 01:21:39 PM
Howdy Neighbor! Looks like a nice bus to me at a decent price, can't beat the parts bus. It will be handy!! Wish I had a parts bus.
Anyway, I too bought an already converted machine, and I think I have replaced half of it in 2 years. No biggie, still a little ahead of starting from scratch!
The bus market now certainly is in the buyers court, I paid twice what your looking at just 2 years ago. I think it's a deal if the mechanic likes it.
Brandon
Hi Brandon,
I certainly value the fact that it is already converted and usable. No doubt some updates and upgrades will be needed, but it certainly beats steel tenting.
Looks alright to me. Of course you will have your issues as everyone has mentioned but I don't think you'll find one out there that doesn't, especially in that price range. I spend way more than that just doing the conversion,and I'm not done!! As mentioned by some of the other members here, rust is a big thing. You can replace bags etc but if it is too far gone it will be an issue. It looked to me like the side skins had some corrosion around the vertical rivots. Don't be scared to go over to that area and give it a good push, if there is any movement you will know the structure on the inside is roughted. You also have to remember these things were over built in my opinion, good buses. As mentioned if you enjoy doing some grunt work go for it, you will have to with any bus of that era, even if it looks good. As far as the parts bus goes, if you were to suggest to him you aren't interested he would probably drop the price for you just to take it. It may be of some use to you , but would be nothing but a pain in the *** to him if you didn't take. Start complaining about the price just to get it home, I would just bet he'll work with you.
Grant
While I can't comment on the MCI itself I can give you some thoughts on the conversion. I have an MCI 102a3 that was converted from new by Custom Coach in 1988. The bus now has 220,000 original miles.
I spent most of this past summer upgrading and/or modifying many of the systems, flat screen TV, refrigerator, holding tank dump valve, and much much more. I can tell you Custom Coach built the interiors to last and used top quality materials. We did a 4000 mile trip this fall and the only rattles in the coach were the dishes. We had one squeak that drove me nuts for five days until I traced it to small plastic piece in one of the RV style sliding windows.
The only weak area you may need to look after is electrical system. In my conversion, they used miniature switches located in a center console to energize relays mounted in a large enclosure in the first bay. Several of the relays used in my bus have failed and the replacements are about $25.00 each. I looked into using cube relays which are a lot cheaper but it would have been a lot more work to mount them so I stuck with the original style.
I had a gentlemen stop at my house this past July and told me he was the shop foreman for Custom Coach for a few years. I was talking to him about the electrical system and he stated each conversion was wired differently and without the wiring diagrams for the exact coach it was going to hard to figure the thing out.
On a positive note, Custom Coach ran multiple wires throughout the coach and tagged each one with a numbered tag. I have no less than 7 sets of unused pairs of wires in the liquids bay coiled up with sequential numbers. The down side is I have yet to find the other end of the pairs although I am sure they are in the wiring enclosure.
If you decide to buy the bus, be aware that Custom Coach used black and white pairs for the 12 and 24 volt systems. Black is positive and white is negative. Drives me nuts having to remember that black is positive when hooking up a voltmeter..
I would give high marks to Custom Coach for the work they did on my conversion.
Hope this helps.
Marc,
Since we spoke last night you know my opinion. Look it over well and from talking with you I am sure you will. On the topic of transporting remember I have a contact that would most likely beat the $3.00 a mile. Send me a PM on the pick up location and destination and I can get you a quote. At least that way you will know ahead of time. Anyone that is checking on having a bus hauled get ahold of me and I can probably help out.
Bryan
Marc -
Just a few thoughts from this old bus man. . .
~~ The MC-7 was the foundation that the MC-8 and MC-9 were based on. Ruggedly built, but with a few quirks, some of which have already been pointed out.
~~ They are prone to overheating if the cooling system is neglected, especially all the sealing around the radiators and various access doors. That and a driver that's not paying attention, especially pulling grades.
~~ Originally built with a drop-center aisle, unlike all subsequent MCIs. I noticed in one of the pics that CC leveled the floor, w/o a roof raise. If you're over 5'11", you may find yourself scrunching over as you walk thru the coach.
~~ Interior layout looks typical CC, seen lots over the years. As somebody else mentioned, when you combine the exterior paint livery with the interior colors, it looks a lot like one of the coaches used by McDonald's back in that time frame. IIRC, altho based out of Chicago, they were scattered around the country for use by various franchisees as promotional vehicles, as well as regional travel by corporate folk. I believe McD's had a contract w/ Greyhound to have them serviced by GLI's maintenance departments.
~~ As has already been requested, get the Serial Number and Unit Number off the coach. If CC removed the plaque from the ceiling over the driver, you may have to do some digging (but then again, it might still be there, just covered up by the overhead cabinet with all the system switches & gauges). The other location is on the blower box wall, above the sight glass in the cooling system recovery tank.
~~ Unless somebody's changed over the power-assisted steering to the Sheppard box, be prepared for a turning circle quite a bit larger than the 35' buses. Might be a factor wiggling into some campgrounds?
Lots to check out, keep us posted!
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
PS: There's a couple of 4106s for sale on Craigslist right now. . . as well as Macgyver's burned 4905.
Never considered it a plus to be short until now... ;D I am 5'9"
Thanks for all the good info, RJ.
Jumpsuitman,
We have a 7. It is pretty original, as far as insulation, no roof raise, original windows, steering, cooling, etc. We are using the original conversion with me changing things to suit us as I have time & money.
WE FULL TIME IN THE BUS.....all summer....all winter. Spent last winter in Maryland. (see the avatar pic LOL).
Is it perfect? NO! Is it horrible? NO! It's doable! The floor is leveled. I can walk thru it without bending over (I'm 6') but not in boots. No tip toes either.... LOL
If the coach is in good enough mechanical shape to suit you, & you can live with the layout, and you are OK with the price, BUY IT!
It will probably be one of the happiest days of your life. One of the next happiest days will probably be when you sell it! ROFL!
Just thought I'd interject a little real world experience of a similar nature into the conversation.
FWIW & YMMV!
TOM