Dutch brought up a topic that I've long thought about and now we've got to figure out how to get it bus related lol, prospecting. Here in the Upper Penninsula we have a great abundance of land with nobody standing on it, lots of state and federal land and nearly every small community has a historical article of somebody going out at some point regularily coming back with gold or some other kind of goodie. In this particular area we have massive loads of copper, it's actually called the copper country, we have guys that outfit their 4 wheeler ATV's with search coils for their metal detectors and cruise the state lands for whats called float copper, it's pieces of pure copper usually with silver mixed in, these pieces can range from a few pounds to several tons each, the larger pieces usually requier them to go back and get backhoes and trucks to dig up and move. The price of copper isn't what they are looking to get, it's the price of such huge pieces of pure copper that they get for selling them as a curiousity piece, some corporations buy them to display outside their offices. One that was found last fall by a friend was 14 inches thick, 7 ft wide and 16 ft long, he got about 30K for it from a company in chicago. There is also gold that can be panned in the mountain streams here, we have miles and miles of backwoods and mountains that have never seen a white mans footprint, now if I can get this somehow to be bus related lol, maybe I can say camp in your bus to explore?
Great Post Cody...
Baggage Bays Can Be Used For Hauling Small Pieces Of Copper. Or You Could Use Your Bus To Tow Large Pieces With A Chain ??
Or............
As I Pulled Up To The Foothills Of Copper Country In My Converted Bus I Stop For A Short Rest. I Had To Get Out And Walk Around My 1957 Flex ( Just Like The One Elvis Had) Just To Get The Blood A Flowing Back In My Leggs. Well, After About A Half Hour Or So Of Relaxation I Decided To Just Stay Parked Where I Was. It Was Almost Spring And The Night Would Be Cold !!. WOW...Did I Have Enough Propane To Last My Stay ?? Would I Find Enough Copper/Silver To Fund My Way Back Home ??.....So On And So On.....
Yea, I Can See How A Bus Could Be Included In Your Fine Story.
Great Work.
JOHN
MrBreeze
Dang it Cody, I just started this Busnuts Gold Mining Coop two days ago and now I'm going to have to change the name to Busnuts Gold and Copper Mining Coop of America.
But because you are such a great guy and you probably most of the copper claims in Michigan locked up already, I'll start the paper work right away.
WvaNative
Claims? we need claims? not if we're quick enough lol, only the big mining companies file claims lol. bus bus bus lol
Cody, you are a man after our hearts. Besides Touring our show around the great USA in our BUS. The other main reason for our BUS was hit all the GPAA gold claims and treasure hunt. Christi and I owned and ran a Prospecting Shop in Tombstone, AZ. THing is one of my passions. We got the Fever and we got da BUS. Beep-Beep-Beep "Dig here Honey!!! Eureka!!! ;D All the Best, M&C
Actually, I was serious about the mineral finds up here, within about 2 miles of the skanee house there is a vein of agate on the big huron river that crosses the river, I pryed enough chunks loose years ago for a border on my mothers flower bed, all chunks about 2 to 5 pounds each. Agate isn't very valuable but people walk along the shore of lake superior trying to find the small agates that have been rolled around and polished by the waves, doesn't seem to accure to them that it comes from veins along the rivers. We also have the west and east branch of the huron river that have pockets of black sand and have produced gold in the past by panning, then there is the float copper, numerous mines that have been abandoned for years, both silver mines and gold mines, in the Keweenaw Penninsula some of the most productive copper mines in the world have long set empty. The copper is still there but the price is below what is concidered profitable, they have mined copper up here since the mid 1840's and the claim is that they have only touched 10% of the ore that is here. One chunk of float copper is on display at the smithsonian it's called the Ontonagan Boulder, it was a large enough chunk that the early trappers used it as a landmark, government agents chiseled off a small chunk to take to the museum and put on display. The ideal would be to park the BUS someplace close like at the skanee house and use the BUS for a base of operations while exploring, goods uses for the BUS, right? lol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontonagon_Boulder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontonagon_Boulder) http://www.pasty.com/discuss/messages/313/691.html (http://www.pasty.com/discuss/messages/313/691.html)
Cody, I was very serious about the subject. You know we actually used 5.1 OZ of nugget gold as our down pmt. for Mrs. Jones. M&C
We have gold here too but the most common is copper, the largest piece of float copper I've seen up here was a 40 ton chunk they dragged out of the lake off Copper Harbor. I've got a garrett metal detector that I'm learning how to use, so far I've found 37 cents in change, not enough to fuel up the BUS yet.
Hey Guys,
I'm trying to get in contact with the church folk with this bus. This is going to be a gas bus right? They are asking $600 sound to cheap? It appears to be rear engined.
Dutch
PS how do you post pictures here?
WVA I thought I was in the COOP and here your changing the charter already! You got your gold pan yet?
Singing land cruiser Now that your out of the business which metal detector is the best money vs performance? I don't want to just throw money at it.
1974 Gillig School Bus. was used for church bus the past few years.
Big Ford Industrial Engine - 5 speed manual tranny - air brakes.
212,000 miles.
Recently - inspected and adjusted clutch - Good rubber with two (2) extra tires - New Alternator & New batteries.
Reason for selling? We got a newer bus.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/rvs/1583751617.html (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/rvs/1583751617.html)
http://kansascity.craigslist.org/rvs/1553041804.html (http://kansascity.craigslist.org/rvs/1553041804.html)
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/1581740797.html (http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/cto/1581740797.html)
I like the 1st one.
Hey Dutch, We have a Minelab but its pricey. I would look for an older(5-7 yr) White's Spectra. It is the best all around detector I have used for the money. What r you going to look for? A good, cheap coin shooter? M&C
Hey,
No I was looking for a nugget shooter.
Dutch
Hey,
Thanks Zubzub,
I droped emails to all three, these are what you guys were talking about, with 8 wheel drive? they look like they look more like an intercity setup? Low slung, axels far apart?
10 mpg sound right?
Thanks for the help.
Dutch
All the tandem-axle Crowns and Gilligs are 40 feet; the shorter ones all have single rear axles, but there are also a few 40-foot Crowns with just two axles (like my pusher, and an immaculate mid-engine that recently sold on eBay). Some of the tandem Crowns have Detroit 6N71s, and some have big-cam Cummins 14-liter monsters (often with Fuller Road Ranger 10-speeds); as far as I know all the tandem Gilligs have big-cam Cummins (my friend's has an Allison HT740). A tandem Crown with Cummins and overdrive 10-speed is good for 80 MPH and at least 10 MPG, plus it can go where lesser buses fear to tread.
John
I would look for a Gold Bug II, its the best bang for the buck. Google ; gold bug metal detector , lots of how to support. Good Luck, M&C ;D
Hey ZubZub,
I don't think that 1794 Crown would pass anybodys inspection. It must have wooden spoke rims with steel bands. Might say early radials!
Keep on smilin'
Dutch, try this link and type in crown bus. :)
http://www.seekyouritem.com/cl/search.php?cx=013899832879087547080%3Abnh-uajxhuu&cof=FORID%3A11&q=&sa=Search+entire+craigslist#19 (http://www.seekyouritem.com/cl/search.php?cx=013899832879087547080%3Abnh-uajxhuu&cof=FORID%3A11&q=&sa=Search+entire+craigslist#19)
WOW,
Thanks I knew there had to be a way to do it! But why doesn't it list the other three crown busses on the west coast? And all but one have expired?
Weird,
Dutch
The ideal coach would be an early 90's revcon goliath if a person could ever locate one, they were a 40 ft class A coach with all wheel drive, and built to redicululas standards, most went to the military for command posts, plenty of ground clearance with the 44 inch tires and lots of power.
One guy just pointed out that his version of a perfect world would be to spend the summer in a northern campground that really cheap but rustic and has a resident sawdust piler and is within toad range of wilderness areas that could provide some interesting panning lol. Life is good at times lol.
Quote from: expressbus on February 07, 2010, 12:03:36 PM
Hey ZubZub,
I don't think that 1794 Crown would pass anybodys inspection. It must have wooden spoke rims with steel bands. Might say early radials!
Keep on smilin'
Are you kidding! 1794 was a great year for Crowns. This was the pre metal crown, so no obnoxious gears and air lines to deal with. Simple one wheel friction brake and as many horse power as you care to attach out front. Only problem is it is not a pusher and some of the purists insist on pushers. ;D