I've been a lurker here for a couple years now and admiring everyone's projects, just wishing for the time when I could buy my first bus. I found an opportunity to pick up this bus. But I really need some input from the pros on IF this is a good deal or not or even if this is a good bus.
The specs:
1964 to late '70s FLXIBLE transit bus, converted to motorhome in the '80s. No one is sure of the year.
The bus has been sitting in a driveway for 5 years. It has been started a few times, brand new batteries were put in last year.
The exterior is rough....the paint job and clear coat need attention. The tires are retreads with good tread but again, they haven't been run for 5 years so it's questionable if they will hold up. I know new tires cost a small fortune for this thing. There is not a lof of online info about this brand of bus so I'm coming up empty when trying to find something to compare it against.
The engine in diesel and in the back, it starts right up and runs strong. The previous owners (the gentleman who built this and his wife) have passed on so now their children own it. They are just not sure what to do with it, they want it out of there but don't want to give it away.
In the engine compartment there is a small Honda generator (one of the red ones) that will stay with the bus. From what the current owners know about it, they are unsure of how many miles are on the bus, but they believe the engine was rebuilt only around 20K miles ago. We didn't drive the bus as it's not registered, all we did is start it up and it seems to run like a champ. The interior is dated, but I can live with someone else's ideas until I have the funds to redo it. It appears that the man who built it was really a craftsman and did everything himself.
I do not know about the condition of the brakes or any of the systems (ie: plumbing, electrical, charging, etc). I believe they most likely all work but again, this has been sitting outside in the weather (albeit on pavement) for 5 years. There are likely some of the plastic parts that will need to be replaced. It has black and grey water tanks on the bottom.
I inspected under the bus and there are no major leaks or anything amiss that I can see. There are minor dings everywhere but this is an old bus.
SO...my questions are...what is a 'reasonable' price for such a bus as it is? I believe I can pick this up within the $5-8K range. I know they put $500 in batteries in it last year to get it running as they were dead. What kind of mileage can I expect from something like this?
ALSO...I am wondering if a bus of this vintage is more of a collector's piece of Americana as a vintage vehicle or could this actually be used to go camping, etc with the family (which is what I want to do with it). I was originally attracted to skoolies because of the ruggedness and the price but this opportunity presented itself and now I need advice from folks who know a lot more than I do. I was told that as far as they knew, it drove well and that everything worked but that is TBD. 60MPH was the cruising speed they mentioned. The bus is 40 ft long and 10 ft high.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Also...if anyone has any in-depth info for me, I would love to give them a call for a quick chat about this. Thank you and I hope I posted this in the right section of the forum.
Here are some more pics of the bus:
The engine looks like this...started right up:
Here's the interior:
Looking back through the inside:
Looking forward to seeing what you guys know about this type of bus. I inspected underneath (I'm a car guy, not a busnut) and no leaks but again, it's been sitting for 5 years. The front end looks really solid, none of the steering assembly looks missing, bent, etc. Just a little rusty but not too bad. My idea would be to travel with the family in this bus and do some minimal cosmetic upgrades like flooring, etc but nothing mechanical, at least nothing huge like an engine transplant.
In another forum someone mentioned that this particular engine might be hard to find parts for but I'm not even sure which engine it is. All I know is that is started up and ran fantastic once the owners put the new batteries in.
I would go to www.flxibleowners.org (http://www.flxibleowners.org) or the flx group on yahoo those guys love theirs flx's and will answer any questions for you and they probably know the bus.
And forget about engine parts being hard to find for the DD you can buy those in a drug store lol
good luck
Thanks, I found that site but unfortunately it's not very active and there is no forum to interact with members (that I have found). I know there are many active experts here so I thought I would ask. Any advice is appreciated.
They have a forum somewhere I talked to the Flx owners at Quartzsite at their rally and one was telling me about it.
Me I like that bus along with all the other models of FLX's and I am not a FLX owner they are sharp buses and you need advice from Flx owners no telling what us Eagle, Prevost ,GMC and MIC owners will come up with lol sorry forgot about the Setra and Dina owners and others
good luck
If the FLX guys say "go for it" from the mechancial standpoint, I'd check out the RV sytems, electrical, plumbing,etc and if they check out, go for it. Use it for camping and don't worry about it being any sort of historical piece. It is definitely a plus that it has been parked in a driveway. Look for dry rot on the tires and airbags. Look for mold or soft spots in the floor. If you can get pictures of the 110 AC electrical panel, we could get a sense if it was a nice job or a hack job. It looks really well done. Let us know!
Glenn
Removed
Of course photos don't tell a lot, but from the photos, that doesn't look that rough. There are a lot of folks enjoying their buses that look a lot rougher. Looks aren't everything, but other Flx owners can tell you the problem areas to look for.
Like Tenor said, if it checks out, go for it and enjoy it. These old buses are a piece of history, but they aren't a museum piece. They love to run down the road.
Luckily- the engine is a Detroit Diesel (instead of the Cummins 903). You didn't happen to notice if it was a V6 or V8? Also, if you could take a picture of the gear shifter, maybe we can determine what the transmission is. Most likely an Allison-probably a MT640-which is good being a 4 spd. You should take it for a drive and see what it tops out at. With a 4 spd auto, you could easily regear it for better top spd since it is a T drive. Hopefully it is a V8, since it would be underpowered with the V6. I would buy it. Good Luck, TomC
I got some new information about the bus. It has a Detroit V671 that was rebuilt about 6,000 miles ago. I don't know if this is considered a good engine or not...
I also found out that the body is called a "flxible transit bus" type (if that means anything to anyone)
One of the nice things about this Flx transit is the multiple piece windshield using flat pieces of glass that can be replaced by any glass shop. It looks to me that it is a 96" wide bus. I have a 102" wide bus and the extra 6" width is nice, but take what you can get. The conversion looks good. Good Luck, TomC
For the money, it doesn't sound bad. The pictures show lots of promise.
At your stated price, I don't see where you would go that wrong if you only used it for a few years.
As for the tires, I'd start by asking around the local truck tire shops & local trucking companies to buy some tires that are only a year or two old but still decent tread. (Check the DOT date code on the tire). I'd think you could get a whole set of 6 mounted for less than $1000. At a minimum, I'd replace the steers.
That way you can get a feel for the ole girl without having the actual expense of new tires. It also gives you time to locate a great deal on a new set.
If you like the looks of this bus & the possibilities, you should hire a bus mechanic to look it over for you - will save you lots more than the cost.
Good luck!
If nothing else see if one of us is near you and could come take a look.
Scuba,
I agree the bus doesn't look too bad in the pictures. As Ed said, if you'll let us know where you are located, perhaps there is an experienced knut nearby who can assist you.
Bob
I am in Idaho. PM me if you are around and thanks!
If you can't find out any information let me know and I'll hook you up with some Flx nuts.
Hey, it's a bus. If you like it go for it!
Paul
Looks to me like a nice clean conversions, lots of TLC, Get someone who know buses to drive it.
I think it will make a great starter bus for you. Listen to TomC he knows transits and engines.
John
You can also drain out a flask of oil and have tested. I just got a quote from Cleveland Technologies down in Phx = $25 and takes 24-48 hrs to get the results. If its a new rebuild it should have high traces of copper. -Tim (No worries if they have the receipt on the rebuild).
Jump in, The waters fine ;D M&C
Scuba, I'm with Michael on this one!( Heck I'd by it for the quiet generator :D ;D ;D)
looks decent! ;) V
Could you run that generator whilst driving?
I would think there would be too much heat from the DD, that would affect the generator. But then again I don't know much.
Cheerz
Glen
Oh no, I think that generator is only for use while stopped.
Other buses have generators you can use while driving? Why not just use the power created from the engine/alternator?
From all appearances, it looks like a decent starter bus. Transits are not as well regarded for conversion as are highway buses. Unlike cars, older buses have almost no extra value because of their age and transits are usually low dollar conversions because of their much lower initial cost. (The exception to that is the RTS, some folks have built great conversions from them)
It's a decent start but I don't think I'd go much over 5K and plan on another 5K immediately and another over the next year or so.
You have a fairly steep learning curve ahead of you but we are here to help and it's all fun.
Now I know where I saw that bus and I have some photos of it at Riggins Id during salmon season one year. We were parked not far from each other he told me he bought that bus from a guy between Boise and Mountain Home that was selling used buses and he didn't have anything good to say about that guy.
good luck
I'd love to get another bus to tinker with for the kids but all my extra money for this month is going into a loaf of bread lol, next month I plan on getting the jelly, really looking forward to the sandwich in june lol.
Quote from: scuba44 on February 25, 2010, 06:09:20 AM
Other buses have generators you can use while driving? Why not just use the power created from the engine/alternator?
Alternator produces DC power at 12 or 24 volt (depending on the make & model of bus). The generator produces 120 volt AC power. You can produce AC power from the alternator by using an inverter, up to the maximum output of the inverter. Jack
The bus looks wonderful in your pictures. You will have a great time in it.
From a buyers point of view the price of repairs are the biggest risk. As pointed out the tires are shot. My bus also needed tires and $465 out the door, was the cheapest price I could find for name brand, Bridgestone in my case, tires in SD.
If the bus has sat for 5 years they, or at least the wife, really wants it gone. If the current owners are set on high prices of $5,000 or more have them shoe it with your favorite tire, add fresh liquids and new filters.
I have used my bus more than I imagined and I have enjoyed it in ways I couldn't understand until I started using it. I'm sure you will too.
Mike
Buy it. Enjoy it. No matter what yu buy you will have to spend money on it, It looks like a decent bus. For the price I think you will be alright. I paid 5k for my first bus anf it was a shell. Worse case if you don't like it part it out and sell the rest for scrap. You would probally get most of the 5k back. You will love your bus no matter the expense.
I'm loving all the great advice I'm getting here! Thanks to everyone who has commented so far.
TomC - I went back today and got a few pics of the shifter (I think). See below. Hopefully I can learn more about it from these.
also...I'm assuming the gauges to the left of the instrument panel show the air pressure of the airbags that are used for the suspension?
JackConrad - Sorry for not being clear, yes, that is what I meant about using the alternator for power (with the inverter). What I was asking about was using/running the generator (the little Honda mounted in the back of the bus near the engine) while driving the bus as was mentioned earlier by another poster in this thread. Can this be done?....I don't think so.
Depends on whether you can get enough air to circulate around it to prevent it from overheating. Doubtful, since the air circulating around it will probably be 120-150 degrees.
The photo of the"gear shift" looks more like a turn signal switch. This bus probably has a transmission that is shifted by an electic toggle switch located in the switch panel on the left side of the driver. Jack
QuoteI'm assuming the gauges to the left of the instrument panel show the air pressure of the airbags that are used for the suspension?
They are part of a leveling system that was added to level the bus when camping.
A while back I got blasted for saying a GM shell with some conversion parts was worth little more than scrap (I still stand behind that BTW and am waiting for that seller to prove me wrong). Now here is a good example of why that is true. Anyone can buy a shell and fill it full of parts, but to put it all together and make it look good is the hard part. Here is a bus that appears to be "done" requiring only some TLC to start using and enjoying it. Why would anyone buy a half-baked project when deals like this turn up. I don't know how great a deal because I don't know that much about transits, and I do believe that an equivant intercity bus conversion will bring more. But that is a lot of hard work completed for 5k.
A 6V71 will let you enjoy the scenery but don't let that stop you. Slow and steady will win the race. When I travel I go 55 and enjoy it. I am amazed how many times I get passes by the same vehicles who are traveling a lot faster. If you do need more a 6V92 is a sweet upgrade if you can keep it cool. Does anyone know if it will fit? My inclinations is it will with only a few mods. Would it be worth it in a transit? No, probably not.
I agree barn owl, a lot of hard work for 5K. I would go for it.
John
Of course BARN OWL is correct- "thats a lot of work in that unit for $5k- enjoy it.
Loved your line about - ''seller can prove your wrong'' , the market just isn't there. I don't believe it has been for a couple of years.
some other wise 'ol sage offered awhile back ( and I think of it every time I see a 4104 ,06 being offered for sale with a price north of $25k)
" Some things are priced to sell , others are priced to keep" :-\
My first impression, for what it's worth, it that the bus has possibilities, i.e. looks pretty good at first glance. Best advice I got while kicking tires was to look at a lot of buses. If there are no other buses around for you to compare it to, my advice would be to at least give your enthusiasm a little time to calm down and make a carefully considered decision. You don't sell one of these "metal monsters" overnight. By the same token, that means that the seller probably doesn't have anyone else chomping at the bit to buy it out from under you. I agree with the opinions of the other posters here. Lots of hard (and expensive) work done considering the price. If it looks as good in person as it does in the pics (they often don't), I'm pretty impressed. The best advice I saw posted was to have an experienced busnut take a look. Good luck! I love having a bus!!
Dennis