Dear Friends,
Excuse the length of this post.
About a year ago, I posted that we had finally settled on a bus. I had my heart set on it, and finally, after scrimping and saving for many months, got the money for the purchase. That bus had been for sale for over a year. However, the day I went to get it, was the day after somebody else had already bought it.
:( :o ???
Then we had a series of financial setbacks. I had to replace my dear wife's transportation (She has counselling centers for battered women in 13 cities), and also provide a set of wheels for our daughter (finnishing her MBA).
I had all but given up. I have had the bus dream for 35 years. But TODAY we are bus owners.
;D :)
It is a 1981 Dina Olímpico, based on the Flxible Flxliner design. Believe it or not, one of the other two Mexican bus nuts on this list (Mario, now living in California, and owner of TWO of these great Dina Olímpico buses!) telephoned me to ask me if I had seen a real nice bus for sale in Mexico City, advertised on line. I had not. It is in absolutely awesome condition, in commercial tour service until now. Check out my pix.
--6V92TA, replaced in 1992, with all paperwork
--10-speed Spicer standard tranny
--3.73 rearend ratio
--Jake brake
--Alluminum wheels
--New tires on front
--Fresh recaps on back
Our idea is to have our conversion done by mid-August, good Lord willing and the creek don't rize. We plan to drive it up to Wisconsin, where our daughter will enter Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School -- DTS), in preparation for her service with children in India. After that, my bride and I plan a sabatical. A few months wandering around U. S., maybe even Canada. We have been married almost 31 years. Hope to share a cup of coffee with as many of you as possible on our tour.
So I am now going to be bothering you nice people with a few million more questions.
And many thanks to all of you who have already answered my queeries.
By the way, in the pictures, the "blemishes" and "wrinkles" are actually refelctions from other objects. The stainless is absolutely perfect!
Blessings.
Steve
Check out the fold-down copilot's seat.
On the passenger-side picture, you will notice a small window on the front cargo bay. Very typical in long-haul Mexican buses. One cargo bay has been turned into a sleeper for the drivers (usually 2 on long trips, such as 36 hours to Mexicalli). Here is a picture of the inside. Basically a mattress and a fan. (The Buzz Lightyear doll belongs to the previous owner's little grand daughter.)
Great to hear you got one. Congratulations...Looks very nice. :) :) :)
Thanks, my friend!! :)
Very nice bus. Congratulations..Hope to see you on the road...Cable
Wow! Great looking bus, the windows kind of remind me of my 4104. If you get in NW Arkansas while you are in the states give me a shout, you are more than welcome. I would really like to see the bus..
I remember when you were so let down on the earlier bus, I am betting you are now very happy that deal fell thru. Is it not funny how sometimes things do work out for the better??
Rick
Very nice bus... Congratulations. Looks well cared for.
Beautiful bus, looks like factory new! I will step up my efforts to send you that information you asked for. 73's
Congrats Steve! Great looking unit. I like the classy lines it presents.
very nice! do you really think you can have it done by august? i guess if you are in Mexico you have cheap labor, good luck and be sure to return the buzz doll to it's rightful owner.
Absolutely beautiful coach> I hope to see you some where sometime.
Rod
Looks great! That 10 speed must make for a great driving bus. Is that the default trans or what are the choices? Looks like you did really good and ditto on what Rick said. Good Luck
Good score! We wish you all the best! Thanks for posting the photos, what a beauty! ;) :)
Nice looking rig you scored! ;D
Awesome looking bus. I'm not a fan of transits, but that could seriously change that opinion. I like that look!!!
If you happen to make your way into northern Michigan, we'll roll out the red carpet for you. Let us know, we'll help you find a great place to park and visit.
Dave
Very spiffy looking ride!!! What route are you taking when headed back through the US. You coming up Texas way?
Steve, congratulations on finding the right coach. While you'll have your work cut out for you in making the conversion, you get to do it your way. It really looks like you found a gem.
Arthur
I am stunned by how much I like the looks of that bus! For a 1981 bus the looks evoke the 1920's and art deco, the 1950's and the industrial look, and I really like it. It looks to be in great condition, and coming out of service it hopefully is up to date with maintenance.
Brian
Great bus. I didn't know they made a 35' one that looks like the vl100 in front.
Interesting and awesome Bus, very glad for you. Also glad to hear of your daughters direction, youve obviously set a good course.
Done and on the road by august? Even more awesome. Happy trails.
Beautiful Bus! There are a few of us Nuts in Southeastern Wisconsin so give us a call if you need anything!
DEMOMAN
Looks great! The last Dina I rode in also had a 10spd overdrive transmission. The shifting was backwards and 9th and 10th were reversed on top of that. Just wonder if the shifter is backwards, or has been converted to straight shift pattern? Course you can get used to anything-just thinking if someone else has to drive the bus. The backwards shift pattern was like this:
4--3--1
| | |
5--2--R
If it is like that and you don't mind it-great. Eaton makes a reverser for the shifter if you want to have it shift in a normal pattern. Course if it is already shifting like you want-no problems! Good Luck, TomC
Congratulations Steve! I remember very well that bus on sale for a very short period here in MX, looks great!
Quote from: Tikvah on May 31, 2011, 06:11:58 AM
Awesome looking bus. I'm not a fan of transits, but that could seriously change that opinion. I like that look!!!
Dave
Thanks, Dave. If by "transits" you mean "city bus", this is a long-distance highway bus. It started life with the Autobuses de Occidente bus line, running Guadalajara all the way up to the California-Arizona borders.
Obviously I don't know the difference between a transit and a ????
Maybe the pros on here can offer a standard definition.
Either way... I love it!
A transit bus is one designed for low speed passenger carriage inside a city or metro area. Regular bus routes, might go on a highway from time to time for short distances. A highway bus is designed for high speed long distance passenger service typically between cities.
Brian
I love it! Can't say I've ever seen one before, but I love the retro looks of it!
Boyce
Here a transit is a 'bus' and a highway bus is a 'coach'.
That Dina is not my style (never been a fan of the corrugated-iron look), but it's certainly in exceptional condition; if it's straight out of revenue service the operator was obviously fastidious about maintenance, so no doubt it's spot-on mechanically as well.
By the way, my bus had a very similar fold-down co-pilots seat, except mine was mounted further back. The handrail beside the entrance steps on my bus incorporates a foot rest for the co-pilot, which I always thought was a neat bit of design.
Jeremy
Ok... what do u call the intercity transit busses that were made with just the front door like a coach,coach type siding and similar seating? My friend has a fishbowl one of those in his section of busses next door to his wrecking yard. I think this thing has a 671 na with a jake n manual 4 sp tranny... ;D
Transit is just wording look at all the metro area that have E4500 MCI Salt Lake City calls those transit buses TMC are listed as transits
good luck
Quote from: chev49 on May 31, 2011, 03:37:15 PM
Ok... what do u call the intercity transit busses that were made with just the front door like a coach,coach type siding and similar seating? My friend has a fishbowl one of those in his section of busses next door to his wrecking yard. I think this thing has a 671 na with a jake n manual 4 sp tranny... ;D
GMC made a Suburban model which looked like the transits but had forward facing seats and had bay storage. They also made transit models with one door and forward facing seats. (I own one)
As Clifford says, the distinction is now blurred. Many operators have been using coaches in (mostly) suburban service for the last 25 or so years. Dallas DART had a fleet of Eagles, replaced by MCI's, now further replaced by NABI's in suburban transit configuration.
However, to answer a couple of questions posted earlier, remember that GMC was the basis for everything in the US -- and the nomenclature comes from GM's model numbers.
Over The Road buses are Coaches (properly, Parlor Coaches). In the model number "PD-4106", you read "Parlor Coach, Diesel, 41 passenger, 6th model in the series".
Transits would be TDH 4512, or TDM 4512. "Transit" "Diesel" (or G for Gas), 45 passenger, Hydraulic (auto), or Manual (stick) transmission, 12th model in the series. Those would be what are now known as "old look" transits. In 1960, when fishbowls came out, the 35 footer was the TDH 4517 -- read the same way. Side note - the odd numbers denote 96-inch width, even numbers (TDH-4516) were 102's.
Both Old Looks, and Fishbowls, had models that weren't transits (city buses), nor coaches -- the "Suburban". So, one of the buses I used to drive was a SDM-4501 -- a 35 foot fishbowl. Per the question earlier, it was a single front door (otherwise known as a "muzzle-loader", high floor with depressed center aisle, and baggage bays.
So, when you hear us talking about Coaches, Transits, and Suburbans, that's what we're thinking of. Of course, there were other manufacturers -- my driver qualification statement that's hung on the wall for about 35 years includes a FD6V-401 -- we had two of them. They were Flxible Fishbowls, Suburban models. I much prefer GM nomenclature, much more logical. some numbers (4105) were skipped, used for drawing board or engineering models, and some unique model numbers were for special operations --4800 series transits for California weight limits, some specialty New York City buses, etc.
Arthur
my friend has one of the sdm-4501's in his collection... we never called them suburbans around here.. always called them inter-city busses...and its only 8' wide, instead of the 102 ones like our good ones.
Great looking bus! Congratulations.
Wow! What a great group! Thanks to all for your kind words. I hope to be bringing it home next week. Then we will get started.
Blessings to all.
Sweet Looking bus. Way to go. If in ID let us know
Kevin
Steve congratulations! (on the bus and your daughters accomplishments and direction of education)
No in my opinion no apology is needed!
Great looking bus and trust me that "Jump seat" gets very uncomfortable very fast!
One question. Who's the happy guy in the driver's seat? ;)
;D BK ;D
Aluminun split rims? Nice straight coach. Should run like a rocket.
Wow :o, what a great find. Have fun converting that. All the Best, M&C ;D
Quote from: harpold700 3 on June 01, 2011, 11:08:53 AM
Aluminun split rims? Nice straight coach. Should run like a rocket.
Split rims? Look like standard aluminum budds to me! I do see balance weights on them.
;D BK ;D
See the lock ring?
Looks like lockring to me.
Matt
Looks like 20 inch lock rings to me some of the Scenic Cruiser folks use those, wonder if it has the off brand wheel stud pattern
I stand corrected I sure did miss that lock ring the first second and third times! Opps my bad!
;D BK ;D
If you look directly across the wheel from the split of the lock ring you see what I thought was a wheel weight! (I totally missed the other side of it!)
Really nice looking coach, I love the front of it,The light mounted in the bumper is just cool, But I'm a really big fan of the eagles, so that proably expleans it. You get up Indiana way my new place has parking for at least 2 more buses
Garrick