I don't mean to stir the pot here but, the other thread got locked before I could get in with, what I think, is a reasonable thought/question:
What would be wrong with keeping it American and building a fiberglass box on a Freightliner or Pete as opposed to a bus?? I would think there could be some definite advantages (windows, etc) and I've seen some mighty nice lookin ones.
I love my (American Made) Buffalo but, a custom, over the road coach would be pretty cool and keep the American Made idea in line, and, maybe even gravitate towards something that gets, shall we say, "reasonable fuel mileage".
Now, as much as I love to talk politics, I think we might want to keep it off that subject. Dang! (except for a little witty innuendo from BK occasionally. :D :D :D)
Just a thought...
Chaz
Not, fiberglass! You could do what I did with my Freightliner or what TomC is doing with his truck conversion. All American. Or, as someone suggested, what's wrong with a Newell?
My truck conversion was one of the first ones built here:http://www.transportdesigns.com/ (http://www.transportdesigns.com/), all to my design and specs.
Great company to work with, for motorhomes, trailers, fifth-wheels, toy-haulers, you name it, they can build it your way! (no financial interest, just a happy customer after 10+ years and 125,000 miles!)
I thought the armored-up bus he was buying was made in America by Canadians. Now I suspect most Canadians would not agree but I, for one, think of Canadians as every bit as good as citizens of the USA. Now the Canadians have precious little heavy industry and almost all the materials that go into a Pre comes from the USA. I can't imagine a Canadian turning up his/her nose at some item because it was made in America and NOT in Canada. They aren't that ill informed in geography in general and continents in specific.
There is precious little that sets the citizens of the two nations apart. "bout the only real way to tell the difference between 10 Canadians and 10 USA'eans in a closed room is to hurt one real bad and see if he goes broke getting repaired.
It is a bus topic that there are no intercity buses manufactured in the USA. We have no choice if we buy new coaches but to buy either Canadian or Mex if we want to buy American. Times are changing. Heck, even nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
John
Quote from: JohnEd on August 18, 2011, 02:19:39 PM
I thought the armored-up bus he was buying was made in America by Canadians. Now I suspect most Canadians would not agree but I, for one, think of Canadians as every bit as good as citizens of the USA. Now the Canadians have precious little heavy industry and almost all the materials that go into a Pre comes from the USA. I can't imagine a Canadian turning up his/her nose at some item because it was made in America and NOT in Canada. They aren't that ill informed in geography in general and continents in specific.
There is precious little that sets the citizens of the two nations apart. "bout the only real way to tell the difference between 10 Canadians and 10 USA'eans in a closed room is to hurt one real bad and see if he goes broke getting repaired.
It is a bus topic that there are no intercity buses manufactured in the USA. We have no choice if we buy new coaches but to buy either Canadian or Mex if we want to buy American. Times are changing. Heck, even nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
John
This is a good post... :)
Conceptually I think we all agree it would be ideal if the POTUS could have a bus made in the US. But I think the right choice was made. A custom coach built totally in the US would cost a lot more and it is unlikely we would have a product as well engineered and proven with the millions upon millions of road miles a Prevost or MCI has.
But don't rule out just how much of the cost of that coach is in US made components and it is supported with some very well equipped US facilities that employ hundreds if not thusands of US technicians.
I think if there is any issue with the purchase it would be the need. When we are in financial trouble such as this country is, even if the cost is meaningless compared to the big picture just the image of belt tigthening goes a long way. Instead the focus is now on how as a nation we continue to spend money we don't have.
It would be ideal if his buses were built in the USA but Canada is as close as we can get. As I have stated, MCI is an US based company. NEWELL would have been a good choice but I'm sure they wieghed all of the factors. It is fun to speculate and imgaine what may have been but be careful or you may go buggy putz.
MCI build buses in Winnipeg as well as North Dakota according to their website, may well split the manufacture of any given bus between the two. Prevost is owned by AB Volvo, a public company based in Sweden that also owns Mack Truck. Tough to buy a pure American bus these days, what is that Eagle company down south doing? Maybe that is part of the problem. At least they are made in North America, that's close anyway.
Brian
Well at least we have ours, and the fond memories of what was...
American Buses in the 80s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7PXtA8rg3Y&feature=fvsr#)
Silver Eagle reportedly has not built any buses since moving from Texas to Tennessee.
If I was a charter company owner I would be scared to buy their buses until they had a track record. Hard to get a track record if nobody will buy the buses.
Hey Van? Watch 'em come out the driveway, that is a hoot.
1978 Eagle Bus Conversion for sale (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpZsIEvdabI#)
BCO
That looks like one way to cool the intake and exhaust, and a 45 footer to boot hmmm! ;D
Cool reminds me of back in the day when truckers used to say they had a "single stack mack" , "2 stack shack" , or a "2 stack Jimmy(GMC) with a shack on the back"
He's got a real "twin stack shack" ;)
;D BK ;D
You can hear that one coming for miles Van, Wayne of I 44 bus sales in Mo converted that bus those stacks are the ugliest thing I ever saw on the back of a bus I heard the new owner removed those.
good luck
Clifford I guess it's just the "Chicken Hauler" in me com'n out but I thought they was KWEL! (of course daddy always tells people my favorite color is CHROME!
I remember back it the 90's all the commotion I stirred when I put 10" straight stacks on my Freightliner Classic XL ! One ol' boy I knew from Rocky Mount, NC started calling me "stove pipe."
When I asked him why. He said "Son you got bigger pipes on that thar truck then most foLks back home have on their wood stoves on their house!"
;D BK ;D
Van, great movie! Took me right back to driving 7s and 8s in the '70s.
JC
Van,
That was a nice film and some great machines. I cannot imagine a more miserable job than driving an airport shuttle around the same loop all day long.
lol I thought you would like that JC ;) Len, I would think the next step up would be NASCAR huh? ;D ;D. I sure do miss the good ol' days of bussin, real glad that there are those that would make an attempt to keep these old girls alive, my hat is off to all of ya! :)
While I was back in Tennessee last summer ministering at a church, I ran across a fellow who said him and his kid had bought "Eagle" and moved everything to his shop. He was still getting things setup. Sounded like it was just a family affair, no "factory" to speak of, just a big pole barn really. Sounded like the plan was to just build custom one off coaches for high dollar customers. No more revenue buses. From what he said, they still had some legalities to work out before they could actually start building. May be gone for good, who knows. This fella supposedly had been building professional conversions for years. Can't remember his name though. The details are kinda fuzzy, I sometimes have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast the day before.
I dont believe the POTUS needs that Bus. But thats just me. I dont believe we need to buy foriegn Buses for the POTUS, but thats just me too. I dont believe we need to make things so hard and difficult in our country that we kill business, but again thats just me.
Alot of people ask me because I hae been a delievery driver for 26 years in where my route has changed very little over the years how can I do that without being bored and miserable. I tell them that I like it and even on a very bad day, I still get paid. I would imagine that driving a bus in a "closed loop" all day can have it's dullness but nothing stops you for using your imagination and pretend you are driving down the interstate in the middle of nowhere with nothing but meadows in sight. It works for me.
I'm with ya Art.
And I'm with ya too, Crabby. If ya like people (most of them anyway) you can have a good day doing just about anything. Granted, the General Pubic (intentional) can be a royal pain at times but, the good can out weigh the bad if YOU are friendly. My experience anyway.
Oh, and on topic, what would be better for the box?? I was just thinking fiberglass for weight and then do all the "bullet proofing" on the inside. And the less windows the better. No one knows who or where.
How about a double tire wheel barrow with Al Shapton and Chris Matthews as drivers that would save us some bucks I love watching those 2
good luck
If he flys in in AF1 and takes the chopper out to the Bus for a 40 minute ride into town, thats a complete and utter waste. The bullet proof Suburbans offer better protection and they could forget the chopper. Like no one will ever hear that sucker coming.