In a roundabout way, I have ended up as the new owner of PD4104-3596.
Friend of a friend listed her farm for sale and it sold way too fast. The buyers wanted possession in a very short time. My friend called me said that she was having a fire sale. I actually went over there to look at her tractor, and ended up buying it (Kubota subcompact 7100D with a loader and a brush hog, etc.)
In the process of wandering about the place, beside the barn was 3596! PO had bought it for a friend to live in as it is converted, (probably in the mid 1980s') and the live-in plan never materialized for one reason or another. She ended up parking it there in 2008 and she says that she started it every couple months until about 2011-2012, then just shut everything and left it.
It has been capped front and rear, and all the glass is good (rear window not there of course), tires were still up but low, with 75 lbs in all of them, it had attracted a collection of brown recluses in the inside and a variety of wasp species nesting in every nook and cranny that was exposed to the outside. Of course the bay door rubber was rotten and a few bay doors were off the bus, inviting a pack rat in one compartment and who knows, but probably a few field mice friends of the packrat to fill the balance of vacant space.
I took a phone pic of it, and had no intentions of buying it I just thought it looked neat.
Then I went home and showed my wife the pic......
She thought it was cool! So, i went back and talked to the owner and the people that she had sold the house to wanted it gone. She had planned on selling it to a scrap guy in the next couple days.
I looked it over and couldn't let that happen as it seemed in way too good condition for scrap!
So despite my better judgement, I bought it.
Towed it home as I had no tools out there to tinker with it, and with the help of endless searching of this board and the BNO board, she's runnin and drivin!
The PO had almost all the service records since new! and the Original maintenance manual on paper and the original 1958 delivery certificate to Jack Rabbit Lines, SD. They had it in revenue service until about 1978 when it appears to have been transferred / sold to Oklahoma Kansas and Missouri Coach lines. It was in service with them for a few years and was bought and converted in the mid 1980's best that I can tell by the records, all of which I have not been through.
I spoke to another previous owner that had owned it since the late 80's that I found through a title search and she gave me more history on it. They had it about 25 years and did very few trips with their family in it. She estimated that they put less than 10K mils on it is 25 years. Mostly short trips to close by areas.
So, I have been tinkering with it for about a month now, and the design and longevity, and materials used in the construction of this thing really amazes me. By the service records, it has about 1,270,000 miles on the chassis. It has a later-than 1958 671 in it with a 4 valve head, jake brakes, air throttle, alternator conversion, original 3cyl gas engine from the original AC, now driving a 7.5Kw Kohler generator head (dont know if that works yet, havent gotten to that but the thing looks pretty good), decent tires, recent complete rebuild by records (about 100K) and starts and runs like a top with just a new battery and fresh fuel! The air system, brakes, bags, etc.. fills and holds in what seems like appropriate time to me to around 110psi, and the bags stay up for about 3 days after shutting it down. The spring brakes work and kick in at about 45 psi. Water temp runs around 160 when running but I only drove it a couple miles for a test drive so that was not a totally reliable test. All seems pretty good?
Will be changing all the fluids and going through all the maintenance items as time allows in the next few weeks and might pick y'alls brains if I hit any snags.
I am not at all familiar with transit buses and not at all familiar with DD 2-strokes, but I have tinkered with about every other possible mechanical machine, and am familiar with and have owned a number of diesels in the past. I also have restored a number of vintage boats, cars, houses, and innumerable other challenging old decrepit things, so I guess this bus is a natural progression of sorts. The last "bus" that I restored was a 1968 VW Westfalia, complete restoration stem to stern down to the frame, though that "bus" was MUCH less complex than this one! This project is quite daunting in comparison!
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this board and the BNO board. Every time I think of a question, I search and the answer is usually instantly found! Clearly a great bunch of knowledgeable folks on here and on BNO!
Bus porn pending, all the pics are on my phone and I am not super tech savvy but will try to get some up in the next week or so! Once I get a bit more organized, will probably start a project thread as well.
Thanks again to everyone on here!
Welcome to the club and Congrats!
Another one saved, good going. Sounds like you have a good basis. Great to have the records.
Congratulations, Mr. Kanda! And welcome to this awesome group of crazy people. Where in the galaxy are you located?
But we do need the bus porn posted as soon as possible.
Kanda welcome aboard with the fun of 4104 ownership. I have a ton of links for 4104 related links and some folks that have parts new and used.
Siberyd
Thanks for the welcomes! Spent so much time on this board I the past month that I feel like I know y'all already.
I'm in the Topeka kansas area. Will post pics when I get em uploaded!
Spent today trying to find low ash 40w. Ended up ordering gallon jugs from orielly at 12.99 a piece. No one had that stuff in town in stock. Went with delo 100.
Time to get greasy!
O'Reilly's keep Delo 100 in stock in their distribution warehouse.
Siberyd
Welcome to the madness. Sounds like you are having fun. All the best of luck and glad the wife is on board.
Welcome Kanda, dont forget to put your name, location and bus type and engine/trans types, it will help to help you, lvmci...
Welcome to the club. Nice way to "roll" into a bus! We love pictures! Can't wait to see!
Where are you located? There may be some nutz close by to you who can give you some help when needed.
Wish you the best. Its awesome your Wife is onboard! Makes all the difference.
-Sean