BCM Community

Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: brojcol on August 15, 2007, 04:39:25 PM

Title: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: brojcol on August 15, 2007, 04:39:25 PM
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1954-GMC-4104-Greyhound-conversion-motor-home_W0QQitemZ180148710673QQihZ008QQcategoryZ6728QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pretty snazzy for an 04. 
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: Busted Knuckle on August 15, 2007, 04:43:51 PM
Cool just think if it sells the buyer could have them deliver it to the Rally Sept 6th thru the 10th @ BK's, Cats, & Dallas' Place in NW TN  an everybody could help the new owner inspect it! LOL!
FWIW ;D  BK  ;D
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: roadrunnertex on August 15, 2007, 06:42:46 PM
I don't know who is the owner or the seller is but I can tell it never was a Greyhound PD4104.  ;D
So it might be a good old 4104 for the bucks. ???
jlv
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: Barn Owl on August 15, 2007, 08:47:24 PM
QuoteI don't know who is the owner or the seller is but I can tell it never was a Greyhound PD4104.

How can you tell?
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: Nusa on August 15, 2007, 09:56:23 PM
It's a good guess, considering how few of the 1954's went to Greyhound. Most of the 1953's did, but the next huge order wasn't until 1957. But Greyhound did get a few 1954's, so I'm not sure how he can be positive.
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: tekebird on August 16, 2007, 04:39:19 AM
1.All Greyhounds had a solid panel between the headlights.
2. Greyhounds had a specific A/C setup which was only used on coaches delivered to them.
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: Charles Seaton on August 16, 2007, 05:58:46 AM
From what I remember, the PD 4104s released by Greyhound in the early 1970s were pretty good buses.  Greyhound Maintenance back then was far superior to today's.  Many small charter companies got their start with Greyhound 4104s.
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: tekebird on August 16, 2007, 08:36:48 AM
only problem with Greyhound 04's when they were released is they had a few million miles on the chassis
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: brojcol on August 16, 2007, 09:34:36 AM
My wife's gonna kill me, but I put a bid on it.  Pretty good bid I thought, but I still didn't meet the reserve.

I have nowhere to put it,
no money to put into it
no reason to buy it except...

I JUST GOTS TO HAVE IT (or at least one like it)...
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: roadrunnertex on August 16, 2007, 12:47:31 PM
How can you tell a Greyhound PD4104 from a regular PD4104?
Greyhound 04's had a solid panel between the front headlights no single license plate holder.
Most had the low mount mirror on the left side.
Different location for the condenser door screen and a small screen behind it for the A/C diesel engine radiator.
Different windshield wiper arm system like the coaches have today not the single arm Tryco type.
Transmission door will have cooling louvers.
Engine compartment door is different no rear target sign on the Greyhound 04's
Lot's of other small things like the switch locations on the drivers instrument panel are different on the Greyhound 04's.
jlv ;D
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: tekebird on August 16, 2007, 01:53:54 PM
JLV,

Corrections,

1.the louvered Tranny door is a sign of the Hydrashift Tranny
2.Some greyhounds did have target signs  Dog with greyhound Lines lettering on white ( photo evidence)

Greyhound tailgates all had the tail and brake lights on the upper panel as per Greyhound specs.

Non Patograph wipers were delivered on some greyhound 04's ( phot eveidence) if not all.  I thought the patograph was a retrofit on the 04






Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: gus on August 16, 2007, 01:55:19 PM
My '54 was a Trailways.

It has Transmission door with cooling louvers, no Hydrashift.

Engine compartment door has rear target sign and all lights. I've never seen a 4104 with the lights in the bumper before, I thought that was a custom modification when I saw the photo.

Of course these doors could have been changed but mine has all the other stuff different than Greyhound that has been posted.
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: gus on August 16, 2007, 02:14:26 PM
This is a nice looking bus but he says nothing about the mechanical or tire condition. If all is well mechanically this is a $15-20K bus.

40 gal fresh is only about half what it should be, same thing for the waste tank/s.

I especially like the interior because it isn't all light colored woodwork like all the new S&S!!
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: BusCrazyinFL on August 16, 2007, 03:09:42 PM
 I think this bus was at the last Arcadia rally. Gary LaBombard should have pictures of it in his albums.
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: brojcol on August 16, 2007, 03:15:30 PM
QuoteThis is a nice looking bus but he says nothing about the mechanical or tire condition. If all is well mechanically this is a $15-20K bus

You really think so, gus?

I was thinking more like $7 - $10...Am I being too unrealistic?
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: tekebird on August 16, 2007, 03:44:05 PM
04 tailgates have an upper and lower panel

GH had both tail and signal lighs spaced close together vertically on the opper panel...likely to mimic the scenicruiser.

Non GH had the tail  lights on the lower panel

the louvered tranny door is a sign of the hydrashift.......most hydrashifts were taken out of service as Driver's were hard on them and they were a maint issue......also there is a good chance a good hydrashift tranny door could have been put on a non hydrashift bus at some point in it's life.

Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: tekebird on August 16, 2007, 03:46:38 PM
a bit dated interior to bring 20k and a ugly paint job to boot.

Seller does not say anything someone who knows buses would say in an add.....thats always a big ?????????????/

Don't know $#!% probably did not do $#!% either..but fuel and go
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: gus on August 16, 2007, 07:38:29 PM
Yeah, my old Trailways has the lights in the lower panel. I haven't seen one with them in the upper panel, would like to though. Seems that would leave the lower panel kind of bare but it would make the bus look taller.

Well, $20K may be on the high side, but I said if the mechanics and tires are good. Look at the prices in Bus Conversions Magazine, they won't be much below this. The 4104 structure is all AL and the 671 is probably the best engine ever made by GM.

The interior goes with the bus age, why try to make it look like all the other new
RVs? Dated to you means classic to me. These old buses are distinctive and it pains me to see them skinned over to look just like all the others. Who wants to look like everybody else, the last thing I want to do??

Paint schemes are very subjective, this thing is beautiful compared to some of these awful dark paint jobs with the crazy swirls I see on the huge box shaped buses and RVs.

The older buses had a lot more class and the older paint schemes show this off. The more Al skin that shows the better they look. This paint scheme is pretty close to some of the NE bus lines shown in some of the bus photo books. One bus Co. used green and yellow!! And it wasn't half as bad as it sounds.

That being said, I sure wouldn't bid on this without inspecting it in person. I bought a big diesel dump truck that way once and learned my lesson. The photos always look better than the real thing.
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: maria-n-skip on August 16, 2007, 07:46:58 PM

Well bidder 7 is still in the running. I check out e-bay every morning with my coffee wake up and I am suprised at the numbers bid some are in the basement and others in the basemant. (soft market I guess)

   Brojcol I imagine your #6 or #7 if you're 7 now might be a good time to prepare your wife:) Minnimums have been know to be
lowered.........


   Skip
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: Barn Owl on August 16, 2007, 08:54:14 PM
QuoteWell, $20K may be on the high side........Look at the prices in Bus Conversions Magazine; they won't be much below this.

Yea and the same busses are still for sale one year later.

QuoteThese old buses are distinctive and it pains me to see them skinned over to look just like all the others.

I like the classic look also.

QuotePaint schemes are very subjective, this thing is beautiful compared to some of these awful dark paint jobs with the crazy swirls I see on the huge box shaped buses and RVs.

Again, I side on the classic look. I am not a fan of someone who takes an old bus and try to make it look new. It might fool those who don't know beans about busses but I think it just looks too much like an old bus that is trying to be a wannabe new RV.
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: brojcol on August 17, 2007, 12:18:57 PM
Well, too rich for my blood...I got outbid on this one.

Maybe if the interior were a little bit nicer, I would be willing to go a little higher, but as it is...
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: RJ on August 17, 2007, 09:34:15 PM
All -

OK, I emailed the seller, asking for the VIN to ID the original owner.

The coach is PD4104-1040, which was delivered new as fleet number V-209 in May of 1954 to Virginia Stage Lines, based out of Charlottesville, VA.

So the spotters are correct, it is NOT an ex-Greyhound coach.

Doug - Do you know if VSL is/was a Trailways carrier, or a local charter outfit??

The plot thickens!!

;)
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: tekebird on August 18, 2007, 05:11:37 AM
do not beleive TW but will check
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: gus on August 19, 2007, 02:40:21 PM
Jimmy,

As I said before, that interior goes with that bus. If you want the modern light oak furniture and beige leather interior then you will find it in the more modern conversions.

My 4104 interior looks a lot like this one and I would't dream of "modernizing" it. I was so happy when I found it that I could hardly contain myself talking to the seller. I really got tired of looking at ads for conversions with mirrors, sculpted ceilings, mouse fur upholstery, cream leather upholstery, wild paint schemes and skinned over windows.

I've tried to keep my bus as original looking as possible right down to the wheels.
Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: tekebird on August 19, 2007, 02:48:01 PM
I don't know my 4104 was done in 1978 and was alot more contemporary than this one....... then of course I sold it and the gutted the interior.

Title: Re: Does this bus belong to anyone on this board?
Post by: gus on August 19, 2007, 05:41:07 PM
teke,

Evidently the new owner agrees with me!!

I don't think I would have gone that far though. I doubt he knew what he was getting into but at least it will be less work than starting with a shell.

I thought about redoing mine because the bedroom is too small but I came to my senses in time!!

New Subject; Please, all you 4104 owners, log onto Norm's 4104 site. He is not getting a lot of support from us. http://www.pd4104.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Forums&file=viewtopic&topic=16&forum=13