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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: Ednj on April 02, 2008, 08:30:46 AM

Title: What is it?
Post by: Ednj on April 02, 2008, 08:30:46 AM
I know that it says GM under the rear marker lights, but what model & year might this bus be? ???
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Eagle on April 02, 2008, 09:01:44 AM
Looking at the picture of the front end it must be an Eagle.  It has all of the tell tell signs of a Eagle.  Rust Rust and more Rust.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: cody on April 02, 2008, 09:35:04 AM
Not sure about it being an eagle, rust is in the wrong places, might be a prevost lol.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: jackhartjr on April 02, 2008, 09:36:02 AM
I don't know the year or model, however Rosa Parks refused to sit in the back of one very similar, although shorter in Mongomery, AL on 12-01-55.

The post above about the Eagle was funny.

You might be a good guy...however...when all of the Eagle lovers on this board desend on your house and go ape-you know what...I don't have your back BUDDY! ;D

Jack
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: cody on April 02, 2008, 09:39:37 AM
Thats ok jack, we'll circle the eagles and defend ourselves by launching worn air bags lol, oops forgot we don't have them lol, well we'll figure out something lol.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Dreamscape on April 02, 2008, 10:11:06 AM
Dallas will probably know, he knows all about old stuff! ;)

Did someone say Eagle with Rust?

Not to sure about that as most Eagles I've seen you can't see the rust. ;D

Don't worry Cody, I've got your back, if you'll get mine.  :D

Looking for worn out airbags right now, don't seem to find any at all, oh well.

Paul
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: buddydawg on April 02, 2008, 10:39:53 AM
Looks like a GMC to me.  Check out these busses here www.coachinfo.com/AllAboutBuses/GMC_Info.html
and see if you can match it up.  The lights on the front look like the 3302 but it says there is only one left, so it must me a similar model.

Corrected link. Richard






Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: DrivingMissLazy on April 02, 2008, 11:55:41 AM
Quote from: buddydawg on April 02, 2008, 10:39:53 AM
Looks like a GMC to me.  Check out these busses here [url]=http:www.coachinfo.com/AllAboutBuses/GMC_Info.html/[url]
and see if you can match it up.  The lights on the front look like the 3302 but it says there is only one left, so it must me a similar model

Buddy, I have tried unsuccessfully to get that link to work. Will you please let know the correct link and I will post it in your original message.

Richard
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: skipn on April 02, 2008, 11:59:29 AM
www.coachinfo.com/AllAboutBuses/GMC_Info.html (http://www.coachinfo.com/AllAboutBuses/GMC_Info.html)

the slash was not in the brackets.


   Skip
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: DrivingMissLazy on April 02, 2008, 12:03:38 PM
Quote from: skipn on April 02, 2008, 11:59:29 AM
www.coachinfo.com/AllAboutBuses/GMC_Info.html (http://www.coachinfo.com/AllAboutBuses/GMC_Info.html)

the slash was not in the brackets.


   Skip

Thanks. HTML is not my strong suite. LOL

Richard
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Nick Badame Refrig/ACC on April 02, 2008, 12:05:14 PM
There it is...

PD 3302
The PD-3302 was built in 1945. It is 33' long and 96" wide, with a wheelbase of 212". It is powered by a 4-71 Detroit Diesel. It seats 33 and has both inside luggage rags and under-floor storage bays. It was made by the Pontiac division at the end of WWII under "office of defense transportation'' or ODT rules. Thus, it is different than most other GMC buses in that the engine is mounted straight-in and the body has some steel. Most GMC buses have a transverse engine and all-aluminum bodies. There were 100 PD-3302's built; the one shown
(PD-3302-016) belongs to the Pacific Bus Museum (www.pacbus.org) and is the only one known to exist



Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Nick Badame Refrig/ACC on April 02, 2008, 12:11:41 PM
This baby was made with some steel and being the only one known to exist, Eddie auta snatch up this one......

Nick-
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Lee Bradley on April 02, 2008, 12:12:44 PM
Are you sure it's not a 3702?
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Nick Badame Refrig/ACC on April 02, 2008, 12:18:44 PM
Lee, It's possible....??

I thought by the 2 horiozonal brackets just under the windshield that it was too close to the 3302

Nick-


Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: tekebird on April 02, 2008, 12:40:38 PM
based on the number of sliding sash windows I am going to say it is in the 37 model series.

Those are well before my time and I do not know all the tell tales to distinguish between say the 3701 and the 3702 models.

Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Ednj on April 02, 2008, 12:50:42 PM
This bus is all there and runs real good.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Dreamscape on April 02, 2008, 12:53:04 PM
I think Coach Maintenance has some of these. I saw some that looked close to that one.

Paul
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: skipn on April 02, 2008, 12:58:41 PM

My .02   If you look at the 4th passenger window back

  only the 3703 and 2903,2904 have the half window.

  Ruled out the 29xx because of the ribbed alum. under the windows.

   so I'll say 3703

  Skip
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Dallas on April 02, 2008, 03:28:52 PM
I'm going to go with a 3704... the 3703 came with pony powered A/C about half way back.
If you could get a look at he boat tail rear end, look to see if there are bubbles for the tail lights with 3 lights on each side, that look original. If they are long up and down, it's a 3703, if they are built like the front turn signals, wider than they are high, it's a 3704

All coaches from the 27 to the 41 series could be ordered with aluminum siding or not. I don't know about the newer coaches... that's Doug's job. I just work on them as I find them.

It's not a 27-29-31-32 or 33 series because if you count the windows, and there is a pair of seats at each window, with 3 in the rear.. you get a total count of 37 with 9 windows, whether large or small. the middle windowns, (small) weren't real popular with customers because they only opened a small amount compared to the larger 35" windows on either end.

By the way... thanks Paul for having such faith in my deductive reasoning... but... I make a lot of mistakes, and this could possibly be one.

The Rosa Parks bus was a 1948 GMC TDH3610 and I owned the sister bus to it. My coaches serial number was 0730, delivered to Dayton Ohio, I forget if the Rosa Parks bus was in the just previous order or the one just after.
Ford Motor Museum in Flint Michigan wanted to buy the engine out of my bus but decided not to when they found it had been switched to a high block design from a TDH3612. Good thing too, I was not about to sell my broken backed old TDH for scrap after they yanked the engine out of it.



Hmmm, here's an update... the 3703 had a piece of moulding over the emergency door.. the 3704 doesn't. the picture posted is hard to see with my old eyes, but it looks like there is no such moulding.

If anyone is really interested, I'll get out the parts book and look up the part number for the moulding, and for the aluminum too... they were different length of sections between the 3703 and 04.

Now that I've confused you some more... have fun!

Dallas
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: skipn on April 02, 2008, 04:23:10 PM

This has been fun and educational I thought I would never look so close at old GMC's :)


   So Dallas didn't the 3704 have a more vertical windshield?

  Sorry I couldn't let you off the hook that easy


Skip
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: belfert on April 02, 2008, 04:56:52 PM
I swear GM has more bus models than car models!  How do you guys remember all the tiny details that differentiate between 50 to 60 year old vehicles?

At least Dina only made one model for the US market so I only have to tell people I have a Dina and they know what it is.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: skipn on April 02, 2008, 05:06:09 PM

Hate to burst your bubble but I have no memory everything I know is in the computer.
I gave up trying to remember things years ago that way when dementia hits no one will know :)
I do tons of research as part of my job so occasionally it is fun to research a bus thing.
For the record I processed 1k files today looking for discrepancies and errors and of
coarse I found a bunch.   It's a living :)

   Dallas and some of the other true guru's probably have true memories.


Skip
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: tekebird on April 02, 2008, 05:15:23 PM
3703 I belive.

the 3704 had a very similar front clip to the 4102 and 4103 while the 4101 had a front clip similar to the 37 series.

Dallas,  is correct that up to the 3751/4151 and the 4104 on the alum sidding was an option, one that was not available during the war due to wartime rationing

as for the A/C Dallas Mentioned:  A/C was an option on GM coaches up through the 4104.  The 4106 was the first GM coach with a standard A?C
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: jackhartjr on April 02, 2008, 06:18:50 PM
Doug, I am pretty sure the 4501 was the first with standard A/C.
Jack
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: tekebird on April 02, 2008, 06:21:40 PM
OK, 4106 First GM bus with standard A/C that did not violate US Antitrust laws and was available on the open market.


LOL

and while we are being sarcastic........on the rust issue, as others have pointed out....Eagles Rot from the inside out often with no exterior visible corrosion at all
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Ednj on April 02, 2008, 06:24:40 PM
Quote from: Dallas on April 02, 2008, 03:28:52 PM

If you could get a look at he boat tail rear end, look to see if there are bubbles for the tail lights with 3 lights on each side, that look original. If they are long up and down, it's a 3703, if they are built like the front turn signals, wider than they are high, it's a 3704


Dallas


Does this help?
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: skipn on April 02, 2008, 06:46:14 PM

   So Ed,   (in a most respectful tone)

   Since you have been able to string pictures along as we needed them
IS this your new project that you can confess to?


Skip
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: DMoedave on April 02, 2008, 06:54:49 PM
Its a 3703 4-71 straight in offset to curb side, they had two trims this one should have the 2 piece bumper and no trim on the side the other has the badge across the front instead of the 4 aluim strips and red GM badge. and the 3704 does have a different front end  like teke said
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: DMoedave on April 02, 2008, 07:01:05 PM
also the air duct cowls are missing up front on the roof, you can see where they were. i dont know how to post a pic on this forum or i would post a couple
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: brojcol on April 03, 2008, 02:25:23 PM
QuoteHow do you guys remember all the tiny details that differentiate between 50 to 60 year old vehicles?

Hey Brian,

They remember them so well because they were around when these buses were in regular service ;D
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Dallas on April 03, 2008, 02:28:11 PM
Quote from: brojcol on April 03, 2008, 02:25:23 PM
QuoteHow do you guys remember all the tiny details that differentiate between 50 to 60 year old vehicles?

Hey Brian,

They remember them so well because they were around when these buses were in regular service ;D


HEY! I resemble that Fact!

Edit:
But then, some people remember the thousands of moves in Chess, or Go or Mah Jong. we just choose to remember stuff about GM coaches in particular and many old time coaches in general.

If you'll bring me a crayon from the Nurses station, I'll be glad to write down what it was you asked me a minute ago.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Melbo on April 03, 2008, 02:44:57 PM
Dallas we would be glad to bring you the crayons from the nurses station but someone ate them all and just left the paper wrappers in the box

Melbo
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: cody on April 03, 2008, 03:47:44 PM
I'm innocent, I only ate the red one, tasted like chicken lol.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Runcutter on April 03, 2008, 04:25:25 PM
Back then, every bus looked different.  I was originally going to say 2903, but the coach pictured had too many windows - thus couldn't be a 29xx series.  I knew someone who lived in a 2903 at the bus company I worked for around 1969-1970.  I used to be able to look at a bus and tell the model number - but with today's transits, I can't even tell who the manufacturer is.  So many cars today look like suppositories (got to carry on with the nurses' station theme) - even the cops can't tell the dispatcher what they're pulling over.

I remember meeting Jack Short, GM Coach's stylist - when I bought a fleet of RTS's in the early 1980's.  That really says something, they had a "stylist" - and didn't Raymond Loewy design the Scenicruiser (and the GG1 locomotive, and ....)?

However, this week I'm doing field work for a new contractor in Riverside County CA, saw some fishbowls and a 4903/5 in Perris, a Scenicruiser between Perris and Lake Elsinore, then a nice Eagle in a trailer park in Lake Elsinore.  Capped it off by window shopping (or fence-shopping) at the Transit Sales International lot just north of Temecula.  All buses old enough that I could actually tell you what they were.  However, looking out the hotel window I just saw a newer transit drive by - I wonder what it was.

Arthur
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: DrivingMissLazy on April 03, 2008, 05:03:15 PM
Probably like remembering the automobiles from the good ole days. No way could I ever forget what a 49 Mercury or 57 Chevrolet or any other of the beauties from that time look like.

Richard
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: belfert on April 03, 2008, 05:21:13 PM
I can recognize a lot of current automobiles by sight.  I think some of the older vehicles are ugly compared to modern day, but it has to do with what you grew up with.

If a cop can't read the model badge off the back of the vehicle to tell dispatch the model of car they should probably turn in their badge or get glasses.  It is a rare car that doesn't list the model name on the rear unless the owner removed the badges.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Charles Seaton on April 04, 2008, 12:56:01 PM
If you want to see one of these in running condtion, rent "A Soldiers's Story".  The two humps on either side near the front are ventilators.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Charles Seaton on April 05, 2008, 10:23:02 AM
Runcutter,

The GM fishbowls you saw in Perris belong to a firm called dreamliner leasing.  Guess, he's gotten rid of some but at one time he had at least one example of every GM New Look model made.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Runcutter on April 06, 2008, 06:37:27 PM
Charles, that's kind of who I thought it was.  I'd seen them advertise fishbowls for sale, (and a power-steering front end that would fit my 4107, but it's pick-up only and I'm in Dallas).  There was a 4903/5, and three fishbowls sitting outside - two suburbans and a transit.  Although there were a couple of guys visibile, I was working one day I went by, and with my client the next time through.  There is a building, so there may have been more inside.

Arthur
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Ednj on April 18, 2008, 11:20:50 AM
Quote from: skipn on April 02, 2008, 06:46:14 PM

   So Ed,   (in a most respectful tone)

   Since you have been able to string pictures along as we needed them
IS this your new project that you can confess to?


Skip


I got back to take another look today, here is pic's.
Skip, no it's not mine but is for sale locally.
Ed
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Ednj on April 18, 2008, 11:21:40 AM
 :o
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Dallas on April 18, 2008, 12:20:06 PM
Well, By Golly, It IS a 3703!

I toldya to bring me my crayons from the nurses station, but now you'll have to bring that nice Zaftig Nurse with the happy juice!
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: GM0406 on April 18, 2008, 06:34:59 PM
Bus Pilots,  This is likely a GM coach built for government that saved GM's tail after the war during a period when bus orders declined.  This has been discussed at other websites.  Front like a transit and rear like a vaacuum cleaner!  Bill T.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: tekebird on April 19, 2008, 11:57:28 AM
I do not beleive there was any post war slump in bus orders for anyone.......likely totally opposite of that.

Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: GM0406 on July 08, 2008, 10:12:08 PM
Sorry for my stupid comment.  This is obviously a 3703 and I rode on one of them many years ago in Ontario Canada.  There was a bus line in Canada that ran these in orange with black stripes.  As soon as I looked at all the pics., it was clear what this coach is.  But I have seen a coach with basically the same front and an old look rear.  I read where these were made by GM to fill a government order which helped to save GM when they were in a tight spot.  Perhaps someone here knows about the coaches I am talking about?  Bill T.
Title: Re: What is it?
Post by: Charles Seaton on July 09, 2008, 11:02:00 AM
Yes, I have seen the Govt. GM's you're speaking of.  They actually had the entire front clip from a GM old look. Windshields, bi-fold front doors and sliding driver's window.