OK I made a NEW YEARS Resalution! & I need all you fellow busnuts HELP!

[Busted Knuckle]

OK here's the deal I decided this is the year we are going to go ALL SETRA in our fleet! So in order to do that I need to find at least two nice 45' Setra S217 or S417 model buses at a fair price!
I'm hoping to find at least one with a wheel chair lift. #1) so we can comply with ADA regulations which they are beginning to crack down on. #2) it will also open a new market for us since no one else in the immediate area has one either, so if I'm the first in the area and I get out and show it off, market it, and advertise it well, it should pay off fast.
I have been searching hi & lo for some time now, but everything I find is JUNK or outrageously priced! I found one the other day and went to look at it in Woodstock, GA (Atlanta area), only to find out the bus was actually located somewhere in New York. The one that was where I went, was a ragged out, rode hard, & put away wet unit that I wouldn't trade my parts bus for!

So if any of you run across any nice looking SETRA 45' coaches in your travels please try to get me a phone # where I can check on them. Hey they may not wanna sell. or they may want too much, or it may just be the connection I need! We won't know until we try!

OK yes I know that the following places have 45' Setra's that we have already ruled out because of quality, price, or just impossible to deal with!
Setra North America (just too proud of what they have!)
ABC (not much choice and play games on prices tell ya one, then change it!)
MCI (no SETRA's)
MAK (again no SETRA's)
Sawyer's (they are the same units we have looked at over & over and too much $ for condition)
Easter's (Bobby called me once a while back and told me he had just what he'd heard I was looking for and it'd be coming Thur my area, and would have them stop by for me to look over. Well that never happened and 2 weeks later when he finally sent pics they were 40'ers and I haven't seen any 45's at his place)
Busforsale.com etc, etc. (in other words I have seen all the ones that advertise on the web, and in the industry publications)
So I am asking if ya find any other than at those "dealers" mentioned or if you actually SEE in person that might be reasonable drop me a line or give me a call.
Thanks in advance!   BK 
two70-705-eleven39

[Van]

Bryce,We will keep an eye peeled here in vegas.A few TBCo' run them here and I see them all the time ,Have a great new year.Van

[Busted Knuckle]

Bryce,We will keep an eye peeled here in vegas.A few TBCo' run them here and I see them all the time ,Have a great new year.Van

Thanks! And hope you and yers have a great yr too!   BK 

[Van]

BK,couple a 45'/58P- 217's here ,don't know the market fair value,good luck

http://lasvegasbussales.com/products/product_cat.cgi?category=Las_Vegas_Coaches

will keep sniffin

[Lee Bradley]

BK,
These guys have one.

http://www.nwbus.com/products/product_cat.cgi?category=Seattle_Coaches

[RJ]

Bryce -

Here's a couple of S417s, not sure if they're lift-equipped, but worth a call anyway, maybe?  (Scroll to the bottom of the page)

http://www.bocor.com/BocorWebPages/SpecialDeals.htm


Those 417s sure are a good-looking coach. . . and you could probably charge a premium for one, as opposed to a 217.

FWIW, HTH & Happy New Year!

[Hi yo silver]

BK,
I'm only about 35 miles from Sawyers.  If he gets anything in that you might have an interest in, call me at five 4 Oh, 59 9 one, fifty two nineteen.  I can take a few pics and e-mail them to you.
Dennis,
Near Roanoke
P.S. Why do we encode our phone #'s like that?  I just figured since you guys do it, there must be a reason. Or is it just one of those "made you look" moments? LOL 

[Hi yo silver]

Oops! Too many numbers...omit the 9 after the 59.
Dennis

[PADoug]

Well, this is a bit of a change! And I thought from the header line it was gonna be "No more pet Setras!" judging from your last purchase! 

You must've been REAL GOOD to Mama during the holiday! Weren't you afraid she'd get angry?? Wish mine was still around to spoil....

Good luck, and though buses from Western-PA may be rust-prone; I have seen a few Setras and Van-Drools running around. Of course, I may just be seeing many of them pass through the I -70/76 Interchanges and roads. I'll keep a lookout.   

Doug

[letz4wheel]

BK,
P.S. Why do we encode our phone #'s like that?  I just figured since you guys do it, there must be a reason. Or is it just one of those "made you look" moments? LOL 

We do that cause we are lemmings and someone else did it 

Actually the real reason is it keeps the computer bots from getting ahold of it and recognizing it as a phone number (or email Addy) and grabbing it and selling it to a spammer.

[Busted Knuckle]

Hey guys thanks for the wealth of new info/tips! This is exactly why I thought to post here asking for help on this as I have exhausted all of the "known" places I usually drool at! I knew I'd get some great tips from our great community here!

And just a little follow up. Van & Lee thanks for reminding me of these guys it is appreciated! (I might find a diamond in the rough there someday but the price will need to reflect it! LOL!)
NW & Vegas Bus sales = 1 and the same. I forgot to mention them in the original post, and I should have as they do keep some in stock (some tooo long like Sawyer's LOL) and these are rough but cleaned up!

Hi Yo Silver thanks for offering to check on Sawyer's for me, & should his inventory or price list change in the near future I may just take you up on that offer! (as well as offer to buy coffee or lunch if we come up thru there to look or buy ourselves!) and as Letz4wheel said the encrypted phone # is to foil the spam bots!

RJ a very big thanks for a link I have never seen before! And yes those 417's are very pretty and most likely still somewhat out of our reach, but ya never know we may just catch one that someone is trying to keep from getting repo'd (or has been), or whatever and get a deal we can't pass on! (if I get one it will get charged extra for and it will not carry the college coeds on their drunken escapades! LOL!)

I know I saw where someone mention Jean's Bus Service from Greenville, SC. Wow how could I forget Jean's? Man they are the owners of the very first 417 I ever got to drool on live in the flesh! What a beauty it was too! (but I guess someone erased it or something).

ANYWAY thanks again for all the suggestions and if there are anymore by all means let me know! If you happen to be the lucky one to steer me to one we decide to come look at &/or buy, I'll buy coffee or dinner when we are in the area if we can hook up together while I'm there! (Just remember I'm a steak & tater kinda guy unless it's Seafood then it's a toss up!)     BK 

[RJ]

RJ a very big thanks for a link I have never seen before! And yes those 417's are very pretty and most likely still somewhat out of our reach, but ya never know we may just catch one that someone is trying to keep from getting repo'd (or has been), or whatever and get a deal we can't pass on! (if I get one it will get charged extra for and it will not carry the college coeds on their drunken escapades! LOL!)

Bryce -

You just triggered another thought - who finances these things??  That may be a good source of finding a decent coach that's being repo'd.  (Just think of all the foreclosures out there!)  And all indications are that 2009 is going to get worse before it gets better.  So start talking to lenders, too!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[Hartley]

Ya might try to find who is the asset manager at GE Capital and look
for any Setra's in their lists. The do a lot of big ticket items and because
they might have pulled a few back somewhere.