Looking for History on 1979 MC 5C Saudi

[Dave5Cs]

Anybody Know other than the original story of the Hound starting the Aramco Bus Company over there and then they came back and that is where it seems to stop???

I find the history on these Buses fascinating. I have looked ours up but only find between this and that number. Maybe because it was one of the 5C Saudi 35 footer.


The number above the door you can still see was #950 faint but there. Nothing in the blacked out destination box. It did have the 2nd Back R- side doors, has since been taken out and fixed. Know it has the 6V-71 some say I should have the 740 HT others say 654 because of the length?

Just wondering when it came back to US, Canada, Etc., where would have come back too and used for what. We think it was converted the 1st time in 1989. Where can I look other than the Angel site for info or do you know anything about it.

MCI Challenger Model-MC 5C (We know Saudi because of the roof and inside where the back door was) Sept 1979  Serial # S14027  Unit #7585    Trim code AA
The Plate says manufactured by, Motor Coach INDUSTRIES, INC. Pembina, North Dakota U.S.A.
This Plate Affixed by Motor Coach IND. LTD.,WINNIPEG, CANADA

Any Info appreciated

Dave

[Gary '79 5C]

Dave,
The curb side panel aft of the rear baggage door & forward of the drive tires had the Aramco decal remenant shadowing in the SS. Mine could be seen in the difference of the buffed SS. All in Arabic, IIRC. A friend whom is from the region got a kick when I showed him.
I will do a search on the serial number. Google it and there is a registery of the MCI deliveries, by S/N, Customer, Dates etc.

[Gary '79 5C]

Here is the link & an excerpt covering you S/N, It appears that the S/N and unit number do not appear within the published range ??
Best of luck & Merry Christmas !!

Greyhound Saudi Arabia                            1979  MC-5CS   S13992-S14040  7550-7598


http://www.angelfire.com/ca/TORONTO/builders/mci5.html

PS:

The two buses I rode as a charter to HS basketball games are listed. A driver named Earnie kept this bus upright and on many an icy, windy, narrow, mountainous West Virginia roads on the winter trips.

Pittsburgh & Weirton Bus Company        126-127   AP67  MC-5A      6859-6860    6237-6238                  WV

[Dave5Cs]

Gary;

Thank You, that is the parameter but that was why I was wondering if there is any other sites that would give me where it came back into the U.S.A. after it's 1 year service over there. I have the double roof and bigger radiators, We have the little glued on Paper in Arabic in the coolant fill door and even downloaded the original picture of the model of the bus with Arabic on side   I guess no one kept track. I am finding that these Buses are kinda like the little red headed step child of the family. It is a shame because that is quite a History Story I would imagine.

I found the story of the engineer who put it all together over there and created the largest Bus system in the world and some say it is still that way today. But the end of the story drifts off and tells more about him and the signs than any of the original buses or where they went after their service there. Some say they or some of them were made in US and some in London but no documentation. I did find out that the back door was for the women to enter the Buses and the front door was for the men. My wife said it is a good thing that the doors in the back were taken out and skinned over. LOL.

Dave

[luvrbus]

Dave, Americanos  (Greyhound) had most of those 5's for use in South America you still see a few ruining in Mexico a Church in Morelia Mexico had several when I was there in 1995.
I have seen a bunch in wrecking yard there in Mexico with the Americanos decals I don't believe that many came back to states per say 



good luck

[Dave5Cs]

Luvrbus

Thanks for the info. That is probably why I can find nothing on them here. I do know and have some pic's of them in Canada. Baniff bought  and ran for many years about 15 of the original 198
Beachliner also ran some but don't know where they are from.

One of the sites says this? 
In 1979, over 200 special MC-5C buses were built by Greyhound under contract from Aramco in Saudi Arabia. Two versions were built, one with 44 intercity-style seats and one with 41 transit seats and two passenger doors. Modifications made for desert operation included an increase in air conditioning capacity, an over sized engine cooling system, dual air cleaners and an extra roof cover to insulate coach interiors from the action of the sun. These buses have since been returned to the U.S.

The article says that they were returned here?
Dave

[Gary '79 5C]

Dave,

Last time I was in Nimco's yard, I was yakin' about things and how they recycle buses for scrap & salvagable parts. IIRC, the guys name was Nick, no longer there, said many, if not all Saudi buses were received at their yard, via Port of Newark. They were painted over, sent out to various lines and back into line service. Nothing more, nothing less ?? I know of one which was later purchased from ABC in Camden, NJ by a private owner, who converted the coach. That one was on Ebay for a long time before selling.

Mine was a (2) door coach with the remaining scars under the rear curbside bay door. Engine, trans, OEM A/C & steering are long gone.

Gary

[jjrbus]

When I bought my Saudi 5C at Northwest Bus Sales in Milton WA in 2000 the story I was told by the owner of the bus sales company and his mechanic Dan was as I remember it.

The 200 5C's that went to Saudi Arabia were under contract to Aramco and were not used in commercial transit service. They were lightly used by the oil company to transport employees.

They remained in Saudi Arabia for 10 years and were returned to the US as per contract at the end of the 10 years.

The mechanic named Dan from some where in the State of Washington claimed to have worked on the bus I had bought since it's return to the USA.

Mine also had the yellow service sticker on the water fill door.

Again, this is what I was told, I accepted it on face value.  Maybe the company or Dan is still around to ask??   JIm

[Dave5Cs]

Thanks guys, interesting info some old some new. Jim I had also heard that they used them for transport to and from the oil fields but they said that was the front door type only and the double door where used more around towns shopping, and to get to other towns, etc. I didn't know they were there for 10 years though.

Like Luke told me,"Those are nice little coaches"

Dave

[luvrbus]

All I know is you see the Saudi 5 in Mexico never saw that many here,that was such a good bus you would think there would be 1/2 of those still running if they were here in the USA.
Fwiw if you can get your hands on a Bus World Encyclopedia of Buses they have info on when they were returned to Greyhound and why I believe it is in the 1988 publication,I would have to dig through mine to check maybe I can do that after the 1st
All the Eagles that went to Canada, Mexico,Egypt,Australia,South Africa, Saudi and other places are easy to trace whats with MCI and Greyhound

good luck

[Dave5Cs]

Luvrbus;

Wow Calm down dude. Sorry you don't like them, I was just interested in their History is all. We have one re-converted it and really like it because of the look the bigger cooling system and the length and the eight front end. Just thought it was interesting that nobody knows much about them. Didn't mean to tic you off.

Dave

[luvrbus]

Sorry Dave you must not read my post those are neat buses I had a 5c for several years I installed a 6v92TA and a 740 because the 6v71 would faint when the word hill was mention lol it was a nice rig still around running everyday,for some reason history is hard to find on MCI buses, I have a little on the 5 and 8 I got from Greyhound in Dallas but not much .
I was talking about history with MCI and Greyhound not the bus sorry  


good luck

[Dave5Cs]

Sorry did misread your post thought you said, IF that was such a good bus. Got it. Ya I agree about the motor but for now it runs well and most of California isn't that hilly where we are. So where down the road we will put in bigger motor or get another one with bigger motor. Right now it will be the House.

Dave

[Gary '79 5C]

They remained in Saudi Arabia for 10 years and were returned to the US as per contract at the end of the 10 years.

JjrBus,

I did not think these buses were in Saudi for much longer than 3 - 5 years. I have no conclusive evidence of this, just conversations with people along the way. I believe my PO started his conversion, actually Caylor, in early 1990, so that may lend credence to the ten year contract time period.

I would have thought that by 1984, most of the Saudi's were driving Rolls Royce's, given the upswing in oil prices.

[Dave5Cs]

Gold RR's probably.

Gary I hadn't heard the 10 year thing either but might be possible. Ours was converted the first time by some company we were told around 1989 but he wasn't sure of exact year, so what Jim had mentioned he'd heard could very well be a possibility.
I do wonder if the #195 above the font door would be #195 of the original 200 buses sent over or just a route number later or over there. Oh well thanks for all the info.

Dave