Our GM 4103

[2xclutchin]

Hello,
       This is actually my first post on the forum and i was actually wondering if anybody could put me in touch with a GM guru. I'm a younger person but i want to learn as much as possible about our GM 4103. Also we will be converting it so ill probably ask a few questions about that too. "The Bus" began as a project of my Grandfathers back in 97' once he passed on it was sold and now we've bought her back! I was told its a 1953. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1381351354422&set=a.1381323073715.45533.1851114402&theater If that link worked that is a picture, shes rough but still a beautiful sight. PD4103-1353 is her number and i was also hoping to find out some of the history behind "The Bus".
I also wanted to say good job to the people that have put this together I've learned alot already and this is just a great thing to have.
Thanks,
          Mike

[Rick59-4104]

 Hello Mike,
Welcome, John or someone here will probably be able to give tell you the company that took delivery of your bus when new. By the number I would say it is a 1953 it is my understanding that the 03's were made in a run of 1500 buses from '51 to'53. I just bought and moved a 4103 yesterday, see my earlier post on this bus, I have some pictures of the 4103 and my 1959 4104 on the Yahoo GM Bus Site/forum under Photos, Ricks59-4104

Your bus looks good to me, lots of information here the search feature here and on the other forums will be your friend.

Rick









Where are you located?

[2xclutchin]

Thief River Falls, Minnesota about 70 miles from Canada. I wish it was warm up here, be nice to take it out for a drive, but without heat i'd have to say no way lol.

[RJ]

Mike -

Welcome aboard.  Not to many 4103s still running, let alone running around, so kudos to you for keeping it alive.

Be aware that windshields are now made from "unobtainium". . .

FYI, PD4103-1353 was delivered new in June of 1952 as fleet number 920 to Missouri Pacific Transportation Company, based out of St. Louis, MO.  It was the second of a 10-bus order delivered by GM to MoPac that month.  Most likely stayed in their fleet about 10 years, maybe less.

Back in those days, quite a few railroads also owned bus companies, using the buses to feed the trains - just like Amtrak does today.  Based on this historical time-frame, I'm not sure how long MoPac kept their bus operations - perhaps inquiring on a railroad fan site might divulge that info for you.

So your coach never was a Greyhound, even though non-bus folk will call it one.

Suggestion:  Keep it as stock looking as possible - nowadays the nostalgia thing creates tons of interest!

Good Luck on your project, and again, welcome aboard!

FWIW & HTH. . .

[2xclutchin]

Alright, well that was our plan, that is to keep it original. Does anybody on here know the paint scheme? I have been trying to search for it but dont find, well, anything other than pictures of 4104's bought by the company. Yes going into this we knew about the lovely hard to find windshields, but as of right now both are in good condition, knock on wood. I was also reading that bus operations for MoPac were transfered to trailways in 1957 i think. I have to say nothing even comes close to driving that 6-71 and that four speed, it was easy once i figured out the double clutching part.
Forgot to say Thank you for the information, I love learning history behind older vehicles
Thanks again,
                  Mike

[DMoedave]

Mo Pac same as ours was. I am away from the house computor but there is a great site Angelfire, that has hundreds of old bus pictures with several Mo Pacs, someone will probably post the site b4 i get home but if not i will wed.

[leroy]

does anyone know what happend to 1362? 

[thejumpsuitman]

Woww, I just looked at your your profile...  You have easily unseated Jordansinthesky as the new youngest busnut.  Congratulations.

[Runcutter]

Here's a photo I found of 908.  http://cw42.tripod.com/subdirectory/MoP-908_3704.jpg


This guy's website has Trailways history, http://cw42.tripod.com/Jon.html installment 4 discusses Missouri Pacific and its relationship to Trailways.  He says that after they dropped out of Trailways, the color scheme was blue and cream.  

Caution, it has music, and it's hard to find where to turn the G-- D--- music off.  

Arthur

[2xclutchin]

Thanks much, once i told my dad about this he said there is a piece of the stainless missing and it was blue under it, so it definitely makes some sense. I just shut my speakers off before I even clicked on the link, lol. I know I'm bassically the youngest on a tractor forum i visit also, so I'm used to it haha. I also looked on the anglefire site and did learn some interesting information. So far it appears we will be painting her some day in the blue and cream, try to keep it as close to the day she was put in service.
Thanks,
          Mike

[Runcutter]

Mike, some research may get you the paint colors.  The Ohio Museum of Transportation will supply the manufacturer's build record for GM coaches, for a $25 donation.  Mike Ondecker is the guy to contact.  I don't have his contact information handy, but maybe someone else here does.  Maintenance manuals and parts books come up on Ebay fairly often, you might keep a lookout there.

What you refer to as "stainless" is, most likely, anodized aluminum.  There are a lot of other threads in the archives, dealing with the care and feeding of anodized aluminum.  It's important, because if you try to treat it as stainless, and polish it, you're likely in for trouble.  (Our 4107 bay doors need attention, but I still haven't found a reasonable solution - and that's so far down the road as a project, that they may never get done).

Arthur

[Runcutter]

Mike, here are a couple more sources for information.  The Missouri Pacific Historical Society would have a lot of information - including paint numbers.  Yes, this is for locomotives/rolling stock, but some research might tell you which blue, and which cream, were used on the buses.  http://www.mopac.org/pic_paint.asp.  The Society's magazine may have a back issue dealing with the bus fleet, and I think I saw an "ask the society" link somewhere on their pages. 

The Motor Bus Society http://www.motorbussociety.org/ may have something. 

Last, there are quite a few railroad books out there, and things like Color Guides to MoPac, etc. may help.

Personally, I'd start with the MoPac Historical Society, and go from there. 

Arthur

[Fredward]

Hey Mike,
Several busnuts down here around the cities. All kinds of experience amongst the group. We even do a couple mini rallies; last two years in a row we've been up by Bemidji; sort of in your neck of the woods.
Fred

[2xclutchin]

First off thanks again for all the help and pointing me in the right directions everyone.
@fredward- Really? I didnt know that but now that i do we will most deffinetly6 try be a part of that, be good to finnally meet some busnuts.
Thanks again everybody and i will try to post some more pictures soon, also a little bit more on how we obtained it.
Until then,
             Mike

[2xclutchin]

It's been awhile, here it goes. We had the bright idea of finally starting to do some work but as we started to take the full size couch/hide-a-bed out that the PO had in it, we found that it could not fit out the front door. Should be easy to get around, right? Emergency exit door is wider so we brought the couch back to that door and how about it, the door has no handle, how does one get the door open? I see a gear in there, was it originally allot like the bay doors which use a ratchet to open, just missing the essential part to turn it? Also how does the speedometer work? Ours doesn't move, not one bit. Sorry about the lack of pictures, I want to put more up but just haven't found the time.
Thanks,
          Mike