Prevost for sale in the UK

[Jeremy]

Well, it's in Ireland actually, but that's only a ferry journey away:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/94-US-PREVOST-LE-MIRAGE-TOURBUS-DAY-COACH-/220883674156?pt=UK_Minibuses_Buses_Coaches&hash=item336db1642c

This is only the second time I've ever seen an American bus for sale here, and I've certainly never seen one on the road. The other one was an old 4104 that was being sold by Pinewood Studios (where many 'American' movies are filmed).

They seem to be proud of that Prevost though - 55,000 Euros is a huge amount of money. For comparison, for less than £15k there are two fully-converted double-deck coaches of a similar vintage on Ebay at the moment (a Van Hool K113 and a Neoplan Skyliner).

There's also a Peterbilt 375 truck for sale, which is an equally rare beast here. And apparently exempt from our annual roadworthiness test, which is bizarre. If I had the money I'd buy that just to park it on my garden and annoy the neighbours:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peterbilt-Truck-375-/120800568827?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item1c204665fb


Jeremy

[Joe Camper]

Prevo looks like its been to the burning man festivle,Good lookin 69 Pete

Heck if the Petes dont need to polution test over there Schazam what a great new market for the old rigs LOL

Love to build a housetruck out of a conventional pete, any year would do. I cant stand the allison

[Kubla]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bedford-VAL-classic-bus-coach-plaxton-panorama-elite-VAL70-italian-job-/280754664136?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D3969109202494240451

this would be so much better

[Jeremy]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bedford-VAL-classic-bus-coach-plaxton-panorama-elite-VAL70-italian-job-/280754664136?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D3969109202494240451

this would be so much better

Yep, hard to beat anything with a Plaxton badge! The Italian Job reference is a bit naughty though - that bus was a Harrington-bodied VAL


Jeremy

[Oonrahnjay]

url=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bedford-VAL-classic-bus-coach-plaxton-panorama-elite-VAL70  (snip)  this would be so much better    

    Those twin steers British buses were so totally cool.  I first saw one "in the flesh" in the Isle of Man in 1972 - I couldn't imagine how they could get the front wheels to steer in line.  I was really quite disappointed when I found out that all it takes is a slight variation in the length of the lever arms on the king pins tied to alink rod to make it all work.  If I were even less sane that I already am, I might consider buying one ... but they only let me out on weekends and EBay won't accept bids in crayon -- they won't allow us to have sharp objects in here.

[Mex-Busnut]

What genius came up with the line "The interior was rebuilt internally..." in that ad?

[artvonne]

Well, it's in Ireland actually, but that's only a ferry journey away:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/94-US-PREVOST-LE-MIRAGE-TOURBUS-DAY-COACH-/220883674156?pt=UK_Minibuses_Buses_Coaches&hash=item336db1642c

Jeremy

  Are those stripper poles I see in the one pic?

[Iceni John]

url=http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bedford-VAL-classic-bus-coach-plaxton-panorama-elite-VAL70  (snip)  this would be so much better    

    Those twin steers British buses were so totally cool.  I first saw one "in the flesh" in the Isle of Man in 1972 - I couldn't imagine how they could get the front wheels to steer in line.  I was really quite disappointed when I found out that all it takes is a slight variation in the length of the lever arms on the king pins tied to alink rod to make it all work.  If I were even less sane that I already am, I might consider buying one ... but they only let me out on weekends and EBay won't accept bids in crayon -- they won't allow us to have sharp objects in here.

I've ridden plenty a mile in them.   Their small wheels give a flat floor inside, and they ride quite well for a 1960s PSV, but their Leyland 0.400 engine is noisy when pressing on.   They're not my favorite bus from that era, but they would make a good conversion.   The eBay ad also mentions a 1982 Leyland Tiger for less than 1.5K  -  now that's a bus I'd love to own, with its mid engine and semi-auto box.

I wonder how much it costs to ship a Prevost (or a Leyland Tiger . . .) across the Atlantic?   Would it be Ro-Ro, or on a flat ISO container?

John   

[Oonrahnjay]

(snip) I wonder how much it costs to ship a Prevost (or a Leyland Tiger . . .) across the Atlantic?   Would it be Ro-Ro, or on a flat ISO container?  John      

    Not that I have any direct experience     but in 2005, it cost $6200 to ship a Leyland 33' double decker from Southampton to Baltimore.  It was by cube, so a single-decker would be less.  That's Ro/Ro, with Hoegh/Uland - the same company that ships most Mercedes cars from Germany to the US East Coast.

[Jeremy]

I wonder how much it costs to ship a Prevost (or a Leyland Tiger . . .) across the Atlantic?   Would it be Ro-Ro, or on a flat ISO container?

My boat has just arrived in Australia by Ro-Ro, which is a longer trip than UK-USA. Shipping cost 2,800 Austalian Dollars (almost the same in US Dollars) calculated on a cubic-capacity basis, but that's probably only a third or a quarter of the the space a bus would require. That was with Hoegh as well

I've ridden plenty a mile in them.   Their small wheels give a flat floor inside, and they ride quite well for a 1960s PSV, but their Leyland 0.400 engine is noisy when pressing on.  

Bedford VALs have Leyland engines? I wonder why they didn't have Bedford engines. Whatever engine they have they're bound to be noisy because of course the engine is in the front, hence the twin front axles.

I think all bus enthusiasts love the Bedford VAL, me included. I'd have one which Duple Viceroy bodywork, which I've always thought was the most stylish of the era and with almost 'Flash Gordon' looks. There has been a 'brand new' Duple Viceroy for sale on various bus websites here for months - delivered new to a dealer who was going bust, then bought by a collector and put in storage for decades. Had delivery mileage on the clock only.

Here's a Viceroy on a VAL chassis:



Jeremy


Edit: Damn - have just found that someone else had just made a Flash Gordon reference in another thread. I hadn't seen that before making mine, but we've got similar tastes obviously! I'm more into the outrageously camp 1980 movie than the black-and-white TV series (in fact I'm not sure that was ever screened here).

[Jeremy]

As the saying goes: "You wait all day for a bus then two come along together..."


Whilst looking through some photos just now from an American car show earlier this year, in amongst various Class As, 5th Wheels and Airstreams was this shot of a Prevost.

The show is on every year and is only 30 miles or so from my house. I might have to go down next year.





Jeremy