STILL LOOKING FOR A GOOD BUS.

[ros]

Even though I have intentions to buy a bus in Tennessee, and, due to today's setback having the engine in my future toad blow up, I feel that it would be wise to continue looking until I get some reliable transportation.

So bring 'em on, I am still looking for a 40 foot bus with plenty of bay storage and good running gear.

Thanks,

Ros

[TomC]

If I were buying a bus now, it would be the MCI 102C3. 102" wide, big windows, 6'10" headroom, either 6V or 8V-92 in them. Some are converted to other engines. Plus parts are still being made for them. Don't go to old on buses. Many are having problems getting parts-like for the 4104 and 4106, etc. Good Luck, TomC

[lvmci]

hi Tom, that's what I thought, lvmci...

[muldoonman]

Not that I'm getting tired of your search and posts looking for one, They're quite entertaining, When I win that Texas Lotto tonight I will give you my 91 Prevost with 77,000 miles on it. 

[harleyman_1000]

 Hey Tom , that is true unless your 4104 has a T drive and a 6v92 out of a MCI, and a 730 auto tranny 

[Beesme]

Fwiw It also depends on what you want in the looks department . I bought my 4106 because I loved the look and it will run the hi ways at 70 mph. There hasn't been a part I couldn't find within minutes .. Including the rearend... Motors are everywheres the v730 is everywheres . All in all its a very inexpensive bus to maintain.(if you do all the maintenance yourselfthat is..)you will find your bus Ros don't be discouraged there are a lot of nice buses out there..

[Scott & Heather]

Ours runs 70mph on the hwys



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[luvrbus]

LOL if the temperature gauge is correct it doesn't like the 75 mph much 

[HB of CJ]

Ex school bus in general and an older Crown Supercoach ex schoolie in particular.  The sweet spot and year would be between about a 1982 and 1986 or so.  Thirty five feet long, (2 axles) and if possible, flat windshield glass, (not $curved$) and a white roof. 

I would learn heavily towards the Cummings (sp?) Big Cam or NTC type 6 cylinder turbo 4 stroke heavy truck diesel engine with Jake Brake.  Power anywhere from 250 to 300.  Sometimes they were re powered with the available 335 hp truck engine.

The Detroit 671T versions are just too slow.  With the Cummings you can easily go to 475 hp using cheap used factory parts.  Would make for a real hot rod capable of 100+ mph.  Also the fact that most available Crowns now have the desirable Cummins only.

855 cubic inches.  No air to air inter cooler, but sometimes a air to water after cooler. You also must have a Jake Brake.  Most Crown Supercoaches or Crowns or "Twinkies" as they were called with this mill had the older Allison, (sp?) 4 speed 740 transmission. 

A few had the smaller 640 type 4 speed, but not as durable.  Everything is heavy truck. Most had either T905M or T1105M Fuller 5 speed manuals.  Mine had the cool RTO910 close ratio fun neat 10 speed Road ranger.  She did go 85 mph at 2150 rpm.

Most had leaf springs, front and rear.  A few had the optional air ride suspension.  A few had leaf/air.  Factory tires were 12Rx22.5 on the wider Budd wheels.  Mine had a Ross or TRW power assist steering.  The Crowns rode very well and handled great.  Mine did.

Huge brakes.  I think my 1974 had 6x16.5 on the front and 10x16.5 on the rears, if memory serves?  Or close to that.  Aluminum body on a custom perimeter steel frame.  The engine was in the middle and was laid on its left side.  Also called a pancake.

The DOWN SIDE is that the headroom was only a constant 75" front to back and the coach only had one small side trunk and sometimes, (usually) a large rear trunk.  A difficult coach to convert to a high performance Bus Conversion, but quite doable.

Everything about the post 1976 or so Crowns were heavy duty.  The bus came from the factory with a 20 year, 200,000 mile warranty, bumper to bumper, parts and labor.  Crowns are still pretty much a western USA thing or even just the West Coast.

Still available.  CA school districts are now retiring the last of them due to California smog laws.  A perfectly good nice Crown with only 1500 miles and 6 months on a  CHP school bus inspection permit can be had for less than $5000 bucks.  Maybe less.

Anyhow, just another option.  I would love to have another Crown.  They also average around 10+ mpg at 60 mph.  Lots of internet sites regarding Crown Supercoaches.  Once your drive hard a Crown in the mountains, you will NOT want any other.  Yep.

Hope this helps.  PEM me if you want to.  Glad to share learned the hard way.  HB of CJ (old coot) Crowns Forever so there!   Mine was VIN 37317 and was a 3 axle 10 wheeler 40 footer.  If I had to do it again, I would go with a 35-36 foot 2 axle model.

[ros]

Hey, Tom.

Thanks for the reply and wishes for good luck.  I will need it.

Okay, I will keep the MCI-102C3 in mind.  I thought that some states did not allow entry to a bus that was over 8 feet wide. 

I would really like to have a bus with an 8V92 in it.  Greater fuel consumption wouldn't much matter since if I could afford fuel to travel, I could afford a wee bit more.

Yes, I am trying to cull the buses that are too old because of two reasons: dwindling parts availability and more old parts needing to be replaced.

Ros

If I were buying a bus now, it would be the MCI 102C3. 102" wide, big windows, 6'10" headroom, either 6V or 8V-92 in them. Some are converted to other engines. Plus parts are still being made for them. Don't go to old on buses. Many are having problems getting parts-like for the 4104 and 4106, etc. Good Luck, TomC

[Scott & Heather]

LOL if the temperature gauge is correct it doesn't like the 75 mph much 

Guilty. It was just there for a moment my dash gauge always indicates hotter than the rear gauge. It's annoying.


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[B_K]

Ros ALL STATES allow 102" wide vehicles! It's the common size for semi trailers these days and are allowed on ANY US HIGHWAY that receives federal $ for upkeep, repairs, or any other purpose! (in other words it they spend $2 of US Federal Government money on it the have to allow 102" wide vehicles on it!)
Now on the other hand there are SOME STATE Hwys that are NOT using federal funds that are still narrow pig paths from the past where only 96" or less are allowed!

But trust me you won't find a cop standing in the middle of a hwy with a 96" tape measure checking all vehicles that come his way either. However if you were to be in an accident or stopped for any other reason they might notice it's slightly wider than allowed and break out a tape measure then.
  BK 

PS where in TN are you looking?

[ros]

Hi, B_K,

Thanks, that us good to know.

At the huge risk of insulting others by not publicly divulging the location, ,  I will pm you.

Ros

Ros ALL STATES allow 102" wide vehicles! It's the common size for semi trailers these days and are allowed on ANY US HIGHWAY that receives federal $ for upkeep, repairs, or any other purpose! (in other words it they spend $2 of US Federal Government money on it the have to allow 102" wide vehicles on it!)
Now on the other hand there are SOME STATE Hwys that are NOT using federal funds that are still narrow pig paths from the past where only 96" or less are allowed!

But trust me you won't find a cop standing in the middle of a hwy with a 96" tape measure checking all vehicles that come his way either. However if you were to be in an accident or stopped for any other reason they might notice it's slightly wider than allowed and break out a tape measure then.
  BK 

PS where in TN are you looking?

[RJ]

Still available.  CA school districts are now retiring the last of them due to California smog laws.  A perfectly good nice Crown with only 1500 miles and 6 months on a CHP school bus inspection permit can be had for less than $5000 bucks.  Maybe less.

HB -

Not necessarily any more.

If the school district uses CARB (CA Air Resources Board) grant money to replace their Crowns, the coach has to be crushed.  No ifs, ands or buts. 

Thus the vast majority of old Crowns are going to the recyclers to come back as beer cans.  And the recyclers are not even allowed to sell ANY parts off the soon-to-be-crushed Crown - not even the Crown emblem!  So replacement parts are becoming more of a challenge.

Sad, but true. . .

[Professor]

 I have a 1962 4106 with a 4speed spicer,jakes low miles on engine ,good tires etc. If that sparks any interest let me know. asking 16000