What to do with an inherited bus

[Brassman]

She's a beauty, excepting that big bump on the top  . A 6-71 sitting there in the back like that has to be a mechanic's dream.
How much you asking for her?

[kyle4501]

Definitely better than most I have drug home.

How much do you want to net out of it ?  Sure, you may be able to sell it for more if it runs & has good tires, but how much time & money do you want to put into it ?  Looks like the rear duals are on split rims, so you will need new rims as you have much selection for tires.

As for getting a mechanic to it, Ask around at the heavy truck parts houses for suggestions of who to ask. Generally, the older the mechanic, the better off your results will be.  ( I got one that had been sitting for over 6 years - a good battery & it started right up like you had just parked it. )

If you just want it gone, there are some good parts on it that will bring some decent prices -
fluted trim pieces between the original windows,
front roof corner marker lights,
front turn signals & headlights,
front bumper & bumperetts,
bay doors,
etc . . .

[vmcney]

Good advice from all. Thanks! I have no idea what it's worth over the approximate scrap value at this point. It's not like there is a Blue Book on old buses is there? If I put $2K into it as suggested then I have to learn how to drive it... in LA traffic no less.  The biggest thing I've ever driven was a split axle small dump truck when I helped a friend tear off his roof and take a load to the dump. And that was over 20 years ago on a Saturday. I'll see if I can talk to some truck places and maybe they'll know someone who would come take a look at it. I did find a book in the bus on understanding diesel engines. It's like a text book. I guess I can read it in my spare time.

[DoubleEagle]

Your very best advice will come from other GM coach owners who know your bus well. Truck places will not not know very much about it. You need a 2 cycle mechanic that can check it out before any starting attempts are made. The danger of the injector racks being stuck from sitting so long is real. Google "runaway engine" and you will see 2 cycle Detroit's going crazy. If the racks are okay, and you have a charged battery, and oil at the proper level, it will probably start even with the old fuel. The newer diesel can have some ethanol in it that does not age well. If fuel prime is lost, then it would be prudent to change the fuel filters, and have the fuel flushed and bled. If you connect with the right person, it really might not cost much to get it running. I suspect your father had a good running engine, why else would he put up with a non-synchro 4 speed Spicer manual? This is all difficult because you live far away, but when my sons inherit my buses, I would like to think that they would do everything possible to keep them going and give them a good home. A converted bus is not like an old car, it was once a cherished home on wheels that had a sweet running engine that sounds like no other.

[Zephod]

Good advice from all. Thanks! I have no idea what it's worth over the approximate scrap value at this point. It's not like there is a Blue Book on old buses is there? If I put $2K into it as suggested then I have to learn how to drive it... in LA traffic no less.  The biggest thing I've ever driven was a split axle small dump truck when I helped a friend tear off his roof and take a load to the dump. And that was over 20 years ago on a Saturday. I'll see if I can talk to some truck places and maybe they'll know someone who would come take a look at it. I did find a book in the bus on understanding diesel engines. It's like a text book. I guess I can read it in my spare time.

Honestly, bus driving isn't all that hard. I'm a school bus driver. The big things are...

1 know the size of your vehicle. Get a feeling for driving it.
2 the steering wheels being 6-8 feet behind you can take some getting used to. I usually drive a 30 foot conventional bus but occasionally have to drive a 50 foot ward.
3 your biggest problem will be other road users. I saw a class act yesterday. On SC378 which is two lanes in each direction plus a turn lane and it's very busy, some idiot was doing a 3 point turn!

For tyres, get part worn or even part worn remolds. They'll get you where you need to go.


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[Oonrahnjay]

Honestly, bus driving isn't all that hard. I'm a school bus driver. The big things are...

1 know the size of your vehicle. Get a feeling for driving it.
2 the steering wheels being 6-8 feet behind you can take some getting used to. I usually drive a 30 foot conventional bus but occasionally have to drive a 50 foot ward.
3 your biggest problem will be other road users. I saw a class act yesterday. On SC378 which is two lanes in each direction plus a turn lane and it's very busy, some idiot was doing a 3 point turn!

For tyres, get part worn or even part worn remolds. They'll get you where you need to go.

    Good points.  And it's understood that one who is starting out on their first bus drive should keep a strong respect for the "difference" of it all. 
    And if I were going to try to drive a bus out of LA, I'd start about 11PM, get to the nearest freeway on the largest streets available (even if those largest streets and freeway routes weren't the shortest way to get there).  Once out of town, stop at a motel with the largest parking lot you can find and the next morning, and do some maneuvers to get the feel of the bus.  And read RJ's writeup on shifting a bus manual transmission (I think it's on here somewhere but I can't find it right now) -- it's gonna take double clutching, not impossible to learn but you need to know the theory behind it and be ready to practice.

    Good luck.   BH

[vmcney]

Holy cow! I looked at some YouTube videos on runaway diesel engines. Scary stuff. I feel sorry for those folks who stand by helpless and watch their engines go up in smoke. Crazy.

It sounds like I need to find a 2-stroke Detroit diesel expert to help me with this. The bus is in the 91342 zip code area. If anyone knows someone near by I'd appreciate the connection.

As far as driving is concerned (once I have it running and everything works of course), I thought a similar thing. Leave town late at night and go out in a low population area someplace and drive it around until I feel comfortable. Double clutching isn't too uncommon for me as I have an old diesel tractor back home that I have to do that with sometimes. It does sound a bit exciting to try driving it.

However, I'm still debating if I should put the time and effort into this or walk away. I really don't want to scrap her though.

Still more to think about.

[windtrader]

It sounds like I need to find a 2-stroke Detroit diesel expert to help me with this.

Don Fairchild is in Bakersfield and checked a bus for me recently.

[B_K]

Don might do it for you if you schedule it for when he's already heading to LA area.
 BK

[Zephod]

Engines can be stopped fairly readily. On mine it's a case of pulling the fuel cut off toggle while sitting at the driver seat or, if that doesn't work, tweaking the toggle under the hood. A co2 fire extinguisher fired into the air intake will starve the engine of oxygen and stop it. Disconnecting the fuel line helps too if there's no other way. With an electric pump, turning the key off also stops the engine. The governor should stop the engine going over a certain number of revs too.


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[DoubleEagle]

Engines can be stopped fairly readily. On mine it's a case of pulling the fuel cut off toggle while sitting at the driver seat or, if that doesn't work, tweaking the toggle under the hood. A co2 fire extinguisher fired into the air intake will starve the engine of oxygen and stop it. Disconnecting the fuel line helps too if there's no other way. With an electric pump, turning the key off also stops the engine. The governor should stop the engine going over a certain number of revs too.

It's not that simple with an older 2 cycle before the racks were later modified. The only dependable way is to have something solid to block the air intake. A Detroit Diesel will keep on going without fuel if the rack is stuck open by sucking out the lubrication oil. Not many people want to be near an engine that is going 3000 rpm's or more. Go ahead, Google runaway engines and see which ones will come up. It won't be DT 466's that show up. 

[Scott & Heather]

That's a pretty nice coach. I think it would be sad to see it scrapped. There are worse looking coaches on the road right npw


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[kyle4501]

it would be sad to see it scrapped. There are worse looking coaches on the road right npw

Very true

[bman176]

Has anyone come up with a price yet ?

[windtrader]

There is risk when putting any good dollars into this bus. As so many know, most of the time more money goes in than is returned. Unless the motor's and transmission's condition can be verified, it's probably worth little once one factors in hauling costs. To get the bus running, either the bus needs to be towed to a shop or mobile service enables mechanics on the clock attempting to get it running. Hard dollars at risk here. To do a road test, more hard dollars for tires. So, after putting in a couple grand at risk, what is the reward potential? That depends on what the coach is worth once its condition is better known. Seems like a risky wager. I'd rather plunk down the 2k on red then a spin of the roulette wheel. A whole lot faster and less work.