Three D4500 buses up for auction

[Geoff]

I just got the flyer: Three 2003 MCI D4500 buses up for auction April 27th at 1st Capital Auction in Vallejo, CA.  Google the auction for information, all I can tell you is that they are commuter buses and are non-compliance with CA EPA and have to be sold for out of state sales so they should go cheap.

[windtrader]

Thanks for the post, Geoff. I did not know about that auction place so close. Those are Solano county transit buses. I wonder when they were last on the road as 2003 seems pretty old to be under the old rules. When I was looking for a MCI 102 series, it seemed most were 1995 as that was pretty much the cutoff for compliance except some exclusions for fleets but even those seemed to phase out by now.

[windtrader]

Just noticed it says DEALER ONLY on the listings like this one
https://1stcapitolauction.proxibid.com/aspr/2003-MOTOR-COACH-D4500-57-SEAT-BUS-NON-COMPLIANT/41740383/LotDetail.asp?lid=41740383

[Geoff]

I called 1st Capital Auction and the buses can be purchased by an out of state buyer as long as you can produce a bill of lading (look on the internet) saying you are going to trailer them out of state.  After that, I've known people that get a one way permit from their home state and RV liability insurance to drive the vehicle home. 

[luvrbus]

The handicap lift is nice if you need one that would be a deal breaker for me though

[scanzel]

Bi-Fold access door could be an issue.

[windtrader]

what sort of issue?

[scanzel]

Ok, not really an issue but I think most people would want a single door than a bi-fold, I have seem many convert to a single or somehow merge the two doors into one.

[windtrader]

This kind of bus is used as a county wide transport and they run on the freeway between more distant locations. Intra city, urban busses are geared for local streets. Would these be geared as an OTR, city bus, or some hybrid?

[Geoff]

If you look up Solano Transit Authority on the web and  call them I'm sure someone will know.  My wife forbid me to buy one.

[luvrbus]

This kind of bus is used as a county wide transport and they run on the freeway between more distant locations. Intra city, urban busses are geared for local streets. Would these be geared as an OTR, city bus, or some hybrid?

They have a B500 transmission so it is geared for the highway a double over drive would be useless for a city bus   

[windtrader]

if anyone is interested in converting and registering as a motorhome in CA, here is the official regulations: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ii6mxygryu6hao0/CARB-diesel-smog-reg.pdf?dl=0

Personal use motorhomes are exempted from installing the DPM and any further emissions regulations.

You'd have to call the auction house to coordinate understanding about doing this. I've not come across any reseller being restricted to whom to sell to; Naturally, the buyer assumes the bulk of the responsibility to get the vehicle to standard to be registered in CA.

[windtrader]

8k! good data point

[belfert]

Man, for $8,000 I might have considered buying one and doing another conversion.  The D4500 would be a lot easier to get parts for as MCI still sells the same basic.

[luvrbus]

Man, for $8,000 I might have considered buying one and doing another conversion.  The D4500 would be a lot easier to get parts for as MCI still sells the same basic.

There will a ton of CA buses on the market in the next few years in 2020 all the buses and trucks will need to be 2010 models or have the 2010 engines the CA way