Oldest Bus Nut?

[mak]

Just for the record... I ( Michael Kadletz)  purchased my first bus at the age of 17... (1970) and have had them ever since... I'm 55 now, so that gives me.... a few years more than some, many years less than others. BUT! I operated buses as a passenger stage service in 1970 (Pink Bus Lines, in Orange County CA) I was the youngest bus operator in the country, which accounts for nothing.  Just in case anybody was wondering. I know that the conversion stuff was well under way in 1970. I purchased my first 2 buses (1938 GMC transits) from Dave Carson who owned American International Bus Exchange.... $750 each I think is what I paid. That company was purchased by Hausman, which was taken over by MCI... I guess I could gom on and on, but I'll quit while I'm behind.

[Ncbob]

Guys, it looks like we're going to have to 'level the playing field' and seperate this into at least 3 categories.
Bearing in mind that Slow Rider, bless his intentions, was no doubt asking the question out of idle curiosity has opened a Pandora's Box which he now wishes he could close.

Why not settle for the Busnut who's been associated with legitimate bus conversions the longest.....and

The Busnut who has the oldest bus...... and

The oldest, in years, active Busnut who has actually done and/or is driving a Bus Conversion.

And not to forget guys like Richard, who have been an active part of our hobby for many years, and though without a bus at the moment should get more than just a mere honorable mention?

So it looks like possibly fours categories.

What are your thoughts?

NCbob

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Ok,  Time to chime in..

My dad converted his first bus in 1968, he is 76 yo now [dad, I know you will read this, sorry]. It was a flat nose scoolie. By the

early 70's he was allready converting his first of 2 4104's. This is where I became involved in the bus projects! I remember thinking How

Big this Bus is....Funny, a couple months ago, my bus was sitting next to a 4104 at Luke's shop and I said to myself, man, my 102C3 is

way bigger then the 4104 and I thought the 4104 was the biggest bus ever.

Nick-

[Ncbob]

Great Post Nick!  I've had the pleasure of meeting both your Dad and Richard...that's why I thought we needed yet another category for these gentlemen.

We need to recognize the 'Trail Blazers' in Bus Conversions with the same respect we show the Pioneers who settled all of this great Nation.

Be they 'Schoolie's or not.  They were Buses. I'm sure that when your Dad did his first Bus Conversion they were more available at a reasonable price than were the Intercity or the Highway Buses.

The Southeast Busnuts ID tag, which Jackie and I (and many others including Jack &  Paula Conrad) proudly wear at rallies is a "Schoolie". We aren't ashamed of it!

Thanks for your thoughts.

NCbob

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Bob,

Luke Bonaguara [US Coach] is another long time bus nut that catered to the early bus converters. My dad bought his first 4104 [early 70's] from Luke when

he worked for Houssman Bus in Pitman N.J. [now MCI]  I'm sure that there is still alot more stories out there...

Nick-

[JackConrad]

The Southeast Busnuts ID tag, which Jackie and I (and many others including Jack &  Paula Conrad) proudly wear at rallies is a "Schoolie". We aren't ashamed of it!

Actually Bob, that club is the SE Cruisers. The bus on our logo is a Mack, The first bus made in this country. When the club was formed, there was much discussion about what to have for a logo. Of course the Eagle owners wanted an Eagle, the GM owners wanted a GM, etc. We finally agreed on the Mack for the reason listed above. And yes, it does look like a school bus!  Jack

[DrivingMissLazy]

The Southeast Busnuts ID tag, which Jackie and I (and many others including Jack &  Paula Conrad) proudly wear at rallies is a "Schoolie". We aren't ashamed of it!

Actually Bob, that club is the SE Cruisers. The bus on our logo is a Mack, The first bus made in this country. When the club was formed, there was much discussion about what to have for a logo. Of course the Eagle owners wanted an Eagle, the GM owners wanted a GM, etc. We finally agreed on the Mack for the reason listed above. And yes, it does look like a school bus!  Jack

We had a 1930 Model A Ford bus built on the AA truck chassis in our Model A club in California. Sure wish I had purchased it when I had the chance. It was original and with a minimum of work could have been restored to a thing of beauty. At the time I was too busy restoring my 30 Model A Roadster to be interested in an old bus. LOL
Richard

[bobofthenorth]

The first time I heard about bus conversions would have been about 1968 or 9.  Cliff Moen owned the Chev dealership & body shop in Shellbrook. He had a conversion which I suppose he must have done himself - it never really occurred to me at the time to think about where the conversion had come from.  He gave a few of us cub scouts a ride home from summer camp & I was one of the lucky ones who got to ride on the bus.  Midway home his wife walked up to the front, said "is it time?", Cliff nodded yes and she walked to the back of the bus.  After a while she came back up front and told us she had just dumped the sewer.

About the same time the local grocery store owner picked up two busses somewhere in BC and brought them home.  For some reason it sticks in my mind that they were some kind of mid-engine configuration & I think they were probably transits.  Jack got his conversion done & sold the 2nd bus to the local farm implement dealer but I don't think that one ever got finished. 

[Dallas]

My First Conversion was a 1935 Brill .. A real gas hog, with a straight 8 Buick engine.

My first bus was a 1940 Chevy Skoolie.
(I think I was about 12 years old when it was given to me). No engine or transmission, but it made a great fort and a fantastic place to "camp" in the summertime when the night was rainy. My stepdad towed it home with his nephew helping.

Dallas

[maria-n-skip]

Boy you talk about different universes.

Getting a bus in any form at pre-teen leaves me amazed.
At 12 I thought I was big stuff just taking the bus once a week from west Seattle to downtown
for music lessons.
   More than once waiting for the bus I was never so releaved to be saved by "here's my bus"
  and running into safety.

Though I must say both of my daughters were driving my grain truck at harvest for my by the age of 9.

Yep just different universe.

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