Which is the best bus for a conversion?

[Busted Knuckle]

I'm going stir crazy looking at and watching, and reading about you guys converting your buses! I'm ready to find a shell and start playing with it as time and left over parts show up here and there. I've already got a complete class A S & S as a donor!Knuckle!

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hay Bryce,

You have some shells in your yard. Oops, I forgot, you are still chartering them. Ahhh, dad won't mind!

You'll be half way there. We'll all help ya get started. I promise!

How's that loyal dog?

Nick-

[grantgoold]

I love my MCI 9. Nice to call and get almost any part I need within minutes. Several donor buses available as well. Love that I could get into a very good bus for under $10,000. I took two years to find the bus for me and it was well worth the wait. Get the most you can "afford" and not break the bank or have payments that take away all your play money each month. The shell is only the beginning    Think about why they call it a shell

I got great advise from several people on this board. At the end of the day I remember this caution "Spend your money on a bus that checks out in excellent mechanical condition(inspected by a reputable bus nut). Door skins, glass and so forth are easier to replace than a new tranny, suspension or engine.

FWIW

I just finished polishing my entire bus and painting all the rub rails. About a four month job, but boy it sure looks like a million bucks to me

Good luck! and keep us posted.  

Grant

[plyonsMC9]

Hello Grant - could you post a picture of your polished MC9?!!  I have an MC9 and I could use some motivation on my polishing project.    

Thanks! Phil

[Busted Knuckle]

Hay Bryce,

You have some shells in your yard. Oops, I forgot, you are still chartering them. Ahhh, dad won't mind!

You'll be half way there. We'll all help ya get started. I promise!

How's that loyal dog?

Nick-

Nick I've given up on getting one here! I'm gonna have to break down and buy one! And as for my still bestb friend , he's livin on the other end of the county now. Long story, thought I'd mentioned it an answer to ya recently. I still love him but it's more for his safety than anything! Those dang Geese musta got lazy or just plain slower ! LOL! Knuckle

[Barn Owl]

I want to convert a shell also but I took a different approach. I bought one already converted because I wanted to use it right away. This will give me a chance to find out what I like and don't like, and what works and what doesn't. It buys some time so I can see what others have done. I will be making lots of notes and when the time is right, and I find the right shell, I hope to minimize any of those build it, not like it, tear it out, and build it again scenarios.  I see to many widows selling incomplete bus conversions. It's sad to think that some of those guys never got to experience their dream.

[TomC]

After converting my transit that is 102 wide with 82" head room inside, I'd want nothing less.  I like the MCI 102A3 for the price with the 102C3 being my favorite since it has 82" head room, large under storage, big windows, and is still recent enough that parts are easily obtained.  Check out the classified in this site for some good buses.  Good Luck, TomC

[Danny]

For the money - I like the MCI 102A3.

Hey,  I would also like information on the polishing the sides as well...

Danny

[Ross]

I just finished polishing my entire bus and painting all the rub rails. About a four month job, but boy it sure looks like a million bucks to me

I just gave up on polishing mine.  The siding is brushed stainless and I can't find anything that will touch it.  I've gone through hundreds of dollars worth of sand paper. started at the front and I'm only to the first baggage bay door now.  I think my bus is sided with titanium.   The other day I spend two hours sanding on half a bagage bay door with 320 then 600.  I then polished the entire door.  You can not tell which half was sanded.  That two hours of sanding did nothing to remove the brushed effect.   I've decided that it looks good polished with the brushed effect.  Getting the mirrored look just isn't going to happen.

[Dallas]

I'm going stir crazy looking at and watching, and reading about you guys converting your buses! I'm ready to find a shell and start playing with it as time and left over parts show up here and there. I've already got a complete class A S & S as a donor!Knuckle!

Bryce,
If you show up at the next get together in Timmonsville you'll be able to take your choice of peering at all the loverly conversions.

My personal favorite, probably because it was my first, was my 1935 ACF-Brill.26' long and low and lean!

Timmonville SC. October 5th thru the 8th Be There! ....Timmonsville, SC. October 5th thru the 8th Be There ...Timmonsville, SC October 5th thru the 8th Be There

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[grantgoold]

Ross, do not give up! There are options to get the job done faster. I used a 4 inch high speed grinder with a velcro pad on it and several brillo like pads (fine grit) to get those nasty scrathes off each panel. I then followed it with heavy cut compound and then a true stainless steel compound. With a good IPod and sports channel all things are possible.

I will post pictues of the entire project when I get back from a Florida vacation.

Grant

[kyle4501]

What do you want out of your conversion?
Do you want to have the only one like it, or do you want the same as everyone else?
My preference is a little of both with a bias towards classic styling, hence my choice of a Scenicruiser.

Easy access to off the shelf parts may be nice. However, I am in the hunting, gathering, & planning stage and I've met the nicest people while locating some hard to find parts for my 4501. The suspension parts I have needed have been off the shelf from Luke. (My plan is to eventually buy a donor bus for a modern repower to 4 stroke & overdrive automatic.)

With your experience & connections, a classic bus wouldn't be much more trouble than a 'modern' bus, and owning a piece of history is nice......if you like that sort of thing.

After you decide on a bus model, go looking for it. Take mini vacations to look at possible canidates for sale, and be patient, wait for the best bus for the money. It is surprising to me how sale price has so little to do with the quality of the bus (or parts), if you have been looking, you know what I mean.

Good luck

kyle4501

[phil4501]

I have to agree with Kyle, I have found that people will go out of thier way to help you find what you need for a Scenicruiser.I have never had a problem getting off the phone with a parts dept. guy with any other vehicle that I have ever owned.

[belfert]

I would do a 102A3 or 102C3 if you don't mind the 2 stroke engines.  The 102C3 would be preferred, but the price will be 50% to 100% higher than a 102A3 in most cases.  You can find a L10 or even a Cat in a 102C3 on rare occasion, but they are usually priced much higher than a two stroke.

If I could have found a 102C3 with a four stroke, that would have been my choice over the Dina.

Brian Elfert