ANOTHER GREAT DAY! ANOTHER GREAT BUS ADDED TO THE FLEET!

[Busted Knuckle]

Well it's almost a great bus, if it were a SETRA it'd be better! Dad an I are fix'n to leave the hotel for the last part of a "quick hurry up and do something NOW! (more on that later!) bus hunting trip!"
Last week we were put in a bad way with an unexpected problem with one of the other buses that demanded it be pulled out of service IMMEADIATELY! (again more on that later!). Which left us very short on equipment since we were already over booked anyway. Well after scouring over ebay and every other online bus advertisements, many many phone calls to whom ever had or we thought would have something we were interested in. Out of the blue dad remembered that when he ran across one of our friends in the bus biz in SC last month, he'd mentioned someone he knew of having a '96A3 they needed to get rid of. Well one more phone call, turns out we also knew the company getting rid of it. (we bought a re-manned engine from them 2 yrs ago) Seems they'd been given the keys and title to this bus to settle a debt, and had had it since April and having no luck turning it. Well the price was ok, and the pics looked great, and what the people told us about it (they don't know buses they build engines and transmissions) it sounded like something we could make do if we could get the price right! So after spending the day in the shop making sure the others were ready for the weekend, and loading the truck with tools ramps, creeper, and a couple of spare parts (filters etc.) we set out at midnight on Tuesday to go look this bus over. Well when we pulled up on wedsday it was sitting out front waiting for our inspection. And at first look it was everything we'd been told and that the pics showed. So we checked it over carefully and it again met our expectations. Then we took it for a drive, wow I ain't never drove a 6V92 that had this much pep! (not even the new one we'd bought from these same people!) It ran out good and strong, and just wants to go, go, go, GO! I ran it up & down thru the hills and it just gained speed everywhere I pointed it. Carefully watching the temp gauge, while running it flat on the floor and steadily pulling faster and faster up hills. It never got over 175*, I told dad this is too good to be true! I'll bet it's rotted out underneath, or has major wreck damage we ain't found yet. So I pulled over on a hill and gave dad the wheel, wow again it took off up hill and just flat out pulled up to speed like nothing we've either one ever experienced from a 6V92 before! So we took it back to the shop and pulled it out back outta there way, and ran it up on my ramps. Well well, well what have we here? Looks to be a brand new re-manned transmission! Naw can't be, but wait a minute, oh yes it is, it is an almost brand new re-manned trans build date of 1/08! Well other than the rear radius arm bushings needing replaced, a pinion seal leaking, and it'll need brakes and tires before long. It checks out underneath, as well as everything else! The front end steering and all were in great shape and really tight. Now it's sorta ugly with just plain steel wheels (but that will change by the time it hits the road next week. Seems there are a set of polished aluminum wheels w/6 new tires sitting at the garage on a bus that just got yanked from service! The interior is in awesome shape and clean too, I could wash the outside and send this thing out on a charter today! Now the A/C was trying to work, but low on freon. We'd taken a cylinder of R134 with us, but this one is set up for R22! Well after making sure it did in fact work and was low on freon it was determined it was worth fixing. So now all that is left is bargaining. We went in and the guy who owns the place said "what's the verdict?" I started telling him what I'd found, both good & bad. He pointed out it was a 23 yr old coach, and dad said "yes as a matter of fact it is!" Oopps the guy selling it just realized he'd stepped right into that one!LOL! So dad asked him "How bad do ya want it gone?" Well he said "I really want it gone, but funny thing is a guy who's been advertising it for me wants to send someone by to look at it for $3 grand more than I originally told you!" Well dad thanked him for his time and said "come on son, I can see he has grown fond of it sitting here!" The guy said "hold on now, ya ain't even made an offer yet." So dad through out a price I almost fell over about, talk about low balling he offered less than half of what we'd originally been told! The guy stammered, stuttered, shift nervously back and forth, and finally said "no I can't go that low, I could hang on to it for a couple months and fix a few things on it during slow times and get twice to 3 time that." He looked at me for support and I told him "I don't control the check book, I just work on 'm & book 'm, and I'm gonna have to spend about 4 days changing brakes, wheel studs (for my aluminum wheels), rear radius arm bushings and tires before I can book it!" He stammered, stuttered, and shifted nervously again and jokingly said "but your labor is free, so that saves him $" looking at dad! Well I said dad " I like yer offer even more now! So let's go." He said "can't we come together more in the middle?" Dad said cash or check ? and we got it for $5,000 less than the original price (dad won't let me disclose that yet!). Now for the rest of the story, coming across US 60 it flew up hill, down hill, and just ran like the dog it's never been (Never been  hound!) When we got to the turn off for Fairdealing we made the turn, and went and saw my buddy Jeff (the one who told us about it in the first place) to show it to him, and have him charge the A/C since he had R22 and we didn't. He was more than impressed with the condition of the bus, and had it cooling in no time! Back on the road again and 3 hrs to go!  Well about an hr and a half later dad couldn't go no mo! So we got this hotel, and are fix'n to head for the house now! I'll update soon and also post about the catastrophe soon (I want to figure out how to re-size pics so I can post them with the details of what happended!  Later   BK 

[TomC]

BK- sometimes things just plainly work out!  Good Luck, TomC

[FloridaCliff]

BK,

Good Story!


Now wheres Chapter 2.........................?

Inquiring minds need to know!

Cliff

[HB of CJ]

I'm sure you had a great post...but I did not even try to read it as submitted.  Please try using reasonable length paragraphs instead of one long monolog.  Easier to read.  Other than that....congradulations with your new coach! 

[Busted Knuckle]

I'm sure you had a great post...but I did not even try to read it as submitted.  Please try using reasonable length paragraphs instead of one long monolog.  Easier to read.  Other than that....congradulations with your new coach! 

Sorry but I majored in shop, not english! I did graduate, but not with my english teachers blessings! LOL !   BK 

[HB of CJ]

Don't feel toos bad.  I majored in study hall and girls!  He he he. 

[Busted Knuckle]

Don't feel toos bad.  I majored in study hall and girls!  He he he. 

I hear ya! My schedule was actually great for the first 3 yrs I got out after 6th or 7th period, while most went until after 9th (and when I had detentions I'd have to go back after 9th - a lot of the time as a matter of fact!! LOL!). Then on my senior yr they wanted me to go 1st thru 9th and 3 of those would have been study halls I said no way and quit! Mom went back and begged the princepal who knew me from the work I did on his model A in shop. When he got thru with the counsels and teachers involved I went back to school with a 1st thru 6th and no study halls! LOL! Now to be totally honest my priorities were shop, girls, and TRACK (I grew up in Speedway IN where TRACK meant the Indianapolis SPEEDWAY! Not some lame field & a coach! LOL!)   BK 

[DrivingMissLazy]

Don't feel toos bad.  I majored in study hall and girls!  He he he. 

I guess I missed out. I never had any study hall so I had to major in girls only.

Richard

[JackConrad]

   I went to a high school in a small rural farming community. Living on a farm, we had morning and evening chores, so no time for homework. We had a study hall period for each class (4 classes, 4 study halls) and P.E..  This meant rarely any homework, which meant more evening time, after chores, for chasin' girls. Since most of them also lived on farms and had chores, this kinda worked out pretty good. Then I went and married a "city girl". Course she took right to country livin'.  Jack

[cody]

Ineverdidanygoodinenglisheitherlol.

[HB of CJ]

Actually I lied about the study hall.  It really was after school detention, where I would choose one (1) hour of instead of one (1) maximum hard swat with a ping pong paddle.  Yeah, corporal punishment with Mom's permission.  The swat was soosss demeaning and the detention was in the study hall where you could, if you were quiet about it, flirt with girls.  Ah....so long ago and far away. 

[Green-Hornet]

I still can't read...I need pictures!
Post some!

[Busted Knuckle]

I'm sure you had a great post...but I did not even try to read it as submitted.  Please try using reasonable length paragraphs instead of one long monolog.  Easier to read.  Other than that....congradulations with your new coach! 

Sorry but I majored in shop, not english! I did graduate, but not with my english teachers blessings! LOL !   BK 

Was I rude in my honest response to this? Just curious as I received a private email explaining I should have responded with a thanks for the corrective critasism instead of being rude about it. (I think, the email I received is harder to comprehend the message than my posts are! LOL!)    BK  

[Brian Diehl]

Was I rude in my honest response to this? Just curious as I received a private email explaining I should have responded with a thanks for the corrective critasism instead of being rude about it. (I think, the email I received is hard to comprehend the message than my posts are! LOL!)    BK   

BK, I've read enough of your posts over the years I know you were not being rude in any way.  However, as I learned recently, it is really easy to misunderstand the intent of words spoken through the written medium.  Chalk it up to experience and continue posting your stories.  You are a great story teller and what you may lack in "english skill" you make up for in quality story telling talent.  Keep up the good work!

[Sojourner]

Likewise!

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry