Western Flyer buses

[Overdrive]

Does anybody on here own a western flyer Canuck? Are they well built? How are parts availability (are some things common to other bus makes?). Are there any pictures of some conversions?

[akroyaleagle]

I had a 74 Western Flyer. They are made in Winnepeg. When marketed in the US they were called American General (AMG).

The bus was alright. It had some good and some bad things.
102" wide = good.
Roof raise not needed = good


6V71N with auto = bad. Geared at 59 mph. Not enough gears. NO power. Any little hill would cause downshift to below 30 mph.
No bays = bad

Suspension parts especially airbags are difficult to obtain. I got one from Winnepeg at a great cost and they were slow to look through the old warehouses to find it. I was in Canada and had a difficult time locating the bag.

The buses haven't been made for a lot of years and there is no interest in providing parts anymore.

Bottom line....get a different bus!

[TomC]

As previously listed, Western Flyer, when made in the US was marketed under the AMGeneral brand.  I have a 1977 10240B transit that has been a good bus.  I've spent alot of money to get it to the point mechanically where I like it, but structually, they are built like a brick you know what house.  They have aluminum skins and steel structure and after 32 years there isn't any problem with galvanic corrosion (aluminum and steel fighting) since they took great pains to insulate the two dissimilar metals.  I created a storage bay that is 66Lx99wx20h that stores just about all I need.  Even with all my crap in the bus there is alot of room left.  For a cheap bus to start out with, it is a good way to go.  But most any transit type bus is a hard conversion since you have to create all storage and tank space whereas on a highway bus, just can throw it into the bay.  Most all mechanical stuff is standard truck issue stuff.  I replaced my airbags-they were listed on the Firestone air bag site-were a bitch to change, but it can be done.  Good Luck, TomC