Buses for 5k or less

[duk231]

 

I hope I say this correctly. I bought an MCI 9 for 5k, I felt I got a good deal but as I read other posts from users, I have begun to feel like I was taken. I haven't gotten as far as I'd like to be in my rebuild to a mobile home I see ones for sale while a little older they are finished and are asking the same price I bought mine for. Then there are users posting that they could buy a bus for 3k to 5k and I can't see how or where. I read ads for buses in places like here or craigslist, Ebay and things like that. I am open to suggestions as I'm sure others are.

So if we could start an on going topic here for inexpensive for sale that would really help. I realize you get what you pay for. But just for sh*t a giggles how about some replies.

Peace

Michael

[buswarrior]

There is a lot of crap for sale at low prices, with a precious few decent coaches in the mix.

If your MC9 is functional, requiring no foolishness in the way of repairs to safely go down the road, $5K is a fair and good price.

Too many distress sales of less than desirable coaches, too few commercial operators in a financial position to snap up good runners as parts buses are just two reasons you see the market where it is now.

Forget about it and enjoy the coach!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[cody]

It's normal to experience a certain amount of "buyers remorse", the price of coaches varies from time to time and from region to region, my thoughts are that a bus that is being sold for scrap prices are probably just that, scrap material, a parts bus always comes in handy if you've got the space to store it.  I feel that 5K is pretty much the bottom of the ladder for a bus that your hoping will be a strong runner, most of us buy with the idea that we will rebuild whatever needs it over time and as budget allows, and we will certainly take the time to look at the bus that is listed for 5K, many gems have been sold in that price range for an equal amount of reasons, I wouldn't discount a bus simply over the price and I wish todays prices were available when I bought my eagle but unfortunately, the prices started to drop after that.  If your happy with the deal you made and the bus does what you want it to do or at least has the potential to do it, then your ahead of the game right away.

[BG6]

I see ones for sale while a little older they are finished and are asking the same price I bought mine for.

Is your shell in good shape, engine run well, etc?  If so, then you are doing fine as far as value.

The thing to keep in mind is that if you buy someone else's completed conversion, you are buying every one of their ideas for how to do it, good or bad.

Doing it yourself and hanging out here for ideas and advice, you will do a better job FOR YOUR NEEDS.  You will take the shortcuts that YOU choose, you will put things where YOU want them.  When you are done, you will know that it's how you want it, and you will know all of the little details of construction, which makes a big difference if you want to make changes later.

I paid more than you paid for my 96A3.  I turned around and saved tons on the conversion by keeping my eyes open for the parts on Craigslist and other places.  I now have a conversion worth several times what it cost me, and with a little more detail work, it could be a match against any of the million-dollar rigs (the last half of the price on professional conversions is for the tiny details).

I spent more than if I just bought someone's gotta-sell-quick deals, but I'm better off, and you will be, too.

[Jriddle]

5K is not a bad price if it is in good shape to go down the road. Post some pictures?

John

[Lin]

This hobby is going to cost some money.  You can get a decent running shell and spend your money converting it, or get a converted, neglected bus and spend your money on bringing it up to standard.  There are certainly exceptions just like there are lotto winners.

[busnut104]

A lot of time the cheapest ends up being the most expensive.

[thejumpsuitman]

I have been looking at buses for quite a while, and from what I can see, if you want a more modern looking bus like an MC-9, $5k is just about the bottom dollar.  There was an MC-8 or 9 on ebay not too long ago that sold  for $1,000, but it had been sitting and had some problems.  By the time a bus like that is rehabbed, you would probably have even more in it than the one you bought.  If  an MC-9 is what you wanted, I think you did just fine. 

You might be able to find something cheaper, but it would be an older model or an obsolete model.  

[mccarlk]

if your happy dont worry, everbody has different opinoins, your the one that will be enjoyng it , i was told to run when i bought mine, so far its been the best purchase i had made, just my input, k

[bevans6]

Think of it this way  - $5K is a set of tires and a brake job, a rebuilt blower, a pair of rebuilt rads, a generator, about half an in-frame engine, and so on.  If you don't have to do any one of those things in your project, then your bus was free.

I rolled the dice big time - I paid actual money - $23K US at the exchange rate of the day, in May this year, for my MC-5C.  It had newish tires, brakes done the week before I took delivery, a half rebuilt engine (rolled in bearings and a new blower), 90% completed conversion (that's I've redone a lot of to get it up to my standards so I am happy).  The gamble - that I did indeed get a solid bus.  I'll know in a few weeks when I put 2500 miles on it in 12 days or so.  So far - 100% reliable, not one thing has gone wrong.  I know from the receipts I got that the previous owner, who basically bought it out of revenue service through an importer, had $50K in the project,  or near enough double what I paid, and he put 45K KM's (near enough 30K miles) on it in 6 years while converting it.

Would I have looked at a bus for $5K?  Not a single chance.  The only bus I would look at would have to have all major systems in good to excellent working order.  I don't think you will find that in a $5k bus, I think you only find that in buses that are in constant use and getting regular maintenance and upkeep, whether in service or in the hands of one of us.

I have a side business of restoring interesting and fun old race cars for people.  It has to be a labour of love.  I tell people that if they bring me a car they got for free, it will cost double what it's worth for me to restore it to 100%.  The only time I'm wrong is when it costs more than that - but if a guy really wants the RF-83 Van Diemen Formula Ford that won the Canadian Championship, then it's a labour of love, and he gets a car that is better than it was when it was new.  I guess the point is that it matters less where you start than that you start, and the entry cost of your bus shell isn't going to matter much when you get finished.

Edit:  I have nothing but respect for people who start from a seated bus and take it to a shell, and build the whole thing up.  The reason I made the choice I did is that I couldn't have done that, not in a million years.  Because I knew that I chose something that I could handle, a well maintaned, virtually complete bus.  I thought in hindsight that I might have offended some and wanted to apologise if I did.

Cheers, Brian

[belfert]

I paid a lot more than $5k for my bus and it still needed a lot of mechanical repairs.  I considered doing the brakes and such myself, but other busnuts talked me out of it.  I did replace the radiator core, water pump, and hoses myself.

The only trouble on the road (after the initial trip home) has been a hose that started leaking on the road.  An extra hose clamp fixed it for thousands of miles and I finally fixed it right this summer.  The hose turned out to be cracked, but not sure if that happened during this summer's repairs or earlier.

[Lin]

Opps, this was put in the wrong thread so I moved it.

[DaveG]

Well I've been looking at buses for a couple of years now, and I haven't seen anything like your 9 for $5K. I think you did good. Besides, how can you go wrong for $5K?

[philiptompkjns]

I feel lucky, I just picked  up my  102a3 for 4k a few days ago. Drove it 2.5 hours  on the first day  with no problems.
It  had some rust, and a lean, but I feel like I got a good deal.

[Tenor]

I bought my MCI 7 for 3500.  It has a recent rebuild, good tires (old, but no cracking and no miles), new caps, skinned, RV windows and 2 new roof airs and brakes and tons of other rv components.  It needed some of the rear end stainless re-installed.  I've had to do wheel seals (cheap), all bags since they were quite dry rotted, plated the engine frame, and leveling valves.  It's got it's share of dings, but almost NO rust and I'm almost done for less than 20K.  It can be done.  You just gotta look and have help.  (Thanks Ed!)

Glenn