102c3 smooth side Alum Or Steel

[RC4U]

Are 102c3 smooth side bus's Steel ? , As here is a pic of one I'm interested in.http://wwnh.net/content/view/41/2/  Is this anything to be concerned about?  1989 6v92ta manual tranny.

[TomC]

For an '89, sure is rusted-must of been an East coaster.  Look out west for a good bus- MAK has a view good ones!  Good Luck, TomC

[littlehouse]

RC
If you see rust beleave me there's a LOT you don't see. On my MC8 the fraim between the stainless metal
up front was litterly gone, even under the drivers seat, and the dash. I'm rebuilding the fraim from the floor
up to the dash. So have fun and be careful because it's an act of love for our busses.
Ray with the littlehoue

[RC4U]

I have looked at the west coast and the ones Mak has advetised. but this bus is 22 not 35+ . I can keep looking. May have to just down from a C3 to an A3 or a 9. The other Question I had was aboutthe siding. I see them with smooth{steel or not?} and stainless on the C3's and A3's and mostly stainless on the 9's. Jeff

[belfert]

The rusty part of the bus that you are showing looks like the signboard.  Regardless if the bus is smooth side or stainless, it will still have a signboard that is steel.  I saw some Minnesota 102A3 and C3s over at ABC Bus that were far worse rust wise than that one.  The ABC Bus salesman said they could replace the signboard, but it would certainly be expensive and anything not stainless on the bus was probably just as rusty.

(I'm not sure if signboard is the correct term for the section on the side where the lettering goes, but the salesman called it that.)

ABC Bus had some older Van Hools before they used Stainless that were really rusty.  One I looked at needed to go to a scrap yard.  Every panel was rusty and the engine hatch was held on with baling wire as the hinge had rusted through.  I have no idea how that one ever passed DOT.  It certainly would not pass as it sat.

Brian Elfert

[scanzel]

Just my 2 cents. I searched for 6 months for a bus, looked at MCI, Van Hool, Prevost and some others. Finally bought an 89 Prevost XL out of California. A California bus all its life. People always ask me if it is new when they see it. I checked out MCI's here in New England and they were pretty salt corroded. Checked out ABC bus in New Jersey and most of their stuff was also corroded or just plain junk with high prices. Alot of their stuff comes out of the east coast area which is prone to salt corrosion. I was willing to spend $40,000 and could not even find one that was in my opinion worth that amount. They did have some decent Van Hools but you needed at least 80 to 100 thousand to purchase, might as well buy a used conversion for that amount. Even with stainless on the sides in the road salt areas of the country you will find corrosion in the cargo bay areas especially in front of the engine on the MCI's where the air tank is. Saw many rotted right through into the cargo bay. I was new to the bus conversion thing and after looking at many decided to not just settle for anything. Picked mine up in Reno, NV and drove it back to Connecticut in March with a friend and had a ball coming back. Cost me about $1800 compaired to 3 to 4 thousand to get it delivered. Good Luck!