Anyone in the Eugene OR area

[Bill in KS]

Hey
Newbie to the board (been lurk'n for months).  Have a bus spoted in Eugene.  Any input on a bus shop in that area that the current owner could take his coach to for an indepenent inspection?  In addition to the inspection I would really like someone who has an  mid 60's MCI 5 or similar to look the bus over at his place and be my eyes/ears.  I will gladly pay for someone's time and effort.  My cell is 417 four three nine 59 fifty / email is bduling at fast freedom  . net

Thank you
Bill

[JohnEd]

Bill,

I live in Eugene and I will be happy to do what I can.  My understanding is that you need DD to dyno the engine and make an assessment.  There are alternatives to that by gong to a 2 stroke savvy mech.  The DD job includes the trans...if automatic.  Secondly you need someone to eval the RV fixtures....I can do that.  Lastly you need a bus savvy company to Lock at the bus running gear and frame.  I think Dick Kaiser can look at the bus but maybe Clifford or others will advise on that.

I am posting this and I will call you but I wanted to invite comment from the hitters.

John

[JohnEd]

Bill,

I have called Darrel, the current owner, three times today and left 2 messages with my number.  I don't think this will be a problem as it is Sunday and he is 80 or so.  I will go over and see him Monday morning if I can get ahold of him.  Hopefully you will have updating info by Monday afternoon.

Know you must be anxious.  Doing all I can for the time being.  I will keep you updated.  Be assured I am happy to do all I can for you.  I recently contacted a Knut seeking much the same service and I tried to compensate him and he flatly refused.  What goes around and all that....what what?

John

[JohnEd]

Bill,

I have called him 4 times now and left three messages.  Afraid if he gets any more nterest he will up the price.

I'll try again this evening.  Hope his hearing aid bats aren't dead.  Or anything else.

John

[Bill in KS]

Hey
Thanks for try'n.   Not sure what else to do?? 

Bill

[JohnEd]

Bill,

I just got thru to Darell.  Sounds like a solid gent.  I asked to see the bus in the am so it would be cold.  He is fine with that and mentioned that it had been started this morn and had zero smoke.  He also said he was showing the bus to another prospect at 9:30 and he invited me to see it with that prospect or come early for a cold start.  I told him I wanted to see it tonight and he is cool with that.  I'll have more info for you this evening.

John

Exciting, huh?

[Bill in KS]

please keep me posted, I'm waiting to buy plane tickets for the family.

Thanks for the help
Bill

[Bill in KS]

Big Thanks to John.    Enjoyed the chat on the phone, I didn't realized how hazzy my glasses were with bus fever.  The offer for Fry'd chicken from SE Kansas stands. 

Thanks again
Bill

[JohnEd]

Bill,

As I told you on the phone, "no thanks needed, I had a superb evening visiting with the owner Darell (77) and looking at his bus".  Sorry it was not suitable for you and your family and sorry for Darell because selling that bus to a informed buyer will certainly present a challenge.   Lotsa mixed emotions there but the bus is only suitable for traveling south in the late fall and north again in the early spring and that would be from Eugene, Orygun and heading to AZ. And that at a stretch.  That bus seems to have sooo many nice features and innovations and is just plain interesting and unique.

I never owned a bus, nor have I been employed in the industry,  and any inspection report I might make should acknowledge that level of my personal expertise.  Got no street creds but I have been paying attention....sorta.

The outward appearance of the bus was excellent.  Good paint.  No serious dents but wear and tear as would be norm.  SS was shinny but not polished.  HUGE train horns that are LOUD.  Cracked passenger windshield but there are two spares.  All side glass is stock and of the drak green, almost opaque, color that gets too hot to touch in the summer and is single pane.  Really tightly tucked in awnings fully cover the passenger side from front to back except the entry door.  Half of the drivers side has a one piece awning.  Air scoops for the radiators are the largest I have ever seen and must be 8 inches proud.  96 and 16 is 112.(?)

Front tires look to be almost new. Hankooks with a DOT number of T73TJ9H226 and you can tell me how old they are cause Darrell said he had not any recollection of their purchase. They were clean and had no cracking what so ever but the rears were down to 1/16 of an inch and I think they must have been purchased used cause we can't wear out a new tire on a conversion.  Needs new tires.  22ND week of 96?

Interior is made from a lot of solid oak.  Storage is abundant.  Electric cook top.  Catalytic heater. NEW Norcold 8 or 10 ft3 gas refer.  Gas hot water.  Single in the wall electric heater..2 or 3 K watts at most.  Headliner style very tight and nice Naugahyde that was soft and supple and pristine.  Bed/couch.  Breakfast bar for two.  Compact kitchen that is efficient.  Bath with FULL size ceramic tub.  Roomy.  Rear bed is a twin with a platform that folds up so it can be expanded to a full.  Twin bed over the bed folds down..bunks.  But large and all OAK. Carpet is Desert Sand, very light and very plush top of the line stuff....no stains.  Great looking dash.  Bath can be closed off from the front or rear.  Has two ceiling vent fans, in bedroom and bath.  Single 13K BTU in front.  Was told that the front stays cool and in the AZ winter sun the fans were enuf to keep the rear comfy.  MAYBE but mostly maybe NOT, in my opinion.

Bays are clean and show no rust.  Three Stainless tanks, 104 and 40 and 40 gallons.  14 gal propane in two 7 gal bottles.  4 six volt GC house bats.  No inverter. Two largish auto bats for engine start.

Kubota 3 cylinder 8KW gen with remote rad.    Pivots out for service and access on nylon plates.  Squirrel cage air circ with intake and ex at the bottom.  Few hours.  No obvious sign of an air intake to the box.(?)  Rad has electric fan and sits under the driver floor and again, no visible means of forcing air flow thru the compartment(?)  No sound box.

Engine...and here the plot thickens.  Started dead cold at 75 ambient with less than a puff of black smoke to even call it that.  Lopey idle that goes to velvet smooth when warmed.  Clean as a whistle and not obviously washed.  

Cartridge type oil filter is mounted OUTSIDE the bus on the rear drivers corner.  Sticks out less than the mirrors. It is plumbed in with 1 or 1 1/4 inch steel gas pipe.  Reason given was that it is easier to get to and there is no oil mess in the engine bay.

Muffler has been exterior mounted in the space where the rear bumper would go.  The muffler is the rear bumper.  This has increased the total length to 36 feet or so but definitely more than 35.  Tax and registration?  Entry to Nat and State parks with a 35 foot limit?

The passenger space next to the engine bay houses the 4 little house bats and that space is basically empty.  The space on the drivers side where the stock muf went is empty and has a floor in it.

The rear of the engine bay has the two access doors removed and a single screen replaces them.  This has been done for ventilation.

The door that covers the squirrel cage engine cooling blower has been replaced with a large mesh screen.

The radiators, in their stock position have each mounted an electric radiator fan from the auto world.  There is no incident in recorded history of this design being able to cool a DD 2 stroke.  Oh, and no shrouds.  No radiator shutters either.  Water spray system, for engine cooling, is fed from the 104 gallon fresh tank.  It is my guess that that must need to be refilled often.

Engine has injectors of the 55 size.  I was told that "Greyhound did that so they would get 10.5 MPG".  I doubt that, personally.  Miles driven and fuel used broke to 8 plus mpg by rough calcs.  Came stock as a stick and this bus has a auto in it.  Intake has been opened up to a 6 inch tube that is less restrictive than the stock square tube affair for sure.  50DN 24 volt alternator and a hefty 12 volt item.

Insulation.  The side wall on the drivers side has left the OTR AC duct in place.  It is supposed to have wiring and plumbing installed.  Can't say but I think the side walls haven't been removed and the insulation upgraded to foam.  Floor had no insulation on the bay overheads.  Bays weren't insulated anywhere I noticed.

Conclusion:  The engine cooling system modifications to "all electric" were a dismal failure.  In an attempt to get the coach to run cool the 55 injectors were installed, oil filter was located outside the engine bay, side air scoops were added, water spray for radiators was added, OTR AC was replaced with a single roof air and powered by the generator and the bus was used only in cool seasons and circumstances.  I can imagine that t would have needed to be nursed to prevent over heating.

So much of this bus seems to have been lovingly and expertly designed and constructed.  A shame really.  If you can't put the cooling system back and insulate the walls and floor and put in an OTR AC and replace and skin over the side windows I don't think it will work at all.  

Located in Craig's List for Portland, Orygun under MCI. $14K asking.

Great experience for me.  AND I didn't learn that there was NO OTR AC till I told Bill that I never checked that and he mentioned that the owner had told him the roof AC was THE ONLY AC.  See what happens when you work without a check list?  Like working without a net, unnecessarily.

John

[Busted Knuckle]

John,
Very good job & excellent write up as well!
  BK 

[Dreamscape]

Bill,

Don't forget about the Bus Conversion Magazine Classified. There might be something in your area and price range.

JohnEd, I agree with BK, great write up on what you found!

Paul