This looks like a lot of bus for the money...Anybody looked at it?

[thejumpsuitman]

I might be interested in picking up where this guy left off.  Anybody seen it?  He said it's was owned by the State of Maine, so rust might be an issue.  If it's not rusty, I might have a go at it.

MCI BUS FOR SALE

[thejumpsuitman]

Here is the Craigslist ad for it..

http://maine.craigslist.org/rvs/2121221760.html

[oldmansax]

It does look like a lot of bus. I'd ask about the air leak.... sound pretty big. Could be air bags/beams. Didn't see the generator??? Looks like it may have some rust issues.

TOM

[JohnEd]

The problem with buying a partial is that there is lot of critical steps that are the first you take.  To accomplish this as a "recovery" you will have to rip out all that has been done and then fix the problem and then rebuild.  It is most often easier to start at the beginning and that certainly will take less time and effort.  So much for philo 101.

There is a "return air duct" built into the bus and it runs down the center and under the floor.  Most buses have the floor removed as a part of the conversion so that this "horrifically fouled and trash infested" area can be "shoveled out" then vaced and finally pressure washed.  And then the new floor is installed.  This can be done by carefully cutting a section out of the center isle but I don't think many have done it that way.  If you don't do this you will find that in humidity the interior will reek of mildew and worse.  Think Gym Locker.

The walls have square tubing in them as frame.  The water that collects on the windows interior seems to be ducted down the inner surface of the tubes and they rust away where they are welded to the floor.  That is inside the wall, mind you.  I have only seen pics of one bus that had almost zero rust and even that one had a couple braces welded in.  Usually there is much of the framing that needs to be cut out and replaced.  This can only be done with the interior wall covering removed.

INSULATION  Notice I raised my voice?  That was no accident.  The absolutely very best is the minimum acceptable.  That means closed cell sprayed in foam.  Polyiso foam board backed with alu is a close second but doesn't have the sound deadening performance of sprayed.  The floor gets an inch of foam board under the plywood for an added 7.  Without this you can only use the bus in temperate climes.  The original bus had a Godzilla sized AC unit that would cool in Phoenix but you don't have that system and you couldn't afford to run it full time if you did.

AC  There is no way that a single ac unit will cool that bus.  You need two 15K BTU min and you should have three so you have a "hot spare".  Also a third will draw down the temp when you first get home and you can run two at the far end of the bus to make it quieter at the front or vice verse.

That bus looks to be powered by a 8V71  N engine.  That will mean that almost any hill will drop your speed to 35.  Good engine and you will get decent mpg but a powerhouse it ain't in that bus.

Tires MUST be newer than 8 years old.  Over that and they are truly a hazard.  Regardless of the depth of the tread.

Now this might surprise you but I suggest that you buy the bus.  Looks clean and if the state owns it it gets really really good care.  Especially in Maine.  Correct me if I am wrong but they don't use salt up there.  Get a qualified mech to evaluate the engine and trans.  When you figure your bid just adjust it for stripping it out and fixing stuff and then you will have the value of the shell.  Lets see now....that would be $12K minus 14K is.....oh dear, he will pat you $2K to drive it away.  Just kidding.  

HTH and welcome to the madness.  Hope you get your bus soon....whatever it is

John

[robertglines1]

Brings back memories of my first MCI 8. would make a good starting piece for someone . There is $8 grand worth  of conversion materials there and basic systems just need finishing. Did notice rear drivers not matched would need to measure circumference and make sure roll out is within 3/4 inch. It also had air scoops on radiators.  good straight body and clean appearance. Wheel well trim missing on rear.  Bob

[luvrbus]

The OSB board on the walls and floors would be a deal killer for me that stuff is pretty bad also looks to me like he laying tile on top without backer board.

good luck

[busnut104]

What do you want for 8000. ?

[thejumpsuitman]

Still seems like a great deal to me.  Allison automatic, new drive tires, low miles... It's un-done enough to change some things, yet well on it's way if you want to proceed.  I happen to like the floor plan layout.  Hope he did use backer board.  The owner is understandably frustrated with losing money.  He said he paid $9k for it a couple years ago and spent about $5k on it.

[Paso One]

I'm sure you posted this for feed back of all kinds.

  FWIW  I noticed the front Rims are mis- matched.

That could be  a unusual story usually is.

[Eagle Andy]

Well looks like it's worth it to me bur Hell I don't know much lol Go for it

[white-eagle]

The walls have square tubing in them as frame.  The water that collects on the windows interior seems to be ducted down the inner surface of the tubes and they rust away where they are welded to the floor.  That is inside the wall, mind you.  I have only seen pics of one bus that had almost zero rust and even that one had a couple braces welded in.  Usually there is much of the framing that needs to be cut out and replaced.
John

Rust? on an MCI???  You guys always let me believe it was only Eagles.   

[thejumpsuitman]

The walls have square tubing in them as frame.  The water that collects on the windows interior seems to be ducted down the inner surface of the tubes and they rust away where they are welded to the floor.  That is inside the wall, mind you.  I have only seen pics of one bus that had almost zero rust and even that one had a couple braces welded in.  Usually there is much of the framing that needs to be cut out and replaced.
John

Rust? on an MCI???  You guys always let me believe it was only Eagles.   

Well they do indeed use salt in Maine... unless something has changed since I moved away.  (Grew up there)  They really have no choice, do they?  But man was it hard on cars back in the old days before undercoating!  Everything would rust away in Maine, even wood!

[artvonne]

  Things I noticed;

 Residential house wiring. should be 100% multistrand wire in a motor vehicle.

 Looks like surface rust under paint around backs of radiators.

 Big air leak.

 Particle board.

 Looks like it has all the original windows and just paneled over interior walls, hack job around rear bedroom windows. And if he just paneled over, possibly walls were never opened up and inspected, repaired, or reinsulated.

 Looks like he passed by real fast looking at subframe around rear wheels, might mean nothing.

 It looked like he was going to open the lower front access door, then changed his mind. Might wanna peek in there.

 As others have said, lots of equipment you can re-use, but its all used and likely no warrantee. What would an RV center pay you for that equipment?  Not retail. And not wholesale new either. I would value the appliances at
< $1K, but weigh that against the work of R&Ring the interior.

 You really do not want residential wiring and particle board  Electrical fire danger + formaldehyde.

 You have to ask yourself, do you dig the layout? If you approach it with the idea you need to tear it all out and start over with all new wiring and paneling, a fresh Bus would probably be a better deal at the price he's asking. Thats how I looked at it when I first saw it.
 

 

[TomC]

Hope you're short if you buy this bus.  With the side hall way, I doubt you'd have much more then 5'10" of headroom.  Also, it is a big waste of space.  But-it's cheap at least.  Good Luck, TomC

[thejumpsuitman]

The biggest appeal of this bus is that my wife perked up when she saw the layout and got excited. And the fact it's an automatic.  She enjoys driving our current bus and that works out fine because I enjoy being a passenger.    She has pretty much stated plainly that she is not going to drive a straight drive bus.  And yes, I am short... What of it?... LOL 

As good as the deal is on this bus, it isn't the best deal I've found. If it was just me, I'd be making an offer on a local MC5 with a new engine that was left to a lady by her father.  She dropped from $8500 to $5000 immediately and I feel I could probably get it for less than that.  It's an old Custom Coach with a big diesel generator and alcoas but needs tires and the paint is faded.  But My wife just doesn't like that one at all for some reason.  As mysterious as it is to me what she does and doesn't like, I can't deny that her "intuition" has paid off many times and I am beginning to appreciate that.