1965 GMC 5303.....where did it spend its life of service?

GMC5303Wonder · September 11, 2011, 04:48:06 PM

I am curious, I have seen other members post about finding the origins of their buses...
I'm a newbie to the conversion world, and the rv world in general.

I recently purchased a 1965 GMC TDM 5303 017.... is there any way to know where it spend it service life? or at least where it was originally sold?

Its original colors were blue and chrome according to the title, now its white....and the paint left on interior is a medium blue color.

And again.. any help is appreciated... thanks to everyone!

Big Noah and the 5303

TedsBUSted · September 11, 2011, 05:22:49 PM

Hello Wonder,

According to production lists shared by the kind folks at The Ohio Museum of Tranportation, 5303-17 was originaly delivered to Philadelphia Transportation Company.

http://www.omot.org/roster/GMList/tdh5303.html

Ted

GMC5303Wonder · September 11, 2011, 06:56:12 PM

Ted,
thank u for the info!
do you know anything more about the philly transportation dept?

GMC5303Wonder · September 11, 2011, 06:58:44 PM

I also noticed the link ya shared was for a hydraulic trans... being mine is a TOM not a TDH is that the same?

GMC5303Wonder · September 11, 2011, 07:05:33 PM

Which using the same website makes it a greyhound bus western division..California??
I don't know if this is good or bad but kinda makes sense with the color scheme

TedsBUSted · September 11, 2011, 07:17:41 PM

I goofed on the model prefix and link, CA Greyhound sounds right.

Don't know any more about Philly or the Ohio group, I just remembered stumbling across the site.

Ted

RJ · September 11, 2011, 07:39:01 PM

Noah -

With Ted's link, your sleuthing is correct - you've got a "jen-u-wine retired Greyhound bus!"

And if you do a little doodling, you'll find that it's original fleet number was 9613 when it was delivered in June/July of 1975.

For the most part, Hound used these on the commuter runs in the San Francisco Bay Area. The majority were on the Peninsula, pounding the pavement on the El Camino Real round tripping from San Jose, but also coming into the City from Marin County, across the Golden Gate Bridge. A small percentage were used in the LA and San Diego areas, but the majority were up north.

At that time, Greyhound had a fantastic maintenance facility off 7th St in SF, so your coach was well taken care of while owned by Hound.

More trivia: Since these were used in suburban service, the manual gearbox actually has slightly different gear ratios than the Spicer used for the highway models. A lower 1st gear to get you rolling, but a bigger 3/4 gap on the other end. Ted Campbell of Coach Maintenance in Williams CA, is very familiar with this, and, much to the chagrin of several, hasn't found a way yet to mix/match the suburban/highway gearsets to squelch the "too high a first gear" challenge of the highway cars.

Enjoy your new toy!

FWIW & HTH. . .

desi arnaz · September 12, 2011, 01:33:01 AM

Rj was that 1965 or1975as you stated? As the poster said it was a1965.

GMC5303Wonder · September 12, 2011, 03:22:01 AM

Wow thanks to everyone for the info... its really interesting to get a lil background on my old coach...... ill have to do a little more cybet sleuthing to see if I can find out any more info! Since the plan is to go back to the west coast its neat to know that's where the bus started its life.....(although we'll be in Washington state not cali.) I did grow up in the bay area of California....small world

Thanks again, you all consistently amaze me

Big noah

GMC5303Wonder · September 12, 2011, 04:00:48 AM

With the great information I was able to find a norcal bus fan website....and viola! our bus pounding pavement in northern california!

desi arnaz · September 12, 2011, 05:46:28 AM

that is really cool that you found that photo!

RJ · September 12, 2011, 07:14:52 AM

Thomas -

Yup, it's a 1965. Fat fingers on the keyboard last nite!

Noah -

Very cool that you found that photo. Jim Husing has taken hundreds of photos of coaches in the Bay Area for a long time, not surprised he snapped yours.

That pic looks like it was taken in San Francisco - see the ETB overhead lines in the background.

What part of the Bay Area did you grow up in? My childhood stomping grounds were in Campbell/Los Gatos/Saratoga.

FWIW & HTH. . .

demodriver · September 12, 2011, 07:19:51 AM

That picture is just cool. I wish I could get some pics of my bus like that.

Eric

seaton@mta · September 12, 2011, 10:18:56 AM

Another fishbowl owner!

Our numbers are gorwing.

Seaton

GMC5303Wonder · September 12, 2011, 05:23:34 PM

Yea its a really neat pic.......there is another one on that site of it in front of a very Spanish looking depot.....
I really like my fishbowl.....and im super stoked about the pics