Newly bitten by bus conversion bug

[windtrader]

@Tom,

Thanks. Transits were off the list early on once I learned the lack of underfloor storage in many. Plus gearing is different for town vs highway, etc. I will keep looking for a 102D3 but it seems there are many more 102DL3 (45') around. Makes sense as the operators would want more revenue per trip with the larger ones. There are even fewer already converted 1995+ conversions on the market. In fact, I don't think I have seen one at all or anywhere near my budget 50k all in. If I decide to bend on 2 strokes, many more possibilities looking for already converted busses. Thanks again. Don

[luvrbus]

All the buses from 1994-1995 to present will have a 4 stroke engine so you will pay more

[ol713]

   Hi;
       Have you checked Ebay?  There are all kinds of coaches there
       and the choices change weekly.
                                 Merle.

[windtrader]

Hi Merle,
Thanks. I do reference eBay, mostly to get a sense of the actual market; that is what buses actually sell and the price. Of course, unless you have 3rd party surveys on each bus, such comparisons are only general estimates but better than guessing. Between the Bay Area and LA, there is inventory to check out. Today, there are 4 mid 90's MCI 102DL3 within an hour's drive. going to check those out.

[daddysgirl]

This post is not intended to offend anyone.

I am NOT trying to scare you away from our wonderful hobby. I was looking generally into tires, insulation, and safety features.
In November of 2016, USDOT published the latest report on motorcoach and school bus fires. The link below will take you there. Second report from top:

https://search.usa.gov/search?query=Motorcoach+and+fire&op=GO&affiliate=dot-bts

What I found surprising was the fire rates for MODEL years 1998 through 2002-2003. I haven't gotten far enough into the report to explain it, but I thought it couldn't hurt to share with you before you purchase.

I'm not suggesting there is anything wrong with any coach. I'm just sharing what I found.

[windtrader]

Thanks. Had a scan throught the first report. Seems  buses are quite safe, incidents per passenger mile. I'd bet if the data could separate  DIY bus conversions, the rate of incidents would be higher. It seems the sample  would  be very low, given the reported  model years.

With proper PM most of fire sources can be minimized. As most are in the engine  compartment  one could put a fire supression system if concerned enough.

Personally, I  suspect I'll be far more occupied about making sure the bus just keeps rolling safely and reliably
This post is not intended to offend anyone.

I am NOT trying to scare you away from our wonderful hobby. I was looking generally into tires, insulation, and safety features.
In November of 2016, USDOT published the latest report on motorcoach and school bus fires. The link below will take you there. Second report from top:

https://search.usa.gov/search?query=Motorcoach+and+fire&op=GO&affiliate=dot-bts

What I found surprising was the fire rates for MODEL years 1998 through 2002-2003. I haven't gotten far enough into the report to explain it, but I thought it couldn't hurt to share with you before you purchase.

I'm not suggesting there is anything wrong with any coach. I'm just sharing what I found.
[/quote]

[DoubleEagle]

It disturbs me to read the bureaucratic language of these reports (I worked for the federal government for decades), the reports don't seem to be written by people really familiar with the equipment involved. The report on the 1990 MCI 102-C3 in Virginia goes through all kinds of obscure detail, but does not come up with the cause of the fire, citing the absence of wires and hoses that were consumed in the fire. Why didn't they examine a similar coach to recreate what was missing, etc?

The only generally valid information is the conclusion that "96% of the reported fires did not result in injuries or fatalities". The top five causes (when they could figure them out) were brakes, tires, turbochargers, wheel hub bearings, and engine electrical. We don't need experts to figure that out, under-inflated tires, hot bearings, hot brake shoes, leaky exhaust pipes, and rubbing wires are not new problems. Proper maintenance and a sharp driver would spot most of these situations. As for the higher incidence for the nineties models, well everybody was distracted then about the upcoming Y2K disaster (that never happened).