ike so many of us, I became a "Bus Nut" several years before acquiring my dream. I had even subscribed to Bus Conversions magazine for about 3 years prior to this time.

When I decided it was time to make the big step, I began perusing the classified ads with much more vigor. I made calls and wrote letters and eventually made trips to California and Texas to look at units that seemed to suit my taste and pocketbook, but to no avail. On my last trip to Texas, I was graciously offered a spare bedroom in the home of the seller, and we had many hours of conversation concerning bus conversions. He told me about a friend that had converted an MCI6, and advised me that I should never ever consider such an endeavor. That aroused my curiosity since I had never heard of an MCI6 prior to this conversation.

When I got back home, I immediately called Bus Conversions magazine and requested any and all information on the MCI6. I then started going through all my BC, FMCA and NBT magazines to see what I could find. Surprisingly enough, I did find some information that I had skipped over as "non essential information". When I got the information back from BC magazine, I was hooked - I wanted an MCI6. Also, since only 102 of these classic units were built, I wanted to maintain the bus' original look.

As fortune would have it, that very month, I saw an MCI6 advertised for sale in Lufkin, Texas. I immediately called for more information and pictures. From all the information provided, I knew THAT was the bus for my conversion and started the long process of a "long distance purchase". After some difficulties, like getting the windshield replaced, I finally flew to Texas to take possession of my new (old) classic.

I arrived in Texas on March 13, 1997 (incidentally, the old Greyhound number for this bus was 7313 which matched the date), and the next morning the windshield arrived and was installed. Bright and early on the 15th, I climbed into my bus and started the 2,000 mile journey to my home in Rexburg, Idaho. Although I had driven a 34.5 ft. motorhome for several years, I had never been behind the wheel of a bus before. You can't begin to understand the degree of excitement I felt being behind the wheel of this magnificent machine. I was so excited I drove all day and all night before stopping the following afternoon - even then it was difficult to sleep and rest. Thankfully, the trip was uneventful, except for my excitement!

For the first three months, I parked the bus in the parking lot of my store (Rocky Mountain Trophy House) and started stripping the inside. What a job! First went the overhead racks, then the restroom (the seats had been removed in Texas). Since the front portion of the floor sloped from the back to the front, all the old flooring had to be removed along with the attendant metal bracing. By this time, I had most of the interior stripped and the weather had moderated, so I moved the bus to my back yard at home.

After much backing and filling, I finally had the bus where it was to stay for several months. I then blocked the bus to level and put braces under each bay to maintain structural stability when the inside skin was removed. I then finished stripping the inside and installed a new floor.

In order to preserve the classic look, I removed two sets of windows, replacing the glass with metal. The frames look like they have glass in them with heavy limosine tint. In between all this, I removed all the bay doors in preparation for replacing the rubber hinges.

I am currently waiting for foam insulation which should be completed within the next two weeks, then its back to serious work!

(October 1, 1997)