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R. TERRY (67.3.182.243)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 10, 2002 - 1:32 am: | |
I will never be able to disassociate the idea of "a second opinion" from Rodney Dangerfield. In one of his classic jokes, he is told by the doctor that he has 6 months to live. He says, "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like a second opinion." The doctor says, "OK, you're ugly."
Over the past four and a half years that I have been a regular visitor to this BBS, upon which I have shared my stories about the Salvage Yard on Wheels and other buses, I have frequently come to bat for Fast Fred when he stirs up the waters with his omnipotent opinions. As I have said before, this is precisely one of the reasons I have enjoyed a steady diet of BNO.
If we fail to learn anything else from this board, it should at least be that, when it comes to buses, "we do it our way". My guess would be that, out of a thousand bus conversions, there are a thousand ways to do it. Each bus might perhaps be a reflection of the person or persons who own it.
Having said that, I don't exactly fit the mold. I have no staunch opinions as to which is preferable, large baggage bays or sleek design. It doesn't matter to me whether the fresh water holding tank is down in one of the spacious bays or sitting above between the wheelwells. And I certainly don't care which bus might be considered by whomever to be the best bus. It's only best if it's best for you. And it really is. If your bus is the best bus for you, end of story.
I don't have a best bus. I love all buses. To respectfully refresh Fast Fred's memory, I already have huge baggage bays in my GMC 4905. I have yet to completely fill the ones in my 4104. But none of that is the point.
That crusty guy in the transit shop did his best to dissuade me from getting any further involved with the RTS. He simply was not aware just how much I wanted that model of GM bus, regardless what I do with it.
But I already know what I am going to do with the RTS and it will not be a substitute for the 4905. It will have its own character, be unique among my other buses and, hopefully, will give me and the kids much pleasure. And again, hopefully, so will every bus I can get my hands on.
All of your opinions, and second opinions, are valued and important to the process. Well, maybe not the one about being ugly.
Thanks for all the feedback.
R. TERRY |
dougwoodin (24.170.175.44)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 10, 2002 - 10:32 pm: | |
Check out the Sept, 2001 issue of Bus Conversions magazine. Cover story about a 1978 GMC-RTS coach. Shows what can be done with lots of work, imagination, and MONEY! A truly beautiful job. I own an old Eagle, and befor I started hanging around this board, I didn't know a GMC from a Flex, from an MCI. I ended up with an Eagle simply because I didn't know any better! But its growing on me. Kinda like mold! In another few months [I hope] it should be complete.Then the REAL fun starts. We will see what is at the end of the road. Over the rainbow----around the next bend-- |
Wulf P. Ward (63.155.9.46)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 17, 2002 - 11:18 pm: | |
I have to go along with Terry. There is no bad bus in the eyes of the beholder. I have 3 bus conversions, that I converted over the last 9 years. My 1982 model 10 Eagle (still my favoured) was done first. It is by fare the easies bus to convert. I always liked the GMC Motor Home and I just had to have an RTS. I really like the looks of the RTS and I went overboard converting it. In a car you would call it a frame-off restoration. After stripping the bus down to its final components, I sandblasted all steel to white metal and coated it with 2 coats of epoxy mastic and coal-tar epoxy. I rebuilt or replaced every almost every part in the RTS. I did the Eagle (the basics) in just 4 months. On the RTS I worked for 7 years. It was truely a labor of love. I have used the RTS on 4 long trips to Boston, Texas, Florida and Yellow Stone Park. I put about 17.000 mile on it. I just finished my Neoplan Spaceliner. I am a little scared (a lot)
to take it out of town (this one big bus), but I will make my first maden run this week-end. Nothing rides like an Eagle, but the Spaceliner comes close. Also I am restoring a 1978 GMC Motor Home. Now there is an R/V with no storage what so ever. The RTS has same storage. The Eagle has a lot of storage (2 emty bays) and the Spaceliner has walk-around bays. Most bus nuts would say the Spaceliner fits their image of a busconversion. For me I like the GMC the best, anyhow for what I do. You can drive the GMC like a car, don't need to pull a car (maybe my Harley whould be nice to pull). For two people (2 dogs and a cat) it does everything the big buses do. You want to take your bicyles, your lawn chairs and what ever, just put it on top. Don't get me wrong I like the busconversions, but to me they are mostly for showing off (that's why I have a Hummer H2 and 8 other toy cars). Since I bin driving the GMC I really have a new perspective about bus conversions. I will keep the Spaceliner(to show off) but I am selling the RTS and the Eagle. Maybe after 3 conversions I am all bused out (how sad). Sorry I can't spell and I hope you can make this out. |
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