| Author | Message | ||
| Mike Garza (23bps)
Rating: N/A |
So I just bought a bus, it’s a 1980 Flxible Bus (8V71 Turbo Detroit Diesel, Transmission: Allison V-730). What have I gotten my self into. lol. Does anyone have anything helpful for me when I go pick it up? What should I look at? The person I bought from says it’ll drive away, and that it’s in good mechanical order. Any help in the matter would be much appreciated. Where do you guys get your little trinkets and things? Switch’s, lights, generators, stuff like that. | ||
| John MC9 Rating: N/A |
Oh well, Mike. It's too late for anyone to tell you not to buy anything without having it fully inspected. To have bought it sight unseen, is, well... Before you drive it home... Locate a bus garage within driving distance, or at the very least, a truck garage. Have it inspected to insure nothing is going to fall apart on your way home. Not intending to berate you, or insult you in any way, but not knowing if you've had any experience at all.... Your questions did not indicate any prior knowledge or familiarity with driving a truck or bus? Drive it around a vacant parking lot for a few hours, get the feel of actually driving the thing, especially backing it up..... before you hit the road home. You can remove 90% of the anxiety if you practice a bit first. Luck be with youse. | ||
| Craig (Ceieio)
Rating: N/A |
Mike - congrats on the bus! There is an article on this site about pre trip inspections located here: http://www.busnut.com/artrjl1.html This will help you take stock of what you have before you get rolling. Driving the bus is fun. I picked mine up and within 10 minutes drove it down Las Vegas Blvd in the afternoon, parallel parked it in old town Vegas, repeated LV BlVd down to Cesars, and then hit the freeway. After doing that, the rest of the trip to Oregon seemed easy :-). Sources: Generators & Heat stuff Wrico International - http://wricointernational.com/ Bus Parts: US Coach: 856.767.3323 International Bus Parts: 800.468.5287 Many other good vendors that support our hobby, so ask specifics and people will give you pointers. Good Luck and have fun getting her home! Craig - MC7 Oregon. | ||
| motorcoach1 Rating: N/A |
con grats on the new bus i just soild my MC7 and miss it but ya never know i'm looking again | ||
| JW Smythe (Jwsmythe)
Rating: N/A |
Mike, Dammit, you won the auction I was looking at.  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4612530720 I had contacted the owner when there were 0 bids on it. This bus is serial number is 91248, which appears to come from the San Francisco Municipal Railway. He bought it in '85, so they appear to have retired it early, with only 98k miles on it. http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/9036/FLX870.html He advised me that it probably needs batteries, so expect that. It's been sitting at his house for 20 years, but he has replaced the gearing for highway driving (according to him). I had told him that I wanted to inspect it before bidding, but he was out of town until the auction ended. That bothered me. I still almost bid at the end, but my internet connection went down for the last 2 minutes of the auction. We had a verbal (email) agreement that I could buy it after the auction, inspecting it first then. The big things that I know of, are from any vehicle sitting for that long. Check the tires carefully. They're very likely dry rotted. They may make it for a while, but expect to replace them sometime soon. Look carefully for cracking when you first get to it, and after your first drive (like a few miles to the first gas station) Also, look for oil leaks. If it hasn't been run for long periods, the seals will dry up and leak. The same applies for belts, hoses, and other rubber parts. Check these both before you start driving, and after the first few miles (and frequently after that). He's taken out one window when he cut the door into the mid section. I don't see the door panels in the picture, so I don't know if he's removed the others or not. It may be a windy drive. It apperars to be missing the drivers side mirror (I noticed after the auction ended), and there appears to be corrosion on the passenger side at the roof line. Like I said, I was ready to bid, but the inspection thing bothered me. Look the whole thing over very carefully. Look for rust, corrosion, leaks, etc, etc. Also, I posted another thread on here about the 870, asking for advice. Look at that, and see what some of the others said. I wanted to test drive it first at highway speeds, to be sure it could do it easily. Gears are expensive. From what I've read, it's at least as much as you just paid for the bus. If it does turn out to be a piece of shit, refuse it. The worst he can do is leave you negative feedback. That was my girlfriend's advice to me. I hope it does turn out to be good. I'm looking at another Flxible 870 right now, so at least there will be two of us in Southern California working on them. Maybe we can trade notes as we go. The one I'm looking at is full of seats, so if I do get it, and you want a row of seats, I'll have them available. They don't look all that comfortable though. | ||
| Ed Roelle (Ed_roelle)
Rating: N/A |
The seller SAID it had an 8v71 turbo. Is this right, or is it really an 8v71N? Ed Roelle | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
JW - Curious as to why you're interested in the Flxible Metro. . . please elaborate. | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
Oops, never mind, JW. Just went back and followed your thread "Grumman/Flx 870 Questions". It answered my question for me. . . |