| Author | Message | ||
| adam (Urban_hillbilly)
Registered Member Username: Urban_hillbilly Post Number: 3 Registered: 4-2008 Posted From: 76.22.119.223 Rating: N/A |
Foremost, thank you all for the wonderful posts on finding a quality rig; I have been reading vigorously and all I’m learning was exercised so sublimely. I’m new to the boards, so let me know if this post is inappropriate. Today, I continued shopping for a Classic Coach, looked at ’53 PD4104-3xx Owner said: Perfect runner, extensive maintenance/service record, all rebuilt. Mechanically tight. Spankin new, 90% conversion, all new furniture. Interior , systems, appliances – all solid. Just very shabby on the outside “Push the button, and move in.” Motivated seller. I loaded the van with wife and most of my youngins, motored 2 hours to check it out. There she was, looked straight, rough paint, pretty enough. Within 40 yards I saw the patch on the upper rear of this monocoque, as I’m advised – a fatal mistake. He had assured me it had never been cut. (further inspection revealed inner skin was gone, too.) I opened one of the bay doors to see a clean interior, freshly painted, including parts of the lightbulbs... As the door came open to a rest, flakes and powder of rusty red, dusted lightly on the smooth paintjob. Closer inspection and a little probing found endless grey bubbles that burst to an inescapable rust red. Everywhere. Breathe. I puched a screwdriver up and through the plywood and pulled out a wet screwdriver and fungus. Looking for rust from the outside in, I quickly found it on all handles and hinges, and in the wheel wells, just past the tires which were shot. I glanced beyond to encrustation. I think I’ll look inside first. Step onto a visibly wet floorboard, as my eyes sweep up past the corner of curled carpet, she reveals herself. A plastic patio chair straddles what’s left of the seat mount, gauges spilling into it’s lap. Open panels of mangled, original wire, cracked windows. Is this the unconverted 10%? Turn left to see old sheets thrown over the furniture like ghosts, smell the moisture, feel the fungi. Pull back a sheet to reveal the damp rocker I had in the 70’s (that’s where that went).Duck below the mottled headliner, across spongy floor to the scene of a large brawl in a small kitchen. Evidence of violent looting. Open the sinkroom door, close quickly. As I turn to continue, my wife points to several large mushrooms sprouting from the carpet. I poke my screwdriver at the carpet a few feet away from the colony, but as it slides in, one of the biggest mushrooms hisses and jets a small cloud of spores about 4” into the air. Wife gone. I step through as a couple others hiss away, like some alien defense detail. The master suite… there’s the toilet, atop chunks of particle board and laminate. Some part. Skinless body, crumbling foam, shattered glass. I strode out of this old beauty, fantastically impressed. As I passed the maintenance manual on the jump seat, I paused and screwdriver lifted that curled carpet. Is that… soil? Maybe a rotten carpet pad. Oh, that’s the floor. It came out like rich, moist soil, full of mycelium, ready for the garden. I left the bus with smile and happy heart, to meet my wife, who had that big, playful grin on. I went through the maintenance file to find pages of hand written phone numbers, an undetailed ’76 conversion receipt, several receipts for $3-$12 parts, reference to a ’80 engine service? and a late 70’s “appraisal” of $32,000 dollars. Owner told me someone should be there during the week to jump start it if I wanted. I pretended I wasn’t interested, hoping I could work the price down a bit. Got any parts around? Like what? A seat? It has one, doesn’t it? We had a nice drive home, had lunch, laughed and played with the kids. Wife and I agreed, this was a wonderful shopping experience, and that we were making money with every mile away. Anybody interested, I think I could get it for a good price? Onward, Adam | ||
| ED Hackenbruch (Shadowman)
Registered Member Username: Shadowman Post Number: 60 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 70.201.173.172 Rating: N/A |
Ahhh, nothing like the Pacific NW in the winter. When moved back to Wa. in 99 from Hawaii, :>( we thought we would get a Bronco 11 as we had had one before we left. We spent a couple of days at new years running around to all of the dealers from Bellevue to Marysville looking for one. Every one we looked at had water on the floor boards, some had mushrooms growing in various places, one had water dripping from the rearview mirror......we bought a jeep. Adam if you can, go to the BUS'N USA rally in June down by Salem. Lots of buses to look at and there are usually some for sale. | ||
| Austin Scott Davis (Zimtok)
Registered Member Username: Zimtok Post Number: 248 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 216.37.73.226 Rating: N/A |
I commend you on your restraint: 1. From screaming "are you kidding" 2. Laughing in the owners face. 3. Running very quickly to your vehicle and leaving. If the owner really thought he had what he described he was selling, I feel sorry for him. . | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 421 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
This almost sounds like a joke, and is the very reason we tell everyone NEVER to buy a bus sight unseen! G | ||
| John and Barb Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 67 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 24.197.246.104  Rating: N/A |
Nice writing Adam, I enjoyed the whole trip! | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1284 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.68.120.21  Rating: N/A |
Excellent! Take those opportunities to observe more information, none of which you use until verified by reliable sources... And enjoy the time with family along the way!! And after seeing that heap, your wife will approve that much more the "right" choice, when it comes along. Cuz, if she ain't happy, nobody is happy! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 640 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 208.54.200.37 Rating: N/A |
Shopping is half the fun and very educational, I could have used a bit more education before I got my 4104 but still got a very good deal. | ||
| adam (Urban_hillbilly)
Registered Member Username: Urban_hillbilly Post Number: 11 Registered: 4-2008 Posted From: 76.22.119.223 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the good cheer, folks! It is fun to look, and like BW said, makes every bus thereafter look like a gem. Just got a call from the guy the other day, wanted to know if I still wanted that choice ride. I told him it was rotted through - he said "no it isn't, solid steel this one, just polish it up." Must be nice to live in this kind of fantasy world. I'll let you all know if he begs me to take it for free, maybe he'll pay me! Anybody need trim, horn assembly, mushrooms? ; ) |