| Author |
Message |
CM (172.148.118.162)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 02, 2002 - 8:08 am: | |
want to buy a Gillig Phantom and found one in great shape and very inexpensive ,,,since it is built as a "metro" is it good to take to the highways? |
Geoff (64.1.0.92)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 02, 2002 - 10:06 am: | |
Transit conversions: It depends on the rear end ratio-- some Phantoms are geared to go 65-70 mph and are run on the freeway, but some may only be geared to go 55-60. A few bus nuts are converting Phantoms, but the RTS is more popular with better underneath storage room and fiberglass body parts available from R&M fiberglass. You don't mention which engine the bus you are looking at has, but the MUI 6V92TA is good choice with easy horsepower upgrades. |
Keith Kroeker (Keith) (167.1.146.100)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 02, 2002 - 7:17 pm: | |
Email George Myers... He has a Phantom he converted... He sells conversion books and would be a great source of info on the Gillig |
RJ Long (24.127.74.29)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 02, 2002 - 11:48 pm: | |
CM -
Having worked as the Training Supervisor at a transit agency that had over 50 of these, here's my two cents worth:
Look underneath and see how many air bags are incorporated into the suspension system.
If there are only four, with the rears mounted on trailing arms and positioned behind the duals, be prepared for a "bucking-bronco" ride in the driver's seat on undulating pavement, especially urban and suburban streets. This does smooth out some at highway speeds, but isn't nearly as comfortable as:
The models that have four air bags on the rear axle. These have a much better ride, and are less prone to the bucking common with the other design. But they still don't ride as nice as:
The GMC Fishbowls, which use four air bags front and rear - best ride of any transit bus built, but the independent front-suspended RTS is darned close. Both of these ride very much like a highway coach, which the Gillig will never come close to - that wasn't/isn't part of their design criteria. . .
As for running faster than 60, you'll have to change the rear axle ratio. Gillig uses Rockwell/Meritor axles, so different ratios are as close as the telephone. . .
Gilligs are manufactured in Hayward, CA, and are ruggedly built, btw. . .
HTH,
RJ
PD4106-2784
Fresno CA |
john (206.191.131.120)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 03, 2002 - 2:50 am: | |
Built like a tank. No rattles, no squeaks, no disgusting habits whatsoever. On the M-11/B400/no coach air varient I drive, there's enough room to hang a double hammock in the engine compartment, to accomodate your guests. |
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