| Author | Message | ||
| Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.6)
Rating: N/A |
I probably don't have to point it out since a lot of us already look at the buses on EBay but this conversion really catches my eye-- it is not quite the "Fulltimer's Dream" (the $112,000 AM General), but the "shower" is unique and must be seen: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2403894839&category=6728 | ||
| Scott Whitney (66.82.9.24) Rating: N/A |
Never knew the Crown came with a DD 671 in midship config. . . Interesting shower. I guess it's better than a sponge bath! With the windows still in place, the new owner can supplement their income by giving the neighbors a show. Scott | ||
| Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (65.194.145.57)
Rating: N/A |
Looks like the old girl received a different engine/tranny transplant. In this era, Crown hung 743 and earlier Cummins pancake mills from the factory, along with various Hallscott gas engines. They did not start using Detroits until about 1966 or sossss. Much later, the Detroit 671 in various ratings became the mill of choice, especially when hooked up to an Allision automatic. Yeah, an interesting interior. I plan on tinting my Crown's windows with "limo" dark tint ssooooos I can see out, but no one can seees in. Don't have the $bugjet$ to reskin the coach. Thank you. Henry of CJ ('74 Crown) | ||
| R.C.Bishop (128.123.221.228)
Rating: N/A |
Henry.....ain't necessarily so re the DD. My manual (1964 Highway Coach) had complete DD and Cummins information, about 4 inches worth, which leads one to believe, POSSIBLY one could order either...Both?  RCB | ||
| Mike Stabler (Docdezl) (64.255.109.188)
Rating: N/A |
I dont know but it seems like a heck of a way to go thru life.Engine mounted sideways,flat against a floor,inches from the ground,midships,heat rises,hot pavement,low air flow,dirt and dust from steering wheels,geeese! Boy you could only hope to be driven thru snow and salt and sand and slush. And when you have a really good crust on lets go do the Al-Can highway. I could possibly see how these power plants could live hauling 60# kids but a whole conversion...wow! What do they do to these coaches to make them live. Just an N East Indiana ignorant question, don't get many Crown coaches in these parts. Smoke,rattle&,stink.....docdezl | ||
| Scott Whitney (66.82.9.18) Rating: N/A |
The answer is simple. Crowns are California busses! It is always sunny, 70° and the streets are paved in gold! Odometers run backwards and rust turns to steel in this service environment. Scott (former Californian and missing it) | ||
| jmaxwell (66.42.92.16) Rating: N/A |
Scott, u exagerate slightly. It only got into the low 50's today in the part that I live in (that's also pretty much it for the past 2-3 months) Also noticed some surface rust shining thru on my neoplan radiator frame that I haven't gotten paint on because of the cold damp weather for the past 3 months. As for the Crown, this particular one is super ugly (sorry, I can't find a way to be nice about it). Reminded me of one of my 1st jobs when I got out of the Army in the mid-60's. Got a job as a Heavy Equipment Mechanic Apprentice for County of Los Angeles. After about 7 months on the job they informed me that they were going to intensify my education in their fleet of buses, mostly jail buses, and all CROWNS. I quit and went into refrigeration. | ||
| R.C. Bishop (128.123.221.189)
Rating: N/A |
Mike and jmaxwell..you guys are fortunate. I took much time to write all the wrongs on two seperate posts here. Nice LOOOONG story about MY Crown, but alas, both posts went south. One while Ian was working on the site, apparently, the other when my finger hit the control or some other key, inadvertantly.  Your loss. Maybe I'll try it again sometime, if you are open minded, that is. Wish I could post a picture. Sent one to Ian a couple of years ago; supposed to be bus of the month in October 2000, but got usurped....... Maybe RJ, Henry, Doug and Gary will jump in here and help rescue our reputation. It really is a GREAT Coach, as were many that they built, along with Fire Engines that apparently went around the world. We have seen some here and there across the country. RCB | ||
| Michael J (Mjryan) (67.41.239.48)
Rating: N/A |
Scott you are close, it got to the high 60's, here in San Hoe-zay, Ca and unlike jmaxwell it not been very damp here lately just sunny sky's but will rain tomorrow says the weather man. O well life is tuff but someone has to do it. Michael j | ||
| jmaxwell (66.42.92.11) Rating: N/A |
R.C. My apologies if I offended you, I meant no personal slam on Crown owners. I have seen several that impressed me but this particular one certainly was not one of them. I remember the day about 4 yrs. ago that one of the 10 wheelers flew by me on the northbound grade of Tehachipi like I was parked. No doubt about it, he had more umph than I did. Like cars, I like buses for their looks and not necessarily for their supposed superiority. An example would be the Prevo: love the H3 and think the Le Mirage is ugly. Just my personal take. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (128.123.221.182)
Rating: N/A |
NO,No, No, No, No.......No offense at all, but just felt you guys could be educated as to facts of a particular Crown. Mine. They're not all the same. Like folks, I guess. Maybe later this evening I'll try it again. I hate to spend all the time and effort to post something and lose it all in the touch of a key or whatever. And twice in one evening was just too much. Meantime Scott Whitney has MOST GRACIOUSLY provided a link to a picture. Take a look. http://www.dustyfoot.com/busnuts/RCBishop.jpg RCB | ||
| Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: N/A |
And yeah, I'll jump in and spout off a bit about Crowns... I had a superior pusher a long while back, and more than once I high centered it on mountain backroads. I swore that my next conversion would have better ground clearance. I like pushers because they are real quiet to drive, and I dislike dognozes for a myriad of reasons although ground clearance is usually great. So this time around I looked at a lot of busses and the Crown started to become very appealing. The Mid engine is a compromise in sound level- not nearly as quiet as a pusher but much quieter than a front engine. Servicing is actually tons easier than a pusher OR a front engine because everything is super accessable from the sides and the front. I've been surprised at how easy it is to do things like modify the exhaust system, the radiator fan drive, service belts, filters, etc. Heat from the engine does NOT come in the bus while driving. In fact my house batteries are mounted right over the motor and they are fine, because the radiator heat is blown down on the ground. Driving in rain, slush, snow or mud is fine; there are a system of flaps that keep the crap out of the engine area and they work very well. And if I do get stuck in mud (like I did the other day on my OWN property...ugh...) there's still plenty of clearance and it doesn't dig itself in so deep that it sticks on the body... plenty of room to toss in gravel and simply drive back out of the 8" deep hole I made. Speaking of clearance, I'm willing to bet that Crowns have more ground clearance than any of the popular pusher coaches, and by a lot. I drive mine up unpaved/unimproved mountain fire-roads a LOT and never even come close to having a problem... I would dare to say most of you Eagle, Prevost and MCI owners wouldn't be able to follow me for long at all without getting stuck.... And the space availiable underneath is amazing, although not as much as greyhound bays by any stretch of the imagination, there's plenty of room for large tanks of all kinds, gensets, storage, etc and it's very easy to get to and work under... heck I can sit straight up anywhere under the bus and I still have headroom... and I never have to worry about an airbag popping (and the ride is very smooth even with it's leaf-spring suspension) Last is the basic construction.. it's a damned truck with a bus body stuck on it. This means I can cut holes and body parts anywhere I want with impudence, and I have. Never a structural worry. In fact structurally it's the tightest bus I've ever owned, it doesn't wiggle or rattle as i drive... built like a German tank... All the brake and drivetrain parts are standard class-8 truck stuff, so any truckstop has parts. The downside of a Crown is that it's "different" looking if not plain ugly because of it's curviness, however that curviness aerodynamicaly makes up for it's looks by the fact that fully loaded I easily get 10-11 MPG driving at an average of 75-80 even with carbunkles, antennas, and awnings stuck all over it.. Yes It's old and parts aren't that easy to come by, but they are findable and the thing so far has taken me about 15,000 miles without a hint of problem. And if it dies, at least it's an engine system I can work on in the boonies and not have to worry about all the potential electronics problems that can kill newer motors. Because the sidewalls curve inwards a bit, It doesn't have the interior width and space of you bigger busses. But because of that it's strong as can be, and it's plenty of room for me. And last, Crowns are so inexpensive to purchase that if you are a total dork and mess it up completely (like the one in the auction ), it's not like you're killing a Prevost due to Ineptitude/incompetance.... That said, yes this Crown in the current auction is ugly, maybe even gross! It's probably rusted to heck on the inside because of the amazingly dumb shower arrangement. It's waaaaay overpriced. I wouldn't touch it with a ten fot pole. But I certainly LOVE mine. Crown's are pretty cool in a lot of ways... Phew... ya all gonna run out and get one now? Hee hee!! (oh, and YES, I will be taking it up the Alcan one of these days soon) Cheers Gary | ||
| Larry Baird (Airhog) (66.171.53.148)
Rating: N/A |
Don’t listen to JMAXWELL he says the same thing about my bus (MCI 7). My theory is: if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one your with. http://www.bairdsigns.com/images/bus | ||
| Peter Broadribb (Madbrit) (170.215.59.159)
Rating: N/A |
Now that's a gorgeous looking bus Larry. Peter. | ||
| Lin (66.159.223.29)
Rating: N/A |
Nice looking bus, Larry. Looks like you have enough A/C for a bad day on Mercury. | ||
| john marbury (Jmarbury) (65.100.118.20)
Rating: N/A |
R.C. Bishop, Nice!!!! that's the best looking Crown I've seen. John | ||
| Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (65.194.145.42)
Rating: N/A |
I remember years ago around 1970 or sooossss when I was MUCH younger and foolish and stuff, drove for Yosemite Park and Curry Company for two summers before they fired me. Usually drove the valley floor shuttle buses, but once in awhile, drove the route to Fresno and back. I forget what kind of bus it was, except that it was a 4-speed with an 8V71 Detroit. Had about 80 mph gearing as it was a former Nevada coach with desert gearing and a HD cooling system. We were warned several times NOT TO STOP on a steep upgrade.... ....because if you did, you could not get it rolling again. Starting gear (first) was just too high. Not very cool indeed when stuck in stop and go traffic, let me tell you. My '74 Crown 10-wheeler handles fire roads with routine 12 degree grades with zero problems. Even then I start in second gear. Ten speed Roadranger. Top speed is well over 80. Us Crown owners will have you know that, in our collective opinion, the exterior of the discussed coach on E-day is, shall we says, a little rough. But...with a little work, who knows? After I gots fired from Yosemite, I drove part time in Bakersfield CA for the Kern High School District. Sometimes I drove old #21 to and from Frazier Park up and down the Ridge Route. Never had a problem with the old Crown. She could actually plow snow with the front bumper after locking up the tandem drivers. Turned like a farm tractor as she had TOO MUCH traction. Anyway, I blab. Crown rust turns to gold, the oil never needs changing, the fuel turns to booze and the tires never rot. The interior is self cleaning and they start at minus 100 in one half second. For a general and specific background on the Crown Super Coach in specific and general go to www.crownbus.com Trina the webmaster is to be congradulated for all of her expertise and work. Thank you and .....he he he....CROWNS FOREVER!!! | ||
| jmaxwell (66.42.92.21) Rating: N/A |
RC: Classy, clean appearance. I'll 2nd the comment that it is the nicest I have ever seen. No relative of the one on e-bay. LarryB: Don't recall ever having made comment about your bus and just now had my 1st look at it. Since I regularly travel w/people who drive MCI (7-9's) I doubt that I would have made a dispariging remark about 1, and especially yours, having never seen it. | ||
| Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (65.194.145.54)
Rating: N/A |
Hey R.C.; Seems I obviously bo boed on the year Crown Coach began to hang Detroits in their Crown Super Coaches. Let's say they started at least as early as your super duper Crown hiway coach. Thanks for the correction...and...He he he.... CROWNS FOREVER!!! Henry of CJ. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (128.123.221.142)
Rating: N/A |
At the risk of being redundant...and losing a long post for the third time, I would like to offer facts of our Crown Highway Coach. Hard to believe, with as many Crowns as there are and as long as they were in business,(one of the earliest, as I recall)that they are unknown in parts of the country. Look in the Fire Departments, bet you'll find a few. Coaches, maybe not so many. For starters, the engine, in my case a Cummins Turbo is laid on it's side front to back, ergo the name "pancake". Accessed by large bay doors on each side of the coach, thru floor access panels and, of course under the engine, which, according to my measurements is around 10 inches above the ground. Also higher than the side rails. My understanding is that Peterbuilt ran or runs some of the same configuration. Excellent access for working on almost anything. Like the Turbo,the Radiator is located on the driver side and draws air thru a very large fan and louver system which opens and closes according to need of the engine. Radiator is sideways and Fan is across the front of the engine. For maintainin circulation , there is a large conveyor belt type fabric streched across the coach, just behind the front wheels. Controls the air and the dirt, slush, etc. (See the Archives for a post Henry made some time ago.) The floor in mine is 1.5 inch Marine Plywood, front to back. I read a lot about 3/4 inch in some of the upscale newer busses. No heat problems since the engine lays 10 inches or so below the floor. (See Gary"s post about his batteries). Perhaps noiser than some in the mid part of the coach, but at the driver and rear areas, pretty quiet. As for hauling 60# kids.....well, at 1700rpm cruising at 65-70 and about 12.5 mpg, the coach will move. I've never had it above 80, due to respect for tires and mpg, but with the Eaton 10 Speed and Turbo, I imagine it could do considerably more. I have Michelins on the rear 8 and Firestones on the front. Neither are cheap and I prefer keeping them as long as they are servicable. Matter of fact, we are re-thinking the 65-70 in favor of 1500rpm and around 55-69. As someone said previously, they are built like a tank. Couldn't believe my eyes when I started the process of tearing down for re-configuration. My guess is, this 39 year old coach will be around a lot longer than I will. As FF says "my way". It can be viewed in it's pre conversion self at address on the post above. | ||
| Scott Whitney (66.82.9.14) Rating: N/A |
Hi RCB, Thanks for the extra info. BTW, tip for never losing a long post: Open MS Word, Word Pad or Note Pad. Type your post and save a copy as you work. Then when you are finished, just highlight, copy and paste your post into the "Add a Message" box. That way, no matter what happens you always have a copy. Also, could be handy to refer to, or paste into future posts/e-mails etc. Scott | ||
| R.C.Bishhop (128.123.221.141)
Rating: N/A |
Thanx, Scott! RCB | ||
| Larry Baird (Airhog) (66.171.15.184)
Rating: N/A |
Jmaxwell - I was just trying to take a little heat off the Crown guys. Most people find the MCI 7 lower on the list, “Just another MCI 7” I think is what I saw in your post. Because of the amount of work involved I have learned to appreciate all bus conversions. It takes a lot of work to even make an ugly bus, you know one only a mother could love and we all have mothers. I have only had my bus a few years, lived in it for two and if I can keep from offending anyone, look forward to meeting some of you. Would you have pictures of your bus? I’m making a few changes in mine and need a few good ideas. I agree with you all, that is a beautiful Crown Super Coach! |