Author |
Message |
Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: Votes: 2 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 4:57 pm: | |
Hey All: I was driving by a local RV lot and found a wonderful bus conversion that I thought I’d share with you all. Lest I run afoul of I@n’s policies (and some of its staunch “enforcers”), I will not divulge where it’s for sale, nor how much it costs. Unfortunately, its much more than I could ever afford... because I’d love to own a creampuff like this one. I did up a quick-and-dirty slideshow of my pics in Photoshop CS. This uses frames, so hopefully you can see it: http://www.browncowpro.com/4107/index.htm For being a year older than me (don’t laugh… I’m just a baby busnut), this beauty appears to be a 1967 PD4107 and in immaculate condition, IMHO. The conversion is almost airplane-like with many of its stainless steel finishes, and I was grinning like a schoolkid with some of the special touches I found... Recaro seats, a moonroof, altimeter, plexiglass privacy door. The 8v71 looks like a recent rebuild (with Jakes) and someone put in an auto tranny (V730??) and Bennet shifter. I laughed when the dealer said, “this thing is too old… I’d much rather drive a real motorhome.” I bit my tongue and just emphatically said, “not me!” Someone’s got some serious buck$ in this baby. Okay, so it ain’t a million-buck “Preve-O”, but it sure beats the stuffing outta my half-done Fishbowl (as most busses do). If it was a 4905 (biggest bays, longest wheelbase, and best ride, according to our beloved RJ) I just might have sold my house and bought it. Dang, now I now have Buffalo fever! Enjoy! FBB http://www.browncowpro.com/bus/ |
Bob Oakman (Bobsbus)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 5:10 pm: | |
Sweet! Someone really did cover all the bases on that one. If I was looking to buy a completed conversion, I imagine something like that would fit my budget. The stainless cabinets are interesting. |
Stan
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 8:02 pm: | |
I think I was given a tour of that bus about twenty -five years ago. It was owned my a man who had a candy factory so he was used to a stainless steel environment. When I saw it, even the engine compartment was kept candy factory clean. |
Jason Whitaker (Jeepme)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 8:13 pm: | |
I didn't realize there was a bus nut so close to me Brian! Your website gave away where you're at. I'm just down the road in Loveland. That bus was for sale here in town last spring. It was the first bus my wife and I saw up close. Unfortunately we didn't know how to open a bus yet so never got inside! We did open the engine and the bays; looking at the pictures I still don't know what half that stuff is. Kinda gave a wanna-be bus owner a few second thoughts! The salesmen at the RV lot here wasn't interested in selling it either, thought it was too old and hard to start. Guess there's a lesson here for anyone needing to sell their bus… Salesmen that make their living convincing people that an overpriced cardboard box on wheels is the ultimate status symbol are not going to push someone to buy a REAL bus. We were told that it was originally owned by the Jolly Rancher (hard candy) family. I even think I can see a Jolly Rancher sticker over the microwave. If that's true I wonder if it was purchased as a new shell. Regardless,it does look like it's built real nice, better than the 4104 we bought shortly after, but ours is a better set up for a family with kids. |
Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 9:32 pm: | |
Hey Jason, it's cool indeed to have another busnut so close. I'd love to see pics of your 4104 sometime... or even in person. I just love the lines of all the GMC busses. And who can deny the ease of working on a v-drive setup. Not that I'm partial... okay, I guess I am. Yup, when I look at the full-rez shots, that's indeed a Jolly Rancher sticker. So Stan saw this same bus 25 years ago. Small world. I guess the busnut world is anyways, sorry to say. Disposable, S&S rigs are clearly NOT a small world, sorry to say. Hey, Bob, nice work on that Eagle. That's sweet what you've done to her so far! Keep on bussin' all, FBB |
Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 9:36 pm: | |
We will be moving in a couple weeks to the Littleton area. Maybe we can all meet up sometime. Mike |
Brian (Bigbusguy)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - 9:50 pm: | |
Whit all the talk on trailer hitches you I wish you took a pic of it under that bus. Looks like there is a lot of stuff under the bays Some I dont know what it is . If the price was right I would be a good bus I dont like the glass door to seal off the cockpit. Brian 4905 Klamath Falls Oregon |
Stan
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 8:13 am: | |
Brian: The glass door is to separate the owner from the hired hand doing the driving. This bus was used for business promotional meetings and yes it was a new shell conversion. If it is the Jolly Rancher bus then it is the one I saw years ago (1980?) and if I look hard enough I probably have the owner's business card. |
gillig-dan
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 11:36 am: | |
So, how much were they asking? This is just out of curiousity. If I were to buy it (not this week, still paying off Christmas credit card debt) I would donate to Ian's cause. You should suggest to the sales lot to post it here for sale. Gillig-Dan |
Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 2:35 pm: | |
Now, Dan, I had promised not to divulge this stuff on the board. Ahem, now, off the board is another matter. Ahem... Stan, I'd be curious if the Jolly Rancher exec was/is a Colorado native/resident, because there's Colo. flags and emblems all over the thing. And, Brian, there's times when the plexiglass door would be a welcome break from my three kids ;-). I'd just get my wife in the nearby Recaro, shut the door, and let the kiddos watch Harry Potter or whatever at road-worthy volumes. Also, the door does dog down and is unobtrusive in the open position. Sheesh, I'm doing a better job selling this bus than the blowhard sticks guy... FBB |
Stan
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 3:29 pm: | |
Brian Brown: Yes the bus owner was from Colorado. He introduced himself as a 'small' candy manufacturer. In the course of conversation he told me he used three train carloads of sugar a day and had a fleet of 18 wheelers delivering the finished product. The conversion was done in his own company shop with all the stainless done by the craftsmen who did similar work in the factory. After showing me the bus, he handed me a carton of Jolly Rancher candy. At the time, I had a 1957 model MCI but I guess he just saw me as another bus person and came to talk. BTW, this was in a San Antonio, Tx campground. |
Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 9:19 pm: | |
I did some research and the Jolly Rancher did in fact come from Colorado. The company was started in Golden in 1949. Here is the link to the history of the company. http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/jollyrancher.asp |
Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 12:45 am: | |
Thanks, Mike. Here's another link about the founders of Jolly Rancher, Bill and Dorothy Harmsen... I'm assuming also the bus owners. http://www.goldenpioneermuseum.com/jollyrancher.htm And another one: http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/1aa/1aa457.htm The latter link mentions the couple travelling in the bus for 30 years, amassing one of the greatest collections of Western art... that they then donated to Colorado institutions. Over 2,000 pieces were donated to the Denver Art Museum alone. They also donated much of the land that became Golden Gate Canyon State Park. I even found links to out-of-print books that the couple had written on Western art and Navajo weaving. I'm assuming that Mr. Harmsen was the man you met, Stan. He died in 2002 at 89. Seems to me a shame that this bus with such a unique history, and a philanthropic connection, should be sold as a common RV. FBB |
RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 1:24 am: | |
Brian - Did you check the VIN on the coach? Was it PD4107-870? RJ |
Jason Whitaker (Jeepme)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 1:38 am: | |
Well, whoever is trying to sell it sure doesn't know about the internet. Brian, maybe you need to set him up on consignment and help him out. Just buy an ad here, sit back and collect. I'd love to get together with some other bus owners, I've been in exactly two bus conversions in my life. Be nice to see how others have put one together. Mine might be on the road again in the next few days! I'm replacing the brake application valve this weekend if the weathers any good. |
Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 2:11 am: | |
RJ: I looked intently for the familiar GMC brown badge with VIN, but didn't find it. The salesmen was NO help. At least he had the good sense to leave me alone with the bus to tend the sales office, since he quickly bored with me eyeballing everything and taking dozens of pics. I'm going to call the RV lot guy (consigner) tomorrow and try to get the VIN and also see if I can get in touch with the person that owns it... under the guise of getting more info on it. If their name is Harmsen, I'll try to convince them NOT to sell it. Just spending a bit of time in her, I can clearly tell that this was much more than "just an old bus" to Mr. and Mrs. Jolly Rancher. While the sale might not seem akin to "selling the family farm" from their decendents' points-of-view, to this fellow busnut... it is. FBB |
RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 3:20 am: | |
Brian - IF the sales guy can't get you the VIN, wander back over there, and open the exterior compartment under the driver. The VIN's stamped on the vertical "frame rail" (actually the side of the spare tire compartment) inside. There's a 99.9% chance it's the VIN I already asked about, just want to confirm. RJ |
Mike (Busone)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 11:20 am: | |
How exciting this is, I wish I had the money to buy it. It is amazing that the dealer probably does not even know what he has. I remember camping at the golden gate camp ground many times as a kid. What a shame this great bus just sitting at some dumbass dealer who does not appreciate it. Makes me mad |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 7:19 pm: | |
BB - If you'll email me the FMCA number there *might* still be a record and I'll look it up for ya. Don't know if it would be of any value or not. I tried 1286, F286 and 4286 to no avail. Can't quite make it out from the photos. As you can guess, that's very early in their numbering series. Mine is almost 350,000. How 'bout those 8 track tapes, huh... |
Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 7:42 pm: | |
#1286 was the one. Considering how old Bill was when he died, they may have been out of the FMCA for awhile. Also, there are "Charros Desertos" stickers (with a rattlesnake motif) on the front and back, too. Dunno if this is a club also. I Googled the term and turned up only Spanish links, which I'm not versed in, unfortunately. It'd come in handy where I live (and back in Big D, too). Yup, those 8 tracks are something else. I felt like I was back in '67 when I stepped on-board. But not in a bad way... The RV dweeb never got back with me today on an owner contact. I might get back over there this weekend and check the VIN. FBB |
Stan
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 3:02 pm: | |
I looked in the 1979 FMCA directory for F1286 and it shows William and Dorothy Harmsen from Denver, Co. with a GM Bus. I have no knowledge of who owned it after the original owner. |