| Author | Message | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
Hey All: I’m heading out tomorrow (Saturday) to look at a 4106 complete conversion. It’s listed here on the Board, so hopefully I’m not violating a policy of our dear friend Ian to talk about it here. Anyways, my idea is to use this bus to travel in this summer, since there’s no way I’ll get enough time between now and then to make the Fishbowl comfortable enough for long-distance travel and camping. In fact, if I end up liking the 35 footer, I might just part out my half-done Fishbowl (VS2-8, Jakes, etc.) and weave that into the old “sportscar of coaches.” The biggest issue with the bus is that it’s sat for five years. I’ve read on the Boards a few success stories and other ones of the more harrowing variety about busses that have sat for long periods of time. I’ve got a pretty detailed list going of what to look for… BUT, so far, my hands-on experience with busses has been limited to some brake work, fluid changes, etc. Soooo, as always, I’d appreciate any of you guys’ sage pearls of wisdom about eyeing and possibly buying a 40+ year old bus. The guy that’s selling is coming in from out of state and is going to try to start it. There’s no way I’d buy it without it running, but everything else is a pretty grey area on whether conditionally I’d take something like this on: brakes, tires, suspension, etc. I’ve felt like I’ve been burned a bit on my last two bus purchases (MC8 neglected rust bucket and Fishbowl half-a$$ed conversion), and would like to avoid the trifecta! Thanks, as always! FBB | ||
| g
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Brian, this is Grant with the 4517. Good luck on your new adventure. I hope it works out for you. If you decide to go with the 4106, please keep me in mind for the part out of the fishbowl. thanks Grant (Sacramento) | ||
| g
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Brian, were are you generally located? G | ||
| jimmci9 #2 Rating: N/A |
take it out....DRIVE IT HARD...not recklessly, but get it up to cruising speed... buy the guy some fuel if necessary....then make a decesion, based on all you see, hear, smell, and feel... then use your knowlegde to determine any problems.... | ||
| Frank allen Rating: N/A |
mine sat for two yrs before i bought it , had to push start it with a mc-9, ran fine but smoked like crazy, drove it home 250 miles no problem, had a bad seal in the rear end and ended up ruining it before i got on to the trouble , the engine stopped smoking after it ran a while and its always been just fine, its a gamble what you are doing but may be just fine Frank Allen 4106 | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
Take it to a frikkin bus garage and have them inspect the blasted thing. It's M-O-N-E-Y, man; hard earned cash; time paid. It's part of your life you're spending. It's a big deal. If they guy won't let you, pass it up. Don't make the same mistake too many of already have. | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
JTNG, It they'd do that to a bus I wouldn't let them near my bus! ROFL (potty fingers!) | ||
| John that newguy Rating: N/A |
HAR... Yeah, well...... May have already been frikked, eh? Mine was. Tailpipe's still sore. | ||
| Brian (Bigbusguy)
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"I might just part out my half-done Fishbowl (VS2-8, Jakes, etc.)" If you do that I would like the Jakes If its a V8 motor. Brian 4905 Klamath Falls Oregon | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
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Thanks for the comments so far, all. I'll report back on condition, etc. I have no idea if he wants to sell it on the spot, but I'd be hesitant to do that w/o a thorough inspection. Grant: I'm in Colorado, north of Denver. Brian (Bigbusguy): Yup, it's an 8v71, but by "part out", I meant take the Jakes and Allison and put it into the '06. Sorry for the confusion. What I'd really like an '05, like yours, but I'll probably have to convert it to be able to get into one. FBB | ||
| Phil Dumpster Rating: N/A |
Brian, if you're the one with the ex Seattle coach I might be interested in the running shell if the price were right. | ||
| Doug Wotring
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sitting for 5 years. it will need new batteries chances are it will need air bags if not right away in short order chance that some seals have gone bad from not being wet (rear end and axel seals) | ||
| Jon W. Rating: N/A |
I think Doug is right, but if the price is right I don't see where batteries, air bags or seals are a show stopper because they are routine replacement items anyway, so you will start out with those items taken care of. I would be concerned about the tires, considering anything older than 5 to 7 years old to be junk regardless of tread depth. My final concern would be the engine and transmission. Those will be serious dollars, but if the price reflect the possibility of replacing them as well, then it is worth the risk. | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
Well, guys, I'm not the somewhat proud owner of a 4106. I'll write up some Web pages with details about the bus and transaction in my typical verbose style in a few days. Here's the site the guy made up for the sale: http://www.acimt.com/GMC/PD4106.htm I guess I@n can mark that ad as SOLD. Phil, if you're interested in my Fishbowl, drop me an email (address is my profile) sometime and I'll give you all the details I know. There's some good pictures of it on my page. VIN for the new coach is: PD4106-1175 I'm sure that RJ or RC can give me the skinny on it's lineage. Ex-Trailways coach, from what I understand. Hopefully, the third time's a charm! Details to follow... FishBowl (guess I gotta change my moniker AGAIN) Brian PD4106-1175 T8H-5305-021 Fishbowl site: http://www.browncowpro.com/bus/ | ||
| ChuckMC9 (Chucks)
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WOO HOO! HOW 'BOUT that cRuSHeD VelVEtt cOuCh! OUCH! Congrats, Bud.  | ||
| Phil Dumpster Rating: N/A |
Brian, how much would you want for it? I'm primarily interested in restoring it to a seated coach, hence the reason why I'm interested in only the running, complete shell. Anything that is part of the motorhome conversion is going to get removed. Most of the seats from my Flyer/AM General are the same kind as that coach had when it was in service. The seats that don't match are the benches over the wheelwells and the seats that fold to provide wheelchair securement. The upholstery is the wrong color, but that isn't difficult to change. Of course, if someone in the area was stripping a New Look for a motorhome conversion, I could assist in the disposal of their interior components, if you know what I mean. ;) At the very least, that faded Sunrise paint job would be history in favor of red, white and aluminum, as GM and God intended. The greatest thing is that I would have access to a stock restored coach to use as a reference in restoring this one. | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
Hey Phil: If a seated coach is your endgame, I don’t think my New Look is a very good candidate, unfortunately. The converter(s) pulled out the destination sign, gooped the front door shut, put a park model RV door on the back, cut various access/ storage/ equipment doors in the sides and roof, and pulled out the big ‘bowl back window… not to mention removed all coach heat and defrost, and added genset, tanks, etc. Even if I donated it to your cause (which I couldn’t afford to do at the moment), you’d spend more time restoring the motorhome-conversion than starting with one stripped. Last I heard, Santa Monica is slowly sending their last NewLook runners to auction. They have the modern 6v92s and V730’s too. Ken Porter auctions handle these: http://www.kenporterauctions.com/default.asp You might also email Ken Baker for restoration candidate info, who’s restoring a couple of FB's now and runs the wonderful transit site: http://www.barp.ca/ I have a few more FishBowl links lying around that I can dig up for you. FBB and/or Brian 4106 | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
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Brian - Congrats on your purchase of the original "Sports Car of Buses", (The RTS is the second generation "Sports Car". . . right, Geoff?) Anyway, PD4106-1175 was delivered new in April of 1962 as fleet number 510 to Adirondack Transit Lines, based out of Kingston, NY. IIRC, Adirondak is/was a Trailways affiliate. Back then, line-haul operators typically kept their equipment about 10 years or so, and the maintenance on them was a high priority, so initially it was probably well taken care of. I don't have any info regarding subsequent owners, maybe you can work backwards from the previous owner 'til you find who bought it from Adirondak. Enjoy your new toy!! RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| Phil Dumpster Rating: N/A |
Tragic the mods done to that coach. My interest was primarily in the historic significance of that coach. Twenty-first of only seventy some-odd T8H5305s ever made, twenty-first coach off of the line with the VS2-8, not to mention the number of times I've ridden that coach through my younger days. To bring that one back to original would probably require finding another New Look (a 5307 would do) to use as a parts donor. | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
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Phil: So, you're looking to something like this http://www.busdude.com/KCM_gmc_t8h5305.htm that the MEHVA did to #724? That'd be real sweet. I wonder if there's any of the 5305's still in the Seattle area in some backlot or backyard... in more restorable condition than my half-done RV. Like #760 in the bottom two pics. Was for sale a little over a year ago, apparently. FBB | ||
| Phil Dumpster Rating: N/A |
Exactly. The problem, however, has to do with certain kinds of sellers. In the storage lot where I keep my bus there are several other busses sitting there rotting away, one in particular an old GM suburban which was given a similar treatment to your T8H5305. It was last registered in 1995, 2 of the tires are so rotted they won't hold air for more than a week, and to say this thing would need paint and bodywork would be an understatement. I happenned to talk to the owner one day while he was there and I asked him what he planned to do with it. His response? He had been trying to sell it for the past six months, for $12,000. "Just needs batteries." Last time he started it was in 1997. Nobody in their right mind would give him more than $500 for it. Some people have this fantasy that they have some divine right to get their money out of whatever it is they put it into. That works with a bank, most government bonds, and treasury notes, but that most definately doesn't work with busses, boats and probably aircraft as well. No doubt he spent that kind of money on it, plus $60 a month to store it, and I guess he's going to keep paying $60 a month to store it until it has to be cut up and taken out in a dump truck. He doesn't seem to realize that if someone took it off of his hands for free, they'd be doing him a huge favor. Oh well. I know where there is a 4104 that is sitting in a field in Selleck, WA. Slowly be vandalized, it was a runner when the guy got it but he lost interest in it. I asked him if he would be willing to sell it, considering its deteriorated condition, but he refused. Someday, according to him, he's going to fix it up real nice. Yeah. Sure. While I'll be in a far better position in 6 months or so to take on the project of restoring a seated coach, I didn't want the one you have to end up being parted out and left to rust back into the earth where it came from 1300 miles from where it called home for 21 years of service. Sadly it sounds like yours is too far gone to be easily restored. The nice thing about Washington is they have a collector vehicle license available which is a permanent registration, along with relaxed insurance requirements. This would allow taking such a vehicle for an occasional weekend spin. | ||
| Brian Brown (Fishbowlbrian)
Rating: N/A |
Yup, I hear ya. I'm really fond of the NewLooks. Mine is real fun to drive. I wouldn't mind hanging onto it and converting it someday, but fear I might not ever do that. Maybe I'll still find it a good home for someone that wants to finish it. Are you sure you don't want to do a conversion? I saw a particularly nice FB conversion on that place we're not supposed to mention, and it went for a great price. In Seattle, no less. Might be an old Metro bus, for all I know. #4524942631 I would have bought it if it was closer to me. The 4106 came up just 20 miles away and I couldn't resist it for the price. Good luck, Brian |