The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Resto-Mod a 1960's Bus - Looking for Help & Ideas

Not sure if this is considered a "resto-mod" or not, but since it is being restored and modified to be "modern" I thought it fit.

I collect and restore antique IH Farmall tractors, and now for something a little different............I've bought an old 1960's bus (school bus sized "greyhound style" bus) for my future Father In-Law. I was riding the backroads near where they live and spotted an old Blue Bus in a guys yard almost hidden from view. Having heard the story about his late Father's and Grandfather's Bus Transit Company, I knew they had Blue Buses (only just a few buses because it was a family owned business). This business was called "Joiner Transit" based out of Florence, Alabama. They offered Greyhound Services and had their own line. His dad passed away when he was an early teenager in the early 1970's; and the company has since been just a memory. Upon pulling up to look at this bus, I quickly spotted "Joiner Transit" on the side.......and even more clearer on the other side!!!! Oh my, what have I found!?!? Well his birthday was actually that day and I was headed to town to get a birthday card. How nice would it be to snap a picture to go along with that card!! I did just that and he was very emotional saying that was the very bus he and his sisters took on a trip with his dad all the way to Canada camping along the way. One of the last memories he had with him. Well....I had already talked to the old man who owned it as a storage building for his antique car parts and he told me he would sell me the bus if I wanted it. Well I knew I did but didn't play my cards just yet. When I heard my future FIL say "Man, I ought to buy that old Bus and bring it up here to the Farm!", I knew I HAD to go back and buy the bus as a surprise for him! With the help of an uncle in the family, we used his LoBoy to load and haul the bus about 4 miles to their farm. What a find, and piece of family history!!!

Now the task to restore the bus is about to begin. The uncle who helped me haul it has a MF Tractor & Industrial Compressor Dealership; so I have access to a big shop and parts accounts. The other uncle owns a Sand Blasting Service Company so we can get it cleaned up. I am just wondering if anyone here has or just knows what all is possible when fixing up something like this. I know they would want it so they could hire a driver and go to dinner in it with friends and family, and maybe some day-trips. They have a motorhome now they do that with, so what fun would it be to do it with the old family bus~!!

sounds like a fun project, especially with the history!

Here are some pictures...............

Joiner Bus Pictures

should be a fun project, but you'll have some work ahead for sure, good luck with it and check in with any questions & updates

"what's possible" depends on the driveline and brakes - if it's an early small block, there's lots of crate replacements, but air brakes can present various problems and would need updating ... and FYI, "Greyhound style" buses have 'snub nose' flat faces due to pusher engines [like my '47], that's a "school bus style" with the front engine

Bill

Sandblasting that body will probably damage it beyond repair. With the exception of the front fenders and cowl, you're probably going to find the rest of the body metal is aluminum. It's going to need a much gentler blasting media such as glass beads, baking soda, walnut shells, etc. There's also a blasting method that uses dry ice pellets, which simply evaporates into carbon dioxide gas- - - -no cleanup required!

What engine does it run? I'd expect to see something like a 409 V8 or maybe a 261 6 cylinder, but if it's at least a 1962 model, the 409 would be more likely in a rig that size. A modern engine upgrade that would be an easy swap would be a 454, or possibly the 502 big block that was once available from GM parts departments as a power upgrade for motorhomes.
Jerry

That is a really cool project, good luck!

Bill, I think the Greyhound reference was due to the style of windows in the bus. They do look more like coach bus windows and not typical school bus windows. I've never seen windows like that on a bus of this type.

Yes. I was referring to the style of windows and the bottom compartments. It is a school bus style otherwise. If the body is aluminum I could use the media that's best for it. I could also get a few guys with a wire wheel.

Pretty sure this one has the GM 327 V8 engine. I'm thinking of getting a newer style bus such as s 1996 international. That has an automatic transmission, air brakes, and a Diesel engine and swapping it to the old bus. You can pick up old buses such as this anywhere from $1500 to $3500 running and driving. Then restore the outside of the bus as original. Then, reuse some of the original seats inside and customize the rest of the interior. What do you all think?

Neat project...

I'd go through the brakes (if hydraulic) from front to back replacing the Master/Wheel Cylinders and all of the lines (rubber and steel) with new as they fail from the inside out.

I'd also install new tires (you'll need them regardless of which way you go).

Don't forget to clean the gas tank or replace it with a newer one.

Then find a cheap running 350 SBC to replace the old 327 and start driving it as you develope your game plan. Brakes can be done in one weekend and the engine swapped on another. You'd be on the road in no time. Swapping the body to a new chassis or swapping new driveline to old chassis will require lots of fabrication as neither swap is a bolt-on.

No need for a special driver, make it safe and jump in and go!

Mike B

Interesting bus.

By the Emblem on it, it looks like it's a '66.

Very unusual bus you have there. The sloping windows are not anything I have ever seen on a "skoolie" so I'm guessing a transit. You might find someone familiar with it on skoolie.net as some of those folks have seen a lot more buses than I have.

And I have to agree with MikeB...transplanting onto a newer chassis could be a life-long project for many reasons. Fix what you got and roll on down the road.

Gosh, you guys make it sound like swapping the body to a newer chassis and drivetrain would be extremely difficult and costly. I figured there would be some fabrication required but nothing too bad. Can you all give me an idea and the extent of the fabrication that might be needed? I know the Dr. and his wife and friends wouldn't want to deal with a gasser, stick shift, and power brakes to take a day trip somewhere. They would want it reliable and safe. He has time for work and play and not much in between for tinkering.

I did go up to the farm and take some more pictures of the bus.

Putting the old bus body on a new school bus chassis might be an option. Finding one that's exceptable (gas or diesel, auto or manual, air or hydraulic brakes) shouldn't be to hard (I think most school buses are retired after 10 years of service).

Mike B

Does anyone have Any idea on the extent of the body swap onto a 1990s bus with a Diesel engine, air brakes, and an auto tranny? Surely it wouldn't be too hard! I should unbolt, remove, and bolt back up with some fab work to make it work right. I did register for www.skoolie.net. thank you for that.

Most on here have played with pickups and big bolts (same cab as a pickup) or COE's but a school bus is a bit different because of the long body. Look at it closely, I think there are 2 main options,

One possibility may be to carefully lift the whole body off the frame and drive a new one under it.

Another way to do it is to replace springs and axles (leaving spring perches in place is preferable) and then replacing all the other drivetrain components with newer counterparts.

You are the one doing the work and know the extent of your abilities and availability of friends to help!

will the diesel and air compressor fit under the 60s doghouse ... will the large modern trans fit under the floor hump .... will the newer steering column locate properly in the cab ... does the potential driver have air brake experience .... do you have an understanding of the exponential difference in cost of maintaining and repairing diesel vs gas engines .... questions abound, as Mike says, you have the answers, not us

Bill

This guy used a bus for his swap but used a coe instead of another bus body.
Kind of neat. Most guys go with lighter duty drivetrains when doing swaps.

I'm clearly not the brightest bulb around here. The link would have helped, um... two days ago.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-Ford-Other-Pickups-CUSTOM-/132213696170?hash=item1ec88ce6aa:g:d3AAAOSw7GRZMeQv&vxp=mtr

Ok. The week-long Thanksgiving Bash is coming up this year that we have at the Farm and I will once be reunited with the Bus I bought this time last year. I will be staying up there from Monday night through Friday night and am planning on working on the bus to hopefully get it MOVING and STOPPING under its own power. I almost had it running a couple days after I bought it last year, so hopefully the old 327 won't give me too much of a fit if I throw some new plugs, points, condenser, coil and rotor at it. I will need to find and install a good radiator (new or used) because that is the only thing that's missing on it. The oil was changed last year when I got it. I remember one of the rear dual wheels was locked up when we were loading it up to tow it and it will definitely need the brakes fixed.

The game plan for Tuesday, Wednesday, and part of Friday is:

* Replace ignition parts and get engine running smooth. Possibly replace fuel pump and fasten a makeshift fuel tank inside.
* Install radiator so it will be able to cool properly
* With the help of a family member who works for an emergency tractor trailer repair business (tires, breakdowns, etc), I will remove the rear wheels and repair brakes with new parts and new lines from the front. New brake parts under the hood too.

What else am I forgetting??? I'm gonna need some help getting a parts list and tool list together. I have diesel air compressors, forklift, etc.; so I'm not worried about limited capability. Keep in mind that this is just for fun to get it going in the meantime before we do a resto-mod on it; so the drivetrain will most likely not be used, but for now I want him to be able to load up some friends and drive it around the farm. I did update a prior post with some extra pictures, and here are some more on this post. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RESPONSES!!!

I would think it would all fit being that the engine bay has ALOT of extra room now with the 327 v8. If needed, I'm sure the body could be spaced up so it could clear the hood. Horizontally, I'm not sure.

Yes, you can find a good used DIESEL, AUTOMATIC, with AIR BRAKES school bus from $1500 to $3000 used on eBay. That is a STEAL for what you're getting (chassis and drivetrain). Unbolt the old body and bolt it on the newer running gear. I'm sure modifications will have to be made, but I don't see why it wouldn't be that difficult to pull off.

Need to add air on your driver's license.

Ed

We are covered. Already own a diesel pusher motorhome with air brakes.

Does anyone know the specs of the 1965-1966 Chevrolet C-60 bus chassis ? I need to know wheelbase, length, etc. when trying to find a donor bus. I guess I will just have to measure the engine bay to figure all of those details out, but the other stuff should be spec'ed somewhere without having to measure all that.

That information is most likely in the GM Chevrolet Truck Vehicle Information Kits (large downloads - long documents).

Unfortunately the only info at that link gave information up to a C-30 truck. The C-60 was not even listed.

What is the model number for your bus?
What is the code on your vehicle ID (serial number) plate?

S6xxx ?

There is info for S50, S60, and S70 (school bus chassis)

It might not be what you need - the page is attached, below:

Unfortunately I don't have pictures of any of the ID plates for the bus or chassis. Yeah, I know that is the first thing you get, but I can't find the pictures. I know that is the first pictures I will take when I get up there to it!!

I have never heard of a S-60 model. The fender badge says Chevrolet C-60. I guess that is where the confusion is coming from. Thank you for your helpful info!!

In looking over your photos and studying the windows I think the original use may have been the schools Athletic or Band bus. Most all of those types of buses had the under-body storage and/or racks above the seats. If not that, it was special ordered as a inter-local transit bus for short trips between small rural towns. Just my thoughts.

Yes, my wife's grandfathers business was "Joiner Transit" that serviced the towns of Russellville AL, Florence AL, Iron City Tenn., Muscle Shoals AL, and others. They had a Greyhound service for a while and eventually went into business for themselves with "Joiner Transit" (their name). From what I was told they had around 20-25 buses total.

I wanted to add this. Just found where I wrote down some numbers from the engine in the bus. The engine is definitely an 8 cylinder. The numbers came from the front of the engine near the head.

The numbers are......

CE6P22389

S04060FC

If you guys could use these to help identify the engine that would greatly help me locate tune up parts to help get it running!!

Give us hint about where those serial numbers were found.

For example: is S04060FC an engine serial number?

likely they didn't make a different badge "S" for the limited number of buses built, just had the one series badge

"S" = school bus, "60" is the series - you have an S62 or S64 model .... with the 327

see the 1964 GM resto pak in Tims link, which has lots of info on your bus model, will be the same for 65/66

Bill

Like I said before, the numbers came from the front top part of the block near the engine head. I'm trying to remember from seeing them last year and that is the description I wrote down.

Sorry, Joiner

Sorry about what tclederman? I'm not sure what numbers those are. Just what I found.

Lookie what I just found and bought off eBay ! Excited to get it in and thumb through it.

Very nice

Congratulations

Wish It was a parts manual for the Chevrolet Chassis since those are the parts I am needing to order by Wednesday, but hopefully I will find that info .