The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs Who produced the Panel School Bus conversions?

Hi,

I just bought a 1947 Chevy 1-Ton Panel School Bus. Does anyone know who manufactured them?

Thanks,

Andy

Hi Andyman:
Many years ago... about 25 ,,, I was going throgh a pile of junk vehicles looking for parts and came across a AD bus. This vehicle was looong wheelbase... and had a row of perhaps 3 or 4 Roll Down windows on the sides next to a row of seats. As I recall there were extra doors too but not sure.
There was a metal plaque that said this vehicle had been modified (built- converted) in Spokane WA.
It was very well done as I recall, but at that time I was only interested in pickups and left it to be crushed. Hind sight is so cruel!!!
I would guess that there were many different companies the converted vehicles in the '40s and '50s for other uses.
Am interested to see other posts....
Ter

The conversions were done by truck body builders in the general area that they were sold. In the Denver area, Winter-Weiss did most of them, but, I believe that Jacobs Equipment did some also. It wasn't a difficult conversion and was a lot cheaper than a full sized bus. I can remember picking them up from Winter-Weiss for my dad's dealership until the mid 60's. We were in Northern Colorado and there were, and still are, a lot of small districts that had bus routes that could, at times, cover 50-75 miles one way. The driver usually lived at the end of the run and would pickup 8 or 10 students and bring them home. The school bus standards weren't very stringent and the conversions were pretty primitive. Lawyers hadn't yet realized their power. I do remember that they rode hard and, because they operated on unimproved road, didn't last more than 5 or 6 years.

There were many early special body builders such as: Fitzjohn Body Co., Muskegon, MI, Hackney Bros. Body Co. Wilson, North Carolina, Superior Body Co. Lima, Ohio, The Wayne Works, Richmond, Indiana, Hercules Products, Inc. Evansville, Indiana, Fruehauf Trailer Co., Detroit, MI, Omaha Standard Body Corp. Council Bluffs, Iowa, J.T. Cantrell & Co, Huntington, NY, Hercules-Campbell Body Co. Tarrytown, NY, The Mifflinburg Body Co. Mifflinburg, PA.. & McCabe-Powers Auto Body Co., St.Louis, MO. just to name a few. Most of these companies sold all over the US.

The Chevy flat faced cowl & chassis was used for this truck and the body builder made the rest. The flat faced cowl or the the full cowl & windshield chassis were both used by a custom body builder. The bus builders liked the flat face so they could easily extend the width & height of the body right from the front.

I've seen some that were just a regular 1-ton panel with windows added and bench seats down the sides.

Thanks for all the replies!

Seems like there must be tons (literally) of 1-Ton Panel School Busses out there. I will post pictures of my little monster soon.

Andy

I don't think they're terribly common, but the lighter useage probably led to them surviving better than, say, my 1-ton that was used as a work truck from '54 until somewhere around '91.

Great!

Now I belong to at least one elite! :-) And with the good-luck brakes the truck currently has, maybe I should wear a shirt 'potential organ donor' ;-).

C.Andyman

Okay, so I'm late to this conversation. I recently acquired a 1 ton school bus here in New Mexico. Described by the guy I bought it from as having wooden plank seats down the sides. Has slide open windows in the center hole only. 1 drivers seat. This is a conversion from a panel? The body work looks 'factory' on this, not a conversion. Anybody care to clarify this further?
Wayne Mikosz
Placitas, NM