Absolutely,please please please have heaps of cash and mechanical knowledge because you’re gonna need it,I worked in a bus company for 4.5 years as a coach builder and helped the mechanics when needed,this is similar to buying a yacht you inherit old neglected issues which you have to fix,stay safe and follow your dreams .
Nearly 70 years of amateurs hacking and butchering that poor bus nearly to death. You've got a tiger by the tail this time Scott. I cannot think of anyone, anywhere more capable of bringing it back to life the right way than you. I'm really looking forward to following the progress of this project.
With all the demolition that was done to that bus and exposed to the elements shown here, I have a hard time believing that I actually saw the video of you driving that thing almost 400 miles home. I would have been terrified taking the bus down the driveway ... certainly would not have ventured out onto the open road with it. Bless you ! That is real dedication.
I have not been watching the channel regularly, and as I watched this episode it slowly dawned on my that YOU are going to restore this bus for yourself - or at least that is what it sounds like. Awesome and challenging project! The ScenicCruiser clip rounding the top of the hill in your altro is my favorite part.
Yeah, that whole shifter relocation from its normal position to the left of the seat looks totally clapped out and gerrymandered. Total amateurish mounting brackets, fasteners, etc.
This is someone else’s quote, I love it. The Drivers of the day soon leaned that when on a level highway in forth gear, by sliding the shifter slightly forward but not nearly enough to put the bus into neutral, electrically created an ungoverned 4th gear leading to the first of the, I was doing 70 on the flat when this Greyhound bus, Stories! The purpose of the micro switches on the shift selector just below the driver’s floor is to aid in down shifting. In 1954 to 1956 a standard GMC big truck was powered by a single 471 Detroit, in contrast the cruiser sported two 471s engines. This people-mover was very futuristic for 1954.
I remember riding a Greyhound from Edmonton Alberta to Vancouver in a scenic cruiser. I was 13 and it was awesome on the first seats on the second deck.
That Bus.........needs a LOT of work. A full strip down rebuild.......Scott is right, you just cant hack material out of a vehicle and not think it wont become weak.
Hopefully once all of the rotted wood and other mods that were done to lower the floor won't be too too much of a nightmare to fix correctly. One thing i hate on any kind of collector rig are hacks that just rip and cut without a care in the world. That bus will be as strong as it ever was though when you are finished i am sure Scott. It cleaned up thus far pretty good...always great finding the missing pieces laying around elsewhere. A fun project for sure🙂
Looking forward to this rebuild , I holidayed in America from Ireland in the early eighties and travelled by Greyhound bus from Los Angeles to Newyork over a couple of weeks on my own, what a great holiday meet some great people on those busses..
Thank you for a great channel! I drove charter bus full and part time over tge years and loved every minute of it! Y'all are magicians restoring the buses. Please keep up the great work!
Can’t wait to see what it will look like when you have completed all the work on Tibet it would make a fantastic mobile home to travel around in Good luck 👍
This bus should be restored by someone that has enough money to make it however they want it. It has so much potential. They cut it up so bad that is a damn shame. I'm certain that you guys can fix all the mechanical issues of this gem!!!
Im impressed with the fact it drove there under it's own power. Testament to how well they were built. It may need more work than its worth but man it is still impressive.
My grandma and I rode one. I was about 6 years old. I have never forgot that magic day it's a treasure to me. I now a have a 55 ford school.bus that is street rodded
Its problems will fight you but in the end you will win. It will run like a well oiled machine, just like Lenny. Btw I hope you will eventually name it too.
Regarding the floor carry through beams that have been deleted. Ensure solid end connections of old structure to new carry through structure Scott. My engineering mentor’s motto was “lf you can’t carry it, truss it”! We are looking for strength, durability, flexibility of the sides, floor and roof. Consider the structure as bus length beams, that form a strong square tube. To hack out main structural members shows whoever did it is misguided to be polite.
I am so glad this Cruiser is in Tennessee I am a hoarder and it was hard to give it up. I hope you got both heater fan motors; they caught my eye and looked promising. I think any bus that doesn’t utilize the original environmental equipment is probably a pile of rubbish.
I rode on a Greyhound Scenicruiser in 1978 at age 14 from Cranbrook to Vancouver. At the time I thought that bus was state of the art. Greyhound had a huge fleet of Scenicruisers in the 1970's and in the 60's most likely.
Scott that shift linkage is a real nightmare motor does sound good look forward to auto swap going in shame they lowered the floor's and butchered it .
I have turned a lot of people on to this show. They are universally amazed at how good the video is given the close quarters you work in. The also have observed, like I have the poor condition the suspension and drive trains are on the Coaches your service. I have said given the condition of newly purchased conversions I have seen on your show it seems you are better off buying an unconverted derelict for real cheap that barely can get down the road because at least you can spend the money saved into fixing it,
Hi Scott! Now that’s a project! Wow..That’s gonna keep you busy for a long while! Can I ask where’s Tyler lately? Missing his input.. keep up the awesome work! 🇦🇺🍺🍺
They clearly had no idea what they were hacking at with any of that, holy cheese doodles, what a nightmare. You've really got your work CUT OUT for you on this one.
Thousands of scenicruisers toy bus sold, you have real one bring back to glory. Heavy plastic on rolls with wide seam tape, water tight, last 5 years in sun.
I rode the Greyhound scenic cruiser from Tampa to Key West in 1957. The choice seats were upfront next to the door or up top looking through the tinted front windows. If behind those seats it was like riding any other bus. Lucky for me that the other passengers let me have that seat as they were probably tired of looking at the monotonous straight FL roads during the 50's.
That is a beautiful bus If I had the money I would ask you fully restore the exterior including a full nut and bolt rebuild of the mechanicals Then strengthen the interior with fresh water and foul water tanks in the lockers Lower deck for kitchen and relaxation and upper deck for sleeping and personal hygiene If anyone wants to start a fundraiser for me I'll say thank you now 👍
That's another endorsement of my sons and my adamant belief (born out of some nasty used car experiences) that there are just some people who should not be allowed to own mechanical things and especially have access to tools without some sort of an intelligence and aptitude test! Geez what a sad butcher job done to that classic artifact of transportation history. Any of us who have followed you any length of time are certain you will do her right and properly and expertly heal her "spinal injuries". That old girl has a positive future ahead of her!
Just jiggle the handle is one thing..but .i.don't think that would pass safety check.. Can't wait to see you work your magic on this old girl..she's gonna need a little love.. glad she found a good home.
Too many years ago to remember, I worked at a Richfield Truck Stop in Blythe, CA, and had a Scenicruiser come in for some mechanical issue. The only thing I recall is that it had the twin-engine setup.
Would have been before 1960 when all the remaining Scenicruisers went to Marmon Herrington for conversion to single 8V71 engines and four speed Spicer gearboxes.
Man, if I lived close, I'd love to be in on this build, love those Scenics. It looked like a 4104, when you were backing it up, until you turned a little, and then you could see that magnificent Scenic Cruiser roof. How tall are your shop doors? I'd still like to do a set up like you and Kelley did, I think it's just awsome. Yes you need another at least 40x50 so that you could keep this, and Lenny in there, old dogs need shelter too.😂
Was it ever a combi? At first I didn't think it was, but I do see a flat floor in the rear and maybe where a side door was on the right. Someone really butchered that coach, and the modified gear shift is a joke. An Allison is a very good idea for this one.
putting it back water tight, windows where they go, the automatic transmission upgrade, and a simple white paint job would go a long way for this one. i get lowering the floor to get proper ceiling height for walking around in it. i would probably want to put the floor back like it was, though. put the original bathroom back in it and make it a travel coach rather than a camper. big lounge area, tables, etc. mini split AC, maybe put solar panels on the roof, like in the center so they don't show up as bad. carry a small quiet generator for say tailgating or so. microwave, fridge, coffeemaker, bar, big icemaker in one of the bays. put one combined black and gray water tank, gray water bypass for dry camping at nascar races, etc. outdoor kitchen in one of the bays? on a slideout tray? room for a pit bike, scooters... Scott you are talking me into it...
So… Is that a 10 speed, 8 speed? I’ve seen ONE 7 speed with an airshift, I believe it was a “Spicer” tranny, but they also had 12’s, 15 speeds, crazy combinations. I had a 10 speed in front of a 4 speed brownie, and a 15 speed in a Dodge Big Horn WAAAaaay back in the day. Kind of curious about this tranny.
Hey Scott, I thought I watched you pick up that bus in Illinois but it has Idaho plates on it? Can you give the story on it. Thanks much for sharing the BGM videos
Are there any examples of fully seated Scenicruiser coaches still around? Would love to see one again... had a couple youthful adventures aboard the split level hound.
That has got to be the most Mickey Mouse shifter set up I've ever seen! Why not use either a Kenworth or Freightliner cabover double cable shifter. Use two rods for the long connection, and just the cable in the front and by the transmission.
BIG who said the bus needed work !!!LOL At least with floor out the repairs can be done thoroughly starting with redoing all the previous butchered ""repairs""
How hard would it be to find another one of these in better condition that is not structurally compromised and swap this seemingly good motor into it? Its going to take a lot of work to make it sound. Do they always set trhis low?
Scott Good afternoon I am related yo semi trucks, also known as 18 Wheelers. From this perspective I would like to think about swaping a Cummins X12 matched with an automated 10 speed Eaton Fuller gear box from a International ProStar or a KW T660 or maybe a KW T680. The drive axle should be 3.36 to 1 right?
