Rare Bus Indeed

After getting this old bus home I began doing a little research. The odd thing was I continued coming up empty handed. The research kept turning up blanks. So I looked at all the Data Plates on the bus that I could find and I am going to continue putting the information down as I find it.

Some of the information I have found on this bus so far:

• Bus custom built by the Carpenter Bus Company on May 23, 1975.
• I have been told that this is the ONLY Double Decker Bus that the Carpenter Bus Manufactuers have built.
• Built on an International Harvester 1803 Chassis.
• The GVW is 22477 lbs. and the empty weight is 20860 lbs.
• This bus had a seating capacity of 76 people with 32 inside on the bottom level and 44 people on the upper open deck.
• The bus is powered by a 345 V-8 Gasoline Engine.
• The transmission is a Manual 5 speed.
• The tires are standard Split Rim (widowmakers) 9.00 x 21 with inner tubes and liners.

To date the things that I have done to this bus are as follow:

• Replace the Fuel Filter (Richard Mobil Auto Service - Cuba, Mo.)
• Replace the Fuel Pump (McLain's Automotive - Cuba, Mo.)
• Replace the Starter (T&S Fleet Services - Austin, Tx.)
• Removed all Interior and Exterior seating (Dan & Lori Hendricks - Owners in Austin, Tx.)
• Replace all Tires, Inner tubes, and liners. (Walker Tire Company - Austin, Tx.)
• Repair Brake lights and underdash wiring (A-1 Auto Electrics - Austin, Tx.)
• Reinstall a new Fuse Box Assembly (A-1 Auot Electrics - Austin, Tx.)
• Inspection (Martin's Imspections - Mancahca, Tx.)
• Registration and New Plates

I do know that there are a few major things that need to be done prior to painting and the most important at the point is the Wood Subflooring needs repair as there are a few very soft spots. I personally will be attempting this to see what needs replacing and what is okay.

After the subflooring has been replace I will remount the Sheet metal floor skin and take the bus to have the entire upper deck RHINO BLASTED with a minimum of 10mil Bedliner material. This will not only completely seal the upper deack and keep any moisture from seeping through but it will also make the floor slip resistant.

After Rhino blasting I will be taking the bus to have estimates for the bodywork and paint. There are a few places on this old bus that have rusted problems that will need immediate attention and will need to be cut out and replaced. We are planning on painting the bus FIRE ENGINE RED and trimming it in Gold.

More to come....

Rare American Double Decker Purchase

The date was August 27, 2007. While looking through e-Bay I ran across the most unusual bus I had seen in a long time. It was an old 1975 International Harvester bus but it had a second level. As I looked a bit closer I realized that this was no ordinary conversion, this was done professionally and by someone that really took the time to do it correctly.

I watched the auction for 3 days and during the last 30 seconds I put in my high bid and won the bus. For the grand sum of $6700.00 I was the proud new owner of an old bus. Little did I know how rare this old bus was.

1975 International Harvester Double Decker As Purchased in Saint Louis

Upon winning the bus I got the original owners number gave them a call setting up a date to fly in and driver her back. The bus was located just south of Saint Louis, Mo. and I wanted the old girl ready to go when I got there. Well my flight arrived and the old owners were ther to pick me up and take me to the bus. Upon arrival at the Peterbilt Company where the bus was stored the old bus cranked right up and sounded ready to go. I loaded up my tools and my bags and away I went.

All was going well for the first 70 miles or so then the old girl started getting really bogged down. It seemed that every time I pushed the gas it was flooding out and going up some of the hills became more and more painful and SLOW. At times I was in first gear going up the hills at a speed of about 15mph. Not fun when you have big rigs and people trying to get around you.

Finally after about 115 miles and 6 hours on the road I found a Truck Stop with a 24 hour mechanic. I pulled in and parked and as I walked into to speak with the guys behind the counter I was told that the only guy that could do anything was already gone for the evening and would not be back in until early the next morning so I slept my first night in the old bus.

The next morning I awoke early, had a good breakfast and found the mechanic to which I was told he could not do anything because it was a gas engine and they only worked on diesel, but there was a man a couple miles down the road that could maybe fix it. So I drive down the road to another shop and wait until the owner cames in. He looks over the bus and says that the only thing he can think of would be putting another fuel filter on and if that was not the problem that there was a family down further that could rebuild the carburetor. Well after installing the fuel filter I jumped in, cranked her up and got about a mile down the road when it began doing the same thing. So I found the family that coupld possibly rebuild the carburetor and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was the father in law and brother inlaw to the NASCAR driver Kenny Schrader..How awesome is that? After doing a little looking the brother in law found that the old fuel pump was only pumping a trickle of gas. SO that was the problem, now to find a fuel pump. But wait I remember there were several crates in the bus and while going through them I found a fuel pump in a box...and it was the right one and it was brand new.

After the installation by this awesome family I was on may way and the drive was so much nicer. I could get up to about 65 mph down hill with a good tailwind and could average about 50 to 55 mph on the flat surfaces. I knew it was not going to be a fast bus and I really did not mind the ride as it seems that everyone that passed the old bus was really surprised and most were smiling.

Three days after purchasing the bus I pulled it into its home town of Austin, Texas and got her home about 9:00 that evening. So with a trip that lasted three days and approximately 36 hours of drive time and 8 hours of down time (for the fuel pump) I was home and I was happy.