Listen up now students! Class is now in session. Today’s subject is this 1952 Chevy Panel School Bus. It doesn’t get a very good grade though however, because there is no title, no miles listed, the engine is stuck, there is no transmission, and there are holes in the floor. It is located in Carrollton, Missouri. Thank you Nick Triplett for the tip. You can view the original listing on craigslist.
Talking about this bus might remind you of the Peanuts teachers speaking. Whomp whomp whomp. But if you can get past the naysayers and decipher the noise, this vehicle could have a lot of potential. You could replace the rotted floors and put in a new engine and turn it into a proper people hauler again. Could you imagine using this vehicle as an Uber? That would certainly be a unique experience for all.
Lunchtime bell rings and this vehicle looks like a bruised banana or a funky looking Twinkie. That isn’t a bad thing though because the body is in good shape and all the glass is there. Speaking of food, this would make a unique ice cream truck or a taco truck, or any type of food truck. The smaller size does limit some ability to carry equipment, but it can haul food. A mobile doughnut shop sounds doable.
Don’t forget to take a ride on this magic school bus. It can teach you all sorts of things. Welding, electrical, suspension, engine components. Who would have thought such an old bus could be so educational? It would be perfect for a documentary or a restoration show, the sort of programming that can be found on PBS, or YouTube. Would you like to make this bus your next homework assignment?
Keep the six, put a t5 5 speed in out of an s10. Like the chrome yellow. Good luck to the new owner!!
This is one of those vehicles that are just too far gone to do anything with. Good only for parts .
When I was a kid there were lots of these around. As they reached the end of their service life a lot of guys bought them, cut the bus bodies off and built campers out of them. Used them for years for hunting. But as time went on, they eventually gave way to actual 4×4 trucks, campers, and trailers. Sad to see, really. It really was the end of an era. Sure stirs up a lot of fond memories and some stories that were downright hilarious, although I could never share them here….
Your making me laugh on hole in floor !!!!!
I have a 1954 3100 truck and it too has a hole in the floor… yep that’s s cover plate that goes over the trans mission to have acres if needed. This sells for about 30 bucks in reproduction mode.
This would make a cool weekend camper …. drop a a small block or a Duramax diesel add some interior and have fun ..,leave the body alone just add some inside creature comfort
Needs a supercharged 500 ci. Chevy and welded rear end.
The seating arrangement looks more like prison transport. Poor kids.
This one says restomod. I can’t decide if it is better to just drop the body over a wrecked Silverado or to just drop a late model engine and trans into it.
I think it would be perfect for a tow vehicle for a vintage racer.
Yes Brentton, it would make one hell of an uber transport. But Uber’s
safety standards wouldn’t allow it. Unless you told them that you were
going to be transporting drunk people home from the bars on weekends! Don’t think I’d want to use my Santa Fe for that purpose
especially if someone decides to barf all over my cloth seats. Drop
in a 3800 V-6, improve the brakes, add some creature comforts like
A/C, stereo, and some comfy rear benches, and then bounce it off
Uber and then see what they say about it. And if they still disaprove
of it, at least you’ll have a really cool way to transport you and your
buddies to whatever event you choose. It’ll be fun for someone.
I rode to kindergarten in one of these back in 1962 except it was white. And no, it wasn’t considered to be a short bus, if you know what I mean. I still remember how slow the vacuum wipers were. The school District had it in its Fleet until 1985 using it as a maintenance vehicle and then surplussed it, although by then it hadn’t been used for several years. I almost bought it was a sealed-bid auction I bid $150 for it, the guy that ended up buying it bid $151.50.
Fred H, I disagree. I think it is salvageable.
Back in my days when some kids walked to school through three foot of snow and it was uphill both ways, I was lucky and only walked a mile to the one room 1 through 3 grades schoolhouse, and road was flatter than a pancake.
And as too snow mostly only a knee deep.
Went there a bit and later rode in just such panel bus to the other 1 room schools,.4-6 and 7-8 grades.
Fond memories, got my first kiss by a blonde pig tailed 3rd grader named April, and got kicked off and made to walk a few miles a couple times for fighting with Brad her boyfriend.
Good rugged and reliable transportation.
Later moved from N.E Maine woods clear to N. W Washington and when I began work in woods these old Chev and GMC panels were our crew buss.
We called em crummys and they were complete with holes in floors, broken windows and heaters that kept only front seat passengers warm.
The GMC were prefered as they had larger six bangers, many of which ended up in our early chevs engine bays.
They are one heck of a lot of work if one talks a good restoration, as most had no interior insulation and inside panels rotted away quickly.
Interior rusted up damn near as fast as exterior and the floors became but spitoons to the road for Copenhagen chewers.
I think maybe the snoose spital was a good rust inhibitor for both men and crummy in NW rain forest as you still see a few sitting in weeds and new growth. And now and then an old logger is espied who is still wearing hickory shirt, red suspendered snagged of jeans still spits a stream of brown juice upon seeing one.
Why the hell anyone would want to restore one of those damn things is beyond me.
No ones kids, or for that matter grown men, have to walk in three foot of snow these days.
imagine the day when the kids sat in the back on two S I D E mounted benches.
Someada ’66 – ’77 bronks restored (mine), european buz bombs’n others that have been brought back, Fred, Y not this?
Thnxs for the post Mr. Fuller (my name sake). I think we both agree “Hope they don’t ‘rat rod’ it.”
This one has been listed for a while. I was interested in it when it appeared on the Nashville Craigslist. I agree about it being less a school bus and more transport for incarcerated individuals. Betcha it got really hot in there with a bunch of ppl loaded up.
No way on earth would I give more than $1,000 for it. It’s way too far gone for any more than that.