Okay, so, when we think of a school bus, we think of a long, yellow brick with flashing lights and young, impressionable minds inside, right? Let’s look at this listing here on eBay and consider other possibilities…
Stay with me here: COOL BUS! Picture this one shiny yellow with chrome wheels and some combination of a plush interior, either throughout the back or just the front half, leaving the back half as a Toy Hauler. A unique camper, perhaps? One-of-a-kind tailgate machine for your favorite sports team?
A little welding wizardry and you could double the width of the emergency-hatch rear door, or seal up the window openings and have complete privacy.
The seller says that it’s about the same length as a Suburban, the 6-cylinder engine doesn’t run, and that the paperwork is bill-of-sale only, but that might not matter. Imagine an LS or a 572, Duramax or Cummins under that behemoth bonnet!
Imagine, perhaps, a tube-chassis drag machine. A school bus that can do a wheelstand, a bit like the S’Cool Bus that Tom Daniels dreamed up in the ’70s. It’s already tubbed, in a way… Now then, what ideas can you dream up that would breathe life back into this yellow bucket of bolts?
That’s not the “Cool Bus”, that’s the “short bus”. Kiddos do not want to ride in the short bus. Word might get out.
And that, Dutch, is an unfortunate stigma the short bus has to live down. When I was a kid in the 60’s, our school district used these but ‘regular’ kids rode in them–right along side a couple with special needs. The idea that ‘short buses’ were just for ‘them’ never even occurred to any of us. And we were taught to protect those less fortunate from bullies, and we did. We made sure they got home safe, were invited to kids’ parties, and included in friendships. I remember one boy–Martin–who died in his sleep at the age of 8. The entire school attended his funeral. Every boy that knew Marty cried, including me. I’m now almost 59, and I’ve never forgotten him.
Whenever I look at a Chevy or GMC bus this size and vintage, I can’t help but think of the ancient, worn-out POS I rode on when I went to school. It was the remains of a ’58 GMC, complete with deteriorating exhaust system (it burned through the brake line) that came close to gassing us reprobates. Maybe that’s my problem: Partial asphyxiation from several years riding in that relic. It’s hilarious that the first thing I looked for when I saw the photo of the driver’s seat was a forked stick that was especially cut to wedge between the dash and the shift lever to keep it from popping out of gear…
Turn it into this!
Restore it to original!
Our church had one of these and I used
to keep it running for them until I started
playing music over the road. I can still
see myself showing up at the parsonage
toolbox in hand every Saturday morning
fixing one thing or another so they could
use it on Sundays. And like Geomechs’
school bus, theirs was the remains of a
’57 Chevy bus that had been run into the
ground. Can’t begin to tell you how many
holes in the floorboards I patched or how
many times I’d bandaged the exhaust
system with tin cans and hose clamps
just to keep riding in that worn out bus
from being a gas in more ways than one!
Came home for a visit and stopped by to
see the pastor and his wife and they told
me that old bus had finally given out and
had been mercifully retired. In its place
sat a ’60 or ’61 GMC Wayne body in much
better shape than the old one. And, for
old times sake, I did a quick tune up on
it before I left again on another road trip
with the band. That was ’74 or ’75 and
seeing this rundown bus reminds me of
all the good times I had at that church.
It’s closed now, but the memories will
last me a lifetime.
Back in the day some churches really struggled. If not for the talents and dedication of people like you they would’ve failed.
Thanks Geomechs, nothin’ to it! It was
my pastor who encouraged me to pursue
the hobby even more. Used to work on
their ’64 Chevy wagon and their VW bug
too. He told me about a blind automatic
transmission repairman who was working in California at the time. (’69 I
think) This gentleman would repair the
transmission, and then have someone
drive him around to test his handiwork.
Turns out the repairs he did were spot
on and he never had any cars returned
for any related problems. So I figured
that if he could do it, I could too–and I
have 25% more vision than he did.
Took auto shop in Highschool and aced it. Had a great time proving that you could do whatever you set your mind to.
Most of what I’ve learned came from
older mechanics who were friends of
Dad’s and Dad too. Had a lot of fun
doing it too. Still do what I can these
days when my health permits. Great
story! Gotta hang on to it so I can tell
it at Old Man Frank’s Wednesday night.
And yeah, I remember those signs too!
In this economy, and given the relative sense being displayed by classic car buyers as of late, it would be no surprise to see a rusty inoperable short bus sell for $5k or more. No surprise at all.
Sold @3500 + change.
Friend of mine and her husband bought one did the camper conversion and did the Baja Mexico for 2 months every year from Victoria B.C.
They loved it until age required them to get a pickup and camper.
I remember the years as a Kid camping with the folks and the members of their camping group, there was 8 families, and 2 of them had converted buses, and they were nice, 1 was a “Short Bus” from the early 60’s and it was nice, they had 2 fold down beds on 1 side and a full size across the back, there was seating that would fold out of the way for the small cooking area and the eating unless the weather was nice then everybody usually in the group ate around the campfire. One of these outings to Montana is where I met my future wife!!
My folks always had a Airstream or in later years a Motor Coach!!
I sometime wish I had bought a retired bus from one of the local school districts or there is a used bus lot at St James, Mo., I wish I could sometime get the nerve to go buy one and convert it to a camper, but the good thing of a pull camper is if you want to go to town, you don’t have to load up everything and go, just jump in the truck and go. That is unless you are pulling a car.
Something like the one I pictured would be nice, I think
I wonder if Horny Mike from Counts Kustoms knows his bus is missing?
Sorry for wrecking the picture of Horny Mike’s bus with my fat mug in the picture. Darn tourists lol!