You could probably make the argument that there are more Mexican restaurants in the United States than there are in Mexico.  Americans are madly and deeply in love with this cuisine.  Who doesn’t like Mexican food?  If you are one of those people that have to take their passions to the next level, then reader Chuck F. has found the perfect vehicle for you to have a fiesta in.  Take a look at this 1973 Flxible bus for sale on craigslist in Edmund, Oklahoma.  Is the $1,700 asking price for this El Chico Restaurant decorated bus a bargain you cannot resist?  What would you do with it if it were yours?

Using an old vehicle as an additional form of advertising is a time-honored tradition.  While signs and billboards are often expensive and subject to zoning laws and restrictions, painting up an old vehicle to draw attention to your business can be a cheap and effective way to spread your message.  For example, Truley Nolen Pest Control littered Central Florida with older cars painted in the company colors and logo for years.  Zoning finally got involved in many areas, but this form of advertising helped them become one of the largest pest control companies in the state.

The Flxible bus we see here was likely out of service for a long time before El Chico purchased it.  El Chico is a restaurant chain that has locations in the states of Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.  They even have a few locations in Abu Dhabi.  Having been around since 1940 pretty much guarantees that their Tex-Mex food is pretty good.  Any readers who are fans are asked to tell us about the restaurant in the comments to make the rest of us without a local El Chico jealous.

Looking at the clues, we are led to believe that this bus was purchased to advertise one of the Oklahoma locations.  It was then painted in what could charitably be called a folk-art paint job and had some logos slapped on.  Having served its purpose for multiple years, as evidenced by the fading paint, the bus is now being sold on craigslist.

The ad tells us that the bus is a 1973 Flxible sitting on a Ford M500 chassis.  It is powered by a 390 cubic inch V-8 with a C6 automatic transmission.  What is confusing is that we are told the aluminum body made by Southern.  Perhaps a reader can explain this, as one would assume a Flxible bus would have a body by Flxible.  At any rate, the aluminum construction probably helped keep this bus around for such a long time.  A steel body would have likely rusted to the ground from the roof down.

The picture above shows what one of the cylinder bores looks like.  The ad tells us that the engine has been bored out .040 and that comes with “C4 AE 1965” heads.  Looking at the cylinder bores would lead us to believe that chips and salsa were used to lubricate the cylinder hone.  Obviously, this is not a running engine, but at least there is something to start with here.  The question is what would a prospective owner do with this bus?  While it would be cool to imagine this being a party bus filled with queso, chips, tacos, and other goodies, there may be a more practical use for it.

My thought is that this would be the perfect start for an RV project.  The interior is the right height, and the length and width dimensions are ample enough.  The rest of the bus is repairable, but it might be easier to just do a transplant on the drivetrain.  There are a number of F-series trucks in the junkyard that could be used as donor vehicles.  This would also give you a more interstate friendly transmission and rear end set up.  Find a wrecked RV to get the appliances, tanks, plumbing, and propane set ups from and you would be on your way.  Painting the exterior would be optional, of course.

What would you do with the El Chico Party Bus?  Let us know your muy loco plan in the comments.