Crown Coach 36 foot CLASSIC VINTAGE School Bus 6-71 5 Speed Ready to travel (1978)
Sale price: US $9,800.00 Make an Offer
| Used |
| “Mechanically, this is one super-strong Crown Coach! Over $5000 invested last year and every issue we were aware of got fixed by the best Detroit diesel shop in Southern California. The fastest 6-71 Detroit 2 stroke "wailer" engine I've ever driven. Runs cool. Uses almost no oil. Leaks virtually no fluids of any kind. Easy shifting 5 speed Fuller truck transmission. Virtually everything works. Unlike many Crowns, it cruises comfortably at a bit over 70 MPH and climbs hills better than most. Trustworthy for long trips and local use, alike. Sounds FANTASTIC! Exceptionally easy bus to drive. It feels small and "light on its feet", yet it's a large, cab, forward 36 foot bus, able to house a family. This bus is RELIABLE! This bus is a blast to drive! This bus is fast for a school bus, and gets you there on time!” |
| Fuel Type: | Diesel | Model Year: | 1978 |
| Make: | Crown Coach | Type: | School Bus |
San Bernardino, California, United States
Vehicle description
Mechanically, this is one super-strong Crown Coach! Over $5000 invested last year and every issue we were aware of got fixed by the best Detroit diesel shop in Southern California. The fastest 6-71 Detroit 2 stroke "wailer" engine I"ve ever driven. Runs cool. Uses almost no oil. Leaks virtually no fluids of any kind. Easy shifting 5 speed Fuller truck transmission. Virtually everything works. Unlike many Crowns, it cruises comfortably at a bit over 70 MPH and climbs hills better than most. Trustworthy for long trips and local use, alike. Sounds FANTASTIC! Exceptionally easy bus to drive. It feels small and "light on its feet", yet it"s a large, cab, forward 36 foot bus, able to house a family. This bus is RELIABLE! This bus is a blast to drive! This bus is fast for a school bus, and gets you there on time!
But let me start off by giving you a taste of what the experience of driving a Detroit 2 stroke Crown really feels and sounds like. It"s all true about great reliability and beauty and appreciating values and traveling in a Crown RV conversion. But the almost overpowering visceral experience of driving a Detroit powered vintage Crown, is almost impossible to ever forget, and it"s the reason that people crave them. It"s the reason professional school bus drivers couldn"t seem to retire at 65. They needed their daily Crown experience. Specifically, the under floor Detroit 6-71 engine with a stick shift. My friend Norman volunteered to provide all the fuel, just for the opportunity to drive this old girl from LA to Sonora, near Sacramento, for the vintage bus show, last weekend. When I need a Crown moved, I post it momentarily online, and instantly get two or three responses from people who are willing to drop anything, just for seat time in a Crown! I have had people fly across the country, just for a few hours with my Crown collection. Here"s a video of a similar Crown with the same powertrain, with all the windows down on a quiet night. I could have driven all night! Play the video and you"ll instantly understand why people who rode these as kids, will run up to me at the truck stop or supermarket parking lot and beg for a ride in my Crown. I think this is really important for you to watch, but you"ll need to highlight it, click "copy", and then paste it on to your browser or YouTube site. Please do!
https:/ youtu.be/rbVNa8T-HKA
This particular Crown is older than most survivors, and has many miles behind her. She also has many miles ahead. Cosmetically, she needs lots of help. But, mechanically, I went through her from top to bottom, last year. Well over $5000 was invested at J&R Diesel Repair, the premier Detroit Diesel repari shop on the West Coast. The late John Christian (the Detroit MASTER) "ran the rack" on this bus, as only John could do. When I got the bus back, it was about the fastest and strongest Detroit Crown I ever drove. Unlike many 2 stroke Detroits, it climbs mountains on 100 plus degrees without overheating. If you choose to get this bus, I"ll teach you every trick I know to make a vintage Detroit engine last forever. Here are a bunch of old and current videos of #49. Crown bus windows rattle, and cell phones reproduce the window noise far better than the engine wail. Best to listen on ear buds or speakers. The second video was taken last year with all the windows down. You might want to start there. Enjoy!
CROWN #49 VIDEOS
https:/ youtu.be/zrTNFPNNSuM
https:/ youtu.be/o4gCvvKxY_w
https:/ youtu.be/x3DANxQHu-M
https:/ youtu.be/shdySTorRVQ
https:/ youtu.be/An7ziaSpzHc
https:/ youtu.be/2iEQ4SJ1jgs
https:/ youtu.be/i_sOkNdYte4
https:/ youtu.be/kdmG7PlsYVw
https:/ youtu.be/p3ZYYTJVNb8
https:/ youtu.be/K6_M9GNLTWA
So, what we have here is a very well "sorted out" vintage 43 year old Crown Coach that we just drove on a thousand mile round trip with no issues and no worries, in California summer heat. It was over 100 degrees both ways. You can"t get a warranty on a half century old bus, but I can tell you that I trust this bus to go anywhere, any time, and she never has let me down. And I do not own any other bus that"s any more exciting to drive. If your plans are for an RV, you"re probably planning on changing the color anyway, so I thought it was better to sell her with dents and faded paint, and keep the price down. The good news is there"s virtually no rust and the body, frame, and suspension are all solid. The compressed air lines, valves and brakes are all serviced. The compressor doesn"t clatter like most, since it was recently rebuilt. The power steering pump is also freshly rebuilt, and I have the assist boosted up high where you can steer with one finger. The truck style air horn is wonderful! The air system holds over half its air pressure overnight. That"s unusual. No audible air leaks anywhere. The door actuator is freshly rebuilt and this bus still has the RARE vintage two button door control. The engine uses very little oil, which is unusual in a 6-71. There are no known fluid leaks. (NOTE: ALL Detroit two strokes expel cylinder waste out through the air boxes, so there is always a dribble there). The suspension has no clunks and has no more than normal free play. Lights work. Tires are very good. Brakes work well. Batteries are just over a year old. The air powered windshield wipers work correctly and don"t blow off air during warmup like many vintage buses do. The clutch is deliberately adjusted to engage high so it doesn"t tire you out, shifting. I can adjust it down if you prefer. Clutch brake works properly. Oil pressure on most Detroits goes to zero at idle and caps out in the high 30"s at speed. This bus idles at 15 PSI and gets up in the mid 40"s on the highway. This is a very good thing. Rear end whine is much quieter than many buses. There"s remarkably little exhaust smoke or smess, thanks to the excellent condition of the motor and the fabulous tune up by John, last year. I"ve never driven a 6-71 that was as well tuned and set up as this one. Several side windows are cracked. Since they"re flat glass, any well equipped auto glass shop can cut fresh windows from glass stock. Not a big deal. If you plan on blocking off some of the windows as part of your conversion, you should have enough good ones left to be no problem. It"s getting hard to buy a good running Crown under ten grand. It"s unheard of to get one that"s totally sorted out by a master (like this one) for under ten grand. Most of these buses have been in private ownership for several years. Many have sat for much of that time. It is never good to leave an old vehicle sitting, without driving it fairly frequently. I just bought an 89 Crown with far less miles than this, which had been left sitting for 6 years. EVERYTHING started leaking after 100 miles. We ended up having to trailer it home! By comparison, the bus we are offering you here was in daily commercial service until I bought it, a bit over a year ago. Professional drivers and maintenance, its entire life. I still spent over $5,000 doing it over, but not because of breakdowns or neglect. The only time it ever refused to start was when I left the headlights on overnight! In my passion for saving Crowns, I ended up buying more than I can keep, so I need to sell down a few. My wife made that quite clear! Any combination of three less buses will solve my problem. This bus is at least $5000 cheaper than anything else I have, yet it was my choice for the thousand mile trip, last weekend. Still, money aside, it takes up the same space as the more expensive buses, so it"s fair game, just as much as the $30,000 tandem Crown, to get sold. My name is Al Jennings, and these buses keep me young. I just love chatting buses. Call me any time, whether you want one or not. 310 500 6574. This bus has a California title in my name and is registered to the end of the year. It has a short 5 digit VIN, since it was built before the 17 digit VIN"s came in 1980. So the California Air Resources Board can"t decode the VIN and has never noticed the bus. It was never ordered to be crushed like most Crowns. I can"t say it"ll never get noticed, but there"s a good chance it will be ignored. It is registered as commercial, but can be switched over, if you convert it. The seats are removed but still in the bus. You can have it with or without seats. I can store it for you for a few months, if need be. I pay $100/month for secure storage. Insurance is about $50 per month. I hope I"ve given you enough information for you to determine if this is something you should do or not. But, feel free to call with any and all questions. If it turns out that this old Crown is in your future, you are a very fortunate person, indeed! Best wishes, and thanks for looking!
Al Jennings
But let me start off by giving you a taste of what the experience of driving a Detroit 2 stroke Crown really feels and sounds like. It"s all true about great reliability and beauty and appreciating values and traveling in a Crown RV conversion. But the almost overpowering visceral experience of driving a Detroit powered vintage Crown, is almost impossible to ever forget, and it"s the reason that people crave them. It"s the reason professional school bus drivers couldn"t seem to retire at 65. They needed their daily Crown experience. Specifically, the under floor Detroit 6-71 engine with a stick shift. My friend Norman volunteered to provide all the fuel, just for the opportunity to drive this old girl from LA to Sonora, near Sacramento, for the vintage bus show, last weekend. When I need a Crown moved, I post it momentarily online, and instantly get two or three responses from people who are willing to drop anything, just for seat time in a Crown! I have had people fly across the country, just for a few hours with my Crown collection. Here"s a video of a similar Crown with the same powertrain, with all the windows down on a quiet night. I could have driven all night! Play the video and you"ll instantly understand why people who rode these as kids, will run up to me at the truck stop or supermarket parking lot and beg for a ride in my Crown. I think this is really important for you to watch, but you"ll need to highlight it, click "copy", and then paste it on to your browser or YouTube site. Please do!
https:/ youtu.be/rbVNa8T-HKA
This particular Crown is older than most survivors, and has many miles behind her. She also has many miles ahead. Cosmetically, she needs lots of help. But, mechanically, I went through her from top to bottom, last year. Well over $5000 was invested at J&R Diesel Repair, the premier Detroit Diesel repari shop on the West Coast. The late John Christian (the Detroit MASTER) "ran the rack" on this bus, as only John could do. When I got the bus back, it was about the fastest and strongest Detroit Crown I ever drove. Unlike many 2 stroke Detroits, it climbs mountains on 100 plus degrees without overheating. If you choose to get this bus, I"ll teach you every trick I know to make a vintage Detroit engine last forever. Here are a bunch of old and current videos of #49. Crown bus windows rattle, and cell phones reproduce the window noise far better than the engine wail. Best to listen on ear buds or speakers. The second video was taken last year with all the windows down. You might want to start there. Enjoy!
CROWN #49 VIDEOS
https:/ youtu.be/zrTNFPNNSuM
https:/ youtu.be/o4gCvvKxY_w
https:/ youtu.be/x3DANxQHu-M
https:/ youtu.be/shdySTorRVQ
https:/ youtu.be/An7ziaSpzHc
https:/ youtu.be/2iEQ4SJ1jgs
https:/ youtu.be/i_sOkNdYte4
https:/ youtu.be/kdmG7PlsYVw
https:/ youtu.be/p3ZYYTJVNb8
https:/ youtu.be/K6_M9GNLTWA
So, what we have here is a very well "sorted out" vintage 43 year old Crown Coach that we just drove on a thousand mile round trip with no issues and no worries, in California summer heat. It was over 100 degrees both ways. You can"t get a warranty on a half century old bus, but I can tell you that I trust this bus to go anywhere, any time, and she never has let me down. And I do not own any other bus that"s any more exciting to drive. If your plans are for an RV, you"re probably planning on changing the color anyway, so I thought it was better to sell her with dents and faded paint, and keep the price down. The good news is there"s virtually no rust and the body, frame, and suspension are all solid. The compressed air lines, valves and brakes are all serviced. The compressor doesn"t clatter like most, since it was recently rebuilt. The power steering pump is also freshly rebuilt, and I have the assist boosted up high where you can steer with one finger. The truck style air horn is wonderful! The air system holds over half its air pressure overnight. That"s unusual. No audible air leaks anywhere. The door actuator is freshly rebuilt and this bus still has the RARE vintage two button door control. The engine uses very little oil, which is unusual in a 6-71. There are no known fluid leaks. (NOTE: ALL Detroit two strokes expel cylinder waste out through the air boxes, so there is always a dribble there). The suspension has no clunks and has no more than normal free play. Lights work. Tires are very good. Brakes work well. Batteries are just over a year old. The air powered windshield wipers work correctly and don"t blow off air during warmup like many vintage buses do. The clutch is deliberately adjusted to engage high so it doesn"t tire you out, shifting. I can adjust it down if you prefer. Clutch brake works properly. Oil pressure on most Detroits goes to zero at idle and caps out in the high 30"s at speed. This bus idles at 15 PSI and gets up in the mid 40"s on the highway. This is a very good thing. Rear end whine is much quieter than many buses. There"s remarkably little exhaust smoke or smess, thanks to the excellent condition of the motor and the fabulous tune up by John, last year. I"ve never driven a 6-71 that was as well tuned and set up as this one. Several side windows are cracked. Since they"re flat glass, any well equipped auto glass shop can cut fresh windows from glass stock. Not a big deal. If you plan on blocking off some of the windows as part of your conversion, you should have enough good ones left to be no problem. It"s getting hard to buy a good running Crown under ten grand. It"s unheard of to get one that"s totally sorted out by a master (like this one) for under ten grand. Most of these buses have been in private ownership for several years. Many have sat for much of that time. It is never good to leave an old vehicle sitting, without driving it fairly frequently. I just bought an 89 Crown with far less miles than this, which had been left sitting for 6 years. EVERYTHING started leaking after 100 miles. We ended up having to trailer it home! By comparison, the bus we are offering you here was in daily commercial service until I bought it, a bit over a year ago. Professional drivers and maintenance, its entire life. I still spent over $5,000 doing it over, but not because of breakdowns or neglect. The only time it ever refused to start was when I left the headlights on overnight! In my passion for saving Crowns, I ended up buying more than I can keep, so I need to sell down a few. My wife made that quite clear! Any combination of three less buses will solve my problem. This bus is at least $5000 cheaper than anything else I have, yet it was my choice for the thousand mile trip, last weekend. Still, money aside, it takes up the same space as the more expensive buses, so it"s fair game, just as much as the $30,000 tandem Crown, to get sold. My name is Al Jennings, and these buses keep me young. I just love chatting buses. Call me any time, whether you want one or not. 310 500 6574. This bus has a California title in my name and is registered to the end of the year. It has a short 5 digit VIN, since it was built before the 17 digit VIN"s came in 1980. So the California Air Resources Board can"t decode the VIN and has never noticed the bus. It was never ordered to be crushed like most Crowns. I can"t say it"ll never get noticed, but there"s a good chance it will be ignored. It is registered as commercial, but can be switched over, if you convert it. The seats are removed but still in the bus. You can have it with or without seats. I can store it for you for a few months, if need be. I pay $100/month for secure storage. Insurance is about $50 per month. I hope I"ve given you enough information for you to determine if this is something you should do or not. But, feel free to call with any and all questions. If it turns out that this old Crown is in your future, you are a very fortunate person, indeed! Best wishes, and thanks for looking!
Al Jennings