'50s - '60s vintage GM buses

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Has anyone ever worked on one of these, particularly R&Ring an 8V71? I have chanced upon a 1956 Scenicruiser that I can have for almost nothing, but the catch is I have to move it from where it currently resides and the engine isn't in it. The whole engine bay area has been taken off the back which I am told is normally done when an engine is pulled. It sorta all comes out together. There is a freshly built Detroit turbocharged "silver" engine (whatever that is) that goes with it which the guy who owned it was going to try to mate up with a 13-speed Eaton-Fuller or something like that. But the owner vanished several years ago and the bus has been sitting at the garage that was going to do the work, and the business is closing up shop and the guy wants the bus to disappear.

I have no idea how involved it would be to put the rebuilt engine in with the stock 4-speed but I do know it's not something I want to tackle. . . just wondering how expensive it could get I suppose. Luckily the stock transmission and all related hardware is still there. I have no idea if this engine is a direct bolt-in or not. Supposedly it has a lot more HP than the 8v71. Then getting it road worthy to drive 200 miles to its new parking place, since it hasn't ran in several years.

Why do I have an interest in this old bus? Mostly for nostalgic reasons. This very bus I have personally ridden a few thousand miles around the NW in during the mid '80s because it was owned by the private high school I attended. I loved riding in it any chance I got. It was sold in 1993 and I never saw it again until just lately.

Vaughn

 

[VicR]

Hey Vaughn! Those are pretty cool busses. There was one here last year at Hot August Nights that was all fixed us RV style. Didn't get a chance to talked to the owner but drooled over it for quite a bit. As I recall it was from the Pac NW. I'll have to see if I have the pictures stashed on a computer some where.



On the positive side if you did this project you would have the mother of all 2wd diesels on the board.



-Vic

 

[Grey Wolf]

Vaughn,



The old 8V71's were green, when they went to the 8V92's they were painted silver. 568 Cu In's vs 736 Cu In's... .



GW

 

[NIsaacs]

If it had an 8V-71 it might have already had a conversion, I seem to recall the V-series coming out in about 1960? Original equipment may have been a 4 or 6-71? Some of the older bus manufactures of the late 40's/early 50's used Buick straight 8's, not sure of the GMC's tho. Sounds like a cool project!





"NICK"

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Vic I would've loved to have seen that bus. It's been a very long time since I've seen a Scenicruiser on the road. I often wonder what happened to the other 2 Scenicruisers my high school used to own. There were a number of times they took all 3 at the same time on road trips up & down the I-5 corridor and across the state.

Grey Wolf yes I recall the engines were green in the 'cruisers.

NIsaacs the Scenicruisers were originally powered with twin 4-cylinder engines. This didn't work out too well, so the entire fleet was repowered with the 8V71s in 1960 I believe. GM built the Scenicruisers exclusively for Greyhound, and a total of 1001 were. I think it's one of the most appealing unique factory coaches ever built.

Vaughn

 

[Grey Wolf]

I friend of mine bought one about 15 years ago. It was converted to an RV which he used to haul his clients (He's a mechanic) racing Mustangs to the tracks. I remember his bus had a 6V92 which he was contemplating on pulling, since it didn't have much power, he wanted to put in a Cummins but I don't know if he ever did.



Have you seen this link before? http://www.scenicruiser.com/



GW

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Yes GW I have, I also like this site http://www.strayhound.com/scregistry/scregistry17.htm



The bus I'm looking at is serial number 803



Vaughn

 

[Skydiver]

Vaughn.
I wanted to do the same thing.
Check with your insurance carrier. Ours will not insure a conversion. The other option is called Commercial and way too high.

Detroits will ruin the heads at just over 200 degrees F. I have had real bad luck with 2-cycle Detroits. It amazes me on how many are still in service.
We have a Silver 92 in a Seagrave pumper that just took a dump on us. It only got up to 245. I wish I knew why.