GMC and Chevrolet people movers
3 Attachment(s)
Since we have a thread on the Semis and Medium Duty's why not talk about the people movers that were offered by GM either complete buses or chassis sent to Wayne, Blue Bird, ect. here's some pics I found on the internet
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
5 Attachment(s)
Good idea. When the administration wasn't sure there would be enough interest to support an area for mediun-heavy duty trucks I was suggesting an area for all the GM commercial vehicles we had no place for. Buses was one vehicle type I had in mind,along with cowl chassis,forward control,heavy duty equipment,Vans,El Caminos,Sedan Deliveries,military...
I'll start with my oldest: |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Interesting pictures.
I'm a fan of "Old Look" GM Buses (The Jackie Gleason kind for those not familiar with them). I actually have driven some. Drove a "Fish Bowl" once. That is the next style after the Old Look. Believe they started around '65. The Old Look started way back in the 40's sometime. Bill |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
4 Attachment(s)
I know the type you like,Bill. A big rounded loaf of bread. Plenty of Detroit powered buses out there. I remember when the fish bowl type was new. Rode on both. The bus company was MCI,right? First it was GM Truck & Coach Division. I googled GM Bus and saw other buses from the same times. I don't know much about them,but there were transit buses,then the over the road ones (touring?). So,there were other models built during the same time period. I think the first one is a DC Transit bus. The second is a pretty hip old private coach job. Then here's your fishbowl. Don't forget the Scenic Cruisers
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Tim,
Here is the same Bus in a video: There are actually quite a few of them on YouTube. Bill |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Notice that most of these "City" buses have Automatic Transmissions. Although someone explained to me once that they are actually some kind of Torque Converter system. I probably drove about a dozen Old Look and the one Fish Bowl. All had Auto Trans and all were 6-71 Detroit powered.
The Coaches and the Scenic Cruisers were all Manuals as far as I know. I can remember the MCI's as you have mentioned, but really don't know much about them. Bill |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Do you have any info on the third one you posted, Tim? My first thought was airport limo but its too big for me to say that and the roof is odd too.
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
1 Attachment(s)
Thanks for that video,Bill. I noticed the picture I found was recent. So,you had a bus driver job for a while? I drove a tour bus once. I had a friend who drove for a tour company out of Washington,DC. He lived down that way and I was out near Harpers Ferry,WV on a horse farm. One evening he shows up with a bus! He had dropped passengers of at Charles Town Races (horse track) and had time to kill. My only experience was driving on narrow windy country roads. I did a 3 pt turn about in it,too. It was easier than I expected. I wonder how old they'll hire bus drivers. I've often thought maybe i could end up doing that,as long as I can pass the physical
I don't know Anything about that one. Truly unique! I'm guessing maybe a guest ranch built it or had it built? Maybe it is an aftermarket coach works offering,but I wonder why so beefy. my guess is it was put together with a car (or two-three) using a large truck frame,probably later on in those vehicle's life. either that,or someone recently built it out of their imagination. It does look like it was built many years go,though. It reminds me of those old Yellowstone buses,but they were Whites and bigger. All aboard for the lodge! |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Quote:
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Some pretty interesting info on the Old Look Buses:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_%22o...22_transit_bus Bill |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
3 Attachment(s)
Here's some more pics of the GMC RTS2 the first two are from 1970 and I've been to Walt Disney World quite a few times and I clearly remember riding on the ol RTS2's but I think by now they're all Nova Buses or Millenniums
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
1 Attachment(s)
And who could forget the ol fishbowl driven by Sandra Bullock
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
I've never seen a newer style with Round Headlights. As much as I like the older ones, I always thought those newer style buses looked pretty cool.
I really can't remember, were they also Detroit powered? |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Well I'm no expert on the RTS's but according to Wikipedia they say initially they had either your choice of either a 6V-71 or a 8V-71 Detroit mated to either an Allison V730 or a ZF HP-500 the later versions could've been had with a 6V-92 or an 8V-92 and the RTS's shown above with round headlights were prototypes built in 1970 the RTS 2 didn't begin production until 1977 I believe
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
I think I remember seeing those RTS2s when I traveled. But I don't really recall seeing those much at all. Maybe I just didn't go to the city enough and wasn't interested enough in anything city to take notice when I did. I think Washington,DC went from fishbowl DC Transit to some other modern buses when they changed to be "Metro" or whatever they call it,with boring white buses. I remember the center articulated buses about that time
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
We got some of those RTS around here and now that 70c10-08 has mentioned it, I do seem to remember them being Detroit powered. But this was the last style I liked. Never cared for none newer. I'm not even sure with what we have now, but they look "European" to me.
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
4 Attachment(s)
...
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Quote:
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Quote:
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
That's cool (pun intended)!
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
They would put water in those to humidify the air being scooped in. They were used in the desert states.
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Old Bellville Arkansas school bus.
http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eag...tml?sort=3&o=0 http://s894.photobucket.com/user/eag...tml?sort=3&o=1 |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
2 Attachment(s)
Here are some pics of the GMC RTS II articulated concept they never went into production
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
I rode in both ends of several articulated tour busses in Alaska about 5 years ago . Cleveland Transit is running some in dedicated routes between downtown and the Cleveland Clinic .
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Quote:
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Quote:
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
2 Attachment(s)
Here are some pictures I found of a modified scale mockup of the new developmental bus GM was working on as of 1968
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
4 Attachment(s)
If you can't beat the heat get off the proving grounds
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
2 Attachment(s)
Here are some more of the GMC RTX
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
2 Attachment(s)
Here are some factory pictures too
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Great pictures.
Nice GMC Wrecker as well. Early 7500 Model. Wish I could see the Hood Emblem better. Could be a Toro Flow. |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
2 Attachment(s)
Here's mine....just using it for storage at the moment, but it should be saved...
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Looks good.
Is it a '62 ? |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Thought I'd bring this thread back from the dead here is a 1973 GMC TDH 4523A or better known as a Fishbowl with a 6V-71 Detroit, air conditioning and a total of 60,000 miles on it. :gmc2:
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
4 Attachment(s)
Didn't upload on the previous post
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Nice looking Fish Bowl. Interesting that it has a Hand Brake for a '73. The ones we got back in '68 all had Maxi Brakes or Spring Brakes as some like to call them.
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Quote:
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Wow, that's one nice looking New Look, and with insanely low miles for a transit. I got several rides in the last New Look ever built, Santa Monica Municipal's 5180, a 1986 T8H 5307. Amazingly similar to the old 5303's and 5305's I rode to school as a kid. Only real differences was the 6V92T engine, V730 transmission, and wheel chair lift on front door. As for parking brakes, I have seen New Looks with both mechanical and spring type, but all I have ever seen used those interlocking DD3 rear brake chambers. Foot on brake pedal, open doors locks rear brakes. Close doors, apply and release brake pedal to unlock. Want to see a Santa Monica TDH5301 in action back in the day? Look here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oril-NKqvUQ |
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Great film. Brings back lots of memories. As a kid riding on my Grand Dad's buses, it was my job to change the signs at the end of the lines. I would hand crank the front sign as shown on the film and we had special cardboard signs both on the passenger side and the back window. Mostly rode the Old Looks but Fish Bowls were getting added to the fleet. The way those doors opened were Neutral-Closed, one up-Front Door, 2 up-Both Doors, all the way back-Rear Door. All Air operated. All the Old Looks had Hand Brakes, the Fish Bowls had Maxi's as mentioned. Thanks for posting it.
|
Re: GMC and Chevrolet people movers
Here's a couple of videos that Steve Magnante did on some busses one Superior bodied heavy duty GMC and a late model Canadian Fishbowl
https://youtu.be/RsWQYATsZ-M https://youtu.be/Uw1BS2A6WW8 |
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:04 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com