GMC and Chevrolet people movers

[70c10-08]

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

[special-K]

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:

[C10 - C90 Bill]

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

[special-K]

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

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Tim,

Here is the same Bus in a video:

MTA New York City Bus GM Old Look 9098 on the M42...

There are actually quite a few of them on YouTube.

Bill

[C10 - C90 Bill]

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

[mrolds88]

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.

[special-K]

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!

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Originally Posted by special-K

So,you had a bus driver job for a while?

No actually, but my Grandfather was a retired bus driver when I was young and we would go out and ride all over on Saturdays under his free pass. I got pretty friendly with some of the drivers and one of them was pretty crazy. He used to let me drive them down quiet back roads at the end of the line. I had to keep it kind of quiet for years, but it's ancient history now, lol. I started when I was 11 and was about 15 the last time I drove one. That's how I got to drive a Fish Bowl. The company bought new ones around 1968.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Some pretty interesting info on the Old Look Buses:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_%22o...22_transit_bus

Bill

[70c10-08]

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

[70c10-08]

And who could forget the ol fishbowl driven by Sandra Bullock

[C10 - C90 Bill]

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?

[70c10-08]

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

[special-K]

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

[C10 - C90 Bill]

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.

[special-K]

...

[mtully79]

Originally Posted by special-K

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:

Fun thread! What are those gray turbine looking things on the passenger side windows?

[mrolds88]

Originally Posted by mtully79

Fun thread! What are those gray turbine looking things on the passenger side windows?

"swamp coolers" Think old style A/C.

[mtully79]

That's cool (pun intended)!

[special-K]

They would put water in those to humidify the air being scooped in. They were used in the desert states.

[eagleuh1]

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

[70c10-08]

Here are some pics of the GMC RTS II articulated concept they never went into production

[junkmandan3]

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 .

[hatzie]

Originally Posted by special-K

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

I've only seen one Scenicruiser about 10 years ago in the Baltimore MTA Bush St contingency fleet storage. Cool old coaches despite the body problems...