the Purchase of MY BUS

the Carrier BUS site!

the Purchase!

It was June 14th, 2002 and it was Friday Morning! Kathy and I had planned for this day for about 3 weeks and I had planned to work Wedneday and Thursday prior on getting a tow dolly and loading up the car with "all" the tools I figured I might need in case we broke down on the way home. I got a tow dolly and put a "plate" on it and at 1pm we were "on the road". We drove through the rain and heavy traffic headed for Camden New Jersey. We arrived in Camden about 9 pm and pulled into a Friendship Inn that Kathy had arranged earlier in the week. We got up a 7am and headed for ABC Bus in Camden NJ to pick up my bus. I had purchased it sight unseen! Mike Laffam of ABC gave me the option of backing out even though the monies were already paid. I said no, let's finish the paperwork and get me the bus.

It seemed to take an hour for the mechanic Carlos to get the bus out of the back 40. I heard it coming and when I saw it, my heart sank! OH GOD! What did I buy? I quickly calmed myself down and had to also remind myself that we were not buying a "cosmetic" job here! We had bought a bus infrastructure that we were going to mechanically and cosmetically alter to our wants and needs. PHEW!

Carlos walked me through the entire bus.... Brakes, Fuel, Air compressor, Oil filters, Air conditioning, Heating, Heat Valves, Door operators, Windshield Washer and Wipers, Seat adjustments, Cargo bays, Evaporator coils, Starting switches, Lights, Directionals, the horns (air and electric) the Automatic Transmission, Power Steering fill and sight tubes, the Mitre box and level indicator and called my attention to the double roof system. He did it all and then some. I was pumped!

After he was done, I installed the prefab (in my shop) trailer receiver system so that Kathy and I could ride in the bus together and tow the car home. Here are some pics..............