Driving the 1978 International Carpenter school bus

[nidokingthefirst]

I've never seen a bus that can play music OUTSIDE the bus.

[fishingbreath]

The IH buses that I learned on and drove were1966 year with 392CI V8 with a two speed rear. OH and NO power steering. Then they came out with a 404CI we didn't have any 345CI

[MsDominic20]

Sounds like Mr Roger!!

[schomminater]

Clean/rebuild the carburetor and maybe some ignition work and it should run perfectly.

[HurricaneSondra]

busses last forever! i wish cars were made that way lol.

[retrochad]

@HurricaneSondra My 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis is still running well and driven several times each week with almost 300,000 miles.

[SilviWarrior]

I still can't believe that bus id still working.

[mccrackenphillip]

Nice Now Floor It 4:16.

[lovefor34]

it would be perfect for a watermellon bus!!

[ih8popcountry]

it is a gasoline

[ThePhoneUpdate]

I would feel really, really uneasy about driving a half-restored bus lol, I'm just a wuss I guess xD

[retrochad]

@ThePhoneUpdate The buses are driven on private property only and not on the road so if there's a problem it will not be dangerous. All of the buses would need a lot more work to be safely driven on the roads.

[ThePhoneUpdate]

@retrochad I know that, it's just I'm a very cautious person with stuff :)

[EM6285]

I just love older V8 GAS engines on TRUCKS and SCHOOL BUSES. My deam proyect is to get an older 1965-1972 CHEVROLET C60 School Bus (THOMAS BUILT BUSES) and stuff it with a GM PERFORMANCE PARTS 572 BIG BLOCK CHEVROLET.

[jarrod4020]

Sweet Loadstar.Man i like that loud speaker.You sure are a calm individual.Or u need to share some of those zannies man!!!!LOL

[johnblessing]

did you ever get it going good?

[RetroVintageItems27]

2004, wow that must stink having to drive of your driveway to get out of your property. Nice videos.

RetroVintageItems27

[19NEWMAN98]

AT 2:16 thats what she said

[5410driver]

I love the old speedometers in these busses and trucks . either pull the maxi knob or peck on the dash and the speedo will jump lol

[partyboyperk]

the bus is missing on one or more cylinders.... that could be causing it to die when you stop

[77magenta]

thank you for the rare view we seldom get.

[22momsboy]

thats a big motor and should idle in drive fine! Tune this motor up!! Until then this vehicle should sit

[theozzymasterisepic]

anomatic? or standerd



[lawnboy531]

that thing sounds like the 63 international bus i had realy loud, ur bus needs the

exsaust manifolds fixed then it will sound better

hope u have good luck with it,

i know quite a bit about school buses,

i'm mike by the way

[donnyp1966]

I belive the automatics used an Allison AT-4100 4 speed automatic transmission.

[iwannaparty3]

your videos are great man keep up the good work man u really know alot about buses :)

[567Trent]

nice but ugly

[RamTerritory]

it sounds like a lawnmower lol

[speedy4569]

@RamTerritory i think it sounds like a go-kart lol

[RamTerritory]

@speedy4569

yeah that too!

[chryslerconcorde1]

where do u get theses busses?

[BassGoodForTheSoul]

That petrol (gasoline) engine sounds really big. Do you know how many cylinders it has, and the layout? Also, do you know the capacity of the engine in CCs (cubic centimetres/centimeters)? I'm from England so I'm trying my best with the translation!

[BassGoodForTheSoul]

@BassGoodForTheSoul To add to my post - here's a bus built in the UK in 1999, it has the same Allison AT-545 gearbox that your old school buses have. It's coupled to a 6 liter (5900cc) straight 6-cylinder diesel engine. This particular gearbox has very nice sound effects. ( youtube.com/watch?v=ATDtTCoK6y­o&p=C6570EE3C1C51E3B&playnext=­1&index=86 )

[retrochad]

@BassGoodForTheSoul This is a V-8, 345 cubic inch engine which I think would be about 5.6 litres displacement.

[baul104]

I remember seeing this type of school bus a long time ago, but I've never got the chance to ride in it because it was owned by a church comitee only. Right now, unfortunately, it was sent to the scrapyard around 2007...

[BurgerChefGuy]

Nothing like old Loadstars. I sure miss those days of the 1970s.

[ford9572]

@ocpud2999 How do you find where car and truck/bus auctions are? Well, A good place to start would be in the Autos section of your local newspaper, That'd be a great place to start, Then I'd advise you to pick a copy of Hemming's Motor News which is a really good automotive trade publication which you can buy at your local grocery store or bookstore, And just look and see if there are any auctions where or near to where you live, Or you can just buy an issue of Auto Trader, They sometimes have

[ocpud2999]

hey I know you get alot of your cars from an auction how do you find where auctions are I would love to get a older model car for someone who cannot afford to buy a car.

[Chadgervais]

sounds like a lawnmower when you first get it going

[ford9572]

@BurtBartlow Yeah, He should make it look like the Batmobile!! Is that what you're suggesting? Because if it is, It's GREAT idea!!

[BurtBartlow]

You should paint that thing black. The front looks evil somehow.

[davesfarm1000]

Are any of your school buses legal for you to drive?

[TheSuperCRASHer]

I cant believe a bus that old is still running.thats really cool

[TheSuperCRASHer]

I tell you one thing that bus sounds MEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! it would be perfect for a movie.

[TheSuperCRASHer]

I love old buses and also the sound it made when he started it up man that is an old school bus.today buses are nothing compared to the buses back then they were mean looking and badass.

[HomesteadAcres]

hey man thanks for posting this vid alot of people dont realise how much a guy likes to listen to these old trucks I used to love ridding atthe front and watch the driver and listen to the engines I would have road on one of these in the 70s as a young lad

cheers

[ford9572]

@TheChipmicksFan I agree!!! Retrochad's bus videos ROCK!!!

[TheChipmucksFan]

retrochad has the best bus videos ever

[aaronpourazar]

its a Diesel first of all

[retrochad]

@aaronpourazar No, this is not a Diesel engine, all of my buses are gasoline.

[TheSuperCRASHer]

@retrochad where do you live I love your old buses.

[retroolschool]

@retrochad Yeah gas engines rule!

[hwc1998]

@aaronpourazar you should be able to tell its a gasoline engine by the way it sounds

[5410driver]

@aaronpourazar omg no its not a diesel ... reminds me of the old school buss i rode in elementry school old 66 same bus as this pretty much

[JshrBs01]

Whether it be a manual transmission or a automatic transmission it is all personal preference.

[ford9572]

@9751asd, Likewise!!! Why do you think so many big rigs are manual? Manual buses ROCK!!! There's NOTHING sweeter than the sound of shifting your own gears!!!

[ford9572]

I don't mean to offend you in any way, But the nice thing about this bus is that it doesn't have that obnoxious sounding Low Air Pressure warning buzzer that comes on when you first turn on the ignition like your 1980 International S-1700 Wayne, I can stand hearing the seat belt buzzer in some cars for 8 seconds, But I certainly couldn't put up with it for 40 seconds!!

[retrochad]

The buzzer and warning lamp are present but I just haven't got them working yet.

[JshrBs01]

The bus sounds so awesome! How come you don't drive more automatic buses?

[9751asd]

automatic buses are for sissies

old manual buses are old school

[ford9572]

If Dave saw and heard this bus in person, He'd probably IMMEDIATELY inquire about purchasing it for his farm because it would sound REALLY AWESOME to him!!!

[JshrBs01]

The best school buses are the gasoline ones with Allison At545 automatic transmission that makes that traditional whine.

[gajda1984]

too bad gas is so expensive, and these get like a mile to a gallon!

[ford9572]

Did you fix that exhaust leak? Or not?

[BigKleib34]

is it just me or did that parking break sound awesome?

[yamahonkawazuki]

i agree

[gajda1984]

Very good question!

[123demaio]

soounds like it's running on 3 cylinders

[JoshuaAndMom]

How did you get it run? Was it a cold start? Thomas's will run forever.

[johnwilliam0825]

I have never seen an automatic loadstar before.All the loadstars where I went to school were standard..

[ewd76]

@johnwilliam0825

Mine too.

[ytfan81]

Sure sounds like it misfires on a few cylinders.

[Joseph03743]

Nice video.

What are your plans for this bus?

[SwayingAndSweeping]

Do you collect these buses? Where do you get them and how much do they go for?

[gajda1984]

that is such a cool sound! love the roar of that ole 345! hope to see more of your buses.

[retrochad]

Thanks! I will try and get the Wayne going next and soon I will be getting the 1971 Dodge/Carpenter with 440 engine.

[gajda1984]

glad to hear you're getting the dodge! looking forward to it chad!

[codylovesfords]

imma have to subscribe you u i love to watch people get old engines run lol

[SheriffTankStoner]

Are the school buses you have from different states. The reason I ask is because the Wayne is the only one with a 4-Light Flasher System while the others all have 8-Light Flasher Systems.

[89BluebirdGMC]

Can you make a video of the air brake noises, parking brake noises, and you driving the bus from the outside? Thanks.

[retrochad]

Yes I can! I'll try and make a video soon.

[MavsFan1982]

I remember riding on school buses back in the day and always being afraid of the air brakes. :P

[greywolf45]

Best thing to do when you park any gasoline powered vehicle with a carb for a long time is to disconnect the fuel supply, start the engine and let it run till all the gas in the carb is used up, then add some kind of fuel stabilizer to the gas in the tank That way, you will not have problems with a gummed-up carb when you try to restart it. All you have to do is reconnect the fuel supply, then prime the carb, and start it up. Should run fine after that.

[bronco1523]

Wonderful

[maineboy1979]

Warms my heart to see an ancient Carpenter brought back from the dead! Well done, sir!

[windoes98se]

sounds like my lawn mower whe it first starts up, is the speeker original?

[retrochad]

No, it did not originally come with the speaker but I remember some of the buses when I was in school had horn speakers like that.

[allbouttrians]

Sounds like you need to adjust the carb better, could be misfiring on atleast 1 cylinder. Fix those issues, should be fine. Good to see an oldy like that running again.

[mjmcomputers]

You may need to adjust the air mixture on the carb to get it to idle right, also make sure you don't have any vacuum leaks, I'm not sure if the allison has a modulator but if it does make sure the vacuum line is hooked up or the modulator could be bad. that would cause it not to shift and cause a vacuum leak.

[oldbuss]

I agree with mjmcomputers.

[retrochad]

I had this problem with the Grand Marquis where the vacuum line came disconnected from the transmission. I can see on the bus where the vaccum line connects for the transmission but will need to see if there are any breaks in the line further down.

[mjmcomputers]

You can try to suck on the vacuum line going to the transmission to see if holds suction.

[89BluebirdGMC]

Great job man!!! It sounds like it ain't wantin to shift right. Good bus though.

[retrochad]

Thanks! I know what you're saying, the Allison did not seem to get out of first gear. It shifted through all gears the last time it was driven 5 years ago...I will double check the fluid level when I try it again.

[DieselsAndDiodes]

Low fluid could be your problem. I suppose gunk buildup somewhere inside the workings might also be a possibility. It's probably gonna be fine if it was shifting all it's gears before.

[Trance88]

Woo man that thing sounds rough! Glad to see it running and moving though!

[retrochad]

It is great to have it running again! This was as good as it ever ran the whole time I owned it so now I will try improving it.

[CSIS25]

MAN i love that bus

[maynardcat]

I really enjoyed the loud bus ride. It sounded like it was idling a little better after it warmed up.

[batterymaker]

The exhaust has the quality of King Kong gargling in a cave.... :-)

[themaritimeman]

Great! I loved seeing this bus run and move again!

[Setka1982]

great video.. bit of cleaning and itll be even more good... is it road legal yet?

[coolbluelights]

Mann I love that bus!! I think that's the same model and year of bus as my kindergarten bus! do you know if there was ever a first aid kit mounted to the left of the rearview mirror? that's about the only thing besides the transmission whine and the brown seats that I remember about that bus.

[retrochad]

I think on this one the first aid kit may have been kept in the compartment next to the control panel to the left of the driver but I remember seeing buses which had it mounted up on the top panel. I can vaguely hear the characteristic whine from the transmission but the exhaust noise kind of muffles it.

[Loveschevy12]

did you notice the spedometer jumps when you apply the parking

[retrochad]

Yes I did notice that...maybe somehow the blast of air from the valve gets into the speedometer.

[mauser8mm192422]

sounds like it could use a tune up? plugs and wires also carb adjustment. have you looked to see if the choke is sticking and maybe the float.

[retrochad]

It does actually have new spark plugs..it may need the points adjusted/replaced. The choke is manual and is fully open...I think the float is OK but will double check the needle valve adjustment.

[mauser8mm192422]

oh i thought it had electronic ignition being a 1978 check the points for coroson and adjustment probaly would help.

[retrochad]

The GMC 1974 bus actually has electronic ignition (HEI coil on top of distributor cap) but for some reason International still stuck with points. One thing I remember is that the vacuum advance did not work and I think I set the points at the best compromise setting which would allow it to start and run.

[dburrigh]

What I'd do is instead of mucking with points, go with a Pertronix kit which converts the old distributor to electronic ignition. We did this with my mother's 1964 El Camino.

I'd double check the mechanical advance, which consists of centrifugal weights that advance the timing as the engine is revved and get the vacuum advance fixed. It'll make a big difference in performance and economy.

[retrochad]

Thanks for your comments...I might see if I can get a whole new distributor from a junkyard. Even when I first got it the vacuum advance was not working and the mechanical advance may not be either. I've heard about the Pertronix Ignitor too.

[1944johndeerel]

its alive!

[CWM480]

shouldnt though with the door open, the RED LIGHTS should be on to STOP not the yellow CAUTION SLOW DOWN lights

Btw, in your keywords thats called a 8 WAY LIGHT SYSTEM. thats what the bus drivers called them 8 WAY'S.

[retrochad]

Yes you are right...The switch is missing at the door handle which activates the red lights, I need to replace it.

[cubcadetpuller]

redneck party wagon lol. it does sound very much like a hole from that poping sound. the gmc pickup does the same thing. if you decide to change them, put glass packs on it instead of a normal muffler for better sound

[retrochad]

Actually I think I may have leaks at the manifold itself, between the manifold and the block....on some of the cylinders I could remember seeing areas kind of eroded out around the exhaust manifolds. Not sure how to best fix that but in a way I actually kind of like the sound, that is the way it always sounded.

[cubcadetpuller]

i think the manifolds may have some holes in the bends or flanges on the side of the block. you could also just have bad gaskets or worn clamps from the manifold to the pipe. it would sound even better with 4.5 or 5inch strait pipes going back about 10ft from the engine to echo the sound

[retrochad]

The 1970 International Ward bus actually is missing the entire exhaust system behind the Y-pipe and was even LOUDER than this one so it is getting the effect you describe.

The red Wayne international actually has a fully functional exhaust system and is very smooth and quiet though.

[cubcadetpuller]

when i get the gmc 6000 running, i might play with it and see if it would sound like the 1970 ward, but with a long pipe extending to almost the end of the stakebody.

[richthecardude94]

cool

[ClassicTVMan81]

1978 was the last year of the Loadstar name, as the line was to replaced for 1979 by the mid-range versions of the S series line (S-1600, 1700, 1800 and 1900).

The new S-series bus chassis was available as the S-1853 (conventional) and as the 1753-FC and later the 1853-FC (forward-control, front engine).

[retrochad]

Didn't they quit making the gas engines for the S-series in 1984? Do you know if there was ever factory electronic ignition on the gas S-series models? This one still uses points.

[ClassicTVMan81]

Yeah, at the very end of that year. About whether or not these engines ever used HEI (high energy ignition), I would have to ask others who know quite well about them.

[cubcadetpuller]

we have a gas s1900. i can look at it to see what year it is and what type of ignition system if that would help

[retrochad]

What is the engine in it, 404 or 549? I don't think the 345's were used in the 1900 models. It would be interesting to see how the ignition system is on it.

[cubcadetpuller]

i have done a video explaning how an ignition works. its up on my channle, ill send it to you

[bluebirdvision]

I have an exterior speaker on my bus, You can play music or talk on the PA

[retrochad]

I'm going to try and use a real PA amp in the bus...right now the speaker is just hooked up to a portable radio/cassette player. The bus was not factory equipped with a radio.

[bluebirdvision]

Not that it matters, my Vision (on my utube as you know) has a Panasonic AM/FM/CD with 8 speakers (custom radio corp speakers) and an Executive microphone. The music is overridden when the PA is keyd.....

[Loveschevy12]

First comment, Really the buses are awesome