First start of the 1966 Dodge school bus

[xsxcarolynxsx]

i have a 1959 dodge 700 bus and we are trying to figure out what engine is in it, it looks like a hemi i have the numbers off of it if anyone can help

[USATrainsGScaleGroup]

@xsxcarolynxsx More than likely it has the 354 industrial Hemi. Those were used in everything from irragation pumps to trucks

[xsxcarolynxsx]

i have a 1959 dodge 700 bus and we are trying to figure out what engine is in it, it looks like a hemi i have the numbers off of it if anyone can help

[IwontConform]

i remember my younger brother defecated on a school bus in the early 70s.He hated the bus driver because he was always scolding him,so he tried to get back.Every time i see a school bus,i remember the incident.

[lawnboy531]

good sounding bus, i had to get rid of the one i had it was a 63 international

[Brmobrad]

i got a 69 dodge bus its in real good shape with a 361 industrial engine

[MrSafetymeeting]

i test drove a 65 dodge school bus last week.NO BRAKES. The guy said I should drive it anyway! The ad said it just needed paint. People are odd.

[Nza420]

the bus definitely wouldn't have started without the presence of the beverage!

[MrBarefootdriver]

Love the vid! would like to see you start it in socks or barefoot would you do that?Thanks

[fjbutch]

sounds like you have a pratt and whitney radial engine in there.......cool...

[ford9572]

If you had to sell it, It's a shame you didn't sell it to Chad!!! He collects old buses like this and fixes them to running condition again.

[mtheis85]

Yes, it's a shame.  I would've loved to see this bus live on. Chad is awesome.

[JSneaker]

UNBELIEVABLE-not too many pedal pumps required-that is unusual! I remember seeing those old buses really backfiring trying to start when I was a kid. That used to both thrill and scare me.

[sandydogy]

is this diesel or petrol see the old cb in the background

[mtheis85]

It's petrol.

[460fordtruckman]

i have one of those gage clusters

[aeastman16]

@sandydogy Anytime you see a choke, you'll know it's a gasser

[IDIDieselJohn]

Wow lol funny shift pattern. Nice bus, I like how they were designed on the outside.

[SteveCarras]

ALSO manual on a bus was the DOOR opener!!!!

[orangie84]

I like the fact you show the shift pattern. This is very much a huge part of the vehicle.. I am surprised it's a 5 speed for a 1960's bus! I would have thought 4 tops.. I also that's just so strange.. 1-2-4--R -- 3-5 Wow! I am used to 1-3-5 2-4----R Must have felt strange shifting having 1st and 2nd both at up positions..

[mtheis85]

Yeah, it did feel kind of strange shifting that way. I mostly started in 2nd gear and drove it like a 4 speed. 1st gear is really only used for pulling heavy loads and stuff.

[SteveCarras]

@mtheis85

You think YOU, Chad and others have seen odd shift patterns--try the one that the bus my mother and I were on this past October 18,2010,in Colombia. A smaller Chevy/Marcopolo, with [for clarity's sake, I'll show as the pattern is done and now as Orange showed mtheis's]

R145

--23--

Obviousy an overdrive or even two.

[grandcarvan1999]

can i have this beutiful bus plzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[tgardone]

Runs nice. I want to see what it looks like now.

[mtheis85]

I'll post a video with pictures of it soon.

[phill903]

Runs nice for who know how many miles. But then that 361 could have been rebuilt. Seeing how it is a school bus and tend to have high miles. My brother had a 69 D500 truck with a 361 he used it on a milk route. It run for ever also can't beat a Mopar BB.

[SteveCarras]

mercurybluz said:

"school busses back in those days in my opinion had more charactor to them as compared to today's busses, also back then, everything on a bus was manual, from the trans., to the stop sign, not to mention that few actually had power steering. "

Not just shcool busses but all!

[SteveCarras]

And many had gasoline as well as diesel.

[misterdrum78]

Gotta have the beverage....

[lilmanmrsexy12]

do that bus have air brakes because i love them an especially when you push the little yellow thing

[mtheis85]

It has hydraulic brakes.

[mercurybluz]

I really enjoyed this and the test drive videos, I would have loved to have seen some video of the outside of the bus as well, I could tell that this was a Blue Bird by the control panel and the door handle too.

school busses back in those days in my opinion had more charactor to them as compared to today's busses, also back then, everything on a bus was manual, from the trans., to the stop sign, not to mention that few actually had power steering.

[SteveCarras]

Right! (puts biggest finger up in the air) BUT...I';n sdurprised that synchros are on this baby. Transmissions generally were MONOMESH, otherwise correct. Just surprised that by 1966 it wasn';t Disel, but even by 1966 gas still used (even GMC transits,at least the old looks, and new looks too..) sitll had the gas ones..SGM SGH, TGM, TGH ,etc. This is a Dodge bus..otherwise correct. Transmisisons were either 4 or 5 speed.

[SteveCarras]

Wait..it turned out wrong.,.,looking at the "shift" knob on the gearhsift stick,

this is what I saw and meant to transcibe:

1 2 4 R

..3 5

[Vacuumnut83]

dude this bus is awesome. I am so jealous. Makes me want to move back up north and get a lot of land and go nuts. Thanks for sharing this is really cool.

[gunnlover]

Nice sneaks on the pedal man. Gas on it bud!!

[Himom2032]

I wish I could ride in one of those today.. That would be sweet.. Specially hearing the big block roaring to life, sounds so lopey in the beginning, I love it!

[Vette31991]

Lets see the outside of that beast.

[mtheis85]

I will post a picture of it soon.

[EnginesandRails87]

I didn't even know Dodge made a bus. How long did they make them?

[mtheis85]

From the late 20's to the late 70's I think. The bus in the video is a Blue Bird on a Dodge chassis.

[LynolsOffice]

WOW! that's awesome! Dodge busses are pretty rare. How many passenger was that one?

[mtheis85]

It was converted into a camper many years ago so I have no way of telling for sure but I think it was a 48 passenger.