Added: 4 years ago
From: sevenson6
Views: 26,126
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:

All Comments (32)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • I'd still take a good '04 over an '06, anyday. The 4104 was as good as OTR bus building ever got for GM. Everything else was downhill from there.

  • Prevost continue to offer Detroit as standard. They know that to drop that engine is to drop their large customer base. Operators aren't stupid you know. The Prevost has everything a coach should have: miminal overhang front and rear, huge bin space, integrated high capacity Carrier based a/c and Allison Transmission. The Volvo is merely constructed on a body built in the THIRD WORLD. MCI DROPPED Mexican construction and returned all coach building to Canada & USA. The volvo:All useless overhang

  • For traditional, or the importance of having better driving over the national topogrpahy, or both, the country goes largely with stickk shifts. As late as 2002 I've seen the use of stick shift buses [Washington DC mall] and 2001 had a stickshift in South Dakota's Crazy Horse road mountain tourist stop.:)

  • What's he driving?

  • 1964-GMC--intercity--I take it that this is a 4106.

  • Nice Bus!!!! I sure miss the old GM coaches. I grew up riding the DC Transit in Washington and miss those beautiful old looks and new-look fishbowls with the chrome hub cabs that they called "Arcticoolers." DC Transit also ran a few of the PD4104 charter coaches, as well as some old Eagles.

  • @BurgerChefGuy nice bus!!!!! what part did you see that the rest of us did not see????????????

  • @serger2010 -- I just commented that I grew up riding the buses in DC. They had a few similar to the one in this video---old PD4104s..

  • To have uh, more character(s)..(as in alloted count in the reply), I HAVE seen in the midwest and in Washington DC a FEW YEARS AGO old buses with standards, but then again this was on hills (South Dakota mountains, Crazy Horse scuplture a la Mr.Rushmore, and the DC Hills.) Oddly, I saw and heard two old buses, (MCI I think, or it may have been GMC or Prevost) with automatic followed by a manual! And this was in 2002! (For the reason mentioned above.Same for the mountain bus.)

  • "arvekvalvik":

    btw,Actually I would think American buses is rather old-fashioned compared to top notch scandinavian-built ones.

    "pioneermci":American coaches: NO CHASSIS. Monocoque construction. Maximum strength. No overhang, maximum bin space.

    European Coach: All overhang no bin space underneath. Cannot access all areas without running risk of scrapes...

    Myself:

    Here's one more difference!

    Scandanavian:

    Manual transmissions

    US:

    Automatic (at least most newer ones.See next reply.)

  • Any monocoque built vehicle can easily have independent front and tag axles suspension because there is NO chassis. Even your Scandinavian chassis are just that: chassis based vehicles and the makers CANNOT give you a 600,000 mile warranty on an engine. Also how electronics have led to trasmission unreliability. You can't beat a constant mesh gear box. The Spicer and Fuller transmissions are bullet proof. You can always get a vehicle going with flat batteries. Can't do that with electronics!!!

  • "600.000 miles"...?Abt 960k km?That aint nuthin...My ol' mans '53 is another story,now thats a good ole workhorse for you.

  • Not only that, your so-called modern European Coaches have each passenger window glued in. The so-called emergency exits are 2 hammers 1 on each side for passengers to smash. Each bus or coach now carries to lethal weapons on board. Ever thought of that?

    Jumbo jets have DOORS and windows you can OPEN as emergency exits.

    Detroit Diesel gives HUGE mileage engine warranties. European makers DON'T. The Van Hool sold in USA is completely different to that sold in Europe. I wonder why.

  • European Coach: 1 piece glued in windscreen. Chassis and body flexing causing it to crack, plus not so good roads' vibration. 24 hours needed for it to bond and set plus thousands of dollars in lost revenue and the glass cost.

    American Coaches: Every window and emergency exit as they are HINGED. No fibreglass means maximum strength and low fire risk. If the mercedes coach that was an inferno was an American Coach then 20 people would NOT have died.

  • Be more specific. I like MCI. But all the coaches now are all fiberglass, they will all burn easily, the roof, the skink on the side, inside, etc. Euro coaches you won't be ejected from a roll over the glass is really thick, I believe its structural plus they have seat belts. The safest bus I'd be comfortable riding in is the new VOLVO 9700 imported to the USA. I still love the DL3 and MC9.

  • @studpuppy69

    SKink, skank, skunk.:)Skink--is that some color on the outside?

    At any rate, the 4104s and 4106s can't be told apart UNLESS you're standing on the driver's side with the segmented version of the familiar slanted windows at the 4104's back side [unless somebody TELLS you which it is!] On May 5, 2010, in Mexico, I rode a stickshift [the WAY to go!] Mercedes-Benz bus in Mazatlan, Mexico.

  • @SteveCarras Not true at all. The 4106 had a lot of major changes to the exterior. 1.) Different "silversiding" with wider spaced ribs, which became standard on all later GMs as well, 2.) wide destination sign, 3.) "spoiler" over the rear window, 4.) "4501-style" front ID lights (recessed), 5.) molded fibreglas light "pods" replacing the sealed beams on the '04, 6.) dual headlights replacing the singles on the '04, 7.) "squared off" window frame complete unlike those on the '04.and a lot more.

  • @DeserTBoB93535

    Ah...thanks! I've also seen difference in ALL of the windows, not just the "driver's side" rear (on the 4104, they looked "cut up").. looking at pictures...etc., and I remember some of the other things you mentiomed..sorry.:)

  • The trash from europe stays in europe. The volvo 9700 is built in Mexico. MCI tried the Mexican experiment and it was a failure. MCI and Prevost own coaches is a threat to the european builders to this very day. MCI pulled out of Mexico and have increased the capacity at their Winnipeg plant because operators demand quality that europe and the 3rd world cannot supply.

  • @pioneermci News for you my friend, Volvo has owned Prevost since '95 if I recall. You buy a Prevost, you get a Volvo motor standard. The Volvo 9700 is made in Mexico, but it is an amazing coach I haven't had the pleasure to see or drive in person. The Dina F3500/Dina Viaggio and MCI G4500 were failures. Some Freightliner and Internationals are built in Mexico I see them crossing near Laredo, TX. I love MCI, but believe me the 9700 is the safest on the road today.

  • Cool bus.My ol' man also has 2 Volvo buses,from '53 and '55.The latter has a combined cargo and people carrier coachwork for transport in rural areas,the '53 is "normal" with the typical 50's round rear,and right steering!They say it was ordered that way so the driver wouldnt have to leave his seat for delivering mail!Not much traffic those days.They have very rare coachwork from a local manufacturer,and as far someone knows they are the only 2 remaining from that manufacturer.

  • Volvo!!

    You can keep 'em.

    Swedish Bedfords. Everything a bus or coach shouldn't have: glued in windows, fibreglass bodies which are fire accelerants and all overhand with nothing in between for luggage.

    Real coaches have maximum bin space underneath for luggage AND freight. Also every window is a hinged emergency exit.

    How about that mercedes coach that incinerated 20 passengers only last week in Germany? That's fiberglass for you.

    Real coaches come from Canada and North America!!!

  • "Swedish Bedfords"???Nothing wrong with either Bedford or Volvo if you ask me.Who has given you those ideas?In many cases Volvo has only delivered the chassis and the coachwork is produced by a specialized (local) manufacturer.Newer coaches always have a cargo bin underneath,only citibuses dont.And ALL buses ive ridden in,including old ones has an emergency exit on ALL windows.Just pull a handle and push the window out.And..c'mon..FIBREGLASS?The most used material is still aluminum.

  • btw,Actually I would think American buses is rather old-fashioned compared to top notch scandinavian-built ones.

  • American coaches: NO CHASSIS. Monocoque construction. Maximum strength. No overhang, maximum bin space.

    European Coach: All overhang no bin space underneath. Cannot access all areas without running risk of scrapes. A/C up top in European coaches-passengers interfere with the air flow causing the system to fail. American coach: 3 A/C systems on board- Driver, main system and boost system.

    Windscreens in American coaches rubber mounted. 2 piece. 20 minutes at gas station to change.

  • ok,but anyways a SCANDINAVIAN coach usually has a cargo bin underneath.Newer Volvos also has independent front suspension,disc brakes all around and electronic air-suspension.With kneeling of course.Ive ridden in German MAN and Mercedes buses with factory coachwork and they are CRAP compared to scandinavian ones.Just so you know.

  • You said it: cago bin that is not sufficient for all passengers' baggage. American coaches have luggage BINS in it because NO useless overhang. Not only that, they are ALL tag axle equipped and comply with axle weight laws EVERY where.

    Electronics and heavy vehicles DON'T MIX. I've travelled on volvo buses and the electronic suspension is so damn jerky compared with mechanical air suspension. Also the electronics caused the foot brakes to FAIL. No mechanical back up.

  • it's always really nice and emotional when you see someone that old driving ...i mean with his experience...i bet he has tons of stories to tell when he was on the road...my dad drove 18 wheelers in peru for more than 25 years...he stopped driving in 1997...i always call him and ask him to tell me about his experience on the road...

  • I wish i had a bus. As i was growing up i've always wanted to either own a bus, or just be a bus driver. Nice bus btw.

  • Pops said he got it all under control!!! Lol

  • Dad, Gittin' up. LOL.

Loading...
Alert icon
0 / 00Unsaved Playlist Return to active list
    1. Your queue is empty. Add videos to your queue using this button:
      or sign in to load a different list.
    Loading...Loading...Saving...
    • Clear all videos from this list
    • Learn more