Selecting a Shell

Obviously, it's important to ask yourself what you want in a motor coach before making the decision about what kind of shell you will buy. Are you primarily interested in the actual dollar value or is resale value more important to you? Are you going to do the conversion, either partially or totally, yourself? If so, are you mechanically inclined or are you more at home with bodywork? Maybe it's important to you to have a customized look or have a coach that lends itself to easy updating to make it appear to be a new coach. This being the case, you might choose a model that gives you the ability to update your coach.

Something else to consider is the original price of the bus versus the price of that same bus in today's market. For example, take the year 1980. A new MCI 9, an Eagle model 10 and a GMC 4905 each cost about $130,000 new that year. That would indicate that they were built as equally competitive coach models, just as a Chevy is similar to a Ford.

Due to changes in the commercial bus industry, such as the closure of the GMC interstate bus division, the bankruptcy of Eagle and later reopening under new Mexican ownership, the success of MCI and in 1995 it's sale to another large Mexican company, and the continued dominance of Prevost in the new shell conversion business, the sale prices of those buses differ widely today. In 1996 the 80 MCI 9 was worth $55,000 to $60,000, the Prevost was worth $35,000 to $45,000 the Eagle, $30,000 to $40,000 and the GMC, $9,000 to $15,000. The prices are adjusted largely by the market; the condition of the bus is important, but not as important a factor as the make and model. If you're more interested in dollar value, you might consider a GMC over a MCI, but in the resale, the MCI will be a better value, demanding a much higher resale price. I think everyone should have an interest in the resale of the coach, so make sure you select the one that best represents the additional investment you're going to make in it.

Another factor to consider is two major industry changes that took place in 1986 and again in 1994. In 1986, Federal standards regulating the allowable width for buses and other vehicles were increased from 96" to 102". That extra 6" makes a big difference in the pricing. Because the wider units are now more desirable, the price has remained high. In 1994 the 45-foot bus was introduced. Now the big ticket is to have a 45-foot shell 102 inches wide. This reduced the value of the smaller units because the commercial market remained on the competitive edge by producing the bigger, wider, newer buses. As a result, the smaller ones are placed on the market sooner and the price falls. There are exceptions to everything I say, so don't think that if I make a statement it is set in concrete.

In 1969, Eagle Bus produced 40 Model 7 coaches that were 102" wide and MCI produced 100 Model MCI 6's that were 102" wide. This was within the guidelines of a Federal Test Project measuring the effect this would have on the interstate. Many transit bus models were also produced in the 102" width. They have been doing that since the late 70's. And remember the 35-foot buses? The GMC 4104,4106, and 4107 as well as the MCI 5, 5A, 5B and SC's? Well, their heyday ended in the late 70's when they were replaced by the 40 footers (GMC series 4903 and 4905 and MCI models 7, 8 and 9), which are now being replaced by the 45 footers. Any bets on when we'll see 50 footers?

First, how much money do you want to invest in the coach? We've all seen the Marathons out there for $1,000,000 plus. They become that expensive for several reasons. First, the new shell they are built in and on could cost up to $300,000. Secondly, they install high-end materials and appliances and thirdly, and most costly, is the labor factor. Do not sell yourself short in this article. It takes lots of man hours, tools and talent to do a conversion of the high end caliber, you're doing the work yourself, put a dollar value on your labor as well as a total cost on all parts and materials. If you decide that you're going to be in the $20,000 range plus the cost of the bus, you don't want to spend $50,000 on the shell. The money spent on the conversion will not justify the expense of that price on a shell. You will find that you are under-building the conversion for that price shell. In the same sense, you won't want to spend $60,000 on converting a bus shell for which you paid only $5,000. That's considerable over-building. So, the key here is to balance out what you have to spend on the conversion with what you need to spend for the shell.

To help you determine this, look at the resale of different coach conversions in the marketplace. Bus Conversion Magazine classified ads are a great market source). You'll see a converted GMC 4104 selling for $15,000 to $35,000. Hence, you may not want to spend $9,000 on a GMC 4104 shell and then spend $50,000 converting it; that is, unless you're very fond of that bus and don't care about the resale value. In the same equation, you can find an MCI 8 conversion for sale for $100,000; you can see that $30,000 for a shell and $80,000 spent on the conversion may seem like a reasonable amount.

Another determining factor is your ability. If you are going to do some of the work yourself, and you're more a body man, you might find a better buy on a coach that is in need of some bodywork. If you're into the mechanical end of it, and maybe even thinking of re-powering a bus, you might shop for a unit with a bad engine.

What about the different bodies? The Eagle is well known for being the easiest coach for body modifications because of the tube steel frame construction. However, for the same reason, it is known for rusting out in the framework. The good part is it's easy to cut out and weld in new tube steel. The Eagle also has an outside skin made of 8-inch-wide extruded aluminum. A single piece can be replaced easily because it is ship-lathed together and doesn't disturb any other piece. It's also inexpensive to do so.

The GMC also has an aluminum exterior, but the panels are in fluted sheets, which normally cover a larger area. For example, the bay door on a GMC PD4905 is of two pieces while the same door on the Eagle is eight pieces. The MCI and Prevost are stainless steel, which is more expensive than the aluminum, but polishes out to a mirror finish. The bay doors on these buses are two and three pieces, depending on the coach