djimbob Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Seriously interested in one of these, had a similar Iveco a couple of years ago, straight out of service - problems are in storage, they are slugs on major roads, insurance, but generally if you like a slow, floaty ride, loads of room, and disparaging looks from the general populace (I assume this is nothing new for you chaps and chapesses on AS), then they are da bomb Everything needs heavyweight tools to work on shit as you might expect, cracking wheel nuts usually involves fucking big scaffold bars to extend one's puny socket bar, membership of a breakdown organisation is a must, as they are pretty hard to disguise when bad shit happens - my Iveco parted ways betwixt auto box and engine in the Kirkstall area of Leeds, leading to a most embarrassing episode on a busy junction going up a hill - thank God for bus layby's And the AA, who had to sub contract a massive low loader to get me back to my yard! I expect these are probably speed restricted like the Iveco, and 50 is your limit - a swap out to a better geared axle is the usual way forward, or just grow a thicker skin, and embrace the hostility coming from other road users primeradoner and beko1987 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeradoner Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 just grow a thicker skin, and embrace the hostility coming from other road users Classic autoshite quote ShiteRider, Grundig and hauserplenty 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I expect these are probably speed restricted like the Iveco, and 50 is your limit - a swap out to a better geared axle is the usual way forward, or just grow a thicker skin, and embrace the hostility coming from other road users I had an Iveco a few years back - it'd been converted to a camper van. That had a 3-speed auto 'box, and ran out of revs at 63 - comfortable cruising speed was 45-50. It was also dangerously slow off the line due to a combination of turbo lag and low torque converter stall speed. Was actually quite nippy between 15 and 45 though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 This thread should be illegal! We have a few toys the biggest is a JCD3C MKIII fully working if a rather worn and scruffy. Trouble is I like the full sized Volvo coach a lot, so much so I want it but I don’t think I could take it on, on my own. Is there any love for the Volvo coach, I would like to own a share with fellow shiters who maybe are more experienced with coaches. I would not know where to start to maintain or store it but understand there would be ongoing costs to keep it operational. I would not mind if it was kept in Scotland. I may or maynot learn to drive it but would want to be taken out in it. Is this the right coach to be considering or is there a better one? Are pre 1975 coaches tax free? Is it realistic to own a coach for fun or am I dreaming? loserone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I'm up for a bit if that within reasonable costs. loserone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Do these old Mercs drive nice?if youve ever been in or driven a 208D then bigger and as slow Eddie Honda 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymous user Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I think mine was happiest cruising at about 55060mph loaded or not, less on steep hills with an XJ40 on the back. Bloody hell, that's seriously quick, are you quite sure it was that fast? Cavcraft, beko1987 and Pillock 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I'm up for a bit if that within reasonable costs.Likewise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamworthbay Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I love the st Ninians sign, sounds like a training camp for st trinians Twiggy and eddyramrod 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgricey Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I love the st Ninians sign, sounds like a training camp for st trinians Yeah, must admit I had to do a double take. Dick Longbridge and Twiggy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Imagine bringing that Coach home. The neighbours faces... purplebargeken and oldcars 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Imagine bringing that Coach home. The neighbours faces...I could get the Volvo and become a 'new age traveller' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 The Volvo isn't perfect; the stretch panels have gone a bit Plaxton but the frame is pretty good. It still has it's original chunky legoblock tail lights and a snazzy embossed Plaxton castle in the brown corduroy trimmed dash. It's seats are a more modern fitment but are in decent nick. At the moment it's not charging but I can get it sorted (fan shaft is in bits). It was my daily for 12 months from October '14 and I can't lie, I am tremendously fond of it; I've been as far north as Inverness and as far south as south Wales with it and it's never let me down, but it's replacement (a '93K Volvo Van Hool) has now also been replaced by a 2008 Iveco so there is no chance we'll use it again. Sadly I am also getting married in February and can't currently afford to take any of them on despite having the woman's permission... That and I'm currently planning on taking on one of the pair of 1992 Volvo-powered Leyland Tigers we've just bought too when they're retired in 2017. I'll get more pics of them all tomorrow when I'm back in. Cavcraft, oldcars, Eddie Honda and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 Should add; when I was doing my own preserved bus shenanigans a few years back I think I was paying about £220/year fully comp with free bus service cover (basically insured to carry a full load but not for hire or reward) plus about £85/year for breakdown cover. When they're not PSV'd they can be tested as class 5 and road tax for a full size coach on that scale works out at £230/year as it becomes a huge engined 50-odd seat car. I know that doesn't help those trying to not justify it but thats what I was paying about three years ago. Storage was the killer normally. Six-cylinder and Cavcraft 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 If that Volvo were two and three quarter years older (and two and three quarter hundred miles closer...) I'd be getting seriously twitchy right now. Despite having nowhere to put it. I love the rear lights on that generation of Plaxton coach. Mainly the fact that they're completely invisible from more than about three feet away. cms206 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felly Magic Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 They aren't bad old tubs to drive either aren't 3 pedal B10's. They don't wheelspin much when you sidestep the clutch on gravel either LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiperCub Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 This info may be out of date but IIRC from doing my PSV in the mid-90's, any bus over 30 years old is classed as historic and doesn't need a PSV (or PCV in todays lingo) licence as long as it's not used for H & R. It can also be taxed at car rates. I think this is a rolling 30 year date for buses whereas it's a hard date (1960-ish??) for old HGV's. Not sure about what class of MoT you'd need, presume it's be class 5 and suspect while there's not restiction on actual number of seats, I think there's a limit to numbers of passengers if you are on a car licence (8 passengers????). Also, as buses tend to be between 3.5 to 7.5T MAM, you're going to be OK on a pre-97 licence but not post-97 (3.5T limit). As Cavcraft said, I agree, I'd have thought the MB's would be a popular candidate for export to Africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I have much want, the right old licence, I don't have permission, money or storage but fucking WOW!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardK Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Plans are afoot regarding N205. Will know more tomorrow or weekend, but if it goes it goes. From the sound of it Scotland's going to be JOY to get to this weekend! oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 I'm pretty sure the >30yr loophole is still a thing. Don't think MAM is an issue either as they don't count as goods vehicles. (I'm pretty sure any full-size coach is going to weigh a fair bit more than 7.5T anyway.) Yep, 8 passengers, and not for hire or reward. If you wanted to (and could afford the diesel) you could buy a 1985 B10 to use as a daily runaround. Insurance might be awkward though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six-cylinder Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Should add; when I was doing my own preserved bus shenanigans a few years back I think I was paying about £220/year fully comp with free bus service cover (basically insured to carry a full load but not for hire or reward) plus about £85/year for breakdown cover. When they're not PSV'd they can be tested as class 5 and road tax for a full size coach on that scale works out at £230/year as it becomes a huge engined 50-odd seat car. I know that doesn't help those trying to not justify it but thats what I was paying about three years ago. Storage was the killer normally. Thanks it's all helping understand what I would be letting myself in for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspector Morose Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 FPB7 DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE. I HAZ CORRKT LISENSE. (Still don't want one though. Do I?) purplebargeken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 The more I read (above) about the Volvo, the more tempting it sounds. Storage shouldn't be a problem about 5 miles from here, but at what cost I don't know. Rolling up to work in it would be a massive, massive laugh. Slartibartfast, purplebargeken, oldcars and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 What's the situ on stuff like radiators and clutches etc, cheap and easy to get hold of? Six-cylinder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms206 Posted December 3, 2015 Author Share Posted December 3, 2015 What's the situ on stuff like radiators and clutches etc, cheap and easy to get hold of?Can check prices but all parts are available; clutches can be done in a couple of hours (think our old Polish mechanic had a full engine change down to about an hour and a half), radiators are a piece of piss. The front grille and bumper unbolt to give access to everything. Six-cylinder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 What would you need beyond an old codger to run one of these as an actual "Mini coach"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HH-R Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 No Bristols, I R disappoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie Honda Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 the stretch panels have gone a bit Plaxton Oi ya cheeky bas! I'm in perfect fettle... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KruJoe Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Gosh. And here I am dreaming of a camper conversion. ... out of my price range though. I'd expect SVM to be easily swayed by an offer of a Volvo-shaped part-ex... gadgetgricey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 And we don't have a school minibus because they're too expensive! I need to convert the business manager to the autoshite alternative to a 16 seat Renner Master (or whatever it was they turned down) Sadly doubt I'll be successful... Cavcraft, eddyramrod and cms206 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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