Saab 900 'vert up for grabs.

[Inspector Morose]

Due to a distinct lack of space the 900 has to go. Make no bones, it's a bit of a shed but it has an mot till late this year and is taxed till the end of November.

Its red with deliciously flat paint and the interior I'd cream leather with copious amounts of grime from me using it as a hack for the past year. Engine is good. Hood is good with no rips or tears but it does need assistance to come down.

In reality it is a breaker and not one to fix up and ponce about in for the next few years but it might be of use to someone on here for parts.

£295 ? Or offers? I need it gone yesterday.

Pics to follow if anyone is in the slightest bit interested.

[kinkersaab]

is it a c900 or ng 9oo?

[Station]

Post pics up m8.7654567

Wher are you abouts?

[Inspector Morose]

Sorry, it's an ng900 and pics will follow when I get home from work tonight.

[Cavcraft]

Location?

[Danblez]

Location?

 

Is this an elobrate set up for a pantomime joke?

[Cavcraft]

Why, is he behind me?

[Station]

Is it this one?

 

[chaseracer]

Why, is he behind me?

Oh!

 

No, he isn't...

[theorganist]

I think he is local to me! That is an ex WMPTE Metrobus in the back ground and the number plate on that trailer is also from a WMPTE Metrobus!!

 

I will just get my anorak !

[Inspector Morose]

Sorry for the late reply folks it's related to that very metrobus actually! At the moment it's up in Blackpool for a re panel and paint but today we had a phone call asking us to come and look at what they found. They found rot. Lots of it. Lots and lots of it. Enough to us to call it quits with it when the mot runs out. It's a shame but it had a good innings with over ten years with us but it would cost far too much for us to put right and we are in business to make money after all.

Back to Saab. Yes it's that one above and its located just outside Halesowen, west midlands. Mot is about a year from when that post was, it's done 147000 miles and pics will follow when I get the chance to scoff my tea down me and fire up the laptop. It needs to go sharpest so offers (please not of borked modeos) probably will be accepted.

Make no mistakes, it's a car to run to the end of test then break or just break for parts. I just haven't got the room, time or inclination to do it myself. I've another bus to source and convert for BOKs replacement!

[Inspector Morose]

Youre right there organist. It's one and the same bus! It tows that generator for power on exhibition jobs.

[Inspector Morose]

Pics.

 

 

A rotten Metrobus.

[theorganist]

Brings back memories. Stourbridge bus station is at the bottom of my road and I remember the legion of WMT Metrobuses and Leyland Nationals and Fleetlines. I can even remember most of the combination of the letters on the licence plate and the year they related to!!

[chaseracer]

/\/\ Ouch

 

RIP BOK...

[Cavcraft]

Edited due to stupidty.

[theorganist]

Ouch maybe Mr B would like to have a go welding it!!

 

Are there many Metrobuses left I know the last ones left the Travel West Midlands fleet last year? There is one parked in Oldbury fire station which I think is used as some kind of exhibition vehicle!

[Inspector Morose]

Ouch maybe Mr B would like to have a go welding it!!

 

Are there many Metrobuses left I know the last ones left the Travel West Midlands fleet last year? There is one parked in Oldbury fire station which I think is used as some kind of exhibition vehicle!

 

Even beyond the skills of even Mr B I'm afraid. I knew MCW always built things to rot for a hobby but this one surprised me at the extent of how well it hid it.

 

It's fate is to be made safe and roadworthy at minimal cost, wap on some fresh panels and a coat of paint for what, I feel, will be it's swansong exhibition in three weeks time.

 

There's a still a few Metrobuses floating around the country, mainly in Mk2 flavour (Mk1s were built until 1986 for only London Transport, the Mk2 came out for everyone else around '82). West Midland Mk1s are getting a little thin on the ground now but there are good preserved examples in safe hands to remind us of their boxy goodness.

The Mk2 parked at the fire station (I know it well as I pass it every day on the way to the yard) was one of two similar conversions at a cost, reputedly, of around £60,000. I kid you not! It was one that had been refurbed in the 90s by Marshall of Cambridge so it should last for a good number of years yet.

We also have a Mk2 but a timesaver version with high ratio diff.A Metrobus at 60mph is fun!

[theorganist]

Yes I remember a school trip to Alton Towers around 1988. There were four Metrobuses going in a convoy from Stourbridge. I was sitting at the front upstairs. I seem to recall the ride being a little scary on the motorway. They seemed quite quick for a bus too, certainly compared to the Leyland Nationals!!

[Inspector Morose]

Brings back memories. Stourbridge bus station is at the bottom of my road and I remember the legion of WMT Metrobuses and Leyland Nationals and Fleetlines. I can even remember most of the combination of the letters on the licence plate and the year they related to!!

WMPTE Registrations

 

YOX - K Fleetlines

EOF - L Fleetlines

HHA - L Ex Midland Red Nationals

EOF - L Fleetlines and Bristol VRT and Metro Scania

ROK - M Fleetlines and Nationals

GOK - N one National

NOB - M Fleetlines and Bristol VRT

TOE - N VRT Fleetlines Nationals and Ailsa Volvo

MOM - P Fleetlines

KON - P Fleetlines

JOV - P Fleetlines and Ailsa Volvo

NOC - R Fleetlines

ROC - R Foden NC

SDA - S Fleetlines and Prorotype Metrobus

WDA - T Fleetlines Prototoype Metrobus and Leyland Titan

BOM - V Metrobus

BOK - V Metrobus

GOG - W Metrobus

NOA - X Metrobus Mk2

ROG - Y Metrobus Mk2

A - UOE Metrobus Mk2

B - DOM Metrobus Mk2

C - HOM Metrrobus Mk2 Prototype Leyland Lynx and Volvo Citybus single deck.

D - NDA Metrobus Mk2

E - VUK Metrobus Mk2a

F - AOP Metrobus Mk2a

 

 

 

I'll get me coat.....

[dollywobbler]

Poor BOK. I've probably been on that bus. Fuzz Townshend of PC/CM fame used to work for WMT - he warned me away from Metrobuses for the very reason you've just demonstrated! A shame as I'd love a Mk1 with the funky assymetrical windscreen.

 

As for Metrobuses on the motorway, I once went to Drayton Manor in a fleet of Metrobuses of normal, city spec. I'm not sure they were actually moving. Continental drift hurtled past in the middle lane at one point, closely followed by fingernail growth.

[Inspector Morose]

Poor BOK indeed. I took it to Scotland on a job a couple of years ago. At 43mph flat out, it took just over 10 hours to get to Girvan!

Fuzz is a good egg and ex Dudley garage man. We used to bump into each other every few years and catch up but I haven't seen him since he moved into the heady world of car journalism. Pass on regards to him next time you see him from Andy at North Birmingham Busways.

[Station]

I thought those rust pictures were off the Saab! What archaic chassis does this car have (I thought)?!?!

What exactly is wrong with it to say it's not worthy of another MOT, I'm just curious?

[Lankytim]

My Allegro has the reg BOK 483V, but its not a Metrobus.

 

Those (Daimler?) fleetline things are much nicer IMHO....

[Inspector Morose]

It that I have the feeling that the bulkheads cracked, the scuttle shake has been getting progressively worse over the last few months and I'd rather sell the worst case than say it isn't bad and someone takes it and finds many horrible horrors lie beneath.

All in all it's served me well, never failing me in providing transport around this isle of ours I just feel it's time to move to something else(okay I'm bored with it and wanted new toy - ended up with a tatty A4 that I'm spending far too much money on to make reliable. Then that 166 turns up to taunt me. I'll never learn)

[dollywobbler]

My Allegro has the reg BOK 483V, but its not a Metrobus.

 

Those (Daimler?) fleetline things are much nicer IMHO....

 

Yeah, that's fair comment.

 

Would really quite like the one that was converted into a single decker. Bit more convenient when it comes to storage!

 

None of which helps sell a Saab. (Sorry!)

[Angrydicky]

I used to go to school on MCW Metrobus LOA 337X. Was that ex WMT? Supreme Coach and Bus Hire (now defunct) in Rochford had a fleet of LOA registered MCW's, used for cheap school contract transport. There were a couple of odd ones out, ANA 163Y (MCW) and OFS ***Y (might have been a Leyland this one) which still had "Rennies of Dunfermline" on the engine cover

[dollywobbler]

Aye. LOA would have been an ex-WMT. ANA wouldn't be though. There was a pretty big fleet of Metrobuses in London too.

[Inspector Morose]

Aye LOA - X was wmpte, forgot one or two in the series. ANA -Y would be a Manchester atlantean or metrobus iirc and the third is definitely Scottish!

I knew the chap who bought 1956, the single deck converted fleetline from WMT, lost touch so I don't know whether he's still got it but I have a suspicion he now owns one of the titans now WDA 4T I think along with a share of a mk2 national DOC26V (ah, a few more in the series I've forgotten!)

Strangely enough, there was only five west midlands Titans yet, I think, four still exist and at least two are in preservation!

Where were we, ah yes, Saab. Still here.