There is something about the shape of old buses. They were meant to be one thing and one thing only: a place for a bunch of weary butts to sit down while the driver took them to wherever they needed to go. That was it…they were workhorses, nothing more. They racked up the miles until they were moved along by the next wave of improved workhorses, and they either got scrapped or were snapped up by private buyers who looked at them as an alternative to a full-blown recreational vehicle purchase. Instead of ponying up all of that dough, instead they could buy a proven platform that was known to be good, and the only work needed would be some basic maintenance items and whatever interior modifications their hearts desired.
But here’s the thing about large recreational vehicles: they almost never get used to their full potential. They get driven a bit, then they get parked for one reason or another, then they deteriorate and instead of being a positive, fun thing, instead turn into a monster. The usual end game involves the scrapyard, but occasionally there’s happier stories. Such is the case for this 1947 GM PD-3703 bus. These were often found in Greyhound fleets, but this one managed to find a second life as a converted RV, probably sometime around the early 1970s or so. But sometime between the conversion and the video you’ll watch, the bus made the natural progression from RV to yard art before the narrator found it and made the purchase. This guy has done this a few times (we’ve watched a couple of his videos and they generally go like this revival did) and it’s obvious that his knowledge of older GM buses is substantial. With new tires, the running gear checked out, and the armada of pissed-off yellowjackets dealt with, you will see this old rolling house make the transit from dead to alive in one video instead of several episodes!
Bahahahaha…………this was awesome. I’ve been lucky enough to have had my class one with air since 1988 and for those of you who have never driven a rig/bus/dump truck any oversize Tonka toy it’s a blast. Can you say double clutch?……….