I was at the diesel shop picking up an oil filter for my Cummins this afternoon when I spotted this interesting RV conversion sitting out front. Knowing how Paul particularly likes these kind of vehicles, I had to snap a few pictures.
All that the parts counter guy could tell me was that it’s a customer rig, and was converted from a 50’s transit bus. I have no doubt that someone from the CC readership will quickly identify what it is.
Kinda looks like a bluebird book mobile.
I’d bet on it being a Bluebird as well.
I would really love to live in one of these old blue birds. I think they are so cool and comfortable. Blue birds were the transport of choice at my college and I always remember thinking taking the late bus from town back to campus on late Friday nights that these would make a cool place to chill. Even remember the driver, most nights, in his red fleece vest and yellow blue blocker sunglasses.
If you are a blue bird fan drop by http://www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.com
Bluebirds are actually affordable; late 70’s and early 80’s versions sell in the $10-25k range, and they are pretty bulletproof.
There is an owners group convention in October in Pine Mountain GA that should have about 150 Bluebirds with build dates from the 1960’s to 2009. If I can I will take some pictures at the fall rally and send them to CC along with a writeup.
I just bought a 1987 and it really is an amazing machine; the roar of the 8V92 Detroit makes it even better. It’s nice when you can actually acquire something you really wanted to have when you were a kid.
Looks like a heavily-modified Blue Bird school bus.
I don’t think Blue Bird made transit coaches; certainly no modern American transit agency had any with front-engine setup. Now, as noted, this might have been built from the plant as a bookmobile or other specialized use – I say that because of the doors; and because the forward leading roof edge of a school-bus Blue Bird would have a creased brow…where SCHOOL BUS would be painted – it was creased along the edge with a raised section in the top/middle…the whole thing to suggest a bird with wings outstretched.
This doesn’t have it; but then, this comes from the tail end of the “streamlined” era. It’s post-1958 with quad headlights; but Blue Bird was one of the first bus manufacturers to go cubist with their styling in the 1960s.
So…a different or raised roof or end-cap; or just a model older than my memories? Who knows?
The pictures are just vertical lines again 🙁
No pics.