Am I crazy???

[Aj Clark]

I have a 1991 international school bus with a dt360 diesel motor and a Allison 4 speed auto tranny. It has low miles and hydraulic brakes. Here is what I want to do......I want to remove the bus body and find a 1700 series crewcab cab and turn the bus into a long wheel base tractor hauling machine. Has any one ever changed a bus body over to a truck cab??? Would the DT 360 pull my 300U and 1946 A at the same time??? Would it be worth the trouble?? I have a chance to possibly trade the bus for a 1991 5 ton international truck with the DT 466 and a 6 speed manual tranny. It has a 24 foot flat body with power tailgate. It has a lot more miles on it than the bus motor..........Well am I crazy??? What would you guys do??
thanks for you advice.

 

[MikeinKy]

I have thought about doing the same thing if I find a bus at a reasonable price. I saw a truck in a farm magazine awhile back, maybe Farm Journal. Some body had a Ford bus and removed the entire bus body, left the front end on, put, I think an extended pickup cab on it and built a long flat bed on it. The pickup cab matched the hood and cowling perfectly. On the fords and probably others, the cab of the pick up and larger trucks are the same.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

A very very long time ago I cut the back foot or so off the body of a 1962 international school bus and drove my stock car into it. It was very crude not to mention ugly. I have since seen a few done like that that were well done. You would have to reinforce the floor a little bit for the weight. But you might be better off doing this and getting RV license plates rather than truck plates and a dot number with all that includes. Just a thought, good luck, Mike

 

[Jim in Ma.]

I say one that the guy cut about 20' out of the middle and moved the very back end up. He reattached it with about 4 seats inside with a ramp truck body.It sort of looked like a tiny bus.

 

[Haywood]

Sure it could be done.
Removing the rear Bus Body
Cap and relocating it forward to make a short body could be done too!

I would consider the Truck with the 466 6 Speed and add a Small sleeper for extra storage or seating And lengthen the WB If I had too!

A 360 With a Allison 4 is probably rated @ 175 HP.

 

[LWD]

diesel hit 4.19 here today

 

[Ian Jones, Nanaimo, Can]

Do you really want to be the one showing up at the tractor shows on the SHORT BUS?

 

[Dairy Farmer in WI]

i seen a truck puller who cut about 8-10 feet of body off the back and put a gooseneck hitch and a bunch of tool boxes and storage on the back 10 feet of the bus. then the inside was turned into a camper but still had a lot of seating. i saw another guy who cut the back off and left part of the roof and make a flat bed on the back and pulled his pulling tractor on there with a winch. only the rear-end stuck out so the engine and everything was covers.
i'm sure it is totaly possible. i don't see why not.
DF in WI