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richard5933

Piece Of FMCA History Found In Our Bus Conversion

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Long time reader - first time posting...

We just brought home our 'new' 1974 GMC 4108a conversion, and when going through the drawers we found something interesting enough that I thought it worth posting here. A little piece of FMCA history. Hope it brings back good memories.

Richard

 

20171022_104850.jpg

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Richard..  Welcome to the Forum!

WOW....1974 GMC, a great classic and about the best riding coach ever!   Wish you had posted a photo of it.  I had to miss the 1976 FMCA Rally, but I made 77 & 78!  Was still working back then, most of my jobs where International, so a hit/miss for FMCA!  Had a 1973 Landau 26 foot, gasser.  I  wanted a FMC or GMC...not the DW!

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Wow  nice What is in store for it? What kind of power plant? 40 thousand miles I say great in spite of what might need to be done. I hope you are handy and needed a new hobby like the rest of us here. Yes welcome. It will be fun following this ride. Pleeaase keep us posted.

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Richard,

Welcome to the Forum.

You have a good looking coach.

The pillow you found is a nice symbol of FMCA. If you ever thought of getting rid of it I am sure the Motor Home Hall of Fame would love to have it.

Herman

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This is actually our second coach. We had a 1964 GM 4106 until recently. It was converted in 1990 (we think) by Custom Coach.

This new coach is a 1974 GM 4108a, and it was converted in 1974 by Custom Coach. With only 40k miles, the whole thing is like a time capsule. Condition is great, but since the conversion was done 43 years ago we'll end up replacing most of the electric/electronic components to bring it up to modern standards. I'll post a few interior photos soon.

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On 10/22/2017 at 8:47 PM, Hermanmullins said:

... If you ever thought of getting rid of it I am sure the Motor Home Hall of Fame would love to have it.

Herman

There's a Motor Home Hall of Fame? Is that the same as the museum in Elkhart of something else?

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Well, the FMCA handmade pillow is now safely at the RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart. We dropped it off last month as we passed through on our way to the east coast. Hope they can find a place for it in one of their display vehicles.

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Looks more like a GMC Scenic Cruiser to me, but I am not an expert on classic buses or conversions. The Flexible is like the one on the FMCA logo plate. 

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It's a GMC 4108, often referred to as a Buffalo bus due to the hump in the roof. There were a few similar coach models made by GM with the humped roof (4107, 4903, 4905). These models had a few seats on the lower deck up front, and all the rest were up a couple of steps. Restroom was in the rear. Almost all of these buses which were in commercial service were bought by Trailways, with the rest going to smaller charter companies. By the time these buses were produced by GM, Greyhound already was working with MCI for their fleet needs.

The Scenic Cruiser was an earlier bus, made from 1954-56 and in use through the 70s. They were made exclusively for Greyhound. The Scenic Cruiser had 10 seats on the lower deck. The rest room was located at the rear of the lower deck. The floor height on the Scenic Cruiser's lower deck was lower than the Buffalo buses, and the upper deck on the Scenic Cruiser had much taller windshields than the Buffalo buses since it was a few more steps above its lower deck.

Our GMC came from the last run of the parlor coaches made by GM, which ended production in 1980. They made a few transit models after that, but no more parlor coaches. Our particular bus never saw commercial service, being sold to the owner of a charter bus company with the intention of being made his family's private motor home immediately. It was ordered from GM without seats or factory rest room, and was sent directly to Custom Coach for conversion.

Flxible did make models that competed with the GM buses. They had a model to compete directly against the Scenic Cruiser and another against the Buffalo buses.

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Ross, the owner and President of Custom Coach, that built Richards bus, was inducted into the RV/MH hall of fame and is still very alive & is doing Prevost Conversions!  He was featured in FMCA magazine, I think this year or late 2017!  Interesting man & hope I live to be his age and still have a active mind.

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