I spotted this unfamiliar peaked face off in the lot of an RV shop, and was stumped from the get-go. No visible identification sign anywhere, including on the hand-made plywood dash. I pored through my American Truck and Bus Spotter’s Guide last night, and still drew a blank. Anybody else?
It’s not a GM product. There were quite a few truck and bus companies building transit buses in the late forties and early fifties, including White , Mack and others. Some looked similar, but that peaked front is very distinctive.
This looks like it might have been made in the late fifties, or even into the sixties. The engine looks like a common GMC Toro-Flow four-stroke diesel, which was quite popular with the lower-mid end (not transit) bus manufacturers in the early sixties.
This bus has been heavily modified, so it’s a bit hard to know what it started out being. The whole driver’s compartment was completely rebuilt somewhat crudely in plywood, and the steering wheel has the the ubiquitous “Ross” emblem, for the use of that company’s common steering assembly.
Whatever it is, I like it, very much indeed. A nice size; about 30-33 feet, I’d guess. Someone’s pride and joy. Too bad the shop was closed to find out, but then one of you out there probably has the answer.
I’m thinking that the “heavily modified” includes the front face. There were GM transit buses that had the windshields tipped in at the top like that, but iirc they had a flatter front. It seems to me that some of the last Flxible buses did that too.
Many of the buses from that era had the tipped in windshields, to reduce glare.It’s not a GMC; too different in too many ways.
That reminds me of the time I saw a Winnebago-ish motorhome whose manufacturer had used 1958 Plymouth headlight rims and modified grille bars for the flat front. Being the ’58 Plymouth guy I am, I was quite surprised. By the time I got back with my camera it was gone.
I’m thinking that was a RV from the get go and that basic dash is the way it left the factory.
Not if you saw how rough the edges of that plywood are! It’s like something I would do for myself, but I have a hard time thinking anyone would have paid the big bucks that bus-conversion RVs were at the time for that kind of crude handiwork.
I’m quite certain the interior was hand-made.
Not an easy find but it’s face is identical to a Ford/Wayne 8MB. Here’s a pic from http://www.detroittransithistory.info/PhotoGalley/Photos1940sB.html
Congratulations! It has to be a Wayne, probably a bit newer than the one you showed. My book doesn’t show any of the older Waynes, which explains why I couldn’t find it.
Just saw this – it is indeed a Ford/Wayne 8MB built from 1947-52. Ford ended its joint venture with Union City Bus Body in 1947 which then joined with Checker. Ford then partnered with Wayne for the body using the same chassis. Originally they had the 239 flathead V8 but many were re-engined – saw a pic of one with a 292 Y Block.
Plan on doing a post on these in the near future.