It’s no secret I’m a big fan of big old buses. The challenge is what direction to take with them. Given today’s weather, that would be South. You see; it’s already happened, in the third sentence. This 1957 Blue Bird is really quite a find, from a historical perspective. And what comes to mind? A deserted beach in Baja. The never-ending battle between following the call of one’s business or bliss-ness: going to school (on the bus), or playing perpetual hooky (on the bus). And it would be called the All American, no less. So which will it be?
The trick is to try to mix it up a bit; no? So let’s do a little historical business before we start up the Buick nail-head V8 in this old timer and hit the imaginary road.
School buses are pretty much a uniquely North American invention and institution, at least until quite recently, for obvious reasons. And just as this Model T truck was converted to the purpose, so have the majority of school buses over the decades. Slapping a box with seats on the back of a conventional truck has always been the expedient solution. And one that Blue Bird did from the very earliest days itself, beginning in 1927.
Needless to say, the wooden crates had their limitations, and Blue Bird claims to have pioneered the first all-steel school bus in 1937. And they were an active participant in the 1939 conference where school bus yellow was agreed upon to henceforth announce the coming of the dreaded bus.
In 1948, Blue Bird founder Albert Luce saw a flat-front bus at an exhibition in Paris, mounted on a GMC chassis, no less. He brought one back, and built his own (above), the first All American. Blue Bird became a pioneer in the flat front bus in the East and Midwest. The West Coast already was pioneering the same approach, but more ambitiously with the legendary Crown and Gillig buses, with their mid-engine underfloor engines (I’m looking forward to that homework assignment).
Prior to the sixties or so, there really was a continental divide with trucks and buses. The conditions in the West created unique and innovative solutions than in the more conservative East with its restrictive laws on size, weight and other factors. But the Blue Bird was an innovator, at least in relative terms, for the East, although with its engine still mounted in the front under a big cover next to the driver, it was still pretty conventional. And diesel engines were still a long way off, unlike the smoking, bellowing Cummins in the big California Crowns (above).
Getting details on the chronology of the All American is a bit sketchy, but in 1952, Blue Bird built its first chassis for the front engined All American (rear engine version chassis were usually built by IH). And this 1957 marks the approximate beginning of a new body design, substantially squarer than before. It also marks the beginning of the All-American’s long run of quad headlights, except of course they weren’t legal (mostly) in 1957. I actually guessed this to be a ’57 for that reason, because it has the large headlight bezel that would house quads in 1958. And a friend of the owner confirmed that to me.
Here’s a (small) photo of the quad lights in a 1963 Blue Bird Wanderlodge. In a way, that forces us to start meandering in a direction away from school, since the Wanderlodge had a sole purpose in life. It was a pioneer too, in the upscale, high-quality end of the then nascent RV market. It went into production in 1966, and soon had a loyal following among celebrities like Johnny Cash and King Hussein. On second thought, it took a lot of hard work to buy a Wanderlodge, which was typically priced about the same as a typical mid-sized house. That’s not exactly really getting away from it all.
The owners of this home-brew wanderlodge have taken a different route. I don’t really know their story, except that this bus has been here in a very nice location in front of their friend’s house, just a block away from Skinner Butte Park and the Willamette River. A power cord runs from the house out to the bus, and in neighborhoods like this, no one’s going to complain, as long as someone doesn’t park in front of your house; or is obnoxious.
A quick blind shot into the driver’s door gives a small glimpse of life on the bus. Toilet paper, that great staple of modern life, dominates the view. And where do they actually use that paper?
The house this bus sits in front of is owned by bus aficionados too. You can just see the stern end of the famous Sail Bus in the driveway.
It makes occasional appearances in the annual Eugene Celebration parade. I’m getting off track again, but that just reminded me that there was another bus parked here where the Blue Bird now sits.
I took this shot a year and a half earlier here, and talked with the Sail Bus’ owner, here checking out his friend’s colorful (and yet conventional!) Chevy bus. Yes; these are rightly known as hippie buses; there’s no way to finesse around that terminology. But here’s the thing: these guys are just hot rodders of a different stripe. They were bragging about how powerful the modded 454 Chevy big block they had dropped into this bus; in between drags on a cigarette. No sanctimonious blabber about it being converted to run on bio-diesel. Hot rodding hippies, with their long-wheelbase big-block rides, trying to have a good time.
When I walked through here more recently, I was a bit surprised to see some remodeling going on. The Blue Bird has transformed into the Green Bird. But where has all that wonderful stainless-steel front end trim gone? Presumably, it will be back when the painting is complete.
I have reason to believe that this particular bus wasn’t actually a school bus, but some sort of over-the-road transport. The main reason that makes me think that is the forward-slanted surrounds on the side windows, which was an imitation of the legendary 1953 GMC PD-4101 Greyhound bus, and not typically, or ever seen on school buses. It’s a bit crude here, as the windows themselves are perfectly rectangular behind that surround, but one that gives this bus a bit of distinction from a mere school bus. And if I’d taken a closer look at the rear side door to confirm it was original (I think so), that would have sealed the deal, as school buses don’t have rear side doors, for obvious reasons.
On a dreary gray winter’s day, this color manages to pop out quite well. There’s a reason us folks in the North West go in for strong colors (you should see our kitchen). The question of course is how long will it be here, before its occupants get the itch or?
From the big Mexican straw hats stored in the two back windows, it looks like they’re ready for sun, should they decide to head South. To roll, or not to roll, that is the question.
Note: Look for a Buick nail-head engine Automotive History post this coming week. After two nail-head powered vehicles in a row, it’s overdue.
Paul, you tease, where’s the Nailhead history?
FWIW I grew up in a rural Ohio “all Bluebird” district.
I’m glad you asked. After two nail-head powered CCs, it’s a must have. I’ve already started gathering materials. But it’ll gave to wait until next week; Monday or Tuesday. I’ve uncovered some wild stuff…
That what happens when you hang around hippie buses!
Can we get your persepective on all the goofy automatic transmissions from General Motors at some point? And how they catered to all of the different images each division wanted to portray for themselves? And whether the adaptation of the Turbo Hydramatic through the 2nd half of the 1960s was the beginning of the end of all GM cars feeling unique?
Especially, since I’m of the age group that only remembers Turbo Hydramatics and its 1980s 4 speed relatives, Each time I think of making a Corvair my daily driver I still can’t wrap my head around having as little as 80 (gross) horsepower and a 2 speed Automatic.
Yes, as long as it doesn’t become tooo technical. One can easily get lost in all those epicyclic gears.
AteUpWith Motor did a great two part history of the GM automatic transmissions. It would be hard to add to it without writing a book.
http://ateupwithmotor.com/technology/246-hydramatic-history-part-1.html
Paul, great bus photos.
I was just going to say the same thing: no need to replicate that excellent article, including Part 2, which covers the other GM automatics:
http://ateupwithmotor.com/technology/247-hydramatic-history-part-2.html
Love the images! These buses are fantastic. The green one is unique, but a little boring. The ‘cinco de mayo’ ones above it (I don’t know that is just what they make me think of) are really eye catching though!
No Bluebird buses in my school district (and I’m from Ohoho too); our chariots were mostly early 1960s Waynes. Very like that “Sailbus” was before being hacked into an aberration. With time, the buses became the squared-off later-generation Waynes…for some reason, the school boards in my area were partial to the Richmond, Indiana company.
I’ve always wanted one; just because. Be cool to make a camper out of…although in our era of $4/gallon gasohol, it wouldn’t be so affordable to just ramble around in. Or so kind to the ancient motor.
Of course being born in 1977 and graduating high school in 1995 I remember the change over from manual bus transmissions to automatic. We had a few drivers who were not very smooth with the stick shifts and I was glad to stop getting whiplash after the autos became popular.
don’t know why but i’m strangely attracted to hippie buses and rv’s… thanks, paul!
Great post! I’ve always been fond of old school buses, partially due to the obvious tie-ins (childhood memories) and partially because they’re so interesting to document.
I can identify body manufacturers back to the 1960s based on characteristics of their designs: Blue Bird buses typically had (and have) an ersatz wraparound windshield, an embossed arch on the roof cap, visors over the firewall turn signals (if equipped), and ridges over the side windows. Waynes had a very boxy profile. Wards had a “sagging” windshield (and I’m sure they were responsible for shrouding the green-and-teal Chevy here). Superiors had a Blue Bird-style windshield, but with tilted pillars next to the side window and door. Carpenters had curved stamping on the roof cap which straddled a peaked windshield until the mid-1970s, while Thomas bodies almost always had top-mounted wipers.
More to it than that. Waynes kept the 1940s rounded look until 1967…it just happened that my particular school got assigned one of the very-first squared-off Waynes. Delivered one afternoon (small school district) and our driver, learning she was assigned it, transferred us all off the old 1960 Wayne to the new one. Dang, she was like a little kid with a new toy.
Waynes had top-hinged wipers too, right up until the “Lifeguard” body (their last design) came about in 1975. Most buses of that era did…only Carpenter had cowl-hinged wipers in the 1960s; and only Thomas kept the top-hinged design into the 1980s
Blue Bird coaches were, contrary to the other makes, relatively static. The ones I remember were the first squared-off designs…that would have been the early 1960s. They kept the same basic body right up until the space-age designs used today.
How do I know all this? I was shopping for a used bus…didn’t buy but learned the distinctions…
The Blue Birds were all over the place when I was in the air force. I think the military must’ve had a contract with them. They were used as shuttle buses on Beale AFB and I rode many of them to and from town when I was there. There was one particular bus on base that was a mobile kitchen/diner – it was used on the flight line to feed the SP’s – security police – the air force version of military police, or MP’s. On the front of the bus, in the name window above the windshield, it read “Buckley’s Greasy Spoon”. I still smile when I think about that, as it was equipped quite uniquely – but effectively. You know, more often than not, things I post seem to have some connection with Educator Dan! By the way, Paul, do you have any photos of those buses with the solid, streamlined, windowless back ends? Can’t remember what brand they were, but I used to see a lot of them a long time ago.
Those were probably Flxbles (not a misspelling) Flxble was a bus-maker in Loudon, Ohio…made a lot of highway coaches before GM got into it, along with later Greyhound-created MCI. Also made the “Grumman Bus” that was the subject of so many lawsuits in the 1980s. Flxble was taken over by Grumman in 1978 and sold about ten years later; they went out of business in 1995.
Anyway…they were the first to use a rear-engine on a coach; they’d jam the Buick engine and all its hardware into that streamlined rear shell. I don’t recall if they pioneered the V-Drive layout or if GM did years later…
…but there’s your answer.
Like this; the Flxible Clipper. Yes, it also used the nailhead Buick. Used to be one in Eugene available for charters until a few years ago. I will find one eventually and do a CC. It was a “compact” bus, smaller and cheaper than the big GMC coaches. All time best bus ass.
Paul, that’s it! Those were really cool looking. Anything Art-Deco I’m in with. Man, just one more reason why I’m so happy I found TTAC and became a very small part of it, and now, the same with CC. Thanks so much! By the way, the Flxible buses did have a lot of problems in the 80′s with the Grumman bus, they were called “Darth Vader” buses due to the large blacked-out window areas. Those models tended to “sag in the middle”! I thought the look was modern.
A state trooper who lived in my hometown had one these, complete with the same paintjob, except that his was white/blue. He was going to make it into a motor home. He started the project all balls-of-fire, then it slowed down. Then it stopped. And the bus sat next to a radiator shop down the street from my parents’ house…and it sat…and it sat….
He also had a ’58 Chevy Bel Air, which he restored just as fast.
All these models are new to me. I had to ride the city bus to school. At the time, they had Leyland Panthers. The fare was 5 cents each way. Eventually they were replaced with Volvo busses, and who knows what today.
When people talk of liking the panther platform, I think of the Leyland Panther.
I’m thinking the forward slanting window surrounds are an added work as you can see the little visor above each original split school bus style window ? Did someone want to hide the school bus look by simply riveting sheet metal with slanting window cut outs over the original ?
You meant GM 4104 didn’t you?