This is a great bus and your videos are fantastic, Al. You can hear the enthusiasm in your voice when you talk about driving these buses and it’s so cool! Just sheer joy!
I went to school up in Sonora, CA. All of the schools in the area had these exact buses, same engine, same 10 speed transmission. At my elementary school, I knew every single bus by sound. They all had their individual quirks and squeaks. I always sat in the front "creeper" seat and watched the drivers row through the gears. The drivers at our high school were all speed shifters. Great times, great memories. We also had a few Crown coaches at Sonora High, including one, Bus #30, that was a five speed manual with a 6-71. Loved that bus, loved the scream of that engine. You could hear it coming up the hill for miles.
Sounds very similar to the Gillig Phantom city busses that were all over the place when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s. I grew up in OC, grew up riding the OCTA, even back when it was OCTD. I had a weird fascination with busses when I was a kid, and as a 40 year old I still do! Not sure why, but it is what it is. 🤣
It doesn't matter what color you paint a Gillig, it will never be a Crown. The best bus I ever drove was a 1976 tandem axle Crown with a Jaked 6-71 turbo with a ten-speed. The 1976 Crown was the last year of the low seatbacks and non-self canceling turn signal switch. It was the first year that Crown changed the dash color from dark green to flat black. I still have my original "Crown key" from 1974.
Any vehicle powered by a Jaked 6-71 and a 10 speed is off the chart. I’m not saying anything against the fabulous and beautiful Crowns, since they’re off-the-chart in every way. But that same powertrain in y old 80 Gillig 36 footer with an RTO 10 speed and loud muffler was the best drive I personally ever had in a bus. I’ve owned many of both brands and my favorite is whichever Brand I’m driving at the moment. Two kings, different but equally special.
I went to a small school in Washington state, the district bought a brand new 1974 Gillig manual transmission (and all new buses came with the radio in the middle of the dash FYI) the district liked it so much that they bought 3 more Gillig's manual transmission in 1976, and in 1977 bought 2 more Gilligs but these with automatic transmissions, the district didn't buy any more and transitioned to Blue Bird's as Gillig then started to get out of the bus business by that time. When I left school in 1980 the district still had some 1950 era Pacific Coaches (Kenworth) that were old work horses.
I rode one of those exact buses for four years, nine miles each way, sometimes in the snow with tire chains on. (uphill both ways lol) Ours had the AM radio with I think about four speakers above the windows along the driver's side, which was almost always on except when the driver, a petite woman who knew her way around that vehicle, needed a bargaining chip to use against us. It had the strip chart speed recorder, a big black box mounted just right of the console. Ours was brand new. The foam padding on the backs of the seats hadn't even been destroyed yet. After a hard day at school some of the kids in the very back would grab a quick smoke when the road was too fast and narrow for the driver to pull over.
Our Current School Bus Drivers are probably so glad that they are driving automatic's. I think it's been 30 years since the last modern school bus was a manual. Most of the Gilligs in Washington State were converted to automatic's in the 90s.
jeffandbike Very few modern drivers can drive the old 5 and 10 speed double clutch transmissions. I am self taught, having no professional bus driving experience. It took some time and years later I still miss a shift or two, but it is so exciting. I just love it! Thanks for watching!
I grew up in the Shoreline School District north of Seattle and in the late 70s and 80s were we had only one Gillig with a Cat 3208 Diesel. But most of the busses in the fleet were Bluebirds and Superiors. In the late 70s they owned Bluebirds from the late 50s and 60s some were rear engines and some were front engines and the Superiors were late 60s to early 70s and all were GMCs V6 with 5 speed manual transmissions. And in the 80s they bought Bluebird All American Cat 3208 Diesels.
I love most of the school buses especially the Gilligs and Crowns. So glad to that you folks in California still have them probably with rebuild engines. Glad that UA-cam has them were we are Virtually riding on them. We don't see them anymore on our Washington highways.
This is a great bus and your videos are fantastic, Al. You can hear the enthusiasm in your voice when you talk about driving these buses and it’s so cool! Just sheer joy!
I went to school up in Sonora, CA. All of the schools in the area had these exact buses, same engine, same 10 speed transmission. At my elementary school, I knew every single bus by sound. They all had their individual quirks and squeaks. I always sat in the front "creeper" seat and watched the drivers row through the gears. The drivers at our high school were all speed shifters. Great times, great memories.
We also had a few Crown coaches at Sonora High, including one, Bus #30, that was a five speed manual with a 6-71. Loved that bus, loved the scream of that engine. You could hear it coming up the hill for miles.
Sounds very similar to the Gillig Phantom city busses that were all over the place when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s. I grew up in OC, grew up riding the OCTA, even back when it was OCTD. I had a weird fascination with busses when I was a kid, and as a 40 year old I still do! Not sure why, but it is what it is. 🤣
Amo esos buses, mi padre y mi abuelo tuvieron varios y marcaron mi infancia. Daría lo que fuera por tener uno de esos de nuevo.
It doesn't matter what color you paint a Gillig, it will never be a Crown. The best bus I ever drove was a 1976 tandem axle Crown with a Jaked 6-71 turbo with a ten-speed. The 1976 Crown was the last year of the low seatbacks and non-self canceling turn signal switch. It was the first year that Crown changed the dash color from dark green to flat black. I still have my original "Crown key" from 1974.
Any vehicle powered by a Jaked 6-71 and a 10 speed is off the chart. I’m not saying anything against the fabulous and beautiful Crowns, since they’re off-the-chart in every way. But that same powertrain in y old 80 Gillig 36 footer with an RTO 10 speed and loud muffler was the best drive I personally ever had in a bus. I’ve owned many of both brands and my favorite is whichever Brand I’m driving at the moment. Two kings, different but equally special.
I went to a small school in Washington state, the district bought a brand new 1974 Gillig manual transmission (and all new buses came with the radio in the middle of the dash FYI) the district liked it so much that they bought 3 more Gillig's manual transmission in 1976, and in 1977 bought 2 more Gilligs but these with automatic transmissions, the district didn't buy any more and transitioned to Blue Bird's as Gillig then started to get out of the bus business by that time. When I left school in 1980 the district still had some 1950 era Pacific Coaches (Kenworth) that were old work horses.
I rode one of those exact buses for four years, nine miles each way, sometimes in the snow with tire chains on. (uphill both ways lol)
Ours had the AM radio with I think about four speakers above the windows along the driver's side, which was almost always on except when the driver, a petite woman who knew her way around that vehicle, needed a bargaining chip to use against us. It had the strip chart speed recorder, a big black box mounted just right of the console.
Ours was brand new. The foam padding on the backs of the seats hadn't even been destroyed yet. After a hard day at school some of the kids in the very back would grab a quick smoke when the road was too fast and narrow for the driver to pull over.
Our Current School Bus Drivers are probably so glad that they are driving automatic's. I think it's been 30 years since the last modern school bus was a manual. Most of the Gilligs in Washington State were converted to automatic's in the 90s.
jeffandbike
Very few modern drivers can drive the old 5 and 10 speed double clutch transmissions. I am self taught, having no professional bus driving experience. It took some time and years later I still miss a shift or two, but it is so exciting. I just love it! Thanks for watching!
I grew up in the Shoreline School District north of Seattle and in the late 70s and 80s were we had only one Gillig with a Cat 3208 Diesel. But most of the busses in the fleet were Bluebirds and Superiors. In the late 70s they owned Bluebirds from the late 50s and 60s some were rear engines and some were front engines and the Superiors were late 60s to early 70s and all were GMCs V6 with 5 speed manual transmissions. And in the 80s they bought Bluebird All American Cat 3208 Diesels.
jeffandbike
I am a big Gillig fan and personally really like 3208’s. Thanks for your note
I love most of the school buses especially the Gilligs and Crowns. So glad to that you folks in California still have them probably with rebuild engines. Glad that UA-cam has them were we are Virtually riding on them. We don't see them anymore on our Washington highways.
So sad, stick shifts are the BEST
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!!
The Lake Washington School District had Gilligs with gasoline engines as opposed to diesel.
ME ENCANTA VER A LOS ABUELITOS MANEJAR BUSES ♥
Nice Rig Al!!
I have NEVER been able to do speed shifting.
David Jamison Takes a lot of practice. You pretty much have to have a vehicle at your disposal over time. Your day will come :)