buyer beware

[bubblerboy64]

Dan, David and Mike, Thanks for your very sound advice and words of
encouragement. I will do exactly as you suggested Dan. And I
appreciate the heads up to Miller Coach. My intention for this coach
is more short (200 to 300 round trips) then long across country
runs. Obviously I would expect it to be capable. So my
thoughts are I don't necessarily need the pushest coach. Frequently I
am by myself so it also need not be the largest.(I have looked at
Class C and even B motor homes but they have no appeal to me at
all). I would like it to be clean and attractive with out needing to
look new. I would not like it to show rust. There are several
seventies FC available which might work for me. I will have to learn
more and follow through as Dan suggested until I find "my" BB. I am
getting a picture of what I think I want and at least a very general
idea as to price. I appreciate the help given and any to be given.
If any of you have potential prospects or leads I am listening. And
while I have your collective ears another question. Why is it that
none of these older FC coaches have functioning engine driven AC?
With all else "good" about BB why would these AC's be bad pretty
across the board? And wouldn't it be relatively easy to "rig up"
modern automotive compressors and such to replace the originals?
Again thanks much JEH





>
> JEH,
> 2 years ago plus I sold a mechanically solid nicely upgraded 83FC35
> tubo with very good tires and batteries for $30,000. I was a 2 bird
> owner and needed to sell one. I did a lot of the work myself and
> had about $45,000 to $55,000 in it.
>
> The current owner has had little expense since and is still
enjoying
> it. The coaches are out there. Pics of the coach I sold when I
> still owned it are here:
> http://rides.webshots.com/album/154715312Axawnh
> http://rides.webshots.com/album/192165894pfPFdO
>
> The moral, or lesson is that I sold a nice coach for 30K over 2
years
> ago. Do not give up, simply search long and hard for a coach that
> is "almost" complete. Spend the time to look. Take no one way
> trips, buy no coach sight unseen. Spend several thousand dollars
on
> travel to find the "right one".
>
> These forums are the best place to find the right one, as owners
here
> tend to maintain and upgrade, plus other members have usually seen
> the coach.
>
> Dan
> 94 BB BMC 37'
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "bubblerboy64"
> wrote:
> >
> > Mike, That's the kind of information I need to hear. I was
looking
> at
> > some older NA coaches and it seemed to me that $30k might do it.
> > Apparently not? I am just trying to gather together an idea of
what
> > is involved. I was thinking that perhaps paying $20 or about that
> and
> > figuring another $10k might do it. I am not going to be able to
> > invest $60K. I just would not get my moneys worth for what I
would
> > be using the coach for. I am not looking for a 10 out of 10. But
I
> > was thinking that for $30K a guy could have a very presentable BB
> > which was solid. If you are telling me you bought the best you've
> > seen and still needed to spend another $45k doing the labor
> yourself
> > I pretty well better forget it. JEH
> > >
> > > I started out with a "fixer" for 15k. Rear bath FC.
> > > I wuz lucky, it's the cleanest FC I've ever seen, and I have
> > inspected a few. Bought it on the internet from on line pics.
> Blown
> > engine. Figured I fix it up a little and flip it. It turned out
> to
> > be so nice, decided I never find a better one.
> > > Now that I am putting the final touches on the charge air
cooler
> > install, not to mention the exterior restoration, the change over
> to
> > 24.5s the unending chassis electrical issues I'm getting real
close
> > to $60k and not much of that is farmed out labor. I did all the
> > heavy mechanical work and most of the inside repairs, water
system,
> > lighting, vents, etc.
> > > Depends on how you choose to spend the money, most of the good
> > deals are when somebody dies. It pays to be a buzzard.
> > > Cold but true.
> > > Mike Hohnstein
> > > Germantown, WI
> > > 83 FC 35rb
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: bubblerboy64
> > > To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 1:48 PM
> > > Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: buyer beware
> > >
> > >
> > > And again my position as a buyer. My first preference would
be
> a
> > > completely "ready to go" older FC rear bath coach needing
> > nothing. At
> > > a price which is "fair". And I have seen some likely
prospects.
> > > Coaches which have had leather interior and repaints which
have
> > > pushed the asking prices into the range of the pushers. See
> > that's
> > > the problem. I've fooled around with antique car restorations
> and
> > > this is so similar. A restored vehicle is not likely to sell
> for
> > the
> > > cost of the restoration. I feel some sympathy for the seller
> when
> > > you know what he has invested to get it right but as a buyer
> > paying
> > > for his restoration just doesn't work either. So what's a
nice
> > coach
> > > like I am looking for really worth? Well, it's worth exactly
> the
> > > price negotiated between the seller and the buyer and there
is
> > the
> > > rub. There are a couple real nice newerFC buses on the Bill
> Board
> > > right now with prices from 50 to 60K. So are they in
> competition
> > with
> > > the pushers (?) I can't say. And what does that tell you
about
> > the
> > > older FC's. One fellow has a 1975 listed for 30K. I e-mailed
> him
> > > see what he comes back with. From what I have been able to
> figure
> > to
> > > this point his bus would have to be a ready to go coach plus
> > some.
> > > But on the other hand as a buyer I could see that a guy could
> > easily
> > > spend $15k and then in a short time spend an additional $15K
to
> > get
> > > it right. Price is certainly not cost. Not to belabor a
point.
> If
> > > you have something worth the money do the work required to
> prove
> > it.
> > > I could see spending $30 for a really nicely restored older
> coach
> > but
> > > it would have to be exactly what I want with the proof there
> of.
> > So
> > > I guess what I am saying is that I personally am not looking
> for
> > a
> > > fixer upper. I can do some repairs but frankly its not my
idea
> of
> > > fun. Certainly others would feel differently. JEH
> > >
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > On 5/4/07, davidkerryedwards wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hence, the market for older Wanderlodge's with some
needed
> > > repairs will
> > > > > probably always be a little more healthy than for
> refurbished
> > > coaches.
> > > >
> > > > Kerry,
> > > >
> > > > I agree to an extent. Personally, I think most people would
> > rather
> > > > have a refurbished coach - I know I looked for one that was
> > > advertised
> > > > as not having any problems. The disconnect between buyer
and
> > seller
> > > > comes in price: Most buyers aren't willing to pay a premium
> for
> > this
> > > > work.
> > > >
> > > > In my search, I found that people were tending to
> sell "average"
> > > > coaches in a certain price range - what I
considered "market
> > price".
> > > > Then there were the occasional "refurbished" coaches where
> folks
> > > > wanted twenty grand above "market price". I wasn't going to
> pay
> > > that.
> > > > In fact, I wasn't going to pay "market price" for a coach
> with
> > a lot
> > > > of problems, either.
> > > >
> > > > As a buyer, here's how it worked for me: A good coach with
> > nothing
> > > > wrong commands full market value, perhaps slightly more. In
> my
> > > range I
> > > > identified mid eighties PT-40s and the market value I came
to
> > was
> > > > about $50,000. Now, I wasn't going to pay full market value
> for
> > a
> > > > coach with a lot of issues. Something that needed major
work
> I
> > might
> > > > have paid $35k for, but sellers still thought they could
get
> > $50k.
> > > On
> > > > the flip side, many "perfect" coaches, folks were wanting
> $80k.
> > > >
> > > > When all was said and done I did find a very good coach
with
> > almost
> > > no
> > > > problems (few things here and there, but they all have
those)
> > right
> > > > near what I considered to be fair market value. This tells
me
> > that
> > > > those wanting $80k for their similar coaches are high, as
are
> > those
> > > > wanting $50k for something that needs $20k worth of work to
> > make it
> > > > half as nice as mine.
> > > >
> > > > So, there's my two cents worth.
> > > >
> > > > -Ryan
> > > > '86 PT-40 8V92
> > > > Tri-Cities, WA
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>