Introduction

[Mark B]

Hello, everybody!

I've been lurking here for years. I'm a wannabee bus guy, but for now, I'm mostly satisfied living vicariously through all of you! I've loved this site since I found it so long ago and thank Sharkey for creating this really cool place.

My dream would be to convert an old over-the-road bus into a rolling home. Toward that, I read a lot on this site, Bus Nuts Online and a few owner's blogs. It makes me realize what a money pit they can be if you don't possess the skills to do the work yourself.

I'm 49 years old and a resident of Southern California, though I am originally from Nebraska (Go Big Red!!!). I have three children, two of which are still at home.

I don't know if I'll ever actually be able to own a bus, but I hope to participate and be a part of the community. Thank you for letting me play!

Mark

[splummer]

hi mark you are right they or any other old truck can be a money pit, it would be helpful if ypu can do the mech. work yourself, or if not have a friend who is but in my case i have no friends so i have to do it myself . only kidding about no friends

[Mark B]

hi mark you are right they or any other old truck can be a money pit, it would be helpful if ypu can do the mech. work yourself, or if not have a friend who is but in my case i have no friends so i have to do it myself . only kidding about no friends

Thanks... I like your attitude about possibly getting the axe. So many of us are facing that possibility and your perspective is refreshing.

Mark

[Mark B]

If you can't tell by my avatar, this school bus is about my speed:



Mark

[Griff]

...I'm a wannabee bus guy...

Close 'nuff for me...

Just 'cause yer lackin' the bus doesn't mean ya lack the knowledge or the desire. Play nice, share the knowledge (and toys), and have fun, heh!

Congratulations on relinquishing your "wall-flower" status!

Welcome, Mark!

Griff

[splummer]

thanks mark i will survive thru all of this, my concern is it will have a davistating effect on the people that i serve, i have to many projects and we have not traveled in a long time so if iam getting it i will be ready , economy speaking it will be fine for us so we will wait and see and the bus will be parked in the driveway and ready to go

[Mark B]

...I'm a wannabee bus guy...

Close 'nuff for me...

Just 'cause yer lackin' the bus doesn't mean ya lack the knowledge or the desire. Play nice, share the knowledge (and toys), and have fun, heh!

Congratulations on relinquishing your "wall-flower" status!

Welcome, Mark!

Griff

Thanks for the welcome, Griff. Being a wall flower was OK, but it's more fun to play nice!

Mark

[splummer]

If you can't tell by my avatar, this school bus is about my speed:



Mark

cool iwouldnt want to pedal it around here , way to many hills but it would look cool just sitting around

[dburt]

Love that school bus from India!! Welcome aboard Mark! Get a bus and get it outfitted as an escape pod when California gets hit with the big one. You don't have to be bus or truck smart or already mechanically inclined to jump in, just a desire to learn! EbayMotors is a good place to look for school buses for sale in California- they come up for sale all the time!

Anyone can learn to wrench and work on a rig. When I was in college, one of my professors in Educational Psychology was from Jamacia and had a list of degrees behind his name a mile long.

One day he asked me if I knew if there was a good class coming up that he could take to learn about auto mechanices as he did not know anything and wanted to learn. As it was, I was getting ready to take an advanced class in engine rebuilding and I told him he ought to join. So he did!

He was a kick in the pants, he was my lab partner and we rebuilt an engine for a another friend of mine out of a '46 Hudson pickup. He always wore surgical gloves even tho in those days it was not yet trendy to work with gloves on. He worried about getting his hands really greasy and not being able to get his hands clean! He really enjoyed the class, and wanted to get some type of car project to work on with his kids after he took that class.

Now if he can learn about mechanics, believe me, almost anyone can.
One of my daughters was in college a few years ago, she was a biology major and wants to be in Nursing education, so she was not headed towards anything technical. But she needed to take some elective classes, and after consulting with me, she signed up for 3 auto mech classes.

She did very well and really liked the classes. She has done a brake job on her car and recently when she blew a radiator on the road she was able to buy a new one, borrow some tools and replace it. She has done tune-ups on her cars, replaced an alternator, changes her own oil, etc.

She is in a master's program at the university and plans on getting her RN degree when she is done with the masters program. But she always has her tool box in her car, and is pretty savy about mechanical issues with her's and other kid's cars.