1957 Crown Atomic Energy Coach

[Mark B]

Hey Chuck!

You need THIS to complete the set!



Mark

[Jones'n4chrome]

Hey Chuck!

You need THIS to complete the set!



Mark

There is 6hr 45min left on that one, no bids yet. I think everyone is waiting to snipe it. I will win it though, you watch, you'll see.

Chuck

[Jones'n4chrome]

OK.... QUESTIONS......
Yes, The Crown Has The Rear Storage Like A Lot Of Crowns DId.

NO ...All The Seats Were Removed From A Previeus PO

Hi John,

Thanks for all the pics, and your reply.
Can you post a few of the inside, and some of the back?
Does that bus have the heater ducts above the side windows, running front to back?

Chuck

[Jones'n4chrome]

This is what happens when I don't work on my bus enough.
strange creatures start to take over,if this thing makes it's way up to the key, I could loose the whole bus.

[MrBreeze]

Chuck, I Believe The Crown Does Have The Ducts Your Speaking Of. I Will Take A Picture Tomorrow If The Snow Melts

So...Your Crown Is An Automatic I See. What Did They Do ??

Is This Your Only Bus ?? The 1957 Crown.

I Like Your Crown. Yours Is The First Year For The Larger Crown Emblem I Believe.?? Are There Any Emblems On Your Crown That Look Like Mine ? On The 54 ? Anyway.......There Are Different Types Of Emblems. Only Slight Changes On The Larger Ones ( Early & Late ) The Early Ones Like Yours And My Embree Crown Have Lines Running Threw The Crown Name. The Later Ones Didnt. And The Latest Emblems Say CHINO Ca.

You Better Guard Your Emblems !!! They Are Going Threw The Roof !!. I Just Got Out Bid On A Crown Emblem At $145...WOW !!!! Days Are A Changing.

Thanks Chuck

MrBreeze

[Jones'n4chrome]

Chuck, I Believe The Crown Does Have The Ducts Your Speaking Of. I Will Take A Picture Tomorrow If The Snow Melts

So...Your Crown Is An Automatic I See. What Did They Do ??

Is This Your Only Bus ?? The 1957 Crown.

I Like Your Crown. Yours Is The First Year For The Larger Crown Emblem I Believe.?? Are There Any Emblems On Your Crown That Look Like Mine ? On The 54 ? Anyway.......There Are Different Types Of Emblems. Only Slight Changes On The Larger Ones ( Early & Late ) The Early Ones Like Yours And My Embree Crown Have Lines Running Threw The Crown Name. The Later Ones Didnt. And The Latest Emblems Say CHINO Ca.

You Better Guard Your Emblems !!! They Are Going Threw The Roof !!. I Just Got Out Bid On A Crown Emblem At $145...WOW !!!! Days Are A Changing.

Thanks Chuck

MrBreeze

The guy I bought this bus from was a Mack truck dealer, he put a 12 speed trans in it. One day another truck repair shop called him and asked if he would sell the trans out of his bus, they needed it for a customer they had. He said he priced it real high just so they would go away, but they accepted his price so he sold it. At that time he was thinking about putting in an automatic so his wife could drive the bus also. So he put a 5 speed Allison in it.

I also have a 1976 Gillig tandem.

The emblems on my bus are the bigger ones, I don't have any like yours on my bus.

[Jones'n4chrome]

There are a few differences between the Crown Highway Coach and the Super Coach/School bus. The differences are minor, as the same basic body, chassis and engines were used in both. So they will both drive and handle the same. I have yet to find a bus driver that has driven one, who will say anything bad about a Crown bus, in fact it seems most of them prefer to drive them. So I had a pretty good idea that a crown would be a wise choice.

But one of the things I liked better about the highway coach,was the doors and windows. The windows are horizontal sliders, not vertical. Being horizontal, the lower track is always holding the weight of the glass, not the latches. The weight of the glass is not bouncing on the latches as you drive, therefore they don't rattle as soon as the latch becomes worn.

The other thing that attracted me to the highway coach was the doors. The emergency exit door is further forward, which will allow me to load large items in between the wheel well humps. Any weight you load in a vehicle, will ride best between the front and rear axle. That is why I like the mid-ship engine also.
The other thing I like about the door is that it can not be opened from the outside, as it has no handle on the outside.

The front entry door is also different, it is a single door that opens out, not a bi-fold that opens in. It also does not have an outside handle, it can not be opened at the door, you must shove in on the plunger at the front of the bus, just below the drivers windshield. The plunger knocks the same handle open that the the driver uses to let passengers on and off the bus. If that plunger is locked, you can not get in the bus without breaking in.

All these things are minor as far as I'm concerned, if I did not find a highway coach, I would have bought a Crown school bus anyway.

Here are a few other differences.
My back window does not open, the school bus does. (I wish mine did)
The turn signal lenses on the front and rear.
This bus has no overhead flashers.
This bus has stainless steel body stiffeners front to back under the windows.
This bus may have a higher gear ratio then most school buses, but I am not sure.
If anyone has more information on the differences between these coaches, please post a reply and let me know.

Thanks.
Chuck

[Mark R. Obtinario]

There were no Crown buses that were built for stock. Every coach was custom built for a specific customer. Consequently, it can be said that there were no "stock" spe'c's. Since nothing was stock you could order your coach in any way you thought would work the best for you.

Of course different options had different price tags. The big cam Cummins was a big up grade in price over the DD 6-71. Depending on size the upgrade was $6000.00-9000.00 more than the DD. At a time that eastern Type 'D' buses were selling for under $40,000.00 you had to really work hard to justify a Crown, let alone a Crown with a Cummins.

I have seen Crowns that were destined to work very hilly terrain that were geared relatively low with a corresponding lower top speed. I have also seen Crowns that were destined to do a lot of highway work that were geared to a top speed well in excess of the current top speed of any highway in this country.

The highway coach style of turn signals were available on school coaches as well. I have seen a school coach with those type of turn signals. I can't say I have ever seen a highway coach with school coach turn signals however.

I have seen one later model school coach (it had the flat top to the wheel arches) that had the '50's style stacked headlights with the turn signal up in the stripes below the windshield. Why it was spe'c'ed that way I have no idea.

The later model highway coaches had a square rear end with a much larger fixed rear window than the school coaches. It was not too dissimilar from the later Super II look. The rear trunk door was a single piece that lifted up rather than the two piece doors that open sideways.

And I would agree about the driving characteristics of a Crown. The feel of the bus as they went down the road gave the driver a sense of solidness and confidence. The similar Gillig tended to ride harder although the Gillig tended to have a better driver's position (I have always thought the Crown put the driver too close to the side of the bus). The eastern buses always felt sloppy in comparison. You drove a Crown or Gillig down the road. You herd an eastern bus down the road.

Just my two cents worth.

Mark O.
Winlock, WA

[Jones'n4chrome]

Mark,

I was hoping you would reply. As always, thank you for all the info.

Chuck

[Jones'n4chrome]

Hey Chuck!

You need THIS to complete the set!



Mark

There is 6hr 45min left on that one, no bids yet. I think everyone is waiting to snipe it. I will win it though, you watch, you'll see.

Chuck

Update: Some dirty rat out sniped me

[Granny]

What kind of plant is that - that is trying to take over your bus? And, are you telling me the keys are sitting in your bus? Oh no, Steve, where are you? Steve, it sounds like we have another bus to claim, with the keys sitting in it.
Chuck, if you care so little about that bus, as to leave the keys in it, you deserve to lose it. Just give me the darn bus. I assure you, I won't leave the keys sitting in it, or leave it sitting unattended long enough to let things grow up through it.

[Mark B]

What kind of plant is that - that is trying to take over your bus? And, are you telling me the keys are sitting in your bus? Oh no, Steve, where are you? Steve, it sounds like we have another bus to claim, with the keys sitting in it.
Chuck, if you care so little about that bus, as to leave the keys in it, you deserve to lose it. Just give me the darn bus. I assure you, I won't leave the keys sitting in it, or leave it sitting unattended long enough to let things grow up through it.

I think that's what they call knotweed.

Mark

[MrBreeze]

Mark, Thanks for your reply on the Crowns. You sound like your really into Crowns ? Yea, Your Right. the Company Should have been named...Build a Crown. But, there were large lots built that were the same. Companys did about anything the customer wanted.. As the case with a lot of makes of the day. Back in the day when customers were always right..LOL

I own both..School & Coach. Theres No dought the coach is more heavy and feels right on the road. My 63 Embree with air ride and rear engine feels just like a MCI or GMC .... You would never know you were driving a school bus...(day & night)

As far as doors go... My door is like yours chuck on this bus. My twinscrew has the 1 piece door that swings in. My Embree has the 2 piece (double) swing in.(only one ive seen in a crown) Most ive seen are the single door in school buses.

Chuck, you asked for some pictures of my 54. Rear,Vents etc.etc.

Hey..I washed her all up !! Broke out the Turtle Wax & left the keys in the ignition for Granny....LOL !!




There are 18 of these lights in this bus. 9 on each side.






This picture is of the Air door opener & closer. ( Crown Super Coach )






Thanks Guys

John
MrBreeze

[Jones'n4chrome]

John,

Thanks for the pics. Your heater ducts look more like the ones I saw in the Crown school buses. I will have to post some pics of mine, they are much bigger, they stick out off the wall 8 to 10 inches.

Chuck

[Jones'n4chrome]

In this pic, you can see the duct over the table. It has woodgrain formica on the face of it, and someone screwed a fluorescent light to it. The original Crown lamps are mounted to the lower angled part of the duct. I will get some better pics soon.