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Post by orpingtonbusfan on Dec 7, 2020 23:44:16 GMT
Recently I've been thinking about the possibility of preserving a bus at some point in the future,but information/advice online is fairly limited, so I thought I'd ask a few questions here in the hopes that some people in the know may be able to give a better general idea of what it involves and whether its a thing to consider.
Buying a bus:How do you go about buying a bus? Is it a case of contacting the relevant company to show an interest, is it hearing from people that know, or is it more of a case by case basis? Storage: Where do you look to find an appropriate place to store and maintain the bus? is it just a case of paying to keep it at a vehicle storage yard? Maintaining the bus: My knowledge in maintenance etc is very very limited, how would you recommend learning the necessary skills needed? Is it better to have the skills beforehand or to learn as you go?
Insurance:
is it a case of going with the mainstream insurance companies or a more specialist company?
Tools & equipment etc: What tools and equipment would be essential to have to be able to look after the bus?
That's all I can think of currently, sorry its not much my minds gone a bit blank  . I'll add in some more if I think of anything. If anyone else thinks of anything to add then please do. *Just to clarify a few things if I was to do it, it probably wouldn't be for a few more years, I'm just trying to gather some information so I don't go into something completely clueless* |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Dec 8, 2020 0:06:29 GMT
Buying - Either ebay, Auto Trader, Ensign Bus, some bus companies would sell direct if stock is withdrawn or about to
Storage - If you have a farm etc it would be a bonus. Streets in London you cannot park in the evenings up till morning, it was a GLC thing bought in by Livingstone against, buses, coaches and HGV's.
You can look for a storage place, but many are not cheap, best places are out of London
Maintaining the bus - If you have mechanical knowledge it would be a bonus, if not you are better of taking it to a garage for any work to be done. Some parts use standard tools, other require you to buy special tools.
Insurance - Your normal set of insurers would not insure it, you would have to find specialist firms like Footman James etc. They tend to be cheaper to insure than some cars!!!!
Tools & equipment - as mentioned above, standard set of tools, spanners ranging from 6mm-30mm, socket set from 7mm-32mm, torque wrench, breaker bar, pliers, screw drivers are the standard norm.
No bus is the same, so different buses would use different tools, it really depends on what you are fixing, whether changing a injector pump or set of brake pads they would be different on various buses.
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Post by vjaska on Dec 8, 2020 0:16:18 GMT
Storage - If you have a farm etc it would be a bonus. Streets in London you cannot park in the evenings up till morning, it was a GLC thing bought in by Livingstone against, buses, coaches and HGV's. You can look for a storage place, but many are not cheap, best places are out of London A driver from Buses Excetera used to park his coach or bus he had been driving on St Matthews Road in Brixton as recently as last year until they went out of business. A Travel London driver on the 344 used to do the same on Brixton Water Lane but he stopped when kids boarded it and messed up the rear blind as well as set the alarm off one day. |
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Post by 6HP502C on Dec 8, 2020 2:04:17 GMT
Buying a bus:How do you go about buying a bus? Either look out for advertisements, or approach whoever has the bus you want and find out if and when it's for sale. Storage: Where do you look to find an appropriate place to store and maintain the bus? is it just a case of paying to keep it at a vehicle storage yard? Look for somewhere that is accessible, secure and preferably undercover. In this world, word of mouth recommendations trump Google. Maintaining the bus: My knowledge in maintenance etc is very very limited, how would you recommend learning the necessary skills needed? Is it better to have the skills beforehand or to learn as you go? I pay people who really know what they're doing to carry out work. Not worth the risk of messing about if unsure. I spend a fair amount of time in the shed at work and pick things up watching others work. I'd quite like to take a sabbatical and spend a good few months really learning the basics. Insurance:
is it a case of going with the mainstream insurance companies or a more specialist company?
Answered by previous posters.
Tools & equipment etc: What tools and equipment would be essential to have to be able to look after the bus?
Answered by previous posters. Also consider getting spare batteries, a boost pack and cowbell plug, clamps, tubing, sealant and recovery on speed dial.
*Just to clarify a few things if I was to do it, it probably wouldn't be for a few more years, I'm just trying to gather some information so I don't go into something completely clueless*
It's an expensive hobby and no trivial task. Things always need doing to keep a bus alive, even if it's not moving around. So long as you don't mind this and the money element doesn't cause headaches then it is rather enjoyable. Also think about why you want to preserve a bus. You're more likely to remain invested if there something about a particular vehicle or batch that you like, as opposed to buying something that means nothing to you.
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Post by YY13VKP on Dec 8, 2020 12:18:53 GMT
Recently I've been thinking about the possibility of preserving a bus at some point in the future,but information/advice online is fairly limited, so I thought I'd ask a few questions here in the hopes that some people in the know may be able to give a better general idea of what it involves and whether its a thing to consider.
Buying a bus:How do you go about buying a bus? Is it a case of contacting the relevant company to show an interest, is it hearing from people that know, or is it more of a case by case basis? Storage: Where do you look to find an appropriate place to store and maintain the bus? is it just a case of paying to keep it at a vehicle storage yard? Maintaining the bus: My knowledge in maintenance etc is very very limited, how would you recommend learning the necessary skills needed? Is it better to have the skills beforehand or to learn as you go?
Insurance:
is it a case of going with the mainstream insurance companies or a more specialist company?
Tools & equipment etc: What tools and equipment would be essential to have to be able to look after the bus?
That's all I can think of currently, sorry its not much my minds gone a bit blank . I'll add in some more if I think of anything. If anyone else thinks of anything to add then please do. *Just to clarify a few things if I was to do it, it probably wouldn't be for a few more years, I'm just trying to gather some information so I don't go into something completely clueless* Thank you for posting this, as I had the exact same questions to ask! If I can ever afford it, I'm also considering entering the world of preservation in the future. |
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Post by M1104 on Dec 8, 2020 16:45:14 GMT
Recently I've been thinking about the possibility of preserving a bus at some point in the future,but information/advice online is fairly limited, so I thought I'd ask a few questions here in the hopes that some people in the know may be able to give a better general idea of what it involves and whether its a thing to consider.
Buying a bus:How do you go about buying a bus? Is it a case of contacting the relevant company to show an interest, is it hearing from people that know, or is it more of a case by case basis? Remember to take into consideration the euro6 emission requirement, especially for London. |
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Post by orpingtonbusfan on Dec 8, 2020 20:53:50 GMT
Thanks for all your answers, its definitely given me a better idea of what it actually involves, and has shown me that it's not something I want to rush into without giving it some proper thought. That being said It's something I will still consider in the future, if and when I feel I'm ready to and if its the right bus for me  |
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Post by LJ17THF on Dec 8, 2020 21:09:57 GMT
Regarding the buying a bus question, this very forum could be useful! There is a thread on Ensignbus fleet movements, so keep your eyes peeled for the buses that you prefer . I wish you well on your bus preservation journey! |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Dec 9, 2020 12:31:18 GMT
Thanks for all your answers, its definitely given me a better idea of what it actually involves, and has shown me that it's not something I want to rush into without giving it some proper thought. That being said It's something I will still consider in the future, if and when I feel I'm ready to and if its the right bus for me One other thing, if you do not have a PCV licence you would not be able to drive it. Unless you passed your car driving test before early 1997 then you would have entitlement to drive a bus with less than 8 passengers. |
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Post by M1104 on Dec 9, 2020 13:21:30 GMT
Thanks for all your answers, its definitely given me a better idea of what it actually involves, and has shown me that it's not something I want to rush into without giving it some proper thought. That being said It's something I will still consider in the future, if and when I feel I'm ready to and if its the right bus for me One other thing, if you do not have a PCV licence you would not be able to drive it. Unless you passed your car driving test before early 1997 then you would have entitlement to drive a bus with less than 8 passengers. Do the relevant number of seats have to be removed? I was once told that about a large minivan but not sure how true that is. |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Dec 9, 2020 17:21:11 GMT
One other thing, if you do not have a PCV licence you would not be able to drive it. Unless you passed your car driving test before early 1997 then you would have entitlement to drive a bus with less than 8 passengers. Do the relevant number of seats have to be removed? I was once told that about a large minivan but not sure how true that is. I don't think the seats has to be removed. As there are many older enthusiasts do not have a PCV licence but a car licence with the old spec that allowed this, it also allowed to driver 7.5t vehicles. |
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Post by Catford94 on Dec 10, 2020 18:55:16 GMT
I don't want to personalise things by quoting, but some of what's been said in this thread about driving licences so far is not quite right. The rules about driving buses on car licences have changed quite a few times in the last few decades, but do seem to have been settled for a few years.
Although I'd seriously recommend at least some PCV lessons (even if you don't do the test) to get a feel for handling a vehicle that sort of size.
And not having a PCV licence (or a tame PCV driver) means you would not be able to take part in 'running day' type events (many organisers find having buses running but limited to 8 passengers to be more of an inconvenience than anything else.)
Vehicles over 40 years old are MOT test exempt - more at www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles - personally I was never convinced this was a good idea, and there's no way I'd want to rely on my own judgement (unless I had equipment similar to an MOT testing station) about things like the functioning of brakes.
To answer the original question, bear in mind that buying a bus is generally the easy bit. Paying rent on storage (which may be subject to fairly short notice periods) dealing with repairs / maintenance and so on are less easy, and I don't know what the future holds in terms of low emissions zones, or how the generation of vehicles where you need to plug a laptop in to find out what's going on will fare in preservation. (Having said that, I can remember people saying that nobody would ever go in for preserved Metrobuses / Titans / Olympians because they are too complicated.
Outside storage will be cheaper, but too many preserved buses kept outside end up gradually going backwards in condition even with some effort on the part of the owners, and that's if they don't suffer from vandalism.
Yes, there are a few insurers who do preserved bus insurance. There's one or two that advertise in 'bus and coach preservation' magazine, which you may find worth reading now and then, as there's usually articles about the practical side of restoration as well as just pictures of preserved buses.
For someone with minimal mechanical knowledge, then joining a presrvation group may be easier. Although bear in mind that most groups / museums etc have more than enough volunteers who just want to turn up and drive buses that someone else has restored, maintained, cleaned, taken for MOT test and so on...
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Post by capitalomnibus on Dec 10, 2020 23:11:02 GMT
I don't want to personalise things by quoting, but some of what's been said in this thread about driving licences so far is not quite right. The rules about driving buses on car licences have changed quite a few times in the last few decades, but do seem to have been settled for a few years.
Although I'd seriously recommend at least some PCV lessons (even if you don't do the test) to get a feel for handling a vehicle that sort of size.
And not having a PCV licence (or a tame PCV driver) means you would not be able to take part in 'running day' type events (many organisers find having buses running but limited to 8 passengers to be more of an inconvenience than anything else.)
Vehicles over 40 years old are MOT test exempt - more at www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles - personally I was never convinced this was a good idea, and there's no way I'd want to rely on my own judgement (unless I had equipment similar to an MOT testing station) about things like the functioning of brakes.
To answer the original question, bear in mind that buying a bus is generally the easy bit. Paying rent on storage (which may be subject to fairly short notice periods) dealing with repairs / maintenance and so on are less easy, and I don't know what the future holds in terms of low emissions zones, or how the generation of vehicles where you need to plug a laptop in to find out what's going on will fare in preservation. (Having said that, I can remember people saying that nobody would ever go in for preserved Metrobuses / Titans / Olympians because they are too complicated.
Outside storage will be cheaper, but too many preserved buses kept outside end up gradually going backwards in condition even with some effort on the part of the owners, and that's if they don't suffer from vandalism.
Yes, there are a few insurers who do preserved bus insurance. There's one or two that advertise in 'bus and coach preservation' magazine, which you may find worth reading now and then, as there's usually articles about the practical side of restoration as well as just pictures of preserved buses.
For someone with minimal mechanical knowledge, then joining a presrvation group may be easier. Although bear in mind that most groups / museums etc have more than enough volunteers who just want to turn up and drive buses that someone else has restored, maintained, cleaned, taken for MOT test and so on...
Software for many modern buses via laptop is readily available and may be easier for an enthusiast to diagnose than good old technician work. A lot of parts are plug and play on modern buses and also expensive. |
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dart
Cleaner
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Post by dart on Aug 21, 2022 7:49:18 GMT
Hiya! I'm considering preserving an ex London United SN51 Dennis Dart and I was wondering if anyone could give any advice?
Also, does anyone know of any storage in the Herts, Beds and Bucks area?
Thanks, Ed
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Post by capitalomnibus on Aug 21, 2022 9:03:48 GMT
Hiya! I'm considering preserving an ex London United SN51 Dennis Dart and I was wondering if anyone could give any advice? Also, does anyone know of any storage in the Herts, Beds and Bucks area? Thanks, Ed Try making sure you know you can secure storage first, this is the hardest part of the ownership. |
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. I'll add in some more if I think of anything. If anyone else thinks of anything to add then please do.
