1948 Silversides Bus For Sale

What you should know about this bus

 

This is a partial list of my assessment of the bus. This is a bus that still needs a full restoration depending on where you are looking to take it.  This bus does run and drive and is not far from what in the antique bus world would be a daily driver. That being said it is being sold as is.

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This is the 7th Silversides I have owned in my lifetime and I have seen possibly hundreds over the years . This is one of the best silversides I have ever seen which is what led me to rescue the bus in 2020. I already own a prewar silversides in which I am fully invested in and bought this bus as a second or to pass along. With one bus and so many projects of all sorts, I have chosen to pass this bus along so that someone else can take it over where I left off and really enjoy the bus, it's history and everything it is capable of being. Here are the things that attracted me to the bus.

• This bus is very original on the outside and has much of the original character on the inside.

• Body - The body is in very good condition. The sides are very straight with no corrosion. There are very few protrusions in the original shell, and what has been done has been properly and tastefully. The front bumpers are straight, the original chrome pieces are still intact, it has the original mirrors (one glass broken and one has a crack), Michigan markers and so on. It does have a few dents that will need to be addressed in the rear corners and along the bottom side of the bus which is common for the age.  

  • The entire Body is stripped down to the aluminum . This is a huge job because of the original aluminum primer. This bus is ready to have the aluminum buffed or for its next paint-job. ​

  • The Interior is an 1970s era conversion that is quite nice for its era. If I had kept the bus, I would have worked with the existing layout and made it a period conversion. Many bus nuts went through this bus and everyone though it was pretty cool if you dig on the 70s conversion with brown fun fur to boot. We removed the rear bed in the rear to gain access to the manifold bolts when the head was removed and rebuilt. The back room will need to be redone but the walls and cabinets are workable. The interior light and electricity appear to be operational, we kept it plugged in often.

  • The Electrical system is original and in good condition for its age. All in all we spent over 200 man hours on this bus mostly work done by vintage bus mechanics, intercity diesel bus mechanics and enthusiasts . Time was spent cleaning and repairing original wiring and junctions . The primary advantage to having the wiring is the ability to utilize the original wiring diagrams. Currently the running lights are working, interior switches , much of the 120 and 12 volt for the conversion is operational.

  • The Suspension is in good condition, the leaf springs have been updated at some point and the majority of the springs are in good condition. I would add additional brackets.

  • The Steering is good, not great. It roles down the road and will likely not need anything unless you are looking for for very tight steering. The king pins appear to be in good condition. I only know it could be better based on my 41 which has perfectly tight steering.

  • The Shifting is the easiest and best I have ever experienced on a silversides. This bus is easy to shift which is rarely the case on a Silversides. My 41 is very difficult to shift by comparison and it's still within tolerances .

  • The Clutch seems to be strong and is easy to engage and disengage which will save your leg muscles .

  • The Engine had been rebuilt professionally in the mid 70s and has had low miles after the rebuild. We did need to have the head completely rebuilt by a large restoration rebuild shop in Minneapolis. The water pump had failed and we had antifreeze in the engine oil. The engine is now running strong but will need to have the old diesel fuel drained or run off and should have the oil changed out with Delo 100 and cleaned first (cleaner included). The engine is not overheating and starts right up.

  • The Batteries are new 8Ds and working as expected.

  • The Frame is in good condition for a silversides. It has had the expected fixes by Greyhound which appear to have held nicely. There is no substantial sagging at the rear. The main frame and bulkhead are in good condition.

  • The Windows are in good condition with a few cracking that will need replacement. The driver-side window has a crack but is flat glass and should be simple to replace. All the frames are in nice shape and they appear to be all there which is rare.

  • The Brakes are working well, we spent time on air-leaks and everything is holding as expected. The rear brakes have been updated to the modern brake chambers so if you loose air pressure the bus will stop. The original parking break is still in tact but you will need to reconnect the linkage to have both systems operational.  

  • Water intrusion Leaking - The roof is in nice condition and should not require any waterproofing. There has been some leaking long ago from one of the roof vents. I have not witnessed any water or dampness .

  • The Exhaust - The exhaust appears to be very solid and the mufflers and manifold is solid as well. the bus does have an exhaust leak from the manifold to the muffler at the rear of the engine. I have been told this is a standard coupling that can be replaced while on a hoist by a medium sized person .

• • Air Conditioning - Has a 70s rooftop unit which is untested and has the original coach air which is totally set up in its original form. All the original AC electrical is in place. This is a separate 4 cylinder Carrier engine that is untested.  

  • Heating - The bus still has its original heating systems in place including the cabin circulation fans. I like to use the original coach heat rolling down the road, particularly good for cold climates. 

  • Tires and Wheels - The bus has the original split rim wheels and old tube tires that hold air and role down the road. They are in poor condition and depending on the agreed price the bus will include a full set of Alcoa aluminum rims with older but very solid Michelins with excellent tread. 

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It will need or could need

• ​Engine work - The bus runs well but needs to be dialed in after the head rebuild, drain diesel and run cleaner through engine and change oil, then run the engine a few hundred miles. Any further tweaking .
• Restoration - This is a great bus but it has only begun a full restoration. We spent 100s of hours working on this bus which is not reflected in our pricing. There is no question you will be in a great position to continue this work and realize the full potential of this Silversides. 

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