MCI's Forgotten bus | WHAT THE F?
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- čas přidán 10. 08. 2021
- MCI has made many different models of coaches over its years as a bus manufacture. There was one that a lot of people had forgotten about. In this video we will take a look at a coach that once served the streets but has slowly faded into a forgotten past. The MCI F Model.
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Checkout the video made a while ago that i mentioned in this video. MCI and Greyhound's G model.
• G is for Greyhound | T...
Sites I used to research this video:
www.busesandmore.com/mci-mode...
cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/Motor...
busmag.com/the-evolving-mci-p...
www.busconversionmagazine.com...
busmag.com/wp-content/uploads/...
Clips used from other CZcams Channels:
White MCI F 3500
• 2003 MCI F3500 36 Pass...
BLACK MCI F3500
• 2002 MCI F3500 36-Pass...
MCI F3500 restroom
• 2002 MCI F-3500 36 Pas...
DINA F12
• El INTERIOR y EXTERIOR...
DINA F14
• DINA-MCI F14 Turistico...
Happy to say I had the experience of driving an F3500 on a few charters and I enjoyed driving it. The suspension was excellent for a short wheelbase bus, much better than the older 35 foot Van Hool’s (not sure of the model #). As I recall, there were some issues with the A/C and it didn’t stay very long in the fleet.
I rode on the F3500 back in the 90’s. David Thomas Tours (now David Thomas Trailways) had a few in their fleet. We went to Providence R.I. to a lobster feast and we had a F3500. I like the bus. It rode nice. I’m surprise the 35 Footers STILL have a hard time in the U.S. Market. Even when I was a kid we had 35 foot Flxibles, GMC fishbowls, Neoplans, even to TODAY with the Vanhools, Temsa’s, and the new MCI J3500’s. A lot of charters has smaller groups. I went to a Lobster Feast weekend charter 4 years ago and we had a Prevost H345 and only 29 people went. YES “29.” You would think a lot of tour operators would “welcome” the smaller coaches.🤨
My dad drove for Greyhound for 40+ years. In the mid-60s I remember him pulling into the Greyhound station in a different looking bus. It was single level, and later I asked about the bus and he said it was an "MCI".
The Charter coach company I worked at had a few of the Dina Marcopolo Three axle coaches. Which if I recall could get in and out of tight places. Even in downtown Chicago. But I also remember see the empty shells up at MCI, when we took coaches in for repairs. And thinking that they would make a great camping bus.
My favorite bus, There are still many of those working in small tour companies here in Mexico, I'm about to start mine and I want to start with one of those Marcopolo Viaggio coaches.
The F3500, and all 35-foot motorcoaches offer a unique platform for aftermarket mechanical innovation. I have yet to see anyone swapping a monster Cummins X15, Volvo D13 or Detroit 14 liter S60 into one and seeing it go Transwarp up a hill.
Greetings from Costa Rica, ever since I was a kid I’ve always liked buses, and remember having many 1:64 scale bus along side my hot wheels, Matchbox, Maisto and Majorette.
And while I don’t work on bus company, I work on the website on a mayor collectibles store here in my country, bus I still now a the play on bus driving simulators on the ps4, like Bus Simulator 18’ and
Bus Simulator 21’.
In case your interested here I list some of the models use and used in Costa Rica for urban longer routes.
Daewoo Bus BF 106
Daewoo Bus CRD340 DM1734LR
Daewoo DM-1724L
Daewoo Mauco DM1734
Daewoo Mauco M2000 DM1724L
Daewoo Mauco M2000 DM1721LR
Daewoo Mauco DM1734LR
Mauco Mercedes Benz OF1218
Mauco Mercedes Benz L1117/48
Mauco Isuzu CH660
Mauco Hino RF821
Casa Delfin Mercedes benz LPO1113
Marcopolo Allegro 05 / Volvo B58
Marcopolo Allegro LN / Mercedes Benz OF-1620
Marcopolo Allegro LN / Mercedes Benz OF-1721
Marcopolo Torino 2011 / Mercedes Benz OF-1721
Marcopolo Torino / Volkswagen 17.230EOD
Marcopolo Torino / VolkWagen 17.230 OD
Marcopolo Paradiso 1200 G7
Marcopolo Paradiso G7 1050 2013 / Scania K3 60 4x2
Marcopolo Andare Class / Scania K340
Marcopolo Viaggio GV 1000 / Mercedez Benz O-400RSE
Mascarello GranVia Midi / Mercedes Benz 17.230EOD
Mascarello GranVia / VolkWagen 17.210 OD
Mascarello GranVia IV 2015 / VolkWagen 17.230EOD
Comil Svelto Unibus / VolkWagen 17.210EOD
Comil Svelto / Mercedes Benz OF-1721
Comil Campione 3.45 2014 / Scania K-380
Busscar Urbanuss / Mercedes Benz OF-1721
Busscar Urbanes Plus / Mercedes benz O500M
Busscar Jum Buss 340 / Volvo B 10M
Busscar El Buss 340 / Mecedez benz O400rse
Busscar El Buss 340 / Scania K-124 IB 3x2
Bonluck JXK 6132 / Cummins ISD 270
Bonluck JXK 6133
Bonluck JXK 6150
Higer KLQ6128GL - Comimins ISD270
Higer KLQ 6129 TQL
King Long XMQ 6133Y - MAN 19.400
Golden Dragon XML6125J33C / Cummins ISDE270
Yutong ZK6130HGI
MASA C11 / Cummins 5.8
Ayco Sigma Blue Bird FE / Commins
and you can see some of those buses use and used in Costa Rica here
busesenblancocr.wordpress.com
and the FB profile
Autobuses Costarricenses
Hope you got a nice day.
I got to travel on those old DINAs, I can still remember the purring sound of that engine. From what I've heard, DINA stopped making them after it was made easier for foreign competitors to enter the Mexican market. That's when the Mercedes, Irizar, Scania and Volvos, among others, entered the market with more modern buses, and DINA had to drop the vintage bus design, in favor of more attractive ones.
You did a super job. Stay safe and enjoy the road. We will have to talk about my photo I didn't know I looked that old. You shouldn't take pictures of people when they're lying down. I'm not quite a footnote yet. LOL it might have been a mummy though I don't know
You certainly do your research, appreciate what you put out. Today in Santa Barbara California I noticed a Amtrak bus that was a Volvo. First one I have seen, didn’t even know they ran a Volvo.
That would have been a 9700 which is marketed in America by Prevost
PREVOST is owned by VOLVO. So that’s an easy arrangement. I’ve noticed VOLVO logos in the drivers area on H3-45’s
That’s the reason why PREVOST uses VOLVO engines now. Makes sense to keep things internal.
I drove the Starline coach #400 shown in the video and her sisters 402, 404 and 406. It was OK around town for shuttles. The engine was very underpowered but on level highways it could manage the speed limit. The wheelbase was too short for the interval between highway expansion joints making it buck like drugstore mechanical bronco at speeds above 40 mph. Uphill in the mountains, it became a right lane obstacle barely able to maintain 25 to 30 mph in a 60 mph zone. The Jake was also way underpowered and unable to maintain safe descent speeds leading to excess service brake usage. The headlights were similarly underpowered, so night driving was a choice between lower speeds or out driving the headlights. It is the one coach I refused to drive along with most of my fellow drivers. The company replaced them with a 35 on the Freightliner chassis which were replace with the Tempsa 35.
The bus in the clip beginning at 7:43 is almost assuredly a bus that I have driven. The clip appears to be from Northwest Bus Sales and I worked for the only operator in the area that had the F model in our fleet, and I most decidedly drove the coach pictured at 9:12. In addition to coach 400 (pictured) we had an even more rare ADA equipped version that could accommodate 6 secured wheelchairs. I can't say I was a fan because as a driver you were out in front of the front axel and with the short wheel base even the slightest road joint would start the coach bouncing and you might as well be on a trampoline.
I know how it feels. Lol I run a concrete pump on a twin steer cabover Mack MRU. A good bump on the interstate will throw the contents of my shirt pockets across the cab. I'd be surprised if the entire truck isn't completely off the ground at times.
I agree, a short wheelbase bus seems to always bounce all over the road, but the F3500 was better than the older Van Hool 35 footers. They would make you seasick. 🤢
Great insight James,I see similar trends in transit buses also,with three decades behind the wheel.our transit co.purchased 30 foot Orion buses in 1980,thinking better on fuel,and short routes,however savings on fuel were very insignificant,just not as good as the tried and trusted 40 foot bus,on a side note I wonder if buses can or would look and increasing width,sure would help with seating comfort.Btw nice to see tribute to 40 year driver at start of video.
You have a great way of teaching, James.
Another Grade A video. I always get excited when I see that notification from Motocoach World.
Hi James! Great video! It's funny because I just picked up an old copy of Bus World magazine from October of 1999. They have a article on the New MCI F series. Not sure if you have the video on the Facebook page yet but I'll try and put some pics up for you on there. Stay safe my friend.
Thank you for sharing this video. I didn't know there was Torsilastic suspension. It looks excellent.
Love the oddball buses. I travel by bus frequently while in The Phillippines. They have a bus called the Golden Dragon Grand Cruiser that was a very comfortable bus. Another bus company I used is Ceres Liner and they build their own buses. If you are over 5-5 there is no leg room on most of the buses. Fascinating seeing different types of buses traveling around the world.
Thanks for the very interesting story. Nobody liked shifting a 35 foot GM Buffalo, but they were sure handy. Very easy to maneuver in crowded locations compared to a forty footer.
I came across your CZcams Channel recently and found your videos very interesting and related to them very much in my experiences. Although I have a very small fleet at our small town college here in Wyoming I too had an F3500. I really liked that bus however finding parts and tech support from MCI was like find a needle in an haystack. So i brought our college out of the 90s and early 2000s and sold our MCI buses (DL-3, 102-B3 and F3500) and upgraded to a pair of Volvo 9700s and Temsa 35 which I am very happy with. On a much smaller scale I not only purchases our vehicles I train drivers, inspect our buses, do some small maintenance, do a rescue trips and manage schedules for our teams going to there events. We had a Eagle Model 10 at one time which started me the road to being a bus nut with a serve case of OCD making sure our fleet is safe and reliable . Thanks and keep up the good job I enjoy it a lot.
I love those 35' coaches. If I were an owner of a company I would keep a couple on hand. Of course I never have driven the F or J 3500''s, but the Temsa model is "Spot on". I like these because it is almost like driving my car. Easy to maneuver in tight spaces,, and on the streets, make turning corners much easier. Also MUCH better than a GRESH or a Cutaway.
I remember first seeing the F3500, and could see the Viaggio in it. It shares the same windows, and that long window right after the door. I even have a few photos of a brand new one in lower Manhattan. Its funny though how MCI and Flxible are so interconnected yet being different.
Im not sure if you know of LAG Coaches...a neighbor of mine had one and got to drive it around once. He also had a Dina (its why I thought of the LAG). Rare sights even back then.
Cool episode. One day you gotta do the imfamous GM threat to big banks about Flxible and their new look bus. That was a nice story that is quickly being forgotten. All just to avoid being broken up by force.
Excellent video. Was always curious about the F3500.
Just waiting for the day I see a Peoria Charter coach in Denver
Excellent as usual. Thanks for showing my comment on the BUS CONVERSION MAGAZINE board. A great bunch of people on there. Yes, timing is pretty much everything. DINA did have the VIAGGO here in the late 1990's into the early '00's. I think that was to give MCI a lower cost coach in the lineup. I can't remember the last time I saw one though. I think MCI and VAN-HOOL are doing the right thing by offering a 35' model based on their respective existing platforms that way operators have some uniformity. Interesting that 35' coaches fell out of favor for so long so this gap needed to be filled. For several years that was done by building buses on van cutaway cab/chassis and heavy pickup truck chassis. Something like that may work for hotel/rental car/ airport shuttles and perhaps geezer hotel and church group uses but not over the road coaches.
The F series is rarer than a SS Enterprise crew member in a Red shirt getting beamed back up!
😂 😆 LOL
Wow that was cool to learn about the flexible portion of the video. How about now with a lot of companies using minibuses? It seems the minibus market is cheaper to use and maintain.
I loved the F Series bus that I drove for Badder Bus in the early 2000's. The only think you had to watch was that the door goes down before it slides, get too close to the curb and you hear a horrible grinding noise as it opens. Passengers riding in the back seats sometimes complained the engine and transmission was noisy though.
Hey! Nice video, very interesting to know more about this coaches. But about F3500, I dunno, I can see some influences there. The side view is a short version of Viaggio 1000 and looking the back looks like a Galleggiante from the manufacturer called Comil from Brazil.
Very interesting video. I've always been a bus enthusiast , thanks for explaining that point in MCI's history.
I worked for a charter company that had about ten of the 30 and 35ft. Temsa coaches. Made in Turkey with Cummins/Allison power trains in them. They were well made but definitely lacked luggage space for multiple days on the road. I’ve heard that Temsa filed for bankruptcy protection a few months ago.
Great video and writing this week as always! Love the title 😅
Thanks again James, great video! I had no idea about the Flxible and Dina connection, learn something new everyday! I have a friend that has a 1986 Dina Olimpico that is a rv conversion from new, they are quite cool looking.
Great video, thanks.
Very informational video. You certainly did your homework on this one for sure. I guess in America "bigger is better" still rules the roost. Thanks for sharing.
I love this MCI F Clase but no bus no buses aren perfecto.
I just rode on this bus with presious cargo t railways and it was nice
Very cool coach. The body looks like the Scania Marcopolo G5. Great video sir
I always enjoy your channel James! I’m a car guy however I’m becoming more and more of a bus nut with every video!
It looks like the headlights were sourced from the pre-facelift E39 BMW 5-Series
9:13 Hey that’s my company! neat picture, where’d you get it? I also don’t think I’ve ever seen that coach, I’m pretty sure we no longer have it. As far as I know, we no longer have any 35 foot coaches, with the shortest we run now being 40 foot.
Seems like releasing only the 35 foot in the US market was definitely the downfall, anything shorter than 40 foot in the motorcoach world just seems to be pretty rare, at least from my observation.
Hey! That's awesome. I actually got the photo off of Wikipedia. That's cool that your company's bus is on Wikipedia!
Am I a bus nut now? Hahah some how your channel has got me into buses!
In the 90s the Mexican bus manufacturer Dina was associated with the Brazilian bus bodybuild manufacturer Marcopolo to sold their buses/coaches(Viaggio) in the north american bus market
I am Brazilian, and i think this mci f-series bus remind me to the Marcopolo Viaggio coaches
I always wondered what happened to that model bus
That F bus did look like older Mercedes bus
These buses remind me if the Viking coaches made by New Flyer I think those looked similar and and were 45ft
Another exciting episode! You really could be a movie producer James!
Cindy!! You are too kind. Thank you 😊
Mci also had the short version of the G4500. The G4000 was also around the same time as the F series
Yes except the short versions of the G model were call the G4100 and they were just over 40 feet long
For some reason, the rearend looks nearly identical to our Freightliner X-Line based General Coach buses. I guess it's just some no name mulitstock body parts
Are those 35 foot long buses classified as a minicoaches and plus those dinas looks like an old city bus
Is it size? Design? Marco polo ,Buscar ,Comil Why we don't have those kinds of coaches in the USA?
I 100% agree. Way to travel.
This is a bit off topic but you know the enviro 500s in ny and other parts of the US. enviro 200 single deck and 400 double decks with a lot of enviro 300s and an enviro 500 all these are buses in the uk
Torsilastic suspension was definitely a great advancement for bus manufacturing. Too bad it isn't very common these days given our current technology.
Mercedes Benz, Volvo and Scania buses are even a rarer sight than the MCI F series buses within the US.
Watch Dog 2 they have motorcoach that are 2 axles as well.
I forgot to ask. As long as you’re covering smaller buses, have you done a video on the BLUEBIRD Q? They were sharp looking buses.
Not yet. But is on my list. Thanks for the comment
I love dina Olympic buses
The F model looks a little bit like the Prevost H series...especially in the front.
@0:38 my underwear has never been changed
Eeww 🤔😉😂
Shout out? In diesel school start as a mechanic at a shuttle bus/ school bus company.
Hey Send me a pic of your self! I would love to give you a shout out. Jwang@peoriacharter.com
some things stop getting better and actually get worse so they can charge more for replacements :P
Well it seems your featuring the worst of the coaches made by MCI. The F3500 was a budget coach that was a flop. My customers hated them ( we had three). Very cheap interior that rattled a lot. Not to mention it fell apart.
I would buy a F3500 disappeared as fast as the J3500. both good buses.
🚌 🚛 😏
Mci f4500
I like those Dina Viaggio GV1000 czcams.com/video/H6k-At1AY2c/video.html czcams.com/video/GoWQwtJyFKE/video.html czcams.com/video/NjuZMxMjdLg/video.html 3 dinas in Las Vegas
MCI lied to everyone that bought the F series... including the entertainment industry who bought them as shells for use as conversions to fit a niche market. MCI assured all customers that they were committed to the line and would continue to produce the coach... did not happen.
39th viewer lol
😅😅
Noticed that bus your in has pax seatbelts.... interesting, are they required by law??? Jeez smh...... lol
Hi Douglas. they are now required by law if they are 2018 or newer. The older coaches are grandfathered in.
@@MotorcoachWorld that makes sense, thanks for the info!!! Keep up the GREAT videos!!!
Do not put down your glasses with the lenses down. Ever. Please don't. It ruins the surfaces.
first?
First.. lol lol
Mexicans and diesels let alone vehicles at all - hahaha hahaha! The Evolution doesn't work these way!