1990 CROWN SUPERCOACH II GORGEOUS CLASSIC SCHOOL BUS ONE OF THE FINEST REMAINING

Description

1989 CROWN SUPERCOACH II CUSTOM BUILT 36 F00T REAR ENGINE 8.3 CUMMINS
My name is Al Jennings, and I seem to be on a mission to save every worthwhile remaining Crown Coach School Bus from extinction.  My collection of vintage buses is getting a little out of hand, so, I need to find new homes for a couple of them.
Since Crown Coaches were some of the finest, most beautiful and durable vehicles ever made, they literally put themselves out of business trying to sell new school buses to districts that already had a fleet of perfectly good older Crowns, that virtually never wore out!   Crown Corporation started business in the early 1900's and sadly, closed down in 1991, shortly after this coach was built.
This particular Crown is one of the very lowest mileage and is in close to the very finest condition of any remaining Crown Coach I know of.   I normally need to restore the vintage buses that I find, but all this bus needed was a wash job and a full service.  It is also a truly rare combination of body design and powertrain specifications.  It has the "new" Crown "Series II" body nose and rear tail cap design that they built shortly before they closed. (With the exception of the end caps, it's a Crown just like they built since 1949.)  Virtually all Super II's, as we call them, were built as a rear engine bus and were a full  40 feet long.  And most were powered by monster electronic computerized 6V92 Detroit Two Stroke diesel engines.  However, this bus was built as a shorter 36 footer, with a very tight wheelbase for super easy maneuvering. And it was powered by a really fast and super quick accelerating, rear mounted Cummins 8.3 non-computerized Diesel engine.  Not only was the Cummins faster than the Detroit, it was also still available in the non-computerized version, which is a big deal for durability and reliability!  The Cummins also weighed much less than a Detroit, which helped balance the weight distribution, and made this bus the best handling rear engine Crown I ever drove, as well as the quickest.  It is also the quietest Crown I ever drove, with neither engine noise nor rattles.  And, with less than 100,000 miles on it when I picked it up, it is one of the very lowest mileage surviving 32 year old motor vehicles of any kind.  If you are a collector, this is one of the most interesting and rare late model Crowns you could ever find.  And, if you want to make an RV out of her, you'll fit in to almost every RV park and you'll have the most durable RV, the most beautiful RV, the easiest to drive RV, and probably the ONLY RV that appreciates!  (Historically, over the last few years, Crowns have appreciated at about 20% per year.)
So, if you're planning on doing serious travel in your new bus, this has got your be the first choice, due to low mileage and condition, alone!  And, if you want beauty, style, lots of under floor storage, and the ability to tow large loads up steep hills, this particular Crown pretty much x's off all the boxes!  And if you want a Crown (who doesn't prefer a Crown??!!), this body style currently costs a bit less then the old end style Crowns.  This is a no-compromise, win-win-win-win choice.  (Best brand, best condition, best model to drive and best value.)  Add "best looking" and easiest to drive, to the mix and this bus is a "no brainer" decision!!
Here are several YouTube videos of this bus, to help you better visualize why it's so interesting:
https://youtu.be/XDUMeeeloXE
https://youtu.be/x6dJ8j-BYsY
https://youtu.be/2SvSDAIodNE
https://youtu.be/F7g1dzDdrb0
https://youtu.be/XDUMeeeloXE
https://youtu.be/fBiEVKzLyDU
https://youtu.be/g7n0wbz0ZC0
Here are some things you really need to think about before you hit the road.  Every week or so, you read about another brokenhearted family who hit the road in their newly converted bus, only to have a catastrophic mechanical failure in the first few days.  HEARTBREAK.   If you want to build an RV, you are investing a lot of money and time on your project.   It is insane to scrimp on the vehicle you build it on!  Get the best bus you possibly can, buy it from someone you can trust, and who has done all the shaking down, testing and repairs, servicing, and maintenance it might need.  Be EXTREMELY careful about partially converted vehicles that never got finished.  Many of those didn't get finished because the bus turned out to have serious preoblems!
I find buses that have been sitting for more than a few months, can be nightmares.  All the seals and gaskets seem to shrink, and everything starts leaking or coming apart after a few hyndred miles.  Best to get a bus that's been on the road and professionally maintained CORRECTLY, right up to the time you buy it.  I've gotten financially "upside down" in several bus restorations, due to neglect and sitting in one place.  They can be fixed, but we're often talking many thousands of dollars, after all the dust settles.  This bus came to me right out of the school district that owned it since new.  It was in daily service until COVID removed the need for the bus.  I was extremely lucky that a friend who lives near the school that had it, knew the bus and heard it would be for sale.  It was never listed at auction or public sale.  I've been searching out save-able Crowns for years, and have developed a network of friends and associates, who watch for the good ones to become available and let me know.  I've restored plenty of private party owned buses and "field finds" but they are much trickier to restore and far more costly to get right.  One bus that I recently bought out of a field, made it 50 miles and went up in flames!  Buy quality.  Buy properly sorted out fully serviced equipment. Don't cut corners on your travel bus, any more than you would by junk for your daughter to drive off to college in!
In addition to everything listed above, here are some important things about this bus that make it stand out:
1) With the engine in the rear, and the rear wheels set back, there's a tremendous amount of under floor storage, both open and enclosed.
2) The 36 foot length gets you in to a lot of RV parks that won't accept a 40 foot coach.
3) The short wheelbase makes this Crown almost as easy to drive as a car.
4) The powerful engine allows you to tow a vehicle behind the coach, without straining it at all.
5) Tires are all outstanding.  At around 0 apiece, that saves you 00 getting your coach ready for the road.
6) This bus just received a full major service done by J&R Diesel, the finest Crown repair shop in Southern California.  That included more than just fluids and filters.  Adjustments, sealing of oil and air leaks, wheel alignment, removal of steering wheel play, all lights checked and replaced as necessary, tune up, brake adjustment, and more.  That's over ,000 you don't have to spend, to put it safely and reliably on the road.
7) The paint has just been professionally polished and resin-sealed.
8) This is the tightest bus body I can remember.  There are virtually no rattles on decent pavement.  It's the quietest body and motor  I've ever seen on a Crown Coach.
9) The Crown emblems are intact (They get stolen and cost about -400 per set to replace!).
10) All air powered systems are serviced and free of leakage or problems.
11) The automatic transmission shifter is on a floor mounted tower, up against the front seat, where it's oh so easy to find in the dark.  Most automatic Crowns have weird upside-down quadrants sticking out of the dash.
12) You also get a tilt steering wheel and an air spring seat, for ease of entry and absolute comfort. And it has great legroom, something many Crowns lack.
13) This bus has outrageously low mileage, and has a super long life expectancy.
14)  This bus is a full 8 feet wide and about 6 feet 6 inches tall.  Plenty of headroom!
15)  And, very important....  It's a Crown.  The finest brand of bus ever built, and best investment of its kind.
I'm a huge vintage bus fan and invite any and all enthusiasts or curiosity seekers to call me any time.  I put on bus events around California and we do tours and caravans, help friends move their rigs, and have connections for repair, parts and insurance.  my phone number is 310 500  6574.  Call the same number if you want more information or help of any kind.  I also have drivers if you need it moved.  You will see numerous other buses of mine, in the edges of the photos here.  Some might be for sale at some point, as I thin down my collection.  Feel free to ask about them, as well.  If you need a larger bus, I also have listed, a stunning Gillig Phantom, the most desirable school bus ever.  Click on "See seller's other items" to check it out.  Both are in the finest condition, both mechanically and cosmetically, as I know how to make them.  The rest of the buses you see are waiting in line for their turn at getting restored, or are in the restoration process.  It typically takes me about three months to get a bus ready.  So, if you have the time, there might be some options upcoming.
There's never been a better time to hit the road.  With real do-able "work at home" options, outrgeously valuable real estate, home schooling a real possibility and cities getting harder and harder to live in; a movable home with all the amenities makes more sense than ever before!  And the United States is as beautiful a place as you could ever ask for....  We only live once on this planet.  It's imperitive we put ALL the joy and adventure that's available, into our (and our family's) lives!  And there's never been a better time to raise your children away from major cities and second rate schools than in this moment.  It's easy to sit through life and do nothing.  But it's heartbreaking to watch my friends die, with nothing to show for their lives except money.
I wish you joy, excitement, peace, love and satisfaction in your life.  If something I have created might accelerate your life's joy, please get in touch with me.
Thanks for reading all this.  Please go back through the videos and watch again.  Go to my YouTube site:  "Al Jennings Crown and Gillig Collector" to see me doing crazy things like making hot rods out of school buses, sharing details and history of buses, and generally having more fun than any elderly man should have the right to!  And don't hesitate to call!  If you're afrid you would have difficulty driving a bus, come visit me and I'll give you a driving lesson.  It's the most fun you can have, sitting down!
Blessings to you and yours!
Al