Hi I hope someone can help me with this. I am thinking of buying a '74 diesel coaster bus. Anyone have any idea if parts are hard to get and/or very expensive. I will only have my pension to travel so will be doing it on a shoestring. Cheers
Hi Tr ,depends on which model coaster but yes mostly everything is available ,just don't go to the guy in Woodend because in my experience he is a ripoff , a later model 89+ would be better but in saying that mine is a 83 ,There are a couple of 80 models here at greens and very well set up . Just personal choice and what you can afford ,you can always make it homely.
More than anything else have it checked out very thoroughly for rust by a panel beater, that knows what to look for as many are rusted out and full of panel beaters bog, used for a quick short term fix.
Cheers
David
Thanks exa. Good to know. I had a look at it this morning and it's actually an '84 model. Really rough and I probably would have to spend another couple thousand on it on top of the purchase price of 3000. He is expecting to sell it today though so bad luck for me. If he doesn't he will ring and it's mine. Do you think it a fair price? Thanks and cheers
More than anything else have it checked out very thoroughly for rust by a panel beater, that knows what to look for as many are rusted out and full of panel beaters bog, used for a quick short term fix. Cheers David
Hi TropicalRose,
I agree totally with this. I have looked at quite a few Coasters over the years and failed them because of rust. If they have been near the beach a bit then the seams rust out everywhere. Unfortunately people like to stop near the beach !! Any vehicle this old will normally suffer from rust so it is a big issue.
The mechanicals may be easier to fix if you can find a mechanic who will work on it for a reasonable price. Otherwise it may be too old and worn out to be worth it. You must check them too or you may be buying a money pit.
Sorry to be a prophet of doom but I have seen plenty of old campers become a liability to a low budget hopeful.
Yep $3000 isn't too bad , rust is a bit of a bugger but is probably repairable , depends where it came from as to how much and deep it is. I have had ours for 18 years now and get into the bodywork occasionally , but I wouldn't be without her.
