My First Scenicruiser - Honeysuckle Rose - PD4501-598

Let's just say, when I start researching something, I dive in and it turns into an obsession. This is also true with my hunt for knowledge quest to acquire such a unique and awesome vehicle. So I joined a number of bus forums and Yahoo Groups specifically founded around Scenicruisers.

At this time I was just freshly married when I began chatting with a man who lived in North Carolina regarding one he had for sale. I met him through one of the Yahoo Groups. I asked for a couple of pictures of the bus and this is what I was sent: 

I must have been naive, blind, or both, because even after receiving these pictures I wanted to go out and take a look at it. I suppose it could have something to do with the fact I had never seen one in real life before. 

It was missing a transmission, in horrible disarray and disrepair, and needed TONS of TLC. But, I convinced my wife to let me go, talked with a friend who was willing to come with me, and on Sunday morning of Memorial day weekend, we left to drive from (just south of) the Chicagoland area to where this bus was located in North Carolina!! Let me just say, I have one AMAZING wife and a heck of a friend who helped share the driving as we drove straight there and straight back! (We even made it back home it time for work on Tuesday morning!!) 

It was dark by the time we got to where the bus was in North Carolina. We made a pit stop at a local Home Depot in North Carolina before they closed and bought some flashlights in anticipation of checking out the bus in the dark. Well... these are the pictures of what we found: 

Now, while I was still wide-eyed (and bushy-tailed) I knew that this bus was just a bit above what I was ready to take on at that particular juncture of my life. I had a number of hurtles if I purchased this bus. The first is that the seller was wanting $5000 for it!!! YIKES!!! Way to much for what all it needed. (And let me tell you, it needed EVERYTHING!!!) Second was that the bus was located in North Carolina and there was NO WAY I could have ever gotten it running and road worthy to make it to Chicago! It didn't even have a transmission!!! So, it would have to be towed all that way and would cost a nice sized fortune to do that. Doable I suppose, but not in my "recent college grad with lots of student debt and newly married" budget. Third, I had no where to park it at the time, nor a garage to store it in. So, I sadly and reluctantly, had to pass on purchasing this bus. 

Now, little did I know that this particular Scenicruiser is number 598 (PD4501-598) and it has quite a history. This Scenicruiser's name "Honeysuckle Rose" and was a pretty big music star! It was featured on a number of album covers and even in a song!!

(For more information on this bus, please visit: http://www.scenicruisers.com/scenicruisers/pd-4501-598/)

This is that very bus back in its hey day (Quite the juxtaposition to the condition I saw it in. WOW!):

The Beginning - Bus Lust

It all started shortly after I had graduated from College. I was living with a buddy of mine and I found myself looking at bigger trucks and vehicles for hauling; namely Centurion conversion F-350's - Now these are not any ordinary F-350 as they have not 4, but 6-doors!! 

(Source: http://oppositelock.kinja.com/npocp-6-door-7-3l-turbodiesel-f-350-for-20k-1560741339)

Now, I have no idea why I got so lost in the obsession to find a bigger, better, more manly vehicle, because as a recent college grad I had very little money and only a Ford Ranger in my possession... so, what exactly did I need a bigger truck for? I knew this made no sense at all and even though I had nothing to haul I still had "big truck" envy - the Ford Ranger just didn't seem to be cutting it for me. Nevertheless onward I plowed with my internet researching. I got so intrigued with vehicles hauling trailers that I started "Google-ing" "Car Haulers" and that was the begging my my addition to the Scenicruiser. 

Listed below is one of the images I came across within a YouTube video. I had never seen anything like this before. I was immediately hooked! What is it? How old? I had to learn more!!

As the "Google-ing" continued, I soon found what this amazing piece of machinery was called; The GM Scenicruiser. As I continued on, I scoured the web for more information along with trying to find ones for sale and how much they might cost.They were built by General Motor's Coach division for Greyhound from 1954-1956. Only 1001 of these miraculous machines were produced and they carried 43 seated passengers and I believe up to 10 standing. These were used all around America. Some even ended up going over seas. The model name of the Scenicruiser is PD4501. The "PD" stood for Parlor Diesel, as it was originally produced with two 4V71 Detroit Diesel engines that were mated together by the transmission. (Eventually these were replaced in with one 8V71 Detroit Diesel. The 8V71 was not ready for production when the Scenicruiser was revealed) The "45" stands for the amount of passengers it could carry... which was changed with the addition of the lower level restroom. This bumped the 45 passenger seats down to 43. The "01" in the model number stood for the series of the bus. Being that the Scenicruiser was the first 40-foot bus produced by GM and the first 40-footer allowed on the American road ways (Big deal at the time), it was the first in the new series.

I even joined a couple of Yahoo groups who's sole purpose is to talk about these buses; their uses and stories about riding them back in the day along with going over the proper care and maintenance of them today. 

Needless to say, I was addicted!!