When I drove bus I drove a '74 with a 345, a four speed, two speed rear, and a 65 passenger Blue Bird body. It was anemic with a load but the visibility was outstanding and if you used all of the gears and rear ended like you should it wasn't bad. The old ladies that ran them loaded and went straight through the gears and didn't split third complained. We ran those bias ply deep cleat tires from the Co-op on the rears. They would really get to rumbling.
The thing I liked best about stepping up to an '86 Ford (bus 31) was the body improvements but I hated that high back sears were mandated. With the low backs on the '74 I could see everything going on. I don't recall the 370 in the Ford being any more gutsy but it sure didn't cook you out like the IH. When I started the bus company I ran only Fords, but would have run those Loadstars if they were still that style.
Those '74's were the only buses the district owned that weren't Fords. If I remember right there was some kind of strike and the chassis couldn't be had by Blue Bird, and we SURE couldn't have anything other than BB. Buses 46, 47, 48, and 49 were Loadstars. Kind of odd to see them setting with about 75 fords. I kind of thought they were always neat looking and running old buses. That 345 never failed anyone. It seemed most of the Fords got a reman engine at about 90,000 miles. None of the loadstars ever needed a rebuild. The district was all rural and only ran about 150,000 miles before they aged out.
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Today's Featured Article - Restoration Story: Fordson Major - by Anthony West. George bought his Fordson Major from a an implement sale about 18 years ago for £200.00 (UK). There is no known history regarding its origins or what service it had done, but the following work was undertaken alone to bring it up to show standard. From the engine number, it was found that this Major was produced late 1946. It was almost complete but had various parts that would definitely need replacing.
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