1987 Thomas GMC School Bus 366 V8

1987 GMC school bus with a 366 V8 and Allison AT-545 automatic transmission. Listen to that trans whine!

[@CLHardy44]

First bus i had was an 88 GMC 366 auto. Loved that one

[@gajda1984]

international 345 gassers rev real hard! once third gear hit that 345 roar takes over the melody! my old school district had all of the gas trio brand Chev/GMC, Ford and IH. i was lucky enough to be alive during the time when gas power was a big option!!

[@prestonmackey498]

Same here with the trio. Granted, my first elementary school only had 4 buses (2 Ford, 2 IH), but we had 2 Chevys as substitute buses in the district. They were the older ones - they didn’t even have the amber warning lights. It was the 4-way reds and the white pennant stop signs for us then.

[@prestonmackey498]

I remember that whine all too well. I’m from Hyde County, NC, and I remember riding 2 buses with that whine when I was in elementary school. The first, Bus #1, was a Thomas Chevy (likely around the ‘82 model year). The second, Bus #7 was an 80s Thomas International Harvester. We had another Thomas ‘82 Chevy, Bus #2 that was in service at that time, but I never rode it, and I’ve only seen it actually driven a few times. So I can’t remember if it had the whine or not… Crazy I remember those buses. This was about 30 years ago…

[@CLHardy44]

I run a private bus fleet and one of my buses came from Hyde NC. It's a 96 IHC wanna say number 113

[@prestonmackey498]

@@CLHardy44It would be either 112 or 113. Those two came to my school when I was in the first grade - in fact, 112 became my bus.

[@donnelson1213]

I use to ride this bus when it was bus-122

[@DAUNTLESSDIVERS]

This is the best video of that AT545 whine! I listened to that sound every weekday for several years (early 80's) always wondering why it sounded that way. Great video.

[@donaldnelson2097]

When I was 5yrs old I used ride the same bus when it was a chevy when I first went to school when it was bus-122 where I first met Celeste Savage & my brother used to ride that bus too

[@doct0rnic]

Ever since I was a kid, I loved the sound of that transmission

[@bamaslamma1003]

Perfect bus to make a skoolie. Wonderful music to drive by, Chevy 366 big block and Allison AT545.

[@crmcknight7]

I’m verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. This video. And that 1 > 2 chirp. The whine. Put me to sleep, calming sounds.

[@donaldnelson2097]

That 1987 gmc thomas school bus sounds like the old bus#122

[@bellakeshialynn]

Back in my school days, my alma mater had buses with 366 engines. Bluebirds were the top ones. They rocked!

[@eth39232]

My church in Daytona Beach, FL once owned a bunch of 1984 GMC Patriots with 366's and later replaced them with 1987 GMC Blue Birds with diesels. Those 366's really moved.

[@kaiyoshi2243]

Can't believe I never commented here. Sorry about that. Whew! She's a whiner alright. Sounds like that 366 wound up to almost 4000 RPMs on that last accel. My GMC only gets up to about 3600 at full throttle, but it's a 427ci. Maybe that's the difference. Great vid! Thanks for sharing.

[@drkhntr00]

366 was a great motor for low end torque alot of them had a govenor on them since they were industrial vehicles take that off and itll start movin, not to mention they have a much shorter stroke than most big blocks so they last alot longer under even under heavy stress

[@sethpayment]

Man do I miss that sound from my old school bus... Wish someone could post one that was stereo quality... I'd make a soundtrack out of it...

[@WheelofFortuneFan91]

I love the sound of that Allison automatic transmission.

[@bellakeshialynn]

My school years (1992-2005)

[@ClayBenTreeceJr.]

+Alexandra Rae Me Too (1992-2005)

[@prestonmackey498]

Similar for me. I rode one of them in 1994 or 1995 (Thomas Chevy), and again in 1999 (Thomas IH).

[@Intelliguy]

My district still uses some of these buses, but they use mostly International

[@gajda1984]

now that brings back memories! gas buses were still common and around when i was younger! i remember i used to ride a ford 370 with the same tranny. you've got to make more videos of this bus if possible!

[@gajda1984]

they all sound sound the same, all gas internationals, fords and GM chassis with the AT545 sound pretty much the same. when i was in elementary and middle school at least half the buses where still gas powered. fords chevy's and internationals, i had the privilege of riding in all three. nothing beats the sound of a big block mated to the AT545!

[@prestonmackey498]

Rode in all three makes as well. Although the Fords didn’t have them. At least one Thomas Chevy and one Thomas IH did.

[@shnorth888]

We had a 1978 GMC/Superior school bus with the same type of auto transmission as the above. It was mated with a GM 366 v8 Gas engine. The auto shifter was located to the left side of the drivers left leg. GM later moved their auto shifters to the middle of the dash in 81 or 82

[@prestonmackey498]

At least one of the Thomas Chevys in my district when I was growing up had the shifter on the left as well. I have no reason to believe the other three didn’t as well.

[@lyfelegionalpha9118]

I wrode on the gmc ward small and long bus back in 2000 it was a hell of a ride cant forget those days

[@gajda1984]

please show more of this bus! i love the melodies of gas powered buses mated to Alison AT545! brings me back to my childhood.

[@MrCliffda3rd]

Rode most of these back in the late 80's early 90's. That Allison whine took me back, and that vinyl smell :*)

[@B58PMCSA]

WOW!!! that almost sounds like a ZF transmission, in alot of older transit buses.

[@mgj2005]

That's a GMC 6000 chassis, almost equivalent to the Chevrolet C-60 chassis.

[@Chevyc608.2]

best driving bus ever made

[@oldtwins]

lol, i remember used to thinking busses were hot rods and should blow away all the cars on the road. Thinking back, our drivers were quite insane, taking turns too fast and speeding!

[@JBW929]

They were slow LOL. A lot of drivers shifted the automatics manually, which allowed them to build speed faster.

[@gajda1984]

it pretty much IS equivalent except for the grill ornamentation.

[@gajda1984]

Carburated. i think the 366 TBI was installed in 1990 on GMC Topkicks and Chevy Kodiaks.

[@Righty736]

Carburated or fuel injected?

[@SPS148669]

Same sound a 26 foot Uhaul

[@impala3607]

It sounds like it runs on propane

[@gajda1984]

nothing of the sort. its got a gas GM 366 big block v8.

[@donaldnelson2097]

That 1987 gmc thomas school bus with a 366 v8 engine reminds me of the old bus #122

[@donaldnelson2097]

Also owned by Grace Hurley