AUDIO RECORDING OF.MIAMI DADE 1979 THOMAS FORD B700 SCHOOL BUS

Folks here is an audio recording of retired Miami Dade School bus #144015 a 1979 Thomas Ford B-700 bus with 370 V8 gasoline engine and Allison AT-540 transmission. The picture of the school bus is from a bus that was at ebay a few weeks ago .Folks bus #144015 was recorded in 1988 this was a sub bus for that day our regular bus was the 1987 Blue Bird IHC S-1800 bus #147720 with the 9.0L engine.

[@mw101376]

This brings back memories of my elementary school days. Always thought the transmission whine was cool. Rode on these fords, the gmc, and the Wayne’s. We had more of the GMC Thomas buses than just about anything. Too bad they don’t make them like this anymore.

[@sethpayment]

Our school district up through my Junior high years had 12 IHC Loadstar / Carpenter Coaches... All of them used Allison Automatics and all of them ran 392 v-8s... That sound could put me to sleep, man did I love just listening to the Allison behind a quiet gasoline engine just doing its thing... Funny thing was if you rode in a diesel coach be it a transit or a conventional from the 70's or 80's they all made tht distinct tune.

[@MisterMikeTexas]

In the 70s throughout the 80s, Fort Worth ISD's bus fleet was predominantly International Harvester-Wayne. Dallas County School's fleet was probably same. I remember those distinct transmissions that seemed to be in many busses regardless of chassis brand.

[@timbuktug3321]

Childhood memories these Ford and GM buses were the best!!!

[@david123321ism]

Love the screaming and powerful sound this engine makes.

[@anthonyholmes195]

Transmission

[@tristangardner3889]

My school didn't have very many Ford buses except for a 1984 Ecoonoline handicapped school bus. But when I was in my elementary school days, almost all the buses were gasoline-powered with an Alison AT-545 four-speed automatic transmission, and they were all from GMC or Chevrolet. Two of those were International buses. Most of the buses were manufactured by Bluebird, but one GMC bus was a Carpenter bus. Depending on the position of the wipers, the grille, or even the sound of the whine of that transmission, I could tell which bus had which number instantly during those days. We slowly transitioned from gasoline powered Bluebird buses to diesel-powered Thomas buses. Then we transitioned to air brake buses, also from Thomas.

[@Krg8485]

I remember riding a 1985 Carpenter Ford (Dayton Public School bus #107) from 1993 to 1996. (3rd to 5th grade) It had a 370-2V gasoline engine with the Allison 545. These sounds bring back a lot of memories of the 40 minute school bus ride.

[@TheSpazModic]

This bus is from back when you could actually hear anything over the obnoxious noise of a blown diesel engine. But I did like the sound of the old 9.0 IH diesel V-8s in the 80s. They had a neat growl in their exhaust note.

[@JackMustang]

It’s to bad they don’t make these kind of school buses anymore. I would want to buy one for family reasons. I hope to buy one of these someday.

[@gajda1984]

Sounds awsome! Fords were always one of my favorite, of course I rode one from grade 1 to 5th grade.

[@dragonpullman23]

I was born in the year this was recorded, I didn't get to hear too many school buses that sounded like this growing up, but I remembered hearing it at one point and the sound stuck with me as to what I thought all school buses should sound like. When I lived in Hawaii, I got to hear these transmissions very often, but it wasn't the school buses that sounded like this, it was the open air tourist trolleys owned by "Waikiki Trolley".

[@MisterMikeTexas]

I remember riding on buses with manual transmissions. One time the driver put it in granny low. I remember that gear going"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr".

[@MarcosAR]

My favorites were the 345 internationals and the 7.3L Navistar Diesels and the old Ford engines.Before i went to school on the public school buses i used to go on private school bus a 1973 Wayne Ford school bus with automatic transmission and i miss those old sounds we used to cruse close to 85mph on that bus i remember the hood used shake and look like it was gona fly off that bus when ever we pick up speed like that scary but fun.

[@TheRenard10]

I'm getting sentimental hearing the school bus sounds! Wish I drove one myself!

[@rts9100]

This Ford sounds just like my truck I used to drive....this is what I was telling you!

[@donaldnelson2097]

I use to ride that bus when it was bus-429s substituting for bus-75.

[@MrJacMac1968]

I remember riding on bluebird International bus # 18 to grammer school back in the 1970's in.It had that same transmission sound.I loved hearing it.

[@MrJacMac1968]

Our bus was an International

[@kalonjirivers8902]

I remember riding a GMC Ward bus #99 back in 1987, and I was the age of 8 when I rode it on the 14th day of April that year. Once I rode that school bus that day, I was soooo fascinated by those high-pitched engine sounds. I also realize the sounds of that engine was also used in soft drink and beer trucks back in the days, too. What is the name of those whining sounds of those gears? And did they make cab-over-engine school buses with those sounds as well?

[@maplemanz]

these sounds bring me back to the late to mid 70's growing up.

[@Thebusdriverandgamermorefan790]

I remember when Miam-Dade used to have some good old buses back in the day dude.

[@8v71buses]

Man if im not mistaken i think Clayton County just south of Atlanta had these exact buses plus i remember them sounding just like this. Awesome!

[@MarcosAR]

Well the Fords were kind of slow on the freeway only ran around 53mph but our regular bus was bus #147720 a 1987 Blue Bird International S-1800 with 9.0L engine wich ran around 55mph but the 1975 Blue Birds Loadstars with the 345 V8's and the 1979 Ward GMC C60 with the 366 V8's on the highway would pass us by like we were just standing there.

[@Life_of_A_Man]

Unfortunately, my district didn't have a lot of Ford buses. They mostly ran a fleet of Internationals in the Carpenter, Ward, and Bluebird configurations. There were more GMC/Thomas or Bluebird configurations with a few Carpenters sprinkled in compared to the few Fords I knew. They didn't buy their first diesel bus until the new Millenium. I heard a lot of screamin' Allisons behind those V8s. I can tell the GM, Ford, and International gassers apart just by listening... I spent all of my school years in one district and I only knew of 4. It's possible that the district might have more before I started school there. Out of all the Fords, 2 were Wards and the other 2 were in the Bluebird configuration. They were all gas-powered and had the screaming Allison automatics. I think the Bluebirds might have had the bigger engine. I remember them being obnoxiously louder and not as polished as the Wards. I did get to ride on the 2 Wards but only for 2 short field trips. I remember them being meticulously kept and one had an alarm and the other one had a radio. They were the smoothest buses I ever rode in. When my district started to replace its aging fleet. The Fords were the first to go. I was crushed being a Ford man. I'm not sure if it were a reliability issue or what. They did hang on to 2 older GMC/Carpenters with 366 V8 and the screamin' Allison automatic.

[@JBW929]

I didn't hear the usual Ford air brake sounds

[@anthonyholmes195]

That squeak when releasing? Not to mention the old Ford diesels we had here when you set the parking brake,it made a squeak too.

[@MisterMikeTexas]

I started in special education in the early 70's. In K thru 6th Grade. It was a private school that used Fort Worth ISD's bus service. I guess the district's own schools were tier 1 in priority, and got the new-late model International Loadstars with power steering and Allison automatics. Us special ed kids in those early days got the older busses from the 60's that were almost used up. They were older Ford's, Chevy's, and one of them was an aging Dodge, all of them were stick shifts, and the old Dodge especially was prone to breaking down. The engine even caught fire once. But in Second Grade, we got a late model IH short bus with the Allison. As the 70's got underway, the late model IH's replaced all the older busses.

[@HoodAdventures]

Those were some loud buses in school.

[@MarcosAR]

No the DT466 7.6L engine is an in line 6 cylinder engine the 9.0L is a V8

[@calvincrews3885]

safety bus service use to have gasoline powered school buses with AT 540 Allison transmissions back then before diesels were the standard in new Jersey I've rode the international wayne school bus from Richmond Avenue school to uptown complex school for swimming lessons years ago

[@jmkpns]

I heard these gas models would actually outrun alot of the later diesel models.

[@josephthornton4206]

jmkpns I drove an 85 with the gas engine and Allison transmission. It was much faster than the slow Cummins diesel that the later models had.

[@nicholasmedovich8691]

I remember one of those buses being involved in a chase with FBI and police. Movie was called sudden terror hijacking of bus 17. Does that movie ring a bell to anyone??

[@lakesadmin3622]

Yes, I have it on DVD

[@MarcosAR]

No the public school buses down here didn't have those engines. The engines that were around at the time that i made my recordings were the gasoline 366 on the GMC's the 370 on the Fords the 345 on the Internationals and the Diesel engines were the Navistars 9.0L , 7,3L and the DT-360 engines that started to show up around here in 1988.

[@gajda1984]

Yeah I really like 345s. I only rode a few 345s, most of them were sub buses. They were all Waynes. I think a few had 392s or 404s. The newer ones. You know, I don't know why I never recorded the buses I rode!

[@jmkpns]

I used to like the sound of the 1980- 1987 International diesel school buses we had in the 80's where I live. Im not sure what the engine was, but I liked the sound of the engine and when they would drive off. Is the 9.0L that DT466 engine?

[@donaldnelson2097]

Sounds like bus#429s

[@616ist]

The 370 replaced the 330,361,and391..Tha 370 is a 429 with a smaller bore-Just like the Chevy 366 is a 427 with a smaller bore.

[@kaiyoshi2243]

Awesome! Thanks so much for posting this. Fords were my 1st favorites, They were always comfortable to drive, with easy to reach controls. But any bus with a tranny that sings like a fat lady on stage is my favorite. lol

[@gajda1984]

I'll bet the 73 ford had a 361 big block.

[@MarcosAR]

Oh yeah

[@kaiyoshi2243]

@MAR1NAB5180 Amen!

[@hippyhillbillie2958]

The Ford pictured does not match the audio. That's a 1985-94 Ford diesel pictured.

[@MarcosAR]

I know. I couldn't find a picture of the original buses at the time that I uploaded this recording and still haven't to this day. so I used a photo that came almost close to it .

[@gajda1984]

@JBW929 Hydraulic brakes.

[@thekarlkeeper8727]

Bus 8000.

[@asulca593]

those are hard shifts