Ok today is my birthday and I AM 45 whoa! Mid 40's now.SO in short figure why not show some of my old school(no pun there either) things I was into as a young man.Well in high school soph yr started driving a school bus as a substitute.So my junior year I got my own bus and route and drove up to my senior year and then got a full type position driving and working in a school up till 1992. The pics are my first bus #270 a 1977 international loadstar 1600 with a 345 two barrel,and Allison 545 automatic.The pics are kind of fuzzy but I scanned them in and the older pic show as it is light.I did add mudflaps and a personal plate on the front which was a airbrushed pic of my bus and the slogan on the plate was (ONE BAD BUS)! Clean freak back then and probably worse now after well many years of practice.At this point I would be happy with just good health,be happy and well winning the lottery would be nice but the 1st two are more important.Just sharing some 27 year old history of my youthful days since I seem to be a year older today.Thanks for checking and enjoy some real ocd clean bus pictures.I ruled the school system with literally the cleanest bus ever as no one could touch my level of detail.Ron the 45 guy now.

Happy birthday!

That's funny you were the clean bus guy - at the high school I went to there was one bus that was immaculate every day, and it was also the only one with chrome wheels. The driver kept that thing spotless.

I always thought that if I drove a bus, mine would be like that one!

That's got to be a ton of work tho to keep it that clean.

Happy birthday, now where's that fountain of youth you've been hiding...

Happy B-Day !!

You are definitely one-of-a kind buddy!!

Never hear a story like yours. Never ever saw a School Bus with OWL tires! (Slicked up no less!!!)

We gonna have to nick you "Hot Rod Ron"

Ok, after lookin' at these photos I am almost afraid but curious to see what your rig be looking like!! You surely started making deliveries from the very beginning!

Yours has been quite an interesting journey


.

Keeping it clean was easy for me.While it was big and I did hand wash this bus everytime.It was my weekend ritual to luster it up.I will add I wiped down my bus every day,swept it twice a day and recleaned any windows with any mess on them.I assure you your kid would NEVER get any cooties on my bus it was straight up disinfected from my clean freaky ness.Thanks and the ageless look is a family thing one I am glad to have.I have more pics and will add them later showing my other buses I drove like for summer school and once I traded up to a new bus(I had some clout) with that happening.Thanks guys and today I had a really easy work day,went to one of my favorite stores to deliver and no aggrivations!!!!! I am not worn out,just tired from being up well 13 hrs.

Is anyone else amazed they let a student drive the school bus, or is it just me?

Happy Birthday, Mr. Clean!

Happy birthday Ron! I'm with Orlen about your rig I'd like to see how you keep it up. Who knows everyone it might be a big rig that looks like something from Trick My Truck.

I have pics of two of my former trucks I drove soley everyday.Now with the company I am with we slip seat so,pretty much anyone drives the trucks available.I however have like 5 favorites I drive and they assign trucks out,so no picking However with ME they do tend to let me choose which tractor I want IF it is available that day.I do keep the units I like pretty clean inside and out and each day once done,I wash the entire truck to leave it well better than I got it unless I drove it the day before.I will dig out some pics to pop up here like Thursday as I have none on my computer.

Wow!

Cool Story Ron. Happy Birthday!

Belated Happy Birthday Ron!!!
Nice pictures of your old ride. But you also forgot to tell every one that you also worked in a bus factory at one time. So I guess it is no surprise that you own a bus project now.. Well someday when you win the lottery you can have all the time and money needed to get them all perfect.

Same here, time and MONEY.

Happy Birthday!


And what a bus......


http://www.autorentalandsales.com/images/2004Cavalier005.JPG

Ok 1st thanks for the belated.Now I covered my past in the high school dept but fastforward from 1995-1998 I did work for Thomas built buses of high point nc.I worked in the chassis division doing work on new pusher style buses.Engine in rear and came from the body plant and then we added options to were installed after the chassis was bodied.I was road tester and fixed what ever our division was responsible for and then became a crew leader over seeing a group of guys and ensuring we got everything to the letter done RIGHT! Not bragging but my crew was the best of the 3 total and that was a kind of known thing but,not always said directly(secret or something idk).Clearly it was my direction that got things right.Now as for the couple of pictures of 1 of the trucks I drove each day and ME only this does not show the shear clean freak I am completely but I had to dig to find this.Now my FAV daycab I am working on finding those pics as it was CHERRY! It was yellow of all colors imagine that.And also the personalize airbrush plate was a pic I shared elsewhere and figured I would show as I had this on well bus 270.I certainly take things to a level that just wow people at what can be done.Crazy a touch too.

I had a friend that worked for BlueBird in Buena Vista building buses along with his dad. BlueBird packed up and went south of the border. Is that what happened to Thomas too?

"Squeeky Clean" Hot Rod Ron!! Kinda has a nice ring to it! Hahaa ....well , at least I'm workin' on it

Nothin you can really do about school buses they are all Yellow, Hmmm Orange has some yellow in the mix too. I am wondering if you got just a little of the same thing going on that I have about my color Blue

No doubt whoever hires you Ron they are definately getting maximun value for their money!! I pitty that lazy fellow that gets on your crew!

Thanks for sharing!



.

Ok found 1 old pic of my 1997 international daycab.My mom has some better pics which I will have to get showing a better shot of the whole truck.The pic here is when we added on to our house in 06/07 and I had just finished washing it up.Thomas buses is still here but they were acquired by freightliner or Daimler/Chrysler after I left and they are a union company now.The bus industry is tough bc it really relies on well purchases of new buses to stay busy and not lay people off.Idk how things are there are today but,the good side is I moved up and on and I learned a ton while I was there.Thanks orlen and I cannot say I know ANYONE is clean on my level in my friends,coworkers period.I just have been a super clean ocd guy since a young N.