Bus & Land Cruiser

OLD SCHOOL BUS

Meet my 1960 Bedford J4 bus. It has been apart of my life since 1995 and I use it for many events around NZ.

HISTORY

NZ Motor Bodies built the bus on a Bedford J4 cab/ chassi imported from England
Originally working for the Department of Education as a rural school bus
Operated by Emerson Motors in Oxford Canterbury from 1960 to around 1993
Running 750xR20 cross ply tyres ( Now on 825xR20 Radials)
In 1960 its capacity was 46 seated and 17 standing primary children
Its original Bedford 214 Petrol engine had been replaced with a Holden 308 V8 petrol engine running on LPG
At some point around the engine change it was painted yellow and black like a USA school bus
In 2014 I painted it back to its original Department of Education colours of cream and red.

FACTS

It’s my home
I bought the bus in 1995 when I was 17
I spent the next 2 years restoring and kitting it out
I converted the bus at David and Alison Meier’s farm, parents of a school friend, they used to call me, “ the boy who came for 2 weeks and stayed for 2 years” .
Solar electrics, one 23 year old 63 watt solar panel
260 amp hours of batter storage - Lead carbon gel
Gas hot water, cooking and fridge
300 liters fresh water stored in old copper hot water cylinders
150 liters waste water
Toilet and outside shower – awesome hot shower
Weight 7.3 tons, with a max loading of 8.1 tons
Recycled wood interior of Rimu and Matai
I built it all myself with plenty of advice and ideas from some amazing people
Pot Belly wood fire – Masport Yukon
Drives beautifully and can pull the speed limit easily on the flat
I replaced the engine once and might do it again
Main current project - replacing the outer sheet metal and re-painting

1994 Toyota Prado Land Cruiser 70 series KZJ78