About Fun Fleet Bus #5003

Ok, let's talk about these buses. In 1963 LAMTA discontinued streetcar and trolley bus operations. They needed 300 buses to do this. They had ordered 200 from Flexible and because they couldn't provide enough buses, they ordered 100 5303s. Now George Powell, famous superintendent of maintenance, was never happy with GM and he really raised hell with them over these 100 buses. 

First, he wanted them to continue using the "dip shift" control of the VH transmission; GM refused. He had a list of modifications to these buses. Air intakes at the rear of these buses had to be on the inside. Also all the side windows were to be screwed in with plastic screws and no hinges. Only buses built this way. George Powell also told GM "we will no longer be buying buses unless they are equipped with V8 engines".

The GM people laughed and said the New Look was not designed for that and they would not do that. In 1965 SCRTD (replaced LAMTA) ordered over 100 buses from flexible which were delivered with Cummins V8 engines. The story goes that GM engineers flew to Los Angeles and were met at the airport and given a demonstration ride on their new Flexibles...that could run 70 MPH on the freeway. Needless to say, the GM engineers were devastated. 

GM reportedly flew its people back to Pontiac and ordered the next bus off the line be set up with a V8 engine. This was TDH-5303-4581, a bus I also purchased. It was one-of-a-kind as GM actually had to lower the engine cradle to make it fit. check out bus 625 for details on that.

Now these 5000 series were some of my favorite New Looks. When delivered at Division 2 in Los Angeles, they were met by the California CHP which wanted to not allow these buses to be in service because the windows were not hinged. George immediately came over and had a mechanic kick the window out. It fell right out so the CHP allowed them to be in service.

Another cool thing about these buses as they and the mufflers mounted behind the rear bulkhead and the old oil bath air filters which gave them the best sound of all fishbowls. We used to call them "Hooverliners" because they sounded like an old vacuum cleaner. Also, George being upset with GM because they insisted on the new power shift for the VH transmission. George had the shop convert all 100 buses back to the dip shift type used on 5301s. He claimed it made the high gear clutches last longer. These buses were so unique. Famous bus driver, Tom Helliwell of SCRTD loved these buses and insisted on driving them every day which created great controversy with the management. Now that's ANOTHER STORY.