1989 Newell Motor coach

[Gold Talon]

I have seen a Newell motor coach for sale but know nothing about them, so I want to get some input. If anyone has information or knowledge about this brand please give your input. It has a 8V92 Detroit with a Allison transmission. Just over 100K. Is this a quality coach or is it just more sticks and staples?

[luvrbus]

Newell's are built like a tank from the ground up no outside buying of chassis they go head to head with a bus with no problems built in Miami OK by Karl Blades a new Newell will cost you 1,400,000.00 big bucks and unlike the bus converters he has a backlog for his coaches

good luck

[Van]

Good coach, I see they are missing one in their inventory http://www.newellcoach.com/flash.html

[happycamperbrat]

Was that Newell or Newhall Tank?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Other-Makes-M114-APC-Command-Reconnaissance-Carrier-/280644740334?pt=Military_Vehicles&hash=item4157bae4ee

[bevans6]

http://www.newellclassic.com/

brian

[boxcarOkie]

Like Clifford says, "they are built like a tank" and well worth the money, they have never built any two exactly the same, NASCAR drivers are big buyers, they have a current back log of about three or four months, that should tell you something, everyone else is going down the tubes.  

MIO (Made In Oklahoma)  Newell is still running strong.  They use bridge frame construction, lay two sheets of steel out on the floor and go to work from there, very safe, reliable and no one has never died in a Newell as a result of major traffic accident.  I saw one that was picked up and tossed across the parking lot in KC once, it didn't fare to good body-wise, but the structural integrity held together.

We travel with some friends that have a 94 model and he has no trouble keeping up with me at all, and consistently does better at the fuel pumps to boot.  Newells' are okay.

BCO

[Gold Talon]

Thanks for the input ! I will be looking at this bus soon, and will keep you informed.
Thanks again.
Tom

[RichardEntrekin]

Tom,

I suggest you go over to newellclassic.com and join. It's just a friendly group as this one, and you can ask some owner answered questions about that era coach. In my unasked for opinion, you cannot touch a DIY bus conversion with the same engine and tranny, same fit and finish, as you can buy a used Newell. Ok, I have my fire retardtant drawers on, flame on.

If you go to Miami or call them on the phone for help, you will be amazed at how they treat their customers. First, they have on site parking for the coaches with full hook ups. Second they treat you as old friends whether you are in a 30 year old or brand new coach. Third, they give you free reign of the entire place. Go in any building, watch the coaches being built or worked on. Any tech will talk as long as you want to talk and answer any question. Most have been there for decades. I actually talked to guys who built my coach. Their business model is quite different than most and I think it helped them weather the storm. Their philosophy is customer for life and they walk the talk.

In addition to the great answers already given here. I'll be the first to say it is not a passenger coach converted. It is however a tubular steel superstructure that completely encompasses the coach in a cage. They are not sticks and staples. The engineering of the chassis and components does not change but about every 10 years so the design is well thought out and proven. You already know what the engine is. The tranny will be a five or six speed Ally, and the running gear will be Rockwell probably.

I have had mine for four years and I do all the maintenance my self. Very very few Newell unique parts. I source my stuff from truck supply places, home depot, or McMaster Carr.

Here are things to look for. Rust is not normally a factor, but always look. Do look at the interior walls were the front and rear caps meet the aluminum siding. The juncture can leak and deteroiate the plywood walls. It's not a deal killer, and it doesn't happen often, you just don't want to get surprised. It will probably have gas furnaces, and they probably will require some TLC to get them back to new. Many threads and sources listed on the newellclassic site.

The paint is Imron. My 95 looks new with minimal buffing.


PM me if you want to chat.

[luvrbus]

I was speaking with Karl last week he told me he was waiting on a new DD-15 engine to start building Roger Penske  a new coach,that guy can buy anything but chooses a Newell 


good luck

[TomC]

WOW! I'll be really curious to see what a DD15 will get for fuel mileage in a bus.  I know from actual fleet figures that there is no other engine (of 2010 certification) that gets as good fuel mileage as the DD15.  With one of my fleet accounts, 5 Freightliners with DD15's and 5 Volvos with D13's were compared with fuel mileage.  The Volvos got 6.6mpg, the Detroit got 6.9mpg.  Doesn't sound like much, but then factor in the difference of the 50,000 mile oil change for the DD15 vs the 25,000 mile oil change on the D13, the DD15 burning about 2% DEF-the D13 burning about 2.6% DEF and at the end of a 5yr/600,000mi truck lease you have a savings of just over $21,000.00 per truck.  Now multiply that by 10's or 100's or even 1,000's of trucks in the fleets.  Needless to say that Freightliner's order board is rather full now.

These savings are just about the same when compared to the Cummins ISX 15 liter and the International Maxxforce 13 engine (and that's including DEF burn since International doesn't use DEF).

If I were using a new engine in a bus, I'd use the DD13 since it is a bit smaller then the DD15 and still produces 470hp and 1650lb/ft torque.  Even though the DD13 does not have the turbo compounder (a second turbo after the main turbocharger that is geared into the engine that produces up to 50hp for free when climbing a hill), the turbo compounder actually pulls some power to turn it when on the flat.  Hence with light loads, or driving on the flat, the non turbo compounder equipped DD13 will actually get better fuel mileage.  But-for overall engine life, the 455hp with 1550lb/ft torque DD15 is the lowest power the DD15 puts out (560hp and 1850lb/ft torque is the highest-DD16 is 600hp and 2050lb/ft torque) and is the choice of power for most fleets.  Hence it should last a long time before overhaul.

[luvrbus]

TomC, Karl has no access to the DD-15 Roger is buying the engine guess he has access  lol and Roger doesn't want a 625 hp ISX Cummins that is standard in a Newell

[RichardEntrekin]

So Newell has an interesting dilemna with the ISX 625. It is my understanding they have to derate the engine in 1st and 2nd to keep from over torquing the Allison transmission. They did offer a ZF auto shift that would handle the fully rated engine , but I heard that many could feel it shift, and it wasn't an option that many wanted.

All of that is just wishes and fishes for me. I like mine just fine. What I do know is the stock 60 will push it down the road a LOT faster than I feel comfortable. Cruising at 75 doesn't seem to push the engine at all.

[Gold Talon]

Well my wife and I took the day, or most of it, and looked at the Newell. It is a repo. that has not had good care. has about 130K on it. There is some separation of the plywood around the entry door. and the siding on the door is coming loose, needs to be pop rioted back on. The door does not fit the frame properly so I think someone has broken into the thing at one time. The interior needs to be re done and there was no batteries so we could not hear it run. The quality I/E fit and finish was very good when assembled in the factory but the lack of care and maintenance shows. That might be why it was repoed, the man did not care about the coach. I was impressed with the manufacturing of this machine. There are too many unknowns for me to take on the project so I will keep looking. Thanks for your input. Tom G.

[Skykingrob]

Tom
I actually owned an 89 38' Newell. I sold it to a man who flew into Springfield from Alaska and drove it back to the Kenai Penninsula. Got an email a week later, made it just fine, no problems.
As all have said they are built solid, especially the "classic" which the 89 is. As others have said, almost everything in the coach is not a Newell product and available from various sources. I once had the generator fan stop cooling and shut the generator down. When I opened the bay where the fan is on the right front, the half moon key that held the motor shaft to the fan pulley had come out and was gone. I stopped by a Tractor Supply store, bought a new pin, put the pulley back on the shaft, restarted the generator, the fan started and away we went. That repair cost me about a $1 and 1 hour of labor in the Tractor Supply parking lot. The other one was going through Atlanta. I was in the 2 nd outside lane running 70 mph towing a car. We hit a bump in the pavement, the engine quite dead. I managed to coast to the outside shoulder out of traffic. Went back to the engine compartment, looked around for a while. I found a wire with an alligator clip dangling. I traced that wire back and it joined with another wire that ran to the fuel pump. I put the alligator clip back on an open post and virum, the engine started right up. Someone had forgotten to removed the clip at some point earlier and I had driven it about 60K miles with the clip on it. The bump was bad enough to snap it off. I removed the clip, crimped on a ring fastener, put it on the post and put a nut on it. When the coach left Missouri for Alaska, it had 115K and was running great.
Those were the only two repairs we had in the 80K miles we put on it other than routine maintance.
Richard is right, you can go in over there anytime and receive "personal service" unlike anything available anywhere else. We still get the newletters and the rally information even though we are not owners anymore.
The only negative for the 89 is the front cap overhang. It catches all kinds of bugs and after a long trip takes some time to clean up to look nice. Other than that, they are great coaches. If I had not wanted the challenge of building my own coach, I would own a Newell, hands down.

Rob
91 Prevost LeMirage
Missouri

[Gold Talon]

Rob
    I do agree that the Newell is a great bus I just do not th ink this one is for me. You can see the add on Craigslist in Seattle, RV and type in bus. The cabinets are a light blue and everything seems to have  been abused. JUst not the one for me.