Hi All

I know this has kind of thing has been posted here before but I am looking to purchase a RM for preservation.

Would prefer RM over an RML and ideally be in original LT condition; must also be in good working order.

Any info on vehicles currently for sale would be much appreciated.

David

Hi David,
Not many 'original' RM's for sale at the mo and when they are they do attract premium prices . Why not go for a refurb RM/RML ? They have advantages with newer engines , rewires and heating . You can make them look 'original' with the above advantages .
Engine spares are more difficult with AEC's these days.

Mark

My bus number (if any): RML2391

Thanks for the advice Mark; the availability spares was a concern so I would definitely consider an 'original looking' referb.

David

AEC engine spares have virtually all been used. there is also the problem of metal fatigue setting in on the AEC engines. This was highlighted by London General about 20 years ago when they started rebuilding AEC engines.

We done a couple for them and both suffered broken crankshafts.

I don't know of any RMLs for sale at the moment, but ours may be at the end of the year. Refurb interior, new seats, Cummins engine, rebuilt gearbox, PSV class 6 ticket expires 28/2/13. Most panels replaced...

My bus number (if any): RML2532 Keeping Europe's Routemasters on the road.

If you do end up falling in love with an AEC RM, check what make of electrical and fuel injection equipment is fitted. If the answer is Simms - walk away this is probably one reason the bus is for sale. Absolutely nothing wrong with Simms gear,in fact it was, and is, better than CAV in the opinion of many who know. But, if trying to find spares, then you will likely have more luck obtaining a fresh Dodo bird's egg.

There are at least 3 RMs for sale at the moment, look on Ebay one in the USA and at least one in the UK. There is also one (RM 58) for sale in Nice on the French site leboncoin.fr. Look for bus anglais. It lacks seats but is in original condition AEC engine.

The majority of the RMs equipped with Simms electrics were also Leyland engined buses and it was the difficulties in getting parts for the Simms equipment that led to many of them being selected to be dismantled in the mid 80s.

My bus number (if any): RTL 960 RMC 1458 RM 1585 and several RTs

If you do a Google search for "Routemaster for sale" you get a few listings. There's RM272 (showing bonnet number "RM 236") for sale in California for 18,000 pounds and and unidentified RM in Belgium for 15,000 pounds. Getting both back to UK is the hard bit but not insurmountable.

I also see that RM759 is also for sale on EBay at the moment for 20,000.

My bus number (if any): RLH62

I don't know about others but I think £20.000 is a little ambitious for a vehicle which doesn't sound like, from the description, whether it has a class 6 or not.

I sounds like another case of somebody trying to make there money back which is very hard to do in any preservation project.

My bus number (if any): RML2344

I wouldn't suggest getting an RM back from the US as it's probably been heavily modified; the same applies to RMs that have been in Europe, but at least they'll be a bit cheaper on shipping costs.

If you think £20k is dear for an RM, see my thread on the euro60k RT that went on eBay the other week. the buyer now had a modified Lodekka on there for euro150k!!

My bus number (if any): RML2532 Keeping Europe's Routemasters on the road.

Actually Roy the RM I mentioned above looks pretty straight and as it was exported in 2002.

http://classiccars.com/listing-88623/1960-aec-routemaster-for-sale-in-tarzana-california-91356.html



I can't go look at it as it's 4000 miles away on the left coast!

My bus number (if any): RLH62

If it's a "recent" export you may be lucky then.

My bus number (if any): RML2532 Keeping Europe's Routemasters on the road.