A 1973-1991 GMC Suburban located in Dearborn, Michigan.

This one is likely to be a 1989-1991 model, produced during the tail end of production for this generation of the SUVs; because the dashboard has the faux wood trim in lieu of the satin trim found on 1973-1988 models.

I’d rather that this particular one be in better shape without there being any rust on the body whatsoever.

Though I am a Democrat, the focus of this post is CBS’s coverage of the 1980 Republican National Convention.

Again, though I am not a Republican; this political convention is far more interesting and is of far more importance than the Hockey games that normally take place at this stadium.

CBS had Storer-owned affiliate WJBK-TV feed the coverage to the network at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City, and the Broadcast Center in turn; had fed the coverage to the rest of the affiliates nationwide, including the Storer stations in Cleveland, Atlanta; and in Milwaukee.

Walter Cronkite had interviewed Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States; regarding Ronald Reagan nearly choosing him as his running mate in lieu of George H.W Bush. This had never materialized.

This was also less than 12 months before Walter Cronkite had retired in 1981, and had ceded the position as the anchor of the CBS Evening News, and as CBS’s lead anchor to Dan Rather.

Even though this International 3800 chassis & cowl has the engine that I don’t like powering a Medium-Duty truck-the 7.3 liter IDI Turbo Diesel or the T444; the chassis & cowl is mounted with a dealer plaque from Weiland International of Bay Cay, Michigan with the International Harvester “IH” logo.

Weiland International dates back when the company was still International Harvester, as the Weiland family had first opened the dealership when the company was it’s former self.

School Bus 95 – Au Gres-Sims School District Surplus

Source: Public Surplus: Auction #1651062

This article by PBS’s News Hour talks about the Democratic Convention of 1992, during a better time than the present day; when compared to the Democratic Convention of 2016.

This week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia will have a “back to the future” feel as another Clinton readies to become a presidential nominee.

Source: How Democrats have changed since the Bill Clinton years

Though again, I am not fond of the Freightliner FS-65 chassis & cowl, this particular chassis & cowl is one of the last school bus chassis to be produced with a manual transmission.

The manual transmission, along with the Dayton wheels; are features that seemed to disappear on School Bus chassis in the early 2000’s.

2003 FREIGHTLINER – Braxton County Schools Surplus

Source: Public Surplus: Auction #1645101

Even though I am not fond of the Freightliner FS-65 chassis & cowl, this is one of the body lengths and seating configurations that I would prefer on a Ford B-Series or International S-Series and 3800 chassis & cowl.

04-3 School Bus – Shepherd Public Schools Surplus

Source: Public Surplus: Auction #1653329

A current-generation International 3300 chassis & cowl with a current-generation Ward/AmTran/IC body, a 2005 model year already being auctioned off due to it having the problematic VT365, one of the two diesel engine that Ford had ceased using in their Super Duty pickup trucks and in the Econoline; along with the equally problematic MaxxForce 7, and had designed their own 6.7 liter Turbo Diesel V8 engine to utilize instead.

Also, this bus is already being auctioned off likely because of the problems that are very common with a Ward/AmTran/IC body- an underbelly that is very prone to rust out and does not hold up well to corrosion, the wooden part of the underbelly that forms the floor of the inside of the bus rotting easily; and these bodies also being susceptible to structural problems over time.

As of 2016, the school district should be able to get at least a couple more years out of this bus.

IC School Bus 06 – Au Gres-Sims School District Surplus

Source: Public Surplus: Auction #1651035

A Front Engine TC/2000 that was produced 4 years prior to the TC/2000’s discontinuation in 2004, and this is one of the last buses to be produced with the Dayton wheels before all School Buses seemed to be produced strictly with the Budd wheels beginning in the early-2000’s.

I personally like the Dayton wheels better than the Budd wheels, mainly because I like the way the Dayton wheels look on a School Bus or on a Medium or Heavy-Duty truck better than the way Budd wheels look on a Class 6-8 vehicle.

STRU – 2000 Bluebird Wheelchair bus # 12 – Ohio Schools Council Surplus

Source: Public Surplus: Auction #1650439