Donate to help restore a vintage Calgary bus

My name is Nick, and I own this 1982 GMC transit bus, originally Calgary Transit unit #1130. This bus is one of the few remaining operational examples of the iconic "New Look" or "Fishbowl" bus model, which once dominated city streets across North America and nowadays is not much more than a memory for many. From Calgary, less than five examples of this type of bus still exist anywhere in the world (including this one), and #1130 is the only operational one in the "three stripes" livery.

 

#1130 was found rotting away on an Alberta acreage in 2020 after being retired over 8 years earlier, and was in the process of being converted to a motorhome before I purchased it for restoration. Myself and several friends have already put many hours of work along with thousands of dollars into this bus to rebuild the interior (as all seats had been removed when I bought it) and mechanical work to make it roadworthy again for the first time in a decade. However, the work isn't yet done as this bus is suffering from body corrosion and rust, which will need to be repaired to bring it back to its full glory and the old and tired engine rebuilt. I anticipate the need for another $10,000 at minimum to complete this work for which funds are currently short after all the money I have already put into this project.

 

Every dollar of donation money will play an important role in helping save this iconic piece of Calgary's history! The names of all non-anonymous donors will be written on a plaque that will be mounted in the bus when the project is completed.

I am unaffiliated in any way, shape, or form with the city of Calgary or Calgary Transit.