Model · Blue Bird Wanderlodge
Blue Bird Wanderlodge PT
The PT was Blue Bird’s first regular rear-engine Wanderlodge. The Vintage Birds owners’ club lists it from 1982 in 35- and 40-foot lengths with a Detroit Diesel two-stroke V6, adds a 38-foot model for 1983 and the larger 8V92 engine for 1986, and from 1989 lists only 102-inch Wide Body versions. Wikipedia adds that it had a rear tag axle and gives its years as 1982 to 1992.
Photo: bus-stuff.com (brand photo)
About this model
Blue Bird had built nine 35-foot rear-engine coaches with Ford gasoline engines back in 1969, and the 1979 XV anniversary coach was, in Vintage Birds’ words, a forerunner of the pusher. The regular rear-engine model arrived for 1982 as the PT 35 and PT 40. Vintage Birds describes a Detroit two-cycle V6 that it calls the 6V; Wikipedia names it the 6V92 and adds a rear tag axle, a double-rail frame, horizontal headlights and a taller body than the forward-control coach. The same year the front-engine coach was labeled FC.
A 38-foot PT was added for 1983. Vintage Birds says the 35-foot floor plan was changed for 1984 and the model became the PT-36; Wikipedia dates that change to 1986. The larger Detroit Diesel 8V92 was added as an option for 1986, and a walk-through bathroom floor plan for 1987. For 1988 the PT was offered in both 96-inch and new 102-inch Wide Body form, with a 475-horsepower 8V92TA with DDEC, and a 40-foot XXV marked 25 years of Wanderlodge.
From 1989 Vintage Birds lists only Wide Body PTs, so those years are recorded under the WB family. Wikipedia gives 1982 to 1992 as the PT’s years. No opened source spells out what the letters PT stand for.