Production 1979–2004 | Body style(s) School bus | |
 | ||
Class Class 5
Class 6
Class 7 Predecessor International Harvester Loadstar 1703/1803 Successor International 3300 (DuraStar) | ||
The International Harvester S-Series "Schoolmaster" is a Type C (conventional) bus chassis that was manufactured by International Harvester and then Navistar International from 1979 to 1989. In 1989, the S-Series was updated and renamed the International 3800. It was used primarily as a cowled chassis for both school bus and commercial bus applications; it also was the basis for the front and rear-engine stripped chassis that International uses for bus applications as well.
Contents
- S Series 19791989
- Changes
- 3800 mid 19892004
- 3400
- 3600
- 3700
- 3900
- Powertrain
- Stripped Chassis 1981present
- Body manufacturers
- References
Introduced in 1979 to replace the Loadstar bus chassis, the S-Series was produced in two distinct generations. In 1989, all versions of the S-Series were updated; both versions were offered that year. The 3800 was produced until 2004, outliving other versions of the S-Series/4000-Series by three years. In production for 25 years, the S-Series bus chassis was the longest produced model ever made by International; it was also the last designed by International Harvester before the transition to Navistar.
S-Series (1979–1989)
The Schoolmaster used powertrains and components from the S-Series medium-duty trucks. Two models were available: the S-1700 and the heavier-duty S-1800.
Changes
The Schoolmaster changed relatively little over its production run. Many of these changes reflected the transition from International Harvester to Navistar. In 1987, an updated International logo was added to the grille and the steering wheel. Also, in an industry first, all gasoline engines were dropped from the S-Series bus chassis powertrain lineup.
3800 (mid-1989–2004)
In 1989, Navistar redesigned the S-Series medium-duty conventionals for the first time since 1979; the medium-duty trucks were renamed the 4000-Series. As part of the redesign, the school bus chassis was given a more aerodynamic hood that better integrated the front bumper. On the inside, a two spoke-steering wheel was introduced along with a new instrument cluster. For the first time, the school bus chassis received a separate model designation; the S-1703 was replaced by the 3700; and the S-1803 was replaced by the 3800.
Changes
As with its predecessor, the 3800 would change very little over its 15 years of production. In 1991, the 3600 semi-forward control variant was introduced; this was a chassis designed for the Thomas Vista. After 1994, the lower-GVWR 3700 was discontinued. For 1995, along with all other International medium-duty trucks, the 3800 received chrome hood badges denoting the model series and its engine type; the grille badging changed from red to chrome.
A key event that would affect school bus manufacturing during the later 1990s was the 1995 completion of the acquisition of AmTran by Navistar. By the end of the decade, AmTran buses would begin to start wearing International badging on the body as well. To promote the change, in 2002, International redesigned the hood for its conventional bus, dubbed the International IC. These wore vertical grille slats instead of horizontal ones seen since 1989. As it was a change intended to promote IC Corporation, chassis destined for Blue Bird or Canadian manufacturer Corbeil were still received the standard hood and grille design.
3400
The 3400 was a chassis designed in the same fashion as a Type A cutaway school bus. To achieve a higher GVWR and allow for higher durability, instead of a van, the medium-duty International 4700 was used as a base. While primarily used by builders of transit buses and specialty vehicles, several body manufacturers (Mid Bus and U.S. Bus) would adopt the 3400 for school bus use.
In the school bus industry, Mid Bus and U.S. Bus both developed products based on the 3400, but the chassis became more popular in the transit and specialty vehicle industries instead.
All versions of the 3400 were powered by the 7.3L IDI and T444E V8 engines and used hydraulic brakes. As the 4700 was discontinued after 2001, the 3400 was replaced by the 3200 based upon the new-generation 4000-Series trucks (later the DuraStar); currently, the 3200 is used only for transit bus, commercial bus, and specialty vehicle applications.
3600
The 3600 was a chassis custom-designed for the Vista from Thomas Built Buses. The Vista combined design elements of a conventional and a forward control school bus. In comparison to a conventional, the driver sat further forward, closer to the front axle. Although much of the engine was located next to the driver like a transit-style bus, access from the front was also maintained via a traditional (although much-shortened) hood. The 3600 chassis was designed in much the fashion of International's step van chassis, borrowing many components from the 3800.
As it was originally designed specifically for the Vista's body, no other body manufacturers developed their own product lines based on the 3600. It was produced from 1991 until 1998 when Thomas chose to discontinue Vista production after the body manufacturer's purchase by Freightliner.
3700
From 1989 to 1994, International offered two versions of its conventional school bus chassis (as it had with the S-Series). The 3700 was the lighter-GVWR model of the lineup; only minor differences in powertrain and weight ratings differentiated it from the 3800. The 3700 only was produced with the 7.3 engine.
After 1994, the 3700 was discontinued.
3900
As a replacement for the outdated 1853FC, International introduced the 3900 in 1990 as its forward-control bus chassis. Although primarily used by Ward/AmTran/IC, it has been used by a wide variety of other manufacturers of similar buses. In 2010, International ended production of the 3900.
Powertrain
The 3800 is notable for being the first American school bus chassis to have an engine lineup consisting only of diesel engines. Unlike its S-Series predecessor, the 3800 used an all-International lineup of diesel engines.
Stripped Chassis (1981–present)
Along with the traditional conventional-style cowled chassis, International produced several stripped-chassis variants for transit-style school buses. Using many chassis and powertrain components from the S-Series, the front-engine 1853FC (FC=Forward Control) was produced from 1981 to 1981. Unlike the conventional, it was powered exclusively by diesel engines. In 1990, the 1853FC was replaced by the more advanced 3900. As with its predecessor, it again shared powertrain and chassis components with its conventional counterpart. In fixing a key drawback of the 1853FC, the 3900 would significantly reduce the interior space needed for the engine, freeing up space for the driver's compartment and front stairwell. The 3900 was produced until 2010.
In 1996, International introduced its first rear-engine stripped chassis since the early 1970s as the International 3000 became the chassis for the all-new AmTran RE. As with the 3900, the 3000 shared chassis and powertrain components with the 3800. Unlike its front-engine counterpart, the 3000 was designed for the use of both V8 and inline-6 diesel engines. Almost used exclusively used for AmTran and IC school buses, the 3000 remains in production as of 2014.
Body manufacturers
For its production run, the S-Series was used by many manufacturers of Type C school buses in North America. The same was common practice for the 3800 for the early part of its production run. Following the completion of the 1995 acquisition of AmTran, school bus production began to change as chassis suppliers began to align themselves with body manufacturers. The market share of International actually grew as several body manufacturers (Wayne and Carpenter) would close down and Ford and General Motors were gradually shut out of full-size bus production. By 2004, there were only three body manufacturers of full-size buses (Blue Bird, IC Corporation, and Thomas) and three chassis manufacturers (Blue Bird, Freightliner, and International). Navistar, the parent company of IC Corporation, was the lone chassis manufacturer that sold bus chassis to other body manufacturers.