GM New Look (Fishbowl) Bus
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The GMC New Look Transit Coach series (nicknamed "Fishbowl" for its six-piece rounded windshield) was introduced in 1959. In production for over 25 years, it became the iconic North American transit bus. Like GM's over-the-road buses, including the Greyhound Lines Scenicruiser, the air-sprung New Look did not have a traditional ladder frame. Instead it used an airplane-like stressed-skin construction in which an aluminum rivited skin supported the weight of the bus. The wooden floor kept the bus' shape. The engine cradle was hung off the back of the roof. As a result, the GM New Look weighed significantly less than competitors' city buses. Subsequent revisions added details such as bullet lights and removed some of the metal trim. Earlier New Looks had a single stop/turn/tail light at the rear; later models had a second dedicated turn signal.
Virtually all New Look buses were powered by Detroit Diesel 71-series supercharged two-cycle diesel engines. The original engine was the 6V71 (V6). GM buses used a unique "V-drive" configuration with a transverse mounted engine. The transmission angled off at a 45-or-so degree angle to connect to the rear axle. The engines were canted backwards for maintenance access; in fact the only parts not accessible from outside the bus were the right-hand exhaust manifold and the starter. The entire engine-transmission-radiator assembly was mounted on a cradle that could be quickly removed and replaced, allowing the bus to return to service when the powertrain required major maintenance. Originally all New Looks were powered by the 6V-71. GM resisted V8 power but eventually gave in to pressure from customers.
Original transmission choices were a 4-speed non-synchronized manual transmission with solenoid reverse and the Allison Automatic VH hydraulic transmission. The latter was essentially a one-speed automatic transmission which drove the wheels through a torque converter. At sufficient speed a clutch disconnected the torque converter and the engine drove the rear wheels directly. A later option was the VS-2, similar to the VH but with a two-speed planetary gearset with three modes: Hydraulic, direct (1:1), and direct-overdrive. The very last batch of American-built New Looks and most Canadian-built New Looks from 1977 through 1986 use the Allison V730 transmission, a traditional three-speed automatic with a lockup torque converter. These four transmissions were the only V-drive transmissions made.
New Looks were available in both Transit and Suburban versions. Transits were traditional city buses; Suburbans had forward-facing seats (four-abrest) and underfloor luggage bays. The center aisle was lower than the floor beneath the seats to accommodate the luggage bays. There were also "Suburban-style" transits which had forward facing seats on slightly raised platforms that gave the appearance of a dropped center aisle. GM refused to install lavatories on their buses; at least one transit authority (AC Transit in Oakland) added their own.
The New Look was built in both 35' and 40' lengths and 96" and 102" widths. 35' and 40' buses had different-length side windows so the profiles of both buses looked very similar.
Model designations: New Looks had model names similar to SDM-5301 or T6H-4523N. Key:
- (T)ransit or (S)uburban;
- (D)iesel or (G)asoline, later (6)-cyl or (8)-cyl diesel;
- (H)ydraulic (automatic) or (M)echanical (manual) transmission
- 45 (nominal seating capacity) denoted a 35' bus, 53 a 40' bus.
Next two digits were the model series. Transits: For 35' buses, odd numbers were 96" wide, evens 102"; for 40' buses odd numbers were 102" wide, evens were 96". All Suburbans were 96" wide.
Later buses used "A" for Air conditioned or "N" for Non-air conditioned. Some Canadian-built buses used an "M" suffix to indicated they were built in Montreal.
1977 was the last year that the bus was produced in the United States. Production continued (until 1986) at GM of Canada with the name plate changing from "GMC" to "GM". The last New Looks were ordered by Santa Monica, California. The New Look was replaced by the RTS transit bus in 1979.
[edit] The General Motors streetcar conspiracy
The General Motors streetcar conspiracy charges that GM bought up trolley lines in order to close them down and sell more buses. However, GM was deeply concerned about anti-trust action against the bus and truck division that would put their profitable car business at risk. With the New Look product line, GM went to great lengths to cripple their own product line. They eventually assisted Flxible, their closest competitor, with the re-engineering of their own New Look bus, including use of the well-liked V-drive, which boosted Flxible sales. GM resisted the move to V8 power and refused to offer certain configurations such as V8-powered 35' buses. When the Allison Automatic V730 transmission was introduced and offered by Flxible, GM continued to sell the older, more temperamental and more complex VS-2. (The very last batch of US-built New Looks offered the V730, and it was subsequently offered on Canadian-built New Looks.
[edit] See also
- Rapid Transit Series - next generation bus
- GMC Classic bus
