Gillig Phantom (school bus)

Gillig Phantom School Bus
1986 Gillig Phantom School Bus operated by Los Angeles Unified School District
Overview
Manufacturer	Gillig Corporation
Production	1986–1990, 1993
Model years	1986-1993
Assembly	United States: Hayward, California
Body and chassis
Class	School bus
Body style	Transit-style school bus (Type D)
Layout	RR layout (4x2)
Platform	Gillig
Related	Gillig Phantom
Powertrain
Engine	Caterpillar 10.4L 3208 V8 Caterpillar 6.6L 3116 I6 Detroit Diesel 9.0L 6V92TA V6
Transmission	Allison HT-740, Allison MT-643 4-speed automatic Spicer CM5252A, 6252B, Fuller T11605M 5-speed manual Fuller Roadranger RT6610, Roadranger RT11610 10-speed manual
Dimensions
Length	37 ft (11.3 m), 40 ft (12.2 m)
Width	96 in (2,438 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor	Gillig Transit Coach school bus

The Gillig Phantom School Bus is the school bus variant of the Gillig Phantom mass-transit bus that was produced by Gillig Corporation in Hayward, California. Introduced in 1986, production of the Phantom school bus ended after 1993.

In a fashion similar to its long-running predecessor, the Gillig Transit Coach School Bus, the Phantom School Bus was available on a national basis, though marketed primarily for West Coast operators. Although initially well-received, sales of the vehicle dropped off at the end of the 1980s. After no school buses were sold in either 1991 or 1992, a short run of 1993 models marked the end of 71 years of Gillig as a school bus manufacturer.

Using much of the mass-transit Phantom as a donor platform, Gillig produced the Phantom school bus in a rear-engine configuration (the mass-transit platform forced the abandoment of the mid-engine layout). While the layout itself was similar to the long-running Transit Coach predecessor, the chassis design was completely new from the ground up. In a design layout largely untried in the school bus industry (aside from the Crown Supercoach), the Phantom adopted a monocque (unibody) chassis in place of a separate frame.

As a school bus, the Gillig Phantom was produced in two body lengths: 37 feet (78 passenger capacity) and 40 feet (84 passenger capacity). As federal regulations of the time did not permit the use of the wider 102" body, the Phantom school bus was produced only with the 96" wide body common to all North American school buses.

When first introduced in 1986, the Phantom school bus was produced with two diesel engines. The Caterpillar 3208 V8 diesel was carried over from the Transit Coach (school bus versions of the Phantom were largely the only examples fitted with this engine). The larger engine compartment of the Phantom over its predecessor allowed the introduction of the Detroit Diesel 6V92TA, replacing the 6V71 from the Transit Coach. WIth the discontinuation of the Caterpillar 3208 after 1990, it was replaced by the 3116 inline-6; it is unknown how many Phantoms were fitted with this engine.

The Phantom school bus was available with several transmission choices; all of which were carried over from the Transit Coach. The Allison MT643 and Allison HT740 4-speed automatics were paired with both engines. For school districts with mountainous terrain, the Phantom offered five manual transmission options: three 5-speed versions (Spicer CM5252A, 6252B, and Fuller T11605M) and two 10-speed versions (Fuller Roadranger RT6610 and RT11610).