By Dave Millhouser

Fifteen-hundred miles from home base, about to pick up a group of upscale teenagers in Birmingham, Ala., we noticed there was virtually no tread on our front tires.

On several occasions in the past, when asked about bald rear tires, wed mumbled something about "racing slicks," but the doting parents dropping off their kids for this trip could figure out that slicks go in the back.

Ducking into a hardware store, one driver emerged with a can of black spray lacquer, which we applied to the tire sidewalls, making them look, from a reasonable distance, like brand new rubber.

While appalling, you might generously view this procedure as a "minimalist" refurbishment program -- sort of a Bussy Botox.

The decision to refurbish a coach is becoming increasingly complicated, and with each new layer of regulation and technology, the economics become more complex.

Defining the term can be tricky. A refurb can range from painted tires to taking the coach down to bare frame, replacing all the cosmetic, mechanical and structural parts that age.

For most operators, however, it involves new seat covers, replacing interior fabric, and restoring the exterior to its virginal state (body work, paint, graphics) and the like.

Seat covers are going to cost $3,000 to $6,000 (depending on quality and whether you install them yourself), with another $2,000 to $4,000 to replace the interior fabric.

Engines run $20,000 to $30,000, with transmissions a bit less. Suspension, brakes and steering vary. Your folks can doubtless do some of it, during seasonal lulls. In the end, as most operators know, this can be an expensive undertaking. Its tedious but not really complicated.

The most difficult part of the process may be deciding whether refurbishing makes economic sense. There are a number of factors that sophisticated operators use in deciding whether to proceed, and how far to go.

No. 1, what model year is the coach, and how long do you intend to keep it?

Theres no future in redoing a bus youre selling next year. Or, putting a $20,000 engine in a 20-year-old sled; you wont have time to recoup the cost.

Dont put a ton of money in the aesthetics of an older coach without having the drive train checked. Things that make sense on a mechanically sound bus may be wasted on a coach whose engine is at deaths door.

Motorcoach customers sometimes place limits on the age of a bus theyre willing to charter. Refurbishment wont change the year model, so make sure they are willing to continue using the bus. Your chances improve if the refurb includes added equipment, like WiFi or larger video screens.

If you have a five-year-old version of a current model, refreshing the bus may make it indistinguishable from a brand new coach. That same work, performed on a discontinued model offers far less marketing benefit.

Year model has minimal marketing impact for line operators but they are under mandates to make sure a percentage of their fleet is ADA compliant, and any new coaches purchased must have lifts. Refurbishing used coaches may act as a financial shock absorber, as they work towards meeting the regulation.

Reworking an existing bus, as opposed to buying a new one, may offer some hidden, as well as real, savings. Your drivers and technicians dont need additional training. Major operators have often found that both drivers and support staff gravitate towards older equipment they understand, sometimes neglecting newer coaches. In many instances, older buses get better fuel economy than their newer cousins and you already have parts in stock.

New coaches come with all sorts of spiffy technology that benefits the environment, safety and the operator, but history tells us it takes a while for the bugs to work out. Refreshing current coaches offers a safe resting place to watch others skid along the learning curve.

There is legislation, dealing with seatbelts, in the pipeline that will impact our industry and the outcome is uncertain. If seatbelts are mandated in new coaches, it may affect the resale value of older coaches. Alternatively, it is not out of the question that we may be forced to add belts to existing buses.

Theres no simple answer here, just a heads-up that we need to be watching and thinking about the implications as we buy or refurbish equipment.

In considering which route to take (an irresistible bus pun), youll want to involve your financial folks.

Generally, new equipment is capitalized, with depreciation, interest and other big words I dont understand. When you refurbish existing coaches, you may be able to expense the whole thing. Your choice will affect a number of tax and financial issues, so talk to someone smarter than me.

When considering black lacquer, may I paraphrase the Mythbusters disclaimer? "Dont try this at home, were what you call IDIOTS."

Dave Millhouser is a bus industry marketing consultant and freelance writer. Contact him at: dave_millhouser@hotmail.com.