Has this Gillig Advantage been modified beyond recognition?

[Community Shuttle]

Came across this while browsing Reddit:

Pic

I was immediately able to identify it as an early Advantage from the wheel arches, lack of steps, and low windows. However, it has seen heavy modification beyond the double deck conversion: it has a new front clip which takes some parts from a New Flyer LF and headlights from a Ford Econoline van

I've obviously identified to all that this bus is an Advantage, but if I hadn't, could you tell what it was? Especially for those who rarely see Gilligs or have never seen one. I originally thought it was a heavily modified D40LF until I looked at the side. Then I thought it was a Phantom with the windows moved down since I had no idea the Advantage came with these half-octagon wheel arches. 

[TranslinkKid]

27 minutes ago, Community Shuttle said:

Came across this while browsing Reddit:

Pic

I was immediately able to identify it as a Phantom from the wheel arches. However, it has seen heavy modification beyond the double deck conversion, including: side windows which have been moved down a bit (makes it look a bit like a low floor), and the new front clip which takes some parts from a New Flyer LF and headlights from a Ford Econoline van

I've obviously identified to all that this bus is a Phantom, but if I hadn't, could you tell what it was?

It's actually a Gillig Advantage

[TheAverageJoe]

4 hours ago, TranslinkKid said:

It's actually a Gillig Advantage

Yup its a low floor

[Community Shuttle]

12 hours ago, TranslinkKid said:

It's actually a Gillig Advantage

 

7 hours ago, TheAverageJoe said:

Yup its a low floor

Edited. The only Gillig LF's I've seen are WTA which have round wheel arches.

[roamer]

My observations --and I'm not as astute as a lot of you are when it comes to bus details-- are that the Advantages with the round wheel wells are 30 and 35-footers.  All the 40-foot Advantages I've noticed, including the ones with the BRT-front cap and the new BRT+, all have the "half-octagon wheel arch" moldings.

On the Phantoms, I think they all have the half-octagon.   I don't think I've ever noticed a round arch on any length. The 30 and 35-foot Phantoms as well as the 40-footers that I've seen all have the "half-octagon wheel arches."

Please post any photos that are contrary to this as I'm curious if my observations are correct or not.  Thanks. 

[RailBus63]

13 hours ago, roamer said:

My observations --and I'm not as astute as a lot of you are when it comes to bus details-- are that the Advantages with the round wheel wells are 30 and 35-footers.  All the 40-foot Advantages I've noticed, including the ones with the BRT-front cap and the new BRT+, all have the "half-octagon wheel arch" moldings.

On the Phantoms, I think they all have the half-octagon.   I don't think I've ever noticed a round arch on any length. The 30 and 35-foot Phantoms as well as the 40-footers that I've seen all have the "half-octagon wheel arches."

Please post any photos that are contrary to this as I'm curious if my observations are correct or not.  Thanks. 

All Phantoms had the half-octagon wheel openings - 30-foot, 35-foot and 40-foot.

The 35-foot and 40-foot Advantage/Low Floor buses have the half-octagon wheel openings.  This allows them to use the same full-size tires as a high-floor bus, compared to most other low-floor buses which use lower-profile tires.  

Only the 29-foot Advantage/Low-Floor model has the rounded wheel openings.  These buses use smaller tires than the 35 and 40-foot versions.

[tomsbuspage]

2 hours ago, RailBus63 said:

All Phantoms had the half-octagon wheel openings - 30-foot, 35-foot and 40-foot.

The 35-foot and 40-foot Advantage/Low Floor buses have the half-octagon wheel openings.  This allows them to use the same full-size tires as a high-floor bus, compared to most other low-floor buses which use lower-profile tires.  

Only the 29-foot Advantage/Low-Floor model has the rounded wheel openings.  These buses use smaller tires than the 35 and 40-foot versions.

Here are some photos to illustrate the wheel configurations of various Gillig vehicles:

30-foot Phantom (Scranton, PA)

35-foot Phantom (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

40-foot Phantom (Tijuana, B.C., Mexico)

29-foot Advantage (Buffalo, NY)

35-foot Advantage (Erie, PA)

40-foot Advantage (Syracuse, NY)

[roamer]

2 hours ago, RailBus63 said:

All Phantoms had the half-octagon wheel openings - 30-foot, 35-foot and 40-foot.

The 35-foot and 40-foot Advantage/Low Floor buses have the half-octagon wheel openings.  This allows them to use the same full-size tires as a high-floor bus, compared to most other low-floor buses which use lower-profile tires.  

Only the 29-foot Advantage/Low-Floor model has the rounded wheel openings.  These buses use smaller tires than the 35 and 40-foot versions.

I appreciate the explanation.  What you are saying pretty much corresponds to my observations with that one exception pertaining to the 35-foot low floors.  It makes perfect sense about the 35-foot low-floors having the same wheel arch as the 40-footers in order to use the same wheels/tires.  Thanks!