Oregon Coast resident owns, shows Elvis’ custom-made bus

Tuesday, May 9, 2000 | 4:34 a.m.

This bus was the rolling home of the King of Rock 'n' Roll in the 20 months before he died in 1977. It carried Elvis Presley - who hated flying - and his entourage throughout the country.

Those who traveled with him said he liked to unwind after concerts by spending hours behind the wheel of the plush 1976 MCI bus built to his specifications for $160,000.

"Elvis loved this bus," says 59-year-old Bruce Buseman. "He really did."

And what was once Elvis' pride and joy is now Buseman's, who got the bus in a trade nearly four years ago and now shows it around the country.

At the time of the trade, Buseman was running a roadside sports museum near Bandon.

The collectibles he sold - jerseys, helmets and gloves used and autographed by sports greats - were losing value because former stars were flooding the market with items.

When another museum owner, Jim Schmit of Redmond, offered to trade Buseman the Elvis bus and a small fleet of other collector vehicles for his sports collection, Buseman agreed.

Buseman got a pink and black Elvis Cadillac, one of the surviving "Bluesmobiles" from "The Blues Brothers" movie, an AMC Pacer from "Wayne's World," and a car and motorcycle from the death-and-destruction thriller "Megaforce."

But the Elvis bus was the jewel.

It still had the red carpet with the initials "EP," a private bedroom in back and nine sleeping berths in the middle of the bus.

The 40-foot bus also came with a gold mine of Elvis memorabilia such as monogrammed pillows from a couch at Graceland, his "Blue Suede Shoes" gold record, the wine glasses from his limousine, a spangled jump suit, even a nightgown that belonged to Priscilla Presley, from whom Elvis was divorced by the time he bought the bus.

Buseman has made money off his unusual fleet - especially the bus, which he has now shown in 30 states at car shows, casinos and fairs.

It will be at the Florence Rhododendron Festival on May 19-20. The public can see the bus and the Cadillac at the Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville from July 8-10.

"For some, it's as close to Graceland as they will ever get," he says.

He says he's met musicians and girlfriends and others who rode with Elvis and has heard their stories about life on the bus.

Although he's made money with the bus, Buseman says he's probably spent more than he's made, because of things like $200 oil changes and the $450 tires.

But when you're rolling down the road, with the original "Elvis on Tour" sign on the front, watching all the double-takes and head turns, "It's all worth it," Buseman says.

Buseman and his wife, however, want to settle down a bit.

They fell in love with a little 100-year-old house in Gardiner and bought it last fall. Their plan is to build a huge garage next to the house to show off the bus and the other collector vehicles.

When the garage is done, they expect to show the vehicles around the country, but not as much as before.

When they do take the bus on the road, Elvis will be with them: On the stereo, and in spirit, Buseman believes.

He didn't used to believe in spirits, but he says some strange things have happened on the bus.

Like its propensity to break down when an Elvis impersonator is around. Or the time in Springfield, Mo., when a young woman with no money to buy a ticket talked her way aboard while tours had been halted because the interior lights had stopped working.

"She came on board and the lights came on," Buseman remembers. "The whole time she was there, the lights were on. The moment she stepped off the lights went off."

He's sure Elvis wanted that woman to see his bus.