Wayne -At 6'3", you need to look for an MCI 102C3 or newer, unless you want to $pend lot$ of time, effort & money raising the roof. The C & D models both have sufficient headroom for you w/o having to duck. The Prevost LeMirage and newer, IIRC, also have greater headroom, and should be considered.
The GMs are right at about your height in the center aisle, but with the roof's curvature, it drops off quickly. Plus, raising the roof is more of a challenge, due to the fact that the exterior skin is the chassis - they're built like an airplane in that regard.
The GM Buffalos do look neat, but there's a trade-off: you lose almost 5 feet of floor space because of the stadium seating up front, unless you build out the upper floor to right behind the driver. This too creates a problem, now you've got even less headroom up front, a moot point if you decide to raise the roof. Then again, raising the roof sort of destroys the classic lines of the Buffalo, so. . . how to compromise?
Tom's right - I
HATED driving the 4107/4108 Buffalos in revenue service. How do you like the idea of having Mother Nature change lanes for you without telling you in advance? For some reason, the combination of short wheelbase and large "sail" area created a 35' bus that just loves to wander all over the road, especially when the wind is blowing at you from either 10 or 2. Throw trying to pass an 18-wheeler into the mix, and you'd better have a change of chonies handy.
HOWEVER -
Adding five feet of wheelbase to the same body style created one of the sweetest riding & handling buses ever built, and one that was barely effected by crosswinds or semis. Still has one of the longest wheelbases of highway model coaches ever built, even longer than some of today's 45-foot models.
Your point about age is well taken - the newest Buffalos are now 30 years old. . .
The 35 vs 40 debate is like Ford or Chevy - never ending. A lot depends on what you actually want to
do with the coach, even as full-timers. Think about that seriously, because it will help the two of you make your decision. Remember - if mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY gonna be happy!
I'm a big 4106 fan, always have been since they were new in '61. But I've been around the industry long enough to realize that time marches on, and a lot of the newer stuff out there should be given serious consideration. For example, Pete Papas has got a great coach in his 35' RTS transit, as does Geoff Smith (who doesn't post very often anymore), altho Geoff's is a 40'. I consider the RTS to be the "second generation" Sports Car of Buses (the 4106 being the first) as they've got great handling, plus the majority are six inches wider than the Buffalos. Now, being a transit, you'll have to build your own downstairs bays, a minor inconvenience in exchange for plenty of headroom w/o needing a roof raise.
Do your homework - it's very easy to buy a bus, but it's awfully difficult to sell a mistake!
FWIW & HTH. . .
