new electronically controlled instrument cluster with digital odometer and supplementary gauges. Outside, the headlight bar becomes all-yellow. 2000: Carryover from 1999. 2001: Electronic instrument panel replaced by larger analog instrument panel shared with All American. Last year for TC/1000. 2002: Side control panel (in use since 1988) replaced by newer version from All American. Last known year for the 5-speed manual transmission in the TC/2000. 2003: Final year of production; carryover from 2002. Production ends in 2003, with a few built as 2004 models. Discontinuation With the 1997 introduction of the TC/1000, Blue Bird produced a total of five distinct transit-style school buses. Consequently, the variety would lead to some model overlap. In 1998, Blue Bird discontinued the rear-engine version of the TC/2000; it was indirectly replaced by the new-for-1999 All American RE. Blue Bird's financial problems of the early 2000s (decade) led to the discontinuation of the TC/2000 FE at the end of 2003 in an effort to consolidate its Type D school bus lineup. Powertrain To keep the price down, Blue Bird simplified the powertrain lineup with a single gasoline engine (a Chevrolet 427 cubic-inch V8) and a single diesel engine (a Cummins 6BTA5.9/ISB inline-6). Theoretically, a manual transmission was available, but almost all TC/2000s were supplied with an Allison AT-545 automatic transmission. When the TC/2000 RE was added in 1991, the Cummins C 8.3/ISC 8.3 and Allison MT-643 were added to the lineup; however, these were exclusive to the RE. After 1995, the gasoline engine choice was dropped due to the popularity of diesel engines in Type D school buses. Manufacturing Over its lifetime, the TC/2000 was assembled in five of Blue Bird's manufacturing facilities. Blue Bird Body Company (Fort Valley, Georgia) Blue Bird North Georgia (LaFayette, Georgia); closed 2010 Blue Bird Midwest (Mount Pleasant, Iowa); closed in 2002. Blue Bird Canada (Brantford, Ontario); closed in 2007 Blue Bird East (Buena Vista, Virginia); closed in 1993 Variants Blue Bird TC/1000 The TC/1000 was a variant of the TC/2000 FE intended primarily for buyers who transported special-needs students. The vehicle was designed with a completely flat interior floor (to match the wheelchair capacity of a much larger bus). Shortened to a 132-inch wheelbase, the front-engine TC/1000 shares a nearly identical chassis configuration as the larger TC/2000. To eliminate wheel intrusion into the interior, the bus chassis used lower-profile 19.5-inch wheels. After 1998, Blue Bird revised the body of