Name the film & character;
“Here’s the plan: When we get to the pass, we’re gonna put on our fish costumes, pass out the Vaseline® an’ an extra ration o’ rum for the men. That should do it.”
Quote of The Day: Monday
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Category Archives: Odds
Boys & Their Tonka Toys
You all know I like a mini artic. You all know I like a Mercedes-Benz. You all know I like a little sleeper cabs and you all know I like a bit of retro trucking. Roll these all together and there is only one result….a Mercedes-Benz 814 with an L Cab Twin sleeper. I think the range was called the LN2′ first launched in 1984. This little machine was once the king of the 7.5 tonners and many of us could only dream of driving such a truck but just as many of you were lucky enough to drive one. I remember being aged 17 and parked at McDonalds in Braintree, while all my mates were checking out their new stereos and who had the best pair of 6×9’s, so I wandered across the car park to talk to the driver of an 814 (might have been an 817). I had a MK1 Williams Renault Clio so I had nothing to prove in the car park show down! If I remember rightly the little Merc was white with maybe a red and blue stripe and a small crane mounted on the flatbed body. I think it was from the Nottingham area, although the driver said he spent most of his time doing oilfield work running between Scotland and the Mediterranean. Wow. Anyone know the description of the truck??
As I am now working in the three pointed star stables, classic Mercs come up from time to time and as I spend to much time searching for old trucks for sale across Europe in my spare time, I have recently been searching for a decent 814 L Cab Twin sleeper. The reason I look for used trucks is just in case one day my numbers do come in on the Euro Millions! So I found this little blanco frigo and it got me thinking. From now on take this as fun subject to be enjoyed and for you to add to in a constructive way if possible. If I was to buy an old 814 sleeper, could i convert it to a 6×2, tag axle tractor unit??? I know I’m odd but that’s the way my mind works. I’ll only find a 4×2 truck for sale so to turn it into a tractor I’ll have to get the gas axe out and cut the chassis. I reckon the tag axle should be fairly straight forward, using another 814 axle? Should be possible, shouldn’t it? Then the big thing I would need your advice on would be the engine. Most LN2’s were fitted with a 5.96 litre straight six, a nice little engine I’m sure, but if I’m going so far as to cut the chassis and add a rear lift axle. I want a decent power plant to take me all the truck shows. Can I replace the trucks factory fitted engine with a 5 litre V8 Diesel engine that was once fitted in various big Mercedes-Benz cars? The main reason I’d want to do this would be the sound of course, all show goers know the importance of a good V8 noise. I’m no mechanic but if the engine is just used to drive the mini tractor unit and not used to pull any weight or a load, would the engine have enough guts to power the little unit around? And would it be physically compatible/possible?
All clean comments and thought appreciated as I have a mind full of what seem like crazy ideas and sometimes I like to try and find out if any of them are possible. Just look at that little cab, gorgeous little thing, if any of you have photos you want to share then I’d love to seem them. You can email me at ben@truckblog.co.uk and I’ll post some up on the blog at a later date. Anyway the mechanics among you need to get your thinking hats on please.
My Best Truck of 2014
For me this is the best truck I have seen in 2014. It might not be the newest, it might not be most practical for most of Europe and it certainly won’t be everyones taste but for me, spot on.
If you live in the UK and haven’t been to one I strongly advise that you make 2015 your first trip to a European truck show, the standard of trucks is amazing. I can’t deny that the trucks here in the UK are getting better and better but the Europeans just seem to have it right, they all look good. To me the best trucks have always been out of reach of what I could afford or achieve and the T560 is no different. We all joke about winning the lottery but a Tcab would be very close to the top of my list. It’s blue, it’s got two sets of pipes, it’s got a subtle custom interior and enough lights to make it look good but not over the top. As with anything I would make a few subtle changes as I’d want to put my mark on it.
2014 has seen a big rise in the blogs popularity through all mediums, the Facebook page, twitter and the good old fashioned http://www.truckblog.co.uk website. I’m not going to link to any of those this time round as I’m sure you all could do with a break from the ruthless links and plugs for the blog. I have no idea where the blog will be in another 12 months, hopefully you’ll all still send me stuff, photos, info and the odd piece of trucking memorabilia to decorate TBHQ and I’ll keep bugging the TV companies in the vague hope they’ll see that we need Truckblog TV!
Hopefully I’ll be visiting, Truckfest Peterborough, Crowfield Truck Rally, Gathering of the Griffin, Retro Truck Show at Gaydon, more than likely (and hopefully) Truckstar Festival at Assen as my foreign trip, although I have heard on the grapevine that there is quite a convoy of English motors heading to the International Trucker & Country Show held at Interlaken, CH. I have always wanted to go James?? Finally if the offer is still there then I might just make it to Belfast too.
Anyway thank you for following and thank you for making the blog what it is, without your contributions I’m sure you’d all be bored silly of 143’s, MAN TGL LX’s and Mercedes-Benz photos! As we all do secretly say now and again Keep on Trucking!
Moody Blues
Scania Scania Scania, I know I know, that’s all I seem to put on here these days. Can you blame me when they are producing the best and really the only special editions of any worth by the main manufacturers? The Blue Stream is produced by Scania for the world wide market, it’s available in any chassis configuration with any cab as long as it has a V8 engine. The limited edition is a run of 200 individually numbered trucks.
Both the gorgeous Blue Stream and the UK’s own special edition, the Golden Griffin were released fairly close to one another but there really is no comparison in spec from what I hear and I will say hear. The Golden Griffin is a limited run of just 50 trucks available to the UK market to celebrate 50 years of Scania in the UK. For me the Blue Stream blows it’s Golden cousin out the water. It’s based on celebrating the original baby blue and pink stripes from the original Scania Streamline that was released back in 1991. With the launch of the new R-Streamline Scania got lots of feedback from drivers who fondly remembered the original Streamline, so it was decided they would release a new special edition to honour the original. Nice.
In the north of England on the east coast of Lincolnshire there is a man who goes by the name of Moody, Mick Moody. Many of you will know the name and some will know the man, I have no idea how myself and Mr Moody have become what ever we are but we text and these days talk quite a bit. Now I have been known to be a fair Scania fan but Mr Moody is probably one of the biggest Scania fans that I know (excluding Mr Rigby that is!) and when Mr Moody text me to say he had something special on its way I knew it was going to be a knock-your-socks-off-special, he didn’t disappoint. This particular truck is new and unregistered so it is in need of a good number and among the fields of dreamers I’m sure there are a good number of Scania fans with enough money to snap up edition #5. The truck is a left hand drive R580 Topline, 6×2 mid-lift. The Blue Streams spec will leave you feeling far from blue as each truck comes fitted with the following packages that are usually cost options;
· Lighting package
· Driver package
· Prestige package
· Comfort package
These packages include the following equipment, Air Suspension Including Front Axle, 2 Peddle Opticruise, Retarder, Coffee Maker, Fridge, Premium Radio Inc Sat Nav, Bluetooth, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure, Camara, Limited Edition No 5, Top Bar,Visor Bar,Rear Bar,Durabrites, Far To Many Extras To List,This Truck Is Just Pure Class. So you can be safe in the knowledge that it has virtually every option and upgrade that is possible from the factory. This has since been confirmed by Mr Moody telling me that he can’t find a blank switch cover any where on the dashboard, all the switches are in use with something or another. Have a look at the dash in the photos, you can see that every switch has a symbol and is there fore a use.
If your not a dreamer, or a tyre kicker or a waster or a Volvo lover then perhaps it might just be worth you giving Mr Moody a call and I’m sure he will set you straight. The truck will be expensive but remember what your getting, an awesome drivers favourite, collectible special edition that will hold its value. Please contact 00-Moody on either of the following;
Email: mick@moodyinternational.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0) 7802 225585
Website: www.moodyinternational.co.uk
Retro Trailer Rescue
A fridge trailer in a field, (put your M&S advert voice on!) but it’s not just any fridge trailer in a field, it’s a 1982, Gray & Adams, tandem spread axle fridge trailer in a field! On top of that if the farmers memory serves him correctly he says he acquired the trailer (for fresh poultry storage) in 1990, which means that it served Christian Salveson for just 8 years before being parked up, which would explain it’s surprisingly good condition. Anyway, this trailer has been parked on the road between Hadleigh and Sudbury in Suffolk for as long as I can remember. So me being me, curiosity won and I went to find it a year or so ago. I drove in the farm yard and right through it and found the trailer. I had a call around to try and find someone with no luck, so I took a couple of photos and left. I do like to know where these trailers are lurking incase anyone wants one. At Truckstar Festival this year a certain young man with a known collection of classic trucks, mentioned during a beery conversation that he had started hunting for a 2nd fridge trailer to turn into another caravan trailer. Luckily I hadn’t had too many so I piped up and showed a photo of said trailer. A positive response. So I volunteered to go and talk to the farmer.
Again a positive response. It turns out that it was the perfect time to enquire as the decision had already been made to rid the farm of the trailer. I took a few newer photos of the trailer and it’s general condition and found the manufacturers plate and photoed that too. I spoke money with the farmer and that was that. I forwarded all info onto the interested party, he said yes to me straight away, so I put him in touch with the farmer and a deal was done.
Today was collection day. I managed to get over to see the highly skilled farmer pushing the fridge up the ramps with a chain and a dolly, straight as a die and up she went. Luckily the fridge had a folding rear bumper which helped with clearance both going up the ramps and also to clear the neck of the stepframe. Once on board it was all strapped and chained down and to beat the school traffic through the little Suffolk village high street, a quick exit was made. I ran ahead in my car and just asked a few locals to stay still which the whole outfit gently weaved through the high street. That was that and off to its new owners home.
The plan is to restore the trailer to its former glory and keep the famous blue and white livery then convert the inside into living accommodation.
As you can see this is a great find and a great trailer that has gone to a man who wants to preserve it just as it started life. If you know of any old trailers that need rescuing please please let me know. In my book trailers are in as much need to be saved as the trucks that pull them. Most trailers have long rusted away or been chopped down so any that are still in one piece should be saved. Now I’m not suggesting that every trailer can be bought and restored but at least if we know about them then perhaps we can help a few which will make the likes of The Retro Truck Show at Gaydon all the more enjoyable for us. Hopefully by Truckfest Peterborough next year this little restoration project will be complete. Fingers crossed.
Finally if anyone knows where their is a Petter fridge unit, please get in touch.
IMPORTANT: Calling All “Truckers”
Calling all drivers, calling all drivers, a TV opportunity awaits for those of you who are the real characters of our world. It might be easier to nominate others rather than yourselves. A television production company are after those drivers who everyone talks about whether it’s in a good way or a bad way. Do you have a driver who is the loudest most useless driver? do you know the man who’s been there and done it? do you know the quiet driver who does more work than anyone else all without any hassle? Do you know a driver who tells the best stories drives the best truck and is the nicest guy you’ve ever met?? It doesn’t matter who they are but if there really are a real character then please email me their name and telephone number. You can message me on the Facebook page, send me a private message on Twitter or send me an email to: ben@truckblog.co.uk
This is the words from the production company, see if its a driver you know they are looking for;
“In a nutshell, we’re looking to do a docu-reality show about Truckers, and I came across your blog and thought you’d be a great guy to speak to. We want to put truckers at the heart of the series. We want to follow them on their various journeys and really get to the heart of what their profession involves. The key to the series is that anyone we film has to be a BIG character. Are they somebody people would want to watch on television? Are they interesting or fun or good company or something that makes people watch?”
“In the first instance we’d be looking at shooting a taster of the truckers in question. The series hasn’t been commissioned yet – the network want to see the characters on tape before they give it the green light”
So you know what they are after and you know the type of person they need. If you want to give me a name and number then they will be passed on to the production company and the named person should expect a phone call. This sounds like the type of truck based programme I’d like to watch so let’s give them as many names as we can.
Email me: ben@truckblog.co.uk
Quiet Saturday on the A1
Yesterday I went to Newcastle upon Tyne to pick up a car an drive it back to Colchester. I was hoping for some top spotting but I was pretty disappointed. Well that was after my big blue Taxi had picked me up from the station. Matthew Johnson’s gorgeous Scania R500 really is gorgeous. As with most of last years top trucks, less is more. No over the top paint job, no crashed-into-Halfords over the top, too many lights, just clean, tidy, and very subtle. In my book it’s spot on. There aren’t many people who’ve had a guided tour of Newcastle in a V8 but I think it’s a great idea!
Once I was on the A1 and heading south, the sky was blue with not a cloud in sight so I was looking forward to some top spotting on my 285 mile drive. I have to say it was very disappointing. Just a couple of Scottish fridges heading North and not a lot else. The best thing I came across South bound was another Scottish fridge, belonging to M.Mackinnon from Tarbet. She looked well and nicely painted in what I’d say was quite a traditional Scottish looking livery. I was a pity it wasn’t dark as there were a lot of lights on both the truck and trailer. A good looking truck.
The rest of the journey was very quiet. I did see a GCS Johnson low loader with a set of extension beams in, but he was empty and heading home. I did see 3 new Renaults through Yorkshire. They seem to be like the Volvos, much better looking once they are painted up. Other than that it was a very simple straight forward 4.5 hour drive home.
Norske MAN
A little black beauty that’s what it is! I want to see some more photos if any one can help? Haga Traffikskule looks like it is a driver training school (and the name would suggest that too!). The little MAN doesn’t make much of an appearance on the website so i’m guessing that it is only used for publicity and promotional stuff. Although I would like to think that it is used for driving training itself, who knows??
When I passed my Class 2 (Rigid) test it was in a Leyland Freighter with a 30ft flat bed body. My Class 1 (Articulated) test was done in a Renault Premium wagon and drag which was full length and just over 4.5m high! Just imagine if you could do your license in that dear little thing, easy peasy!!
Any way can some one tell me a little more and can one of you send me a few more photos of the little black beauty please? You know how a little big-cabbed TGL is my idea of the perfect truck, so come on bloggers you are my eyes and ears, do your stuff then email me the results; ben@truckblog.co.uk — Thank you
Fly Stickered!
A few months back on my way to work, I was driving through the village of Raydon, Suffolk. I noticed this wheelie bin with GB and other truck related stickers on it. After a few more sightings over a few weeks I thought buggered it!!……so I pulled over and just stuck the corner of a TB sicker to the bin so the owner could either pull it off, sorry, take it off or stick it on completely……..last week was the first time I’ve seen it since 🙂 now all I’ve got to do is find out who the owner is and what their truck connection is.
Do you or some one you know live in a nice thatched cottage, on the main road through the middle of Raydon, Suffolk?? Email me: ben@truckblog.co.uk
Tatra Trucks and The Beast in The Bushes
These aren’t spy photos they are all legit! The photographer, Michael “Fingers” Bond, ok’d it with the Tatra staff first. I can’t really tell you a great deal about them, other than they had all been at Tatra’s factory / test track in Koprivnice, Czech Republic and also they all look like right old dog’s even though some are relatively new. Koprivnice, Czech Republic I hear you say, if you type it in to Google maps, to the East of the small town you will see the Tatra factory and the test track heading off into the forest.
The truck above looks to be a 6×6 troop carrier. The Tatra website says it could be a T 810-1R0R26 13 177 6×6.1R, so now you know. It comes with a Renault engine and clearly a Renault cab.
The 2 trucks above are both T 815-790R99 38 300 8×8.1R or if you like they are 8×8 military cargo trucks. The plain green one is a Universal Container Carrier. Where as the one with the digital camouflage is part of a potential order for the Polish army. This model happens to be the T 815-790R99 38 300 8×8.1R or in simple terms it’s an 8×8 High Mobility Heavy Duty Universal Cargo/Troop Carrier………….No I have no idea what i’m talking about either, although going through the Tatra website is strangely enjoyable and well worth a visit. The cab on the 2 above is apparently the new cab, although I don’t know quite how new, where as the old Beast in the Bushes below is the old cab.
If your going to try and break down the walls of Eastern Europe with your army then having this old thing as your back up was probably a good idea. This truck was parked at the test track and seemed to have been there for quite a while. Hence, the beast in the bushes title (not some smutty Essex related ref – GW!) To start your revolution, the truck has a dozer blade fitted to the front (or is it a snow plough?). Note the handy tow hitch on the blade. I guess that’s so you can pull who ever you have just pushed into the ditch, out again when they have handed over their lunch money. For the rest of the spec i’ll hand you over to Fingers Bond, seeing as he is the man who know’s his Tatra’s since his pre-Christmas visit;
“Full air suspension all round. Multi way diff’s on all axles. Total weight of 52 tons, plus a small payload. Full bullet proof cab with 5 inch thick window’s and windscreen. Full air cleaning system in case of a chemical attack on the crew. The whole country busting truck is powered by a massive Mercedes Benz V16 Twin Turbo engine connected to a fully automatic gear box and torque converter. The whole engine and gearbox is housed in one removable piece, so it can be lifted out / changed by a crane fitted to the body of the truck which has it’s own power source.”
It sounds perfect for Saturday night seafront cruising in Southend-on-Sea, it’d soon show those crappy boy racers in their Vauxhall Nova’s and Citroen Saxo’s who’s boss! Let’s go!!………..don’t mention the beast in the bushe’s in Southend or they’ll all want a go.
Have you got any thing to add about the beast’s from the East? Leave a comment or email me, ben@truckblog.co.uk
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