DEANB, those interior shots bring it all back. In its day that was a lovely cab, sort of wrapped around you. And after Mr Atkinsons (desirable, and quite roomy), garden buildings, felt so safe and strong. But the wiper mechanism on the early chrome grill 88s was a B… if you stuck your hand up without looking first, and got your fingers caught in the exposed bits!..guess who did…ouch!
Has there ever been a better driving synchro gearbox than the 16 speed? I cannot recall one. And the driving position, for me was bang on, (I am rather short of stature)…which did not help if you tilted the cab on a downward slope…yes it shot up…but I used to end up hanging from the B thing, hoping that a more substantial person would come and give me a hand…please!
DEANB, those interior shots bring it all back. In its day that was a lovely cab, sort of wrapped around you. And after Mr Atkinsons (desirable, and quite roomy), garden buildings, felt so safe and strong. But the wiper mechanism on the early chrome grill 88s was a B… if you stuck your hand up without looking first, and got your fingers caught in the exposed bits!..guess who did…ouch!
Has there ever been a better driving synchro gearbox than the 16 speed? I cannot recall one. And the driving position, for me was bang on, (I am rather short of stature)…which did not help if you tilted the cab on a downward slope…yes it shot up…but I used to end up hanging from the B thing, hoping that a more substantial person would come and give me a hand…please!
Cheeerio for now.
Yes, those wipers . I have to say, Saviem, I rather share your fondness for that snug cacoon of a driving cockpit, but when it came to cross-cab access that palled a bit.
As for the synchro-16, I personally thought the installation in the DAF 95 was one of the best, and certainly an improvement on ZF’s earlier ■■■■■■■■■■ affairs! Robert
Robert, you are bang on about cross cab access. The 88 was like so many American lorries in lacking living space, but at least the cab had modest external dimensions!
I had good service from DAF 95s, but personally found the cab a big old thing, but my clients who rented them seemed to love them, so I kept on buying them. I bought most of my DAFs from Bob Chadwick at Northwest Trucks, which links back to your ERF threads, for Bob had been a director of ERF.
We had a problem with one of the DAFs that seemingly was not correctable…and I blew my top…an hour or so later, a replacement lorry arrived at our premises, and Bob burst into my office carrying two very large fire extinguishes…“where is the fire” he shouted…we all burst out laughing!
That was the thing about DAF, they backed up the product, (like we did with Volvo in the early days), so you kept on buying them…
But the 95 could never hold a candle for charisma to the 2800 DKSE, and the 33oos, or the 3600 space cabs…Yes I know its an age thing!
Thank you Dean,Dennis, Saviem, David, Robert ,Geoff, for all your input . The 88 and 89 was a bit of a special truck to all of us.Dean the 88 I had with the 290 grill had been involved in an accident not serious but had been completely resprayed with the new grill fitted,
Cliff luxton:
Thank you Dean,Dennis, Saviem, David, Robert ,Geoff, for all your input . The 88 and 89 was a bit of a special truck to all of us.Dean the 88 I had with the 290 grill had been involved in an accident not serious but had been completely resprayed with the new grill fitted,
Phew! It’s a joy to get back to the West Country in this thread after all the madness out there!
You are dead right, Saviem, a delight of a truck to drive. I had an F12 later and, although bigger cab, it wasn’t half the motor the F89 was. The cross-cab access was a bit restricted but I have had worse. I did a trip on Grangewood to Romania with a subbies Kenworth K100 complete with screaming but powerless GM Diesel. On that you had to stand on the drivers seat in order to go mountaineering over a vast, red hot, plastic covered engine box - careful you didn’t catch the American pull-out handbrake control - in order to get into the admittedly huge bunk with plastic covered mattress on which, in hot weather, you slid around like a fish on a frying pan. What an absolute heap of scrap! It needed more than a case of Bollinger to make that acceptable.
David you are totally right…but carryfast will be along in a minute to inform us that we are totally wrong…and it is the guvners fault that the bunk was plastic covered!!!
Personally I hated the “coffin” cabs…low room, and with such a long way to the back of the cab, one never really knew if there was something nasty lurking back there!!!
Oh, and give me 40 acres to turn this rig around…unless it had air steering…then at least 60 acres!!
Morning all here is another picture somewhere in the sunshine but the mind’s gone and I can’t remember where it was a long time ago I’ll use that as my excuse. Thanks for keeping this going Dave and Saviem. Unfortunately John Heaton (axle) passed away this week former owner driver and Davies International driver R.I.P my condolences go out to his family.
I’m guessing Spain, Cliff, but actually it could be anywhere warm. What is sure is that the truck in front has got round the bend and managed to get a picture of the other one coming down.
Good picture wherever it is though.
RIP Axle.
Yes Dean, Dave worked there for many years I think I’m right in saying he worked in the UK only not on the international work ,he was one of the many good guy’s that worked for Peter.
I know I might be going senile, however I have a vague recollection that Theo de Pencier the retiring Chief Executive of the FTA had something to do with CAT - anyone who can clear my thoughts??
EDTRUCK:
I know I might be going senile, however I have a vague recollection that Theo de Pencier the retiring Chief Executive of the FTA had something to do with CAT - anyone who can clear my thoughts??
EDTRUCK Theo de Pencier was MD at Danzas to whom CAT was part of can’t remember the exact year in the mid 90s I think Then went to Bibby dist as chief exec then to FTA if I recall , regards dennis
Cliff luxton:
Yes Dean, Dave worked there for many years I think I’m right in saying he worked in the UK only not on the international work ,he was one of the many good guy’s that worked for Peter.
Good guy was Dave one of the old school , turn his hand to anything and help anybody out , as you say cliff I’m sure he only did uk work .
Thanks Dennis for answering that I had no idea, it was only when Peter sold to Danzas that Cats became incorporated under the same name.
Cats came about with the coming together of Chard ,Axminster, Transport, Services.
Here’s a couple of old Axminster drivers on their way to morroco with me on holiday mode . Dave Boyland and Ken Male.
Cliff luxton:
This thread could almost join with yours Geoff we spent so much time in and out of Poole, here we are in Poole again.
Hi cliff and not only in and out of Poole we spent some time together on the road,Happy days Keep on Trucking even if your not now a days.We are still Brothers of the Road.Cheers mate
. I have to say, Saviem, I rather share your fondness for that snug cacoon of a driving cockpit, but when it came to cross-cab access that palled a bit.
