tiptop495:
robert1952:
harryvr6:
Ford transcontinental?
You’re dead right of course. There have GOT be examples of the Transcon out there but I cannot find any LHD ones with 9-speed Fullers, only 13-speed!
Robert
Hey, Must have a look in my brochures of the first Transcon, think they annonced the Super 252 engine 15 litre
with an 9 speed or it was a Spicer ■■? (or maybe the clutch was Spicer) ■■?
Shall have a look next week.
But if one was sold here ■■? in the beginning it were nearly all NTC 310 and 340’s here.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to put a thread on site to see every ones fantasy fleet, they ever dreamed from
in the good old days.
Eric,
Excellent idea, Eric! From now on, I hereby declare this thread open to all-comers with their fantasy fleet specifications and we can all help them to assemble as many examples as we can find. Robert 
Just as a matter of interest, if you stick to my original requirements of 14-litre ■■■■■■■■ 9-speed Fuller and COE (forward-control) sleeper, but DROP the LHD requirement, you can almost double the list, as follows:
ERF MGC (fixed 5MW cab) [LHD]
ERF NGC [LHD]
ERF B-series [LHD or RHD]
ERF C-series [LHD or RHD]
Seddon-Atkinson 400 [LHD or RHD]
Leyland Marathon [LHD or RHD]
KW K100 [LHD]
International Transtar [LHD]
International CO9670 [LHD]
Ford W-series (US) [LHD]
ERF E-series [RHD]
Seddon-Atkinson 401 [RHD]
Ford Transcontinental [RHD]
Foden S10 Fleetmaster [RHD]
Foden S106 [RHD]
Bedford TM [RHD]
Guy Big-J [RHD]
Seddon-Atkinson Strato 1 (Cabtec) [RHD]
Robert 
And here is another example of a RHD U.S. truck (for New Zealand): an International Transtar with ■■■■■■■ 320 and 9-speed Fuller. Robert 
Never driven one, but I’ve seen a few of those CL9000s about, they’re a big truck, no different in interior layout to any of the other US COEs.
Given the choice of contenders I would take the Dutch built Big Henry, even though I had one and thought it was a piece of junk. But this is a dream right, so this one would be warm in winter, have brakes that stopped it and electrics that worked, it would also have a Big Cam super E series that had been fettled by the boys at ■■■■■■■■
The handlebars would be on the left, a nice LWB and the chassis would be full of diesel tanks, a visor, a Kysor on the roof and a good coating of road grime to set it all off.
newmercman:
Never driven one, but I’ve seen a few of those CL9000s about, they’re a big truck, no different in interior layout to any of the other US COEs.
Given the choice of contenders I would take the Dutch built Big Henry, even though I had one and thought it was a piece of junk. But this is a dream right, so this one would be warm in winter, have brakes that stopped it and electrics that worked, it would also have a Big Cam super E series that had been fettled by the boys at ■■■■■■■■
The handlebars would be on the left, a nice LWB and the chassis would be full of diesel tanks, a visor, a Kysor on the roof and a good coating of road grime to set it all off.
I used to drive Transcons too, and I certainly agree that a Dutch-spec ■■■■■■ would be right at the top (with one of my ERFs!). Superb g’box installation. Cheers! Robert
Robert I think we both agree that the late 70s Middle East era were the golden years of trucking.
So using my own criteria for my fantasy fleet would bring different results to yours, there would only be the aforementioned Transcon with ■■■■■■■ power, the rest of my fleet would comprise of the other iconic lorries of the time.
So it would have to include the king of them all, the mighty 141, an F89, a 1932 NG Merc with the snorkel up the front and a 2800 DKS.
Sadly, in my fantasy fleet there is no room for anything that built in Britain other than the Crane Freuhauf spreadaxle tilts.
newmercman:
Robert I think we both agree that the late 70s Middle East era were the golden years of trucking.
So using my own criteria for my fantasy fleet would bring different results to yours, there would only be the aforementioned Transcon with ■■■■■■■ power, the rest of my fleet would comprise of the other iconic lorries of the time.
So it would have to include the king of them all, the mighty 141, an F89, a 1932 NG Merc with the snorkel up the front and a 2800 DKS.
Sadly, in my fantasy fleet there is no room for anything that built in Britain other than the Crane Freuhauf spreadaxle tilts.
Nice reply! I too have no ‘built in Britain’ agenda (the drive-lines weren’t even British). I’d certainly happily do a day’s work tomorrow in all the units you have mentioned, especially the DKS with its 13-speed Fuller. And yes, '70s long-haulers definitely do it for me. Robert
On the other hand, if I were to really tighten up the specifications to my preferences I might come up with this four-vehicle version of the Fantasy Fleet! Robert
Prerequisite specifications:
- 9-speed Fuller constant-mesh manual gearbox
- Sleeper cab (Middle-East spec)
- Left-hand-drive
- ■■■■■■■ 14-litre straight-six diesel engine
- 4x2 (preferably LWB)
- Forward control (COE)
- Built or assembled in Europe
POSSIBLE UNITS:
a) ERF MGC (5MW cab) — NTC335
b) ERF NGC (7MW cab) — NTC335
c) ERF C-series (SP cab) — 290 (350, if lucky)
d) Seddon-Atkinson 400 — NTC335
Hiya,i’ve been studying this one…how about a fleet of 10 guy big J,s with 240 even 320 Gardners you’d never be short of drivers
just because it would be a fleet of the rarest lorries on earth…they’d have sleeper cabs and aircon Bostrom seats power steering
and rear air suspension with disc brake conversion. just the bee’s knees.i,am going back to sleep now night night.
John
3300John:
Hiya,i’ve been studying this one…how about a fleet of 10 guy big J,s with 240 even 320 Gardners you’d never be short of drivers
just because it would be a fleet of the rarest lorries on earth…they’d have sleeper cabs and aircon Bostrom seats power steering
and rear air suspension with disc brake conversion. just the bee’s knees.i,am going back to sleep now night night.
John
Ah yes John! You mean 10 of these! Robert 
Hope this works 2005 Volvo ■■■■■■■■ powered over 500 bhp gross weight 62500 kgs 18 speed transmission .Approx 58000 litres of gasoline. Photo taken at cardston Alberta Canada 2007. I was her driver that day !!
Here is another LHD 14-litre ■■■■■■■ (NTC 290) / Fuller 9 wagon: the CCC. Robert
I’ve been finding out a bit more about these LHD cabover CCCs with 290 ■■■■■■■ and 9-speed Fullers. They were called CCC Nahangs and were built for export, mostly to Iran where they were up to the extremes of climate. I don’t know how comfortable they were to drive, but I’ll bet they were up to the Middle-East run. They certainly did it in reverse because they were spotted in northern Europe back in the '70s & '80s. Robert
Which all goes to show, at the end of the day, if you want a unit with LHD, ■■■■■■■ 14-litre, Fuller 9-speed, 6x4, cabover sleeper; then the C-series ERF appears to come out on top for its combination of power, comfort and modernity. As for chassis strength, I suspect the over-engineered USA trucks might just have the edge. Robert
Talking of which (strength), does anyone know if these two are one and the same unit? Robert 
newmercman:
That is an SUV…
Seriously Ugly Vehicle.
Funny you should say that: just about all the units that fall into my personal ideal long-hauler category (for the purposes of this thread) are the just about the ugliest bloody trucks about!! Here’s the list:
ERF NGC
ERF MGC
ERF B-series
ERF C-series
Seddon-Atkinson 400
Leyland Marathon
International Transtar
International CO9670
Kenworth K100E
Ford W-series
CCC Nahang
Of these, only the ERF B-series / C-series and Seddon-Atkinson are in the least good-looking (OK I’ve learnt to fall in love with the ERF NGC, but let’s face it the design was crude to say the least!). Those Yankee units might have the right drive-line for my requirements but boy, what daft-looking lorries they are! Robert
The International Transtar is one of my favourite trucks ever, I’m rather fond of the K100 too, but not the Aerodyne, the flat top 110" BBC is a stunning thing with the right paint.
The Brits, a little different, the B/C series are not too bad, same goes for the Seddon Akti, but the other ERFs and the Marathon fell from the top of the ugly tree.
The 9670, W series and that CCC thing fell from space into an ugly tree and hit every branch on their way down 
If, however, we confine ourselves to ordinary 4x2 robust TIR-trucks, with photo-evidence to back up the claim, the only POSSIBLE UNITS are:
a) ERF MGC (5MW cab) — NTC335
b) ERF NGC (7MW cab) — NTC335
d) Seddon-Atkinson 400 — NTC335
And if you eliminate models with awkward, round-the-houses gearboxes you lose the Seddon-Atkinson; and if you eliminate models with cabs that don’t even tilt you lose the ERF 5MW.
That leaves - ta da!!! - the ERF NGC (cue music, lights, ecstatic crowds dancing till dawn, camel-racing on the beach, ■■■ under the stars, champagne for breakfast, almond-eyed houris, bliss at elevenses…). Sigh! Robert
