Hello everyone. Hope this is in the right place
My first post so a bit about myself! I’m currently a joiner, 25 years of age and gained my class 2 licence last august for work as we have a rigid for moving machines and kit houses. Mad keen on trucks!
My post is as follows!
When does a truck become a modern classic? I’ve seen some saying 15 years and some saying 20 years. The reason I ask, is I’ve come into a sum of money and fancy a decent project. The truck is a 2005 scania r580 with tag axle.
So, how would this work? If in the dream came true, how would I go about actually owning this vehicle! Is it a modern classic or not? Can I insure it as a modern classic, if not can it just be insured and taxed as a private hgv? It would only be used as that, shows/ road runs etc!
Or would I even be able to insure is being only 25?
Cheers
Danny!
Hi and welcome to the forum. Honestly, I’m not being sarcastic, but why not ring some insurers and find out?
And yes, private HGV road tax.
Good luck, Pete
Peter Smythe:
Hi and welcome to the forum. Honestly, I’m not being sarcastic, but why not ring some insurers and find out?
And yes, private HGV road tax.
Good luck, Pete
Haha fair play! I could just thought I’d ask to see if anyone on here has had a similar experience and had any knowledge, there’s so much on here is mind blowing
the first problem is the scania word, only tangs can have those as everybody else drives too slow, does not know how to overtake with a cb, or has dubious friends in the human import companies, (other uses are available for these vehicles by brits, usually blocking up ditches at the side of the road (either side) trying to move bridges or sleeping on roundabouts (usually on there sides, some even on the drivers side), the problems are endless, do your self a favour get a bedford these have had all the high tec bits built in with no added cost, a moving gym (no power steering and trying to push the brake pedal through the floor to try and stop, oil leaks all the time so never needing a light to tell you its low, no problems with overtaking like the elephant racing scanias you will not overtake anything, no safety alert systems, you will need to start braking a week in advance anyway, aircon through the turn around quarterlight windows, sleeper availability as long as you are short, and on a good day you will get 15mpg out of a 330 diesel, many a driver like myself started on a 10 ton gross but under 3 ton unladen (with a bit of fettling) with 7 ton on you will welcome the hills you will crawl up rather than the ones you career down, oh and dont snap a halfshat or you are sat there with foot on the brake until some one puts a block under the wheels, as bedford designed a hand brake that grips the prop shaft which proves how differentials work, the list is endless and i might start a forum on bedford tech alone. oh and do not forget your own block these are prized possessions of bedford men,
The classic lorry policies used to be for ones 15 yrs and older .
Mine is £120 per yr with the NFU but I not had chance to get it out for 4 yrs so have kept the policy on at £20 per yr with out road use .
I don’t have to use a tacho ,but the speed limit does have to work and as does the speedo .
Hope this helps .
not a Scania or Bedford fan then,HM
OP,there will be Insurance Co’s advertising in any of the classic truck magazines.
Welcome Scannydanny.
The nos 1, 2 and 3 problems with owning a large vehicle revolve around secure undercover storage with power and water. The last one on the list is that you will never recover your investment of time and treasure. Unless the vehicle is undercover it will deteriorate, at a rate of knots if it is not on concrete. Outdoors or even inside there is always the risk of theft or vandalism, feral youth loves smashing windows or setting light to things for a laugh, to our caravan dwelling cousins that rare £3000 gearbox is £50 of luvvly-jubbly scrap or the vehicle is a source of panels and fittings for his budding 2nd hand spares venture. Sadly it is very true that one of the biggest problems relating to storage is other lorry or bus ‘nuts’ and their wagging tongues, always wanting to know and spread the ins and outs of a camels arse and particularly where it is to be found. Worse, some are not averse to a little pilfering for their own projects or to hang as a trophy on their bedroom wall as toss-off material.
Under cover there are still problems with ventilation, too much and rain gets in, too little and condensation with temperatue changes leads to corrosion and mould. No electricity will mean you will need portable power so to run anything more than a lead light and a small drill means large, heavy and expensive generators which you will need to take home every time. If you want to get involved in any restoration yourself you will need a quite lot of expensive desirable equipment some with an emphasis on doing the job safety since you will probably be on your tod. If you want to have others do it then it becomes expensive and again sadly there are those to steer away from.
Just as this forum features almost weekly posts asking about operating centre parking the vehicle preservation scene is littered with storage enquiries. Loss of storage can be quite sudden with dramatic consequences, many a project has had to be sold because new ‘premises’ cannot be found or if they can be, turn out to be unsuitable. A vehicle inside a building which cannot be made to roll is going to be an expensive move. The lucky owners have an excellent relationship with their landlord - usually a farmer with a ‘spare’ barn remote but close enough to his house to be within security distance, however his needs change with the seasons and unfortunately the rent received can become insignificant in comparison with other uses for the land or the building.
Finally take someone with good mechanical knowledge of your project vehicle to inspect it before purchase and keep in mind that a tractor unit just begs for a suitable trailer to accompany it in the future and that will need accommodation too.
However if you have the enthusiasm, the knowledge, the money and the realism to succeed then ownership is enjoyable, but enter with your eyes wide open.
Edit add: It is good news to hear of younger interest in old vehicles, so many currently involved are getting past their sell-by date. Don’t be put off getting involved in old vehicle restoration, your skills as a joiner are in demand for older timber framed cabs, bus bodywork and vintage vehicle coachwork. If you can find the employment then you can acquire knowledge without laying out your own money and be paid while doing so. That route might even find you storage and assistance with your ambitions.
well carryfast-yeti having run bedfords i do have a soft spot for them, they incorporate many of lifes challenges of which i am always up for, as a spanner man from school the problems only arise when you hand the key over to the driver, these invariably go on to knock bits off, run in to things, forget to do stuff like add fuel etc, rest their foot on the clutch pedal, slip the clutch to pull away in 2nd gear, the list is endless, and this make you think that perhaps they are not quite so good but once you have spent your hard earned and purchased one what a shock, the mirrors do not just fall off, the transmission brake does not have so much slack you can run into another vehicle 10 feet away, and if you put fuel in you do not run out, all the other things are just challenges, especially the granny that pulls out in front of you and even when you avoid her continues along the road in 1st gear noses it into too small parking place leaving the rest across the road to nip to the post office, challenges of life, (you can keep your scania) and i have a soft spot for the magnums.