My old fellas MK1 Cortina sat on his knee, as probably most boys did when they were infants.
And then at 14, and before I was old enough to hold a licence I was driving Leyland FG 550’s on the roads around South Shields. (But don’t tell my brother in law, as he’s a taffic cop there now.)
Before I eventually got my licence, Leyland Terriers, Leyland Roadrunners, Leyland Boxers and an array of cars and motorbikes were piloted.
But now I’m a fine upstanding pillar of the community, you wouldn’t catch me doimg ANYTHING dodgy. (Honest guv.)
Ken.
I got one of them when I was 17. Was told I was legal to drive it and it went to 7.5t gross. It was so bad I thought a lend of a Bedford TK was luxury.
1st vehicle I drove was a Ford Dexter at 8 (honest) Got a Hillman Imp to go up the farm track to school when I started secondary school replaced by a Singer Gazelle when I killed it.
Used to get home from school turn the wagons round and fill them up from about 12 13. I think diesel may be in my blood
dieseldave:
First ever vehicle… a small four-wheeler diesel dumper on a building site at approx 13yo.
First farm tractor… International 434
First legal moped… Puch
First legal motorcycle on the road… BSA Starfire
First legal car on the road… Triumph Herald 12/50
First truck… Ford “D” series custom cab 7.5t.
HGV 1 trained in… Ford “D” series artic
First HGV trucking job (HGV 3) … Bedford TK
I notice you say ‘first legal’ blah blah on the road. Confess to us!
Well, OK then…
I drove a Bedford CA, Austin Cambridge, Ford Zephyr, Ariel Arrow 250, Bridgestone 175, BSA Bantam 125, Fordson Dexter and Fordson Major all on farmland and well before I was legally allowed to.
As soon as I was 16, I took driving tests on a farm tractor (I worked on a farm at the time,) and a moped so I could take my girlfriend as a passenger, rather than waiting to get those entitlements for free when I passed my car test. I was proudly able to produce a full licence every time the police stopped me when carrying a passenger on my Puch moped.
My first cars were an Austin A30, Morris 1000, Vauxhall Cresta which I owned, I drove a brand new Cortina 1600E in 1967 and crashed it with less than 8 miles on the clock. I dyked my dads brand new Hillman Hunter in 1972 and regularly rode a Honda 400/4 at 15 years old. My mate went to get his shotgun certificate renewed and went to the police house on his Lambretta. When the copper asked him how old he was for the shotgun, he said 14 Things were easier back then.
I paid for my love of bikes & cars with an after school job, shunting trailers on King George Dock in Hull with a Leyland Mastiff and then a 1968 F86. I had taught myself to drive lorries round my dads pub carpark whenever I could pinch the keys for a Thames Trader, An Albion or an AEC. The drivers were loaded for exotic places like London and Glasgow and called into for a few pints on their way
Things were better back then.
I also had a failsafe way of making money. I used to remove coil wires or tyre valves from customers cars and then charge them to fix them, anything from a couple of quid to a fiver could be earned. Only one bloke sussed me and he threatened to tell my dad if I didn’t wash his car for free. I didn’t care. I still got to drive his Jaguar S Type
Things were brilliant back then
Dad’s Datsun 140J for a driving lesson. Then girlfriend’s Renault 10 - passed my test in that. Honda C50 for a year then bought my own Beetle rust-bucket
After I started working:-
Renault 12 TL
Talbot Samba GL (first brand new buy)
Fiat 128 Estate
Lada Riva Estate
Peugeot 205
Ford Capri (had two 2.0 & 1300)
Hyundai S Coupe
Volvo 480 Turbo
Citroen XM (& Vauxhall Astra Estate)
Toyota Townace
Vauxhall Cavalier
Vauxhall Vectra
Ford Mondeo
First truck was a MAN rigid then on to Mercedes Artics. A few other rental/agency vehicles, bit of everything
I had one. JAM 86N no flash disc brakes though . . did it make any difference taking the baffles out? 54 mph max.
Couple of my mates had Fantics. . . flash ■■■■■
I had one. JAM 86N no flash disc brakes though . . did it make any difference taking the baffles out? 54 mph max.
Couple of my mates had Fantics. . . flash [zb]
I remember the fantic, but my mate had a Garelli Rekord and one had a Gilera. Imagine been pushed along on a Raleigh Wisp with those barmy ■■■■■■■■
1957: International TD6 dozer…complete with 9ft Armstrong Holland blade.
May explain some things about my driving…
Old man wouldn’t let me in his T-3040 239 flathead Canadian Blue Oval…maybe thought I’d damage it.
Progression thru-
Ford T3040
Fergie, [TED was it]
Fergie 35
Austin A70 Hereford
Oliver Cletrac
Chev Blitz
Fordson Thames V8
Holden FB Special
Holden FE-FC
Ford 100E Defect
Landrover I [?] 12 hp [? 1952]
MG TF1500 [Export]
Honda 90 postie step-thru
Holden EH 179M S/Wgn
IH AB [?] 160 [petrol]
Falcon XA 500 302 Clevo toploader 15cwt ute
Morris 1100
Honda CB750
Honda 400
Various Kwakasakis
Range Rovers, various, I like old ones, up-engined and specced
Fiat 110NC/T stretch
Fergie TEA
IH TD6B
Holden HG 253 Ute
Honda Civics
Suzy Alto 800
Moto Guzzi '75 Eagle on Gauge Le Mans lightweight
Kwaka KX 450 Big horn [Uncivilized!!!]
Rover 3500SE
Rover 4400SE
Fairlane 302 ZJ
Fiat 170 NT33
Dodge 300
3.8 Holden VP1 Commode Interceptor
'94, '95, Disco V8i5
'97 Disco 300TDi
4.4 litre V8 Landie Ser 3 shorty
Various Mazda rotaries
Odd exotics
Q: What are the bell housing specs for a V8 170 fiat/Iveco?
According to my spec chart it’s a No1 SAE.
Is this correct?
I’m refurbishing the old girl.
Love that V8!
Sat on my dad’s knee steering various family cars from very small and also his Daf 2100 6 wheel rigid aged about 8. First car using gears 1971 VW campervan on 5 miles of forestry track aged 12. First lorry using gears early '80s Volvo F10 with low loader trailer (empty) aged 15 on an airstrip. My brother was 12 and did a Jim’ll fix it type thing with the local round table, his wish was to drive an artic and I got a go too.
First was a Triumph 250 Trailblazer fourty odd years ago, first car was a Mini 850, first truck was a driving school D series Ford Artic, first truck in a job was a 2600 Daf.
Think the wierdest was a Reliant 3 wheeler tipper for the local council. Once we pulled up at the depot and before we could get out a gust of wind caught it and we went over. Luckily the charghand was on the bottom an we all got out with out a scratch.
Dodge commando “yellow peril” at Deepcut Barracks early 1990. I passed my HGV 2 and car all on the same test at 18. The truck was fitted with car and HGV “L” plates.
I went to my 1st unit in Germany in the April and was faced with “knockers” AEC militants I think they were, dated to the 1950’s!
,first truck learned in bedford tk 
, first truck driven for wages ford cargo 0811 7.5 tonner 
