Rikki-UK:
rich12:
got to disagree about the sed ak 400/401,we had some with rolls 265 motors in them that were double shifted and covered mega miles and were very reliable.the main problem with the rolls 265 was on a high milage one they used to boil a bit due to porous heads,but they never failed to get you home.we have got axors now and at the rate they use water there will be a hose pipe ban this summer. 
I had the 14 litre ■■■■■■■ with an eaton box, and agree engine wise they were as reliable as hell. and you could have good nights sleep in them(nice wide bunk), the only problem with the 401/411 is when it moved ,
1 yard forwards 2 yards up and down 
I drove a Seddon Atkinson 400 which was only a Borderer with a different cab basically in my opinion, I liked my 401, maybe because after the 400 it seems a step up, it had a day cab but the addition of a large sofa cushion on the engine cover it was possible to lay flat for that essential midday kip !! Had a ■■■■■■■ 290 in it and went like the wind. I was offered a Strato Cruiser when the 401’s were getting old but I turned it down and kept the 401. With the speed limiter broken and not being a ‘polish the cab’ kind of bloke it suited me and could out run anything on the M1 in those days although as for being a hard rider I have to agree, shook the living daylights out of yer !!! Here’s a pic of mine GHW 532 X. * Note The missing illuminated name board above the screen? I have posted this elsewhere on TN but the reason for it’s demise was that such was the speeds involved the wind just ripped the plastic cover off somewhere on the M1 !! apparently many other driver of 401’s had the same problem and after which running at high speeds created a royal racket with the wind trying to fill the void !!!
Far and away head-and-shoulders above the rest for worstness in the the '80 for me were those EPS Mercs. I loved all the ERFs, SAs, Fodens and even the NG-cabbed Merc 1633 - but that EPS deffo dragged MB back into the dark ages IMHO. Robert 
I think that many of you complaining about the Sed/Atk, Clutch and pulling away is, you just couldn’t drive them.
Dieseldog66:
I think that many of you complaining about the Sed/Atk, Clutch and pulling away is, you just couldn’t drive them.
My thoughts exactly “Dieseldog66”
The 401 was the best selling tractor unit in the mid 80s so they must of been doing something right
We ran over 20 401s all gave us tremendous service the only real problems we had was rear hub seal failures with the troublesome group axle
The wiper linkage was pretty poor oh and the rattily gear knob other than that they were pretty much bombproof
Going back to the original topic my own worst lorry I’ve had to drive was F7 Volvo
Renault 290 GT enough said
ramone:
Renault 290 GT enough said
Praise the Lord, I read all the thread and get to last post to find the good old 290. First I had was a 4 wheel unit, were everything jumped off the bed if you ran over a catseye, everything had to be on the bed as that was the only storage. Then I had a twin steer model, didn’t kick you in the back as much, but still just insufficient for a 6’ + driver, and any load weighing more than a Can of Coke single can
And I tramped with those motors 
We had an O/D parking at our yard, at one point he brought a powerliner 1848, sign wrote on the front “Never late with a 48”. Inspired by this I wrote on a piece off card for the windscreen, “Never on time with a 29”, 
I had a Renault 321 what a pile of crap.
jeffrey ellener:
I had a Renault 321 what a pile of crap.
Look at all that extra power you had yeah OK point taken
eddie snax:
ramone:
Renault 290 GT enough said
Praise the Lord, I read all the thread and get to last post to find the good old 290. First I had was a 4 wheel unit, were everything jumped off the bed if you ran over a catseye, everything had to be on the bed as that was the only storage. Then I had a twin steer model, didn’t kick you in the back as much, but still just insufficient for a 6’ + driver, and any load weighing more than a Can of Coke single can
And I tramped with those motors
We had an O/D parking at our yard, at one point he brought a powerliner 1848, sign wrote on the front “Never late with a 48”. Inspired by this I wrote on a piece off card for the windscreen, “Never on time with a 29”,
Mine was a twin steer E555 EWE it came with a blindfold for the hills , I got a D registered Foden with a 320 Gardner in after that and it was like a Rolls Royce in comparison
jeffrey ellener:
ramone:
Renault 290 GT enough said
Sorry ment 231.
Probably the same engine with a different badge
Anything and everything. Built in Britain.
For me the worst would be F7, Renault 321, ERF A Series & B series
ramone:
jeffrey ellener:
ramone:
Renault 290 GT enough said
Sorry ment 231.
Probably the same engine with a different badge
I know they did a 260 and 320 aswell as the 290 with the same club four(F7) cab, so a 230 version wouldn’t surprise Me
In the 80s, anything with a Merc or Renault badge. The “Renault badge” bit still applies today!
A G230 was indeed available as a tractor unit - I had the distinction of selling two to a box company in South Wales in the late 1980s- the good bit was they were plated at 28t, the bad bit was they pulled very tall single axle trailers!!!
Dodge Commando (no question about it) it had all the driving qualities of a bag of nails !!!
