As someone who runs them to Italy - I think they’re great.
10mpg is poss with the right driver.
Nothing vibrates and falls off - unless you buy a bag o’ nails!
The Cursors are the best.
I recommend the Eurotronic gearboxes. Excellent drive. No clutch.
520 V8’s have loads of power.
Don’t go for one with a twin split - they can be troublesome.
Go as new as you can. A Y plate can be had for as little as £15000 plus the dreaded VAT. That will get you a good one.
What sort of work are you planning to use it on?
ianyng:
As someone who runs them to Italy - I think they’re great.
10mpg is poss with the right driver.
Nothing vibrates and falls off - unless you buy a bag o’ nails!
The Cursors are the best.
I recommend the Eurotronic gearboxes. Excellent drive. No clutch.
520 V8’s have loads of power.
Don’t go for one with a twin split - they can be troublesome.
Go as new as you can. A Y plate can be had for as little as £15000 plus the dreaded VAT. That will get you a good one.
What sort of work are you planning to use it on?
Ian.
Hi Ian
Sorry it took me so long for the reply, been a bit busy. It would mainly be used for distance work so probably a lot of motorway work and possibly europe as well, mind the price of diesel just keeps climbing…
They are good motors, honestly.
I think the main problem is badge snobbery.
Most drivers want a Scanny or a Volvo, but deep down they’re all the same anyway.
A truck is a truck, A working tool - thats it.
When you buy one, you have to look at the costs, especially the purchase price.
Why spend 50 grand on a Scania, when you can spend 20 on an Iveco?
I know loads of drivers will disagree, but as I’ve already said - a trucks a truck, and as long as it does the job it was purchased for, who cares what badge its got on the front?
ps… the interior lights on them are absolutely PANTS as mentined by Simon.
How many miles had yours done when you bought them and what was the service history like??
I’ve seen a few advertised at what seems like ok money for the age of the truck but does ‘badge snobbery’ really have that much of an effect on residuals, or is there more to it??
My Cursor 430 had 430 thou on it.
No service history supplied, but a good service before it went on the road sorted it out.
Also, it was a one owner motor, which is good.
My 520 had 520 thou on it. Again a good service and some tinkering see’s it on its way to Italy.
This had more owners from new, but was in a good overall condition underneath all the muck and grime. A professional valet for £90 + Vat made it gleam inside and out. If it’ll last me another 4 months I’ll be happy, and I’ll trade it then to get a newer Euro 3 motor. (The 520 is a P reg.)
ridd:
Whats the general opinion on Iveco Eurostars, probably the 400 with the twin splitter. I wondered if anyone knows what these are like on fuel, reliability and most of all cost on parts etc?. Looking about 1995 - 1999.
Before you says they are not a patch on Scanias or Volvos I know but, its a cost thing are things dont run to megabucks yet!!!
Cheers All
Dont know what they are like on fuel, or reliability, but they would look nice in a scrap yard
Smudger. Can you do this job to Chateauroux for me? OK guv’nor. You can take the Iveco if you like to give it a run out. OK guv’nor.
Guv’nor I am at Dover and I have a small problem. The steering wheel rake adjuster has just snapped in my hand!! OK smudge it’s only on demo anyway.
Guv’nor I am about 2 hours from the factory and the motor has died on me so cant do no more than 40 mph!! Pull over Smudge and I will get someone out to you. 4 hrs later. Guv’nor, when are Iveco comin’out?
Sit tight Smudger i’ll find out what’s goin’on. 1 hr later Yesss! it’s the Iveco man to tell me that the turbo is erm’ broken! As if by magic he j ust happens to have one in the van!!
Guv’nor, it’s Smudger. I’m on my way so will call you when I am tipped.
Ok Smudge, no probs.
Empty now Guv’nor so what are re-load details? Funny enough you are loading 3 kms from where you are now.
Guv’nor I have loaded but I have a problem again!! What is it this time Smudge. Err I think there may be a prob with the drag link Guv’nor. OK smudge I will get a local fitter if possible to try to get out to you.
Guv’nor drag link was faulty but not quite sure as to the extent but fitter has done wonders and I am on my way home.
Guv’nor I have just got on to the M2 London bound and the electrics are playing up cos when I put the indicators on the horn goes off in time with the indicators and it is quite embarrassing!!
Smudger I want you to call in to the yard to drop the Iveco off ok? OK Guvnor.
Are you not best pleased with this piece of equipment then Guv’nor? I ask.
No Smudger I am not and I will be taking this back from whence it came and I will tell them in no uncertain terms that this pile of !!! can be taken to the municipal tip.!!!
So, as I said in one of my earlier posts…I don’t know if they are good on fuel (cos I never got to find out) and not sure about reliability because in all fairness it did always start, BUT…■■?
Smudger while it sounds like a bit of a nightmare trip I’m sure the word Volvo, Scania, DAF, MAN, Renault, Mercedes could be substitued for Iveco and a driver will have the same sort of experience to relate.
My preference is for Volvo as I am on my third and have had virtually no problems from them, 3 unscheduled workshop visits in over 8 years, so I stick with what is serving me well but these days there isn’t much to choose between any make and if the vehicle is doing the job you ask it to that is more important than a badge.
ianyng hasn’t long been an operator but if, and I really hope it doesn’t, things go wrong he can get out a lot more cheaply than if he had bought Volvo or Scania. That makes good business sense.
Yep!! I follow you there Coffee and know exactly what you mean mate.
A man has got to make a living I suppose.
Volvos are nice but to this day I can honestly say that the truck that really did for me was my old 141 .
T’was a V reg and I got it from 2 years old. LHD, pulled like a train, took me all over the place (and back) reliably.
Only thing I hated was having to carry spare fuel filters and glass bowls cos you had to chage the filters every 3-4 days and the glass bowls were needed in case you dropped one!! Other than that no probs.
Neil -
Absolutely right.
For the price I got mine for, if everything goes wrong I can replace them and not lose a fortune in money.
Also, when first starting out, you get an awful lot of truck for your money.
(Waiting for comments about “awful”…)
Smudge had a bad experience with just one motor, and to be fair, the same can be said of a lot of makes. Look at the probs North Surrey Haulage has had, and that was just the dealer!
When I worked for JSL many years ago going to Croatia, they used to get demo trucks in from all different manufacturers. With the state of the roads over there back then all of them used to come back with problems. The only ones they used to run as their own were Volvo.
But look at it another way.
If you want a motor to do long distance work, you get the best you can for the cheapest price, and Volvo aren’t the cheapest on the block are they?
I can get 51 plate Eurosatr 430’s for less than 14 grand. Show me the same in a Volvo, and then look at the price tag. 35-40 grand plus??
I don’t intend to run Iveco for too long, and up to now I wouldn’t entertain the Stralis as they haven’t anywhere near as much room as a Eurostar.
Basically it’s horses for courses.
Point taken ianyng. It was the only one I have driven but the doubt is always there. But good luck to you and your business mate. I like to see everyone in this industry getting on.
Whats the general opinion on Iveco Eurostars, probably the 400 with the twin splitter. I wondered if anyone knows what these are like on fuel, reliability and most of all cost on parts etc?. Looking about 1995 - 1999.
Before you says they are not a patch on Scanias or Volvos I know but, its a cost thing are things dont run to megabucks yet!!!
There is plenty of storage space in a Eurostar, but you can’t see into the overhead lockers because the lights are pretty poor. The fuel returns are average, as far as I remember. Otherwise they are typical Iveco, ie It Vibrates Everything Falls Off. (IMHO)
I’ve never owned one, just driven them for other people.
