I remember sitting in British Salt in Cledford Lane, Middlewich in the early 70s in a 1967 Seddon 30/4/6LX. It was freezing cold and blowing a gale and anyone who has ever had the misfortune to drive one will know the wind blew in through every gap imaginable and the heater was as much use as mudflaps on a tortoise. After a while an F86 belonging Stewart Cameron of Drymen came and parked alongside me and the driver came to my door and asked “are you cold in there Jimmy?” I didn’t need to answer, he could see my plight. “Come and sit in here” he said. I couldn’t believe the heat in the cab. Then he asked me would I like to have a drive. Well to say I was gobsmacked would be an understatement, power steering, synchromesh gearbox and so quiet that you could actually hear the radio and 8 track -remember them? On my return home I entered the Seddon in the forthcoming Richard Read sale and used the proceeds to purchase a 1970 F86 from Edgwicks in Tewkesbury. Thus began a lifelong affinity with Volvo starting with UDD 639H and progressing to F88s etc.I found it difficult to comprehend how driver unfriendly British trucks were by comparison with our Scandinavian and European counterparts.
boris:
0
Hiya,
I’ve driven both these models around this time the Volvo being as is but the
Seddon having a biggish Roller engine built in with the 30/4 I could and did
blow the little Volvo’s off all day long. Now the 88s was a different matter.
thanks harry, long retired.
Hiya Harry,The old 30/4 was the fibreglass cab model with a Gardner 6LX 150 but I also ran a couple of 32/4s one with a 220 Rolls and one with a 220 ■■■■■■■ they both would have blown the bubble away but as for comfort there was no comparison cheers!
Incidentally I used to own VDF205J which is on this page now owned by Mark Way, I owned it briefly before it passed into the ownership of the infamous BUBBLEMAN Cheers
Laurie Dryver:
Hiya Harry,The old 30/4 was the fibreglass cab model with a Gardner 6LX 150 but I also ran a couple of 32/4s one with a 220 Rolls and one with a 220 ■■■■■■■ they both would have blown the bubble away but as for comfort there was no comparison cheers!
Hiya,
Sorry “Laurie” I did mean the 32/4 not having driven the 30/4s, yes I too have driven
the Seddon’s and the Big Js with the Roller and ■■■■■■■ engines and did, comfort
aside prefer them to the little Volvo Of course when I got to grips with an F88 I was
king of the world, myself finding the day cabbed version more to my liking.
thanks harry, long retired.
harry_gill:
Laurie Dryver:
Hiya Harry,The old 30/4 was the fibreglass cab model with a Gardner 6LX 150 but I also ran a couple of 32/4s one with a 220 Rolls and one with a 220 ■■■■■■■ they both would have blown the bubble away but as for comfort there was no comparison cheers!Hiya,
Sorry “Laurie” I did mean the 32/4 not having driven the 30/4s, yes I too have driven
the Seddon’s and the Big Js with the Roller and ■■■■■■■ engines and did, comfort
aside prefer them to the little Volvo Of course when I got to grips with an F88 I was
king of the world, myself finding the day cabbed version more to my liking.
thanks harry, long retired.
Did Some Miles In These Circa 70/71 ish Inter City Leigh Depot, then LPQ Astley Moss [Moss Rose] was her name Sadly no Piccs of the Latter, Cheers Chris
Lance Biscomb:
Taken today
Evening Lance, did you take this photo in lancashire by any chance on the padium bypass ,i ask because there was one parked there on a farm ,you could see it of the road ,it looks like a west yorkshire reg WW.
Cheer,s Richard.
Hi bubbles
Here’s some F86’s from my collection, the Fred Greenwood was taken along time ago so I do not know if he still has this truck or it has gone elsewhere,
Siddle C Cook and Gallachers no longer exist Simpson do but after a few changes. regards prattman.
harry_gill:
Hiya,
Ah’ the f86 great as a rigid 6 wheeler or even an 8 wheeler if not travelling too far
afield but I rated them poor as a 32 tonner and equated them to those Scania 80s
which were rubbish at that weight very underpowered I know I’ve driven both.
thanks harry, long retired.
Many times I gave a driver a lift in my F86 ,and they would TELL ME FOR CERTAIN that I did not have much weight on this so I would show them the delivery notes for my 20 to 23 ton ! mine would not do that ect ect they would say , some can drive them ,some not .
Whats the craic with the wipers
Did they ever park at the bottom of the windscreen ?
Suedehead:
Whats the craic with the wipers
Did they ever park at the bottom of the windscreen ?
Hiya,
I drove them for Young’s of Leadgate and can’t remember where they
parked when switched off those look a bit in the line of vision to me.
harry_gill:
Suedehead:
Whats the craic with the wipers
Did they ever park at the bottom of the windscreen ?Hiya,
I drove them for Young’s of Leadgate and can’t remember where they
parked when switched off those look a bit in the line of vision to me.
My first one was for Tony Tyler of A&H Transport Long Eaton, and I don’t remember a problem so they must have been parked down the bottom ok. I do remember it was the first vehicle I drove with infinitely variable wiper speeds, very handy in light rain, also I was short enough to take advantage of the board with a mattress on it that the previous driver had built behind the seats, my first ‘sleeper’ cab. 
When I started as an o/d my first tractor unit was an F86 bought off a former employer.Good machine used for a couple of years on containers and ferry trailers.At 6ft.tall I still managed a comfy sleep on the back shelf.
Gidders:
When I started as an o/d my first tractor unit was an F86 bought off a former employer.Good machine used for a couple of years on containers and ferry trailers.At 6ft.tall I still managed a comfy sleep on the back shelf.
You did well then Gidders, but the only problem I found was the curtains at the back hung inwards due to the inward curve of the rear panel towards the roof.