Best sounding engines

[parkroyal2100]

If I go back a few years (oh alright, decades ), the best sounding engine was any one that would start at 4.00am on a winter’s morning

Sarcasm aside, the best sounding is hard - all the good ones have their own individual sound. Distinctive is easier. Perhaps it’s a sign of how long I’ve been out of the transport game, perhaps not, but there was a time I could pick a wagon just by hearing it coming down the road - with a few exceptions I couldn’t do that now. I could pick an F86 from an F7 from an F88 from an F10 (but not and F10 from an F12), a 111 (easy), a DAF2800/3300 from a 2100/2300/2500, a Rolls from a ■■■■■■■■ a Gardner from anything, a Maggie from anything and so on.

Anyways, a short list in no particular order:
Maggie Deutz V8 (a favourite even now)
Rootes TS3 knocker (I can even remember as a kid in the early 60s hearing Slate and Tile Fodens with these things in them)
Scania 141 V8
Scania 112 with a set of decent pipes listening to the turbo lag on the over-run
CAT V8 + jake brake
F88/ F89
V10 Mercedes

I’m sure I’ll think of more later. Have an earful of this, a 1957 Commer knocker restored and owned by a bloke in Sydney, it’s just… just…f’kin mad

youtube.com/watch?v=BmM-soQnQrc

Cars I won’t go into, if I get started on great sounding bikes we’ll be here all day.

Buses are kind of ball-park (aren’t they?)** . No matter what pigs they may have been to drive, my favourites to listen to (and that I remember well) were/ are the original Mk1 Leyland Thrashionals with the fixed head Leyland 510, any Leyland 0.680 engined Bristol RE (an exhaust note that breaks windows at 500 yards combined with the whine of the Bristol final drive) and Gardner 6LXB engined Bristol VRs with a loud exhaust note.

youtube can supply lotsa National thrash and Bristol REs too. But the best RE on youtube (turn your bass UP!) IMO is:
youtube.com/watch?v=j-SA09eBz_g

Why the best? Because this 40 year old RE is still in service.

A good Bristol VR sound:
youtube.com/watch?v=OKq4hY3b2kE

** No? Oh well, it was nice knowing y’all

[brookie]

M&C steve:
The best sounding engine ■■

It has GOT to be when after being stuck in the middle of nowhere with wax blocked fuel lines and filters, dead of night, 10" of snow on the ground and falling heavilly still, frozen to the bone and soaked to the skin, in the days before mobile phones and you are already late for delivery, and just before the batteries finally die the engine bursts into life.

That has got to be the "best sounding engine of all !!

Regardless of the make / model of truck…

Steve.

Haha!, I’d forgotten about that one!

Regards,

Mark.

[rigsby]

the best sounding engine i recall was a gardner 180 . my motor was on mot so " take the spare " ( heap of junk ) . drove a mile and stopped for a paper , came out of the shop to hear a knocking and banging , the bloody thing had dropped a valve on tickover . sweet noise , towed back to the yard and back home to bed until 8 am .cheers , dave

[lawrence_dunbar]

My Scimitar had a lovely tone to it , I had the V.6. Ford Essex engine uprated by a fellow called Robin Rew, his place was at Silverston Racing Circuit, , His Trade Mark was Robin Rew The Scimitar Sharpener, & mind you it came back a super job, purred like a cat. My next favourate is the 680 Leyland PP. music to my ears, ticked over like clock. Regards Larry.

[dave_the_renegade]

Lawrence Dunbar:
00My Scimitar had a lovely tone to it , I had the V.6. Ford Essex engine uprated by a fellow called Robin Rew, his place was at Silverston Racing Circuit, , His Trade Mark was Robin Rew The Scimitar Sharpener, & mind you it came back a super job, purred like a cat. My next favourate is the 680 Leyland PP. music to my ears, ticked over like clock. Regards Larry.

Hope that Dodge went better than the one that I drove with a Perkins 6354.
Cheers Dave.

[rigsby]

speaking of cars larry , my son has a nissan zx300 , twin turbo , straight through pipes , 420bhp , the sound is sublime , cheerts , dave

[lawrence_dunbar]

Dave the Renegade:

Lawrence Dunbar:
00My Scimitar had a lovely tone to it , I had the V.6. Ford Essex engine uprated by a fellow called Robin Rew, his place was at Silverston Racing Circuit, , His Trade Mark was Robin Rew The Scimitar Sharpener, & mind you it came back a super job, purred like a cat. My next favourate is the 680 Leyland PP. music to my ears, ticked over like clock. Regards Larry.

Hope that Dodge went better than the one that I drove with a Perkins 6354.
Cheers Dave.

Well we ran this wagon for 7 years, 2 Head gaskets & one clutch,& a fuel pump,plus the normal run of the mill things, I quite often ran down south & re-loaded from St.Neots. No probs, Regards Larry

[lawrence_dunbar]

rigsby:
speaking of cars larry , my son has a nissan zx300 , twin turbo , straight through pipes , 420bhp , the sound is sublime , cheerts , dave

I bet it has ,I can nearley hear it from up here, I recon it will be lovely to drive, very nice, Regards Larry

[bewick]

The 6LW in this 4 wheeler was as smooth as silk,it ran like a little sowing machine you could hardly hear it when on tick over so maybe it dosen’t qualify for this thread,but it may do for being the smoothest and quietest though !! Cheers Dennis.

[lawrence_dunbar]

I agree with you there D. I think this thread would have better named the worste sounding engines, because there is some But I would say there are more goodins than baddins, & of course the older ones were natural aspirated as you know, & the Turbo ones did run a bit quieter. Regards Larry

[dave_the_renegade]

Lawrence Dunbar:
I agree with you there D. I think this thread would have better named the worste sounding engines, because there is some But I would say there are more goodins than baddins, & of course the older ones were natural aspirated as you know, & the Turbo ones did run a bit quieter. Regards Larry

You can easily change the title Larry,just by editing the thread.Beg your pardon Boris.I forgot its your thread.
Cheers Dave.

[manctramper]

i love the sound of the rover v8’s, so much i run 2 road cars with said engine,
one in a scimitar

and one in a discovery

i’ve also got a marinised v8 to go in to my speed boat, once i’ve found a jet drive for it…

[lawrence_dunbar]

Very nice, I looked at a MG a while ago with the Rover V 8 ,sounded great but the bodywork needed to much work, so I decided against it, My Scimitar was a M reg, I wish I had kept. Regards Larry

[saviem]

Well Gentlemen, I delivered some bales today, between showers, using my Scammel Scarab. Left her running whil`st unloading, and do you know that little Perkins four cylinder sounded so sweet and smooth on tickover, fair made my heart sing! Cheerio for now.

[lawrence_dunbar]

An old Scammell Scarab wonderfull a firm I worked for in the 50/60s had 2. good little workhorses, have you any pictures.? Regards Larry.

[dave_the_renegade]

Saviem:
Well Gentlemen, I delivered some bales today, between showers, using my Scammel Scarab. Left her running whil`st unloading, and do you know that little Perkins four cylinder sounded so sweet and smooth on tickover, fair made my heart sing! Cheerio for now.

Hi Saviem
Bulmers of Hereford had quite a few Scammell Scarab’s running inter plant.I would think they had the same Perkins unit as the Massey Ferguson tractors,correct me if I’m wrong.
Cheers Dave.

[manctramper]

I like the MGBGT’s with the v8 but cars a little too small inside, the scimitars also
a bit cosy inside but done away with the rear seats for more leg room,
best rover V8 sound has got to be the 4.6 they put in the P38 range rover, soooooo crisp

[saviem]

Evening all, Larry, Dave, loads of pictures, but lack of ability, and equipment to get them on here!! I will try to become less “ludite” soon, and get the right equipment!! Frankly I love driving the Scarab. Loads of fun at 25mph. That sweet little gate change box, the radiator in the cab, (warm in winter, vindaloo in summer)! manual worm steering, its a little devil to try to catch that little 16ft trailer if you try to go backwards quickly! And its the only lorry Ive had that the general public universally smile when they see it coming along, the only downside is if you come up behind a "fit" cyclist, takes ages to pass them, and on the uphill they may be quicker! The Mechanical Horse,Yet another really clever idea, that we failed to develop. Dave, I think that it may be the same engine as in the Fergie, but Im no expert sorry. Cheerio for now.

[lawrence_dunbar]

I think the Fergy was a 3 cylinder, a mate of mine has one. The Scarab was a P 4 as I recall, The early Mechanical Horse Scammells were petrol engines 4 cylinder Magneto Ignition, no starter motor, just the good old handle, & A gravity fed fuel system, so you had to remember to turn the tap off when you put it to bed for the night. Happy Days, I even remember theireg. numbers. JVK 44, GPT 540.569 HBB & 173LVK, Regards Larry

[lawrence_dunbar]

If you look to the right of this picture you can just see a Scarab it belonged to Tyne Tees Steamshipping Co, it was ideal for working in the old dock sheds, sorry you can only see it from back, Regards Larry