En-Tour-Age:
Nice discoveries now pop-up! I remembered a leaflet on the Astro Glider and scanned the cover,
perhaps later more. Gliders were common/popular in the country of Uncle Sam when you had
the powertrain/driveline. Such a kit came with a new cab and fully instrumented, a front-axle
with wheels and tires, brakes and a new frame. I have no idea on the costs, but it should be a
considerable lower one as you ‘had’ your (probably more or less) ‘new’ engine and driveline but
also the working hours to have the assembly pay off. Leaflet is from 1978 by the way.
Alex
Evening all, Alex, the “Glider Kit” was a concept never explored in Europe. Over here we worked vehicles over a time cycle, (Tax incentives to purchase new, and offset them against company profits)…if you made any profit!
And the general European attitude around “age expired” vehicles, (non more so than in Great Britain, where average age dropped in the 80s to 28months)!! Commercial suicide, as we now see!
I remember when KW showed a K100 Aerodyne at the `77 Frankfurt Show, and boasted about its 1.5 million KM “first life”, and the German Hauliers walked away, wondering who would drive such an old lorry!
I expect you remember the Mack “Gliders”, Cab, with all trim, and wiring in place ,instruments, steel, or alloy chassis, front axle, suspension, full cooling system, steering box, exhaust(s), wheels and tyres.) All painted…then you slid your engine, back end underneath…and away you went!
The theory was that the complete rig would cost about 50% of new cost…but of course corners were cut…and some “right animals” emerged. And you had to be carefull, because some States re registered in the year of conversion, while others made the operator stick to his old registration…great fun when you wer buying them!!!
Perhaps a little Bollinger will sooth away some memories of disasterous near misses with Glider Kit specials!!!
Cheerio for now,
